DanishPriest: THOUGHTS FOR THE JOURNEY

2011-02-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

Hello friends ... it's been months since my last post. Somehow it just fell by the wayside, replaced by so many other things and duties.

Most of you know that my Dad died in late September. The days of his dying were mercifully brief and my sister and I were privileged to be with him. I preached at his burial service at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas. It was the easiest and also one of the most difficult sermons I have preached. Later in the day we gathered all the girls ... three generations ... each wearing one of Dad's well known madras plaid shirts. End of an era. Time since then has been very busy with taking care of Dad's estate. I never knew that being the executor is like having a second job. Taking care of Dad in his final weeks and days and now taking care of his things, is a way we live out the commandment to honor our parents.

The Advent and Christmas seasons seemed especially blessed this year. Tender times of being with family and friends ... and so many folks were so generous to me; I'm still in the process of thanking them.

And now we are in an especially long Epiphany season (Easter is late this year). It's kind of nice to have these many weeks of Epiphany as each Sunday's readings brings yet more pictures and revelations about the Holy One who has come into our lives. Tonight I'm thinking about salt and light (Matthew 5). The very essence of salt is to be salty and the very essence of light is to show light. We are to be like that. Be exactly who we are created to be. Be fully who we are as baptized children of God. Not hiding nor fearing to show who we are. Being completely honest about who we are. When we are less than this, God sees straight through us and even calls our bluff. I believe this is the direction tomorrow's sermon is going to go.

Here's a prayer for this evening:

O God, the source of eternal light: Shed forth your unending day upon us who watch for you, that our lips may praise you, our lives may bless you, and our worship on the morrow give you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP p. 123)

some good words for tonight and every night ...

2010-09-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight I simply share a prayer with you ... this is one of my favorite prayers and I pray it every night, pausing to name the appropriate people after petition:

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those

who work ...

or watch ...

or weep ...

this night, and give your angels charge of those who sleep ...

Tend the sick ...

Lord Christ;

give rest to the weary ...

bless the dying ...

soothe the suffering ...

pity the afflicted ...

shield the joyous ...

and all for your love's sake. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, page 124.

On this night, may we all rest in peace and rise to joyfully worship God on the morrow. Janne+

It's fall ... well, almost

2010-09-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hello friends -- it's been a few weeks since I've visited my own blog. I've spent some vacation time in Dallas helping my sister take care of my Dad who has in-home hospice care. We spent some good family time. Our youngest family member had a lunch date with her great-grandpa. Nice. Please keep our family in your prayers as we journey through this season of our life.

Have you thought about your fall activities? I very much encourage you to take advantage of some of the many offerings at St. Michael's. We have The Art of Engaging Holy Scripture and the Order of St. Luke bible studies, book studies, Financial Peace University, NOOMA small groups for young adults, Education for Ministry course, small group of all sorts, as well as some special events. The Front Porch Project, an emergent church project of the Diocese of Texas, is offering a four week parenting course at St. Michael's, led by the Rev. Stephen Kinney and Patricia Boyce. It begins

tomorrow - register by sending me an e-mail at associate@st-michaels.com or call the church office or just show up!!!

And Friday, September 17, is the first of three programs dealing with Alzheimer's, Dementia and CRS (can't remember stuff)! A delicious dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. (please sign up via e-mail or calling the church) and the program begins at 7 p.m. We'll watch the movie Iris and then discuss thoughts and issues raised by the movie.

On October 15 we will again enjoy dinner, followed by Nell B. Dale reading from her recently published collection of poetry written while she was primary caregiver during her husband's battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Finally, on November 12, we will hear from Dr. Ronald Devere about the many aspects of dementia disease. Dr. Devere will lead us in a two hour interactive session -- again, following a delicious dinner.

Please contact me at associate@st-michaels.org or call 512 327 1474 for more information about these and any of our St. Michael's programs. I do look forward to seeing you at one or more of these events!

For reflection on this Sunday's gospel reading, please check out the Bishop's blog -- link in right column.

Blessings, Janne.

BLESS THIS PENCIL ...

2010-08-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Occasionally someone comes up to me before or after a worship service and asks me to "bless" something. It may be a cross necklace, a ring, a Bible, a Prayer Book, a cross for a baby's room, etc. I am certainly glad to do so, but always take the opportunity to teach that we do not really bless inanimate objects. Rather we ask God's blessing on the use to which we will put the item. Thus in the blessing for a cross we say "...we pray that this cross may draw our hearts to him ..." and when blessing a Bible we ask to "... diligently search your holy Word that we may find in it the wisdom that leads to salvation ..." and so on. This is also true when we gather for a houseblessing: we ask God's to pour out his blessing upon the members of the household and the life that will be lived in the house. And at weddings we ask God's blessings upon the rings as "signs of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other."

And so tomorrow, when we "bless pencils" at St. Michael's, we are not taking ordinary pencils and making them into super-duper, guaranteed to bring an A+ on any test on which they are used, blessed kind of pencils! We are, however, asking God's blessing upon all students and indeed upon everyone who comes in contact with students! We are praying that all learning and teaching and creativity and studying and activity will be wonderful and good and ultimately to God's glory.

These are just plain cedar wood pencils with www.st-michaels.org printed on them -- but anyone looking at their pencil can be reminded that she is God's beloved, blessed child and hopefully remember that our whole St. Michael's community is praying for her, as we are praying for all our students, teachers, janitors, bus-drivers, counselors, lunch room workers, aides and administrators. Praying that this school year will be really good, productive, wholesome, and blessed.

So, come to church tomorrow. Worship, enjoy visiting, and get your St. Michael's pencil and a blessing for your new school year! Janne.

Note: If you checked this blog to get details on tomorrow's lectionary reading -- please check out the bishop's blog on the gospel according to Luke.

The weave that doesn't unravel

2010-08-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have several books I consider to be my faithful companions: The Bible (in Danish and Englisch, please) and the Book of Common Prayer. There are some works of fiction I read again and again – and some poetry collections. A fairly new companion is proving to be a true friend, “To Bless the Space Between Us – a Book of Blessings” by John O’Donohue (Doubleday 2008). No matter the turns and twists and up and downs of my life, O’Donohue has the right words – at the end of an anxious day, this blessing “Before Sleep” (p. 99) is perfect for letting go of the day’s cares:

1. As I lay down to sleep - May the guardian angel - Watch over me - Coaxing all my care - To unravel into peace.

2. As darkness within - Is wed to darkness without - Freed from the weight of light - Let my eyes sleep - Relieved of all intensities.

3. Let my imagination - Trawl the compressed seas - To bless the dawn - With a generous catch - Of luminous dream.

4. May this new night of rest - Repair the wear of time - And restore youth of heart - For the adventure - That awaits tomorrow.

And here are O’Donohue’s words “On Waking” (p. 94)

I give thanks for arriving - Safely in a new dawn - For the gift of eyes - To see the world - The gift of mind - To feel at home - In my life. The waves of possibility - Breaking on the shore of dawn - The harverst of the past - That awaits my hunger - And all the furtherings - This new day will bring.

Then there’s the blessing called “For Lost Friends” (p. 176) which has become very poignant for me. As my father nears the end of his life – my sister and I have just helped arranged home hospice care for him – and I watch the next generations, our children and grand-children, continue to blossom in their loveliness. In "Lost Friends" I read,

When we love another heart - And allow it to love us - We journey deep below time - Into that eternal weave - Where nothing unravels.

I realize these words look back at lives we have shared, but at this “in between place” of my life, I am so aware of the threads of life I have shared with my Dad and the many others I love and who have died – and I am so thankful for those threads already firmly woven into the weave – and I’m so blessed to be aware that the tender momemts I’m sharing with my children, their spouses, and their children are the threads that continue to be woven into that weave where nothing unravels – and where we are all held together in God’s blessing. Blessings upon you and yours, Janne+

Thoughts

2010-07-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit crazy this past week -- and because I'm not preaching on Sunday, I have not spent much time with the readings. If you would like good background and study information for this week's readings, please check out Bishop Doyle's "Hitchhiker's Guide to Luke" linked in right hand column).

I'm in the third week of leading two studies using Kerygma's "The Bible and Brahms' German Requiem: Sowing Tears - Reaping Joy." This is proving to be an amazing experience for many of us and very meaningful as we dig deeply into the Bible readings and then allow the music to flow over and through us. Even though I have "done" grief work in the past, and have led studies of the texts used by Brahms, this particular approach is very stirring. Our studies and shared reflections offer much healing for many of us. This is a good thing.

Every now and then we are privileged to experience an "aha" moment. This afternoon my little grand-daughter helped me dig trenches for our first St. Michael's memorial pavers. One of the stones honors a woman born in 1895; as I dug into the earth I thought about the 114 years that separate hers and my grand-daughter's births. I thought about how much life has changed in 114 years. Inventions and progress and wars and much more ... and I also smelled the rosemary, listened to the hum of the bees, watched little hands try to help lift a heavy brick honoring someone she will never know ... and I was once again humbled to recognize the connectedness of all life, of all lives. Those who have gone before. Those who are alive today. And those who are not yet born. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever.

Blessings, Janne+

Praying the Psalms

2010-07-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

About once a year I abandon my usual prayer practice of Morning and Evening Prayer according to The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and for a month or so, I only pray the Psalms. In past years I have used the BCP version; this year I'm using The Saint Helena Psalter. Both assign psalms to thirty days of morning and evening times of prayer. You just begin with Psalm One "First Day: Morning Prayer" and read until it says "First Day: Evening Prayer" at the beginning of Psalm Six. In thirty days you will have read all 150 psalms! Begin today and before the summer is over, you will have read a complete book of the Bible.

What is the appeal of reading these ancient texts? In her introduction to Meditations on the Psalms, Barbara Cawthorne Crafton writes "The people who wrote the psalms were not magical or unnaturally good. They were not special - at least, no more special than you are. They were just people trying to make sense of their world and their ow souls, as we try to make sense of ours. So we hear them complaining, rejoicing, wondering at the beauty of the world and at the annoying habits of their neighbors, green with envy and pale with fear, trusting [God] sometimes and doubting [God] at other times." Walter Brueggemann has said that it is not possible for us to completely probe the depths of the psalms - and for many people, through the ages, Psalms has been the most urgently, personally present of all the books of the Bible. It is where so many of us turn for encouragement and for comfort, as well as part of the daily and weekly readings that makes up the church's cycles of reading.

So, if you've never read the Psalms as prayer, devotion, meditation, or study - why not give them a try during these summer weeks? You may discover God speaking to you in new and fresh ways, through ancient and well used words. You may discover the psalmist giving voice to some of your deepest feelings of despair and hope, of sadness and joy, of pain and delight, of feeling far away from God's care and basking in God's closeness.

As you read and pray, you may wish to consider how happiness is portrayed in the Psalms and if this picture differs from today's portrayal of happiness. Consider that the "righteous" in the Psalms are those who find themselves to be afflicted, poor, persecuted and needy. Think about how the Psalms may serve as models for your own prayers. What is the significance of the violence and vengeance described in the Psalms? Notice how complain and praise are constantly juxtaposed in the Psalms.

Where do you find the Psalms?

All bibles contain the psalter (collection of psalms) as part of the Old Testament or Hebrew Scripture. There is great variety among various translations and editions; find one that "speaks" to you and that you might enjoy reading out loud. A study bible will have helpful information about each psalm as well as a general introduction to the whole collection.

Episcopalians often use the psalter from The Book of Common Prayer found on pages 585-808. Helpful information about this much beloved version is found on pages 582-584.

I am currently using The Saint Helena Psalter (Church Publishing Inc. 2004) which gives us a lovely, not-male-oriented translation while staying true to the text and poetry of The Book of Common Prayer.

Below are some of my Psalm resources; there are many others but I find myself going back to these, again and again. You can certainly read and pray the Psalms without additional books - I often find it helpful to have guides showing me the way through a particular text.

The Message of the Psalms

by Walter Brueggemann (Augsburg 1984)

Psalms: the Prayer Book of the Bible

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Augsburg 1970)

The Book of Psalms

by Robert Alter (Norton 2007)

Meditations on the Psalms

by Barbara Cawthorne Crafton (Morehouse 1996)

Reflections on the Psalms

by C.S. Lewis (Harvest Books 1958)

My favorite psalm is Psalm 85, culminating in verse 10:

Mercy and truth have met together;

righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

This psalm paints for me a picture of how God has acted, acts, and will act. In my own life and in the life of the world. And verse 10 in particular gives me a sense of God's longing for how my life, our lives are to be lived.

Blessings, Janne.

An immigrant's sermon for July 4

2010-07-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July.

My mother loved the Fourth of July. Really loved the Fourth of July. Next to Easter, I believe it was her favorite holiday. Even before she became a citizen of the United States – which happened sometime in the 1980s – this day was celebrated with flags, food, family and friends, and, as often as not, sailing and fireworks on White Rock Lake in Dallas. This day represented to her the new life we were living in America; the opportunity she as a widow had taken to marry the man she was in love with and the considerable challenge of bringing her children, including me, to a new life in a new country, a new world.

Of course, we all celebrate the Fourth in our own way, I’m sure most of you have plans for this afternoon and evening – involving family, friends, fun, food, fireworks! All depending on the rain, of course. Even in my native Denmark there’s a big party at Rebild -- a Danish national park, land purchased by Danish-Americans in 1912, to honor and promote the ties of friendship that exist between Denmark and the United States. A large Fourth of July celebration is scheduled every year, with speakers, music, food, fireworks, etc. -- and scholarships for study in the US are announced. I have heard, but don't know if it's true, that this is the only official Fourth of July celebration scheduled outside the US and its embassies. I have been to Rebild several times, but never to celebrate the holiday. I hope to do so, sometime.

So today we honor and celebrate the birth of this country, celebrate our freedomsand liberties, our strength and power, our origin and history, our people and our dreams. You notice that I say “our” country – even though I was not born here and am not a United States citizen, but “only” a permanent, legal, resident, I do very much love this country … it is where I live and move and have my being – and it is where I pay my taxes.

For the most part I have certainly felt very welcome in this country and consider myself incorporated into the community; I consider myself, at least most days, to be a contributing member of our society and all that has come fairly easy for me. It was not that easy for many of the Scandinavians who arrived in earlier centuries, believing that life here would somehow be better than what they were leaving behind. They were often seen as simple, naive, and even stupid and uncultured – Garrison Keeler named them "Norwegian Bachelor Farmers.” There was fear that they would take jobs and land and money and power from earlier arrivals; the letters they wrote to family members tell of the thievery, ridicule, discrimination and hard times they often experienced. But they persisted and are now part of this country just like so many, many others who came. Who came and who overcame.

Today is a different time and place. I do not believe I am the alone in still considering the United States to be a beacon to the world, its light seen as a hope to many, many people. And it seems that those who are already here, all of us, are afraid of those who wish to still come. What are we so afraid of? Afraid there is not enough of whatever it is we want? Afraid there is not room for all of us? Afraid "they" are not like "us"? Our history and today's reality just does not bear any of this out. We are living in the midst of the greatest abundance imaginable, yes, I know we are going through hard times right now, but reality is that we really do live in the midst of the greatest abundance imaginable -- yet we are fearful of not having enough. We are the most influential people in the world, yes, I know, some want to get rid of us, but we are the most influential people in the world and others want to be like us -- yet we are fearful "they" will take over.

We must look deeply inside ourselves and seek to be honest about what our fears really are. We seem to thrive on always being afraid and are always willing to blame “others” – whoever they are – for any problem among us. We allow fear to be mongered among us, living in a constant state of "orange" or other alert. We are afraid of not being in control. And I do believe that what we truly long for is something the world cannot give – even if we get rid of all our fears. We long for the peace, God’s peace, that passes all human understanding.

Immigration is a fact of life. I stand here in front of you as a living proof. Others in this worship service are immigrants. This country was built by immigrants and will, I believe, continue to be so. Is it complicated and difficult to figure out how to live together? Absolutely, but figuring it out, with some kind of immigration law reform, is not an impossible challenge. As God's household, the Church, I believe Christians are to add our voices to the discussion and as we do so, we will do well to look at our own biblical story. Look at how God again and again calls us to go forth and also at how God again and again calls us to be hospitable to the stranger, the alien, who comes into our midst.

Listen again to the words of today's collect (prayer) from the Book of Common Prayer:

O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Two things really jump out at me. The pray does not say to keep the commandments so we will love God and our neighbor. No. It says to love God and our neighbor and in doing so we keep the commandments. Wow. Make it your priority to love God and make it your priority to love your neighbor (and you know who Jesus says your neighbor is!). In other words, the relationship with our neighbor comes before the law and not the other way around. Add that to the current conversation about immigration reform! And we then ask God's grace to exercise this love with pure affection (one of Webster's definitions for affection is "tender attachment or fondness). Our prayer calls us to not just tolerate everyone, but to actually be one with our neighbors, united with them with in tender attachment. We are to know our neighbor’s joys and sorrows, our neighbor’s celebrations and sufferings, we are to laugh and cry together.

Even in the best of circumstances it is difficult to be the stranger, to be the alien. There is always the thought of not being quite at home, of not quite belonging, of not really having the right to be wherever. Most people do not just uproot and leave home and loved ones for no reason – they are drawn to, or driven to, seek a better life. For so many the United States, the lovely land and country we celebrate and honor today, is the place for that better life. Those of us who are here must remember that we ourselves or our immediate ancestors were, more or less recently, immigrants to this country, and we must remember that a place was made for us. A place was made for us. And it is up to us, Christian, in our private and in our common lives, to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being" (Book of Common Prayer, p. 305). We make that promise every time we renew our baptismal covenant. Yes, we, God’s people, the Church, Christ’s body in the world, really do have something to say about what it means to love our neighbor. All of our neighbors. It is, quite simply, our way of life. As the prayer says:

SUMMERTIME is RE-CREATION TIME!

2010-06-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Wow. Or Whew. I have just spent an amazing three days in San Antonio -- at the Oblate Summer Institute; this year's Institute is "Ancient Biblical Voices Speak Today" and the primary speaker has been Dr. Walter Brueggemann. The Revs. John Donahue SJ, Ron Rolheiser OMI, Mary Earle, John Lewis, Jane Lancaster Patterson and others have also presented and it has been AMAZING. Brueggemann's three talks dealt with discerning truth bearing -- focusing on Moses confronting power, Elisha disregarding power and Josiah transforming power-- and then moving the focus unto us, today's church, and how do we speak God's truth in the face of Pharaoh's power (consumerism, privatism, greed, etc.). How do we pick up the m

antle of God's truth, passed on to us through the witness of Moses, Elisha and Josiah? How do we proclaim God's truth? What does it look like to truly care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, the immigrant? Why do we insist on that living as if it's OK that those who have a lot, really a lot, get to insist on keeping what they have and also stake a claim on what lit

tle the poor have? It can seem daunting; we can all,

however, begin with practicing generosity, hospitality and forgiveness in our own lives and communities. Any one of us might be surprised at how far we can actually go and how much we can do. As God's truth-bearers we are the people called to stand against the fear-based way of life we are now accepting as normal. How have we come to a point where we allow fear-monging to be actually piped into our homes? Do we speak with one another, with our children, about God's truth?

And now on to a week of vacation -- visiting my Dad with my daughter and grand-daughter (and, of course, Summer-Dog). It'll be nice to have four generations at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas on Sunday! Pretty special. I hope you will attend church wherever you find yourself this Sunday -- remember, it's a vital part of your re-creation.

And, if you're back in Austin by mid-July and during Austin, I invite you to consider attending "Sowing Tears ... Reaping Joy" -- a seven week journey of music, scripture and sacred conversation and companionship.

Sowing Tears ~ Reaping Joy

The Bible and Brahms’ Deutche Requiem

Through music and scripture we journey from graveside and grieving to new perspectives of hope, considering death, grief, the brevity of life, and faith for here and hereafter.

Begins July 11 Sunday Mornings 10:10-10:50 a.m. -- Sunday's class repeats on Monday evenings, 6:10 to 6:50 p.m.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

2010-06-12T13:11:00.001-07:00

WHO DO YOU SEE IN THIS STORY? Our gospel reading is Luke 7:36-8:3. One of my favorite stories -- for me it ranks right up there with the story of the woman at the well. So, let's talk about it in tomorrow's Sunday School. You may wish this lovely passage ahead of class -- let it begin to speak directly to you. When we come together we will consider some of the following points:

Who is the woman? We don't know who the nameless woman is though she is often confused with the woman who anointed Jesus for burial -- church tradition (at least in the West) have pretty much blended the stories of Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, the woman who anointed Jesus for burial, the woman who ministered to Jesus in Simon's house and the woman caught in adultery. Let's talk about what it means that these women have been kind of "lumped together".

We might also notice that the focus in today's story is on repentance, forgiveness and love; in the other versions it's more about the extravagance of the ointment itself.

Simon sees only a woman who has sinned, who has a past. Jesus sees a forgiven woman who shows much love. Who do you see? As in much of life, what we see depends on what we want to see, what we expect to see. How do we train our eyes to see others the way Jesus saw them?

I do hope to see you tomorrow -- for worship and for Sunday School. And if you're traveling, I bet there's an Episcopal Church close by. Join in their worship! Blessings, Janne.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

2010-06-04T09:14:00.001-07:00

Dear friends --

It's been a couple of weeks since I've written anything here -- just seems like time has flown by. First, a little catching up:

I've been to Dallas a couple of times; my Dad's cancer treatments are coming to an end and we are prayerfully considering how best to support and care for him in the weeks and months to come. Please pray for a peace-filled and holy time for Dad and for all of us.

And, last Sunday, Trinity Sunday, in looking around the internet for various thoughts on the most blessed Trinity, I actually found a recipe for TRINITY CAKES. They look scrumptious --

I especially like the three different kinds of chocolate frosting

piped on top and the filling has green pistacio nuts! I'll test and translate the recipe by Trinity Sunday 2011 (and hopefully remember to share it!).

Now, on to this week. Two of our readings for Sunday, I Kings and Luke, deal with issues of life and death. In I Kings the widow's son becomes so ill he is as good as dead "there was no breath left in him" and as the story moves on, it becomes clear that the boy is dead. The mother is devastated, especially after having just escaped their starving to death. Elijah prays and stretches himself over the boy, Yahweh hears the prayer, and revives the boy. The widow-mother is thankful and understands the "true word of God has been spoken." Luke's story is very similar. A widow's only son is dead; Jesus encounters the grief stricken mother and a crowd; Jesus brings the young man back to life and we are told "God has looked favorably on his people!"

Images of death are brought to us daily. Now, certainly, death is part of mortal life and I believe it to be but a threshold to new life. But so often death is cause, untimely and unnecessary, by the actions of human beings -- through war, through ignorance, through greediness, through exploitation, and so many other ways. The images from the Gulf of Mexico, from the marshes and beaches, are just heart-breaking and gut-wrenching. We are choking the life out of God's creation. Pelicans, terns, fishes, plants, people ... the list is unending ... and we are choking all of

them to death. Oh holy God. Have mercy upon it all. Stretch yourself over the dark stain of death we have made and breathe new life into your creation. Stir up our hearts and wills to do better. Give us life even where we are bent on destroying life.

Picture of a happier day on a Gulf of Mexico beach: Janne, Summer and Cooper (may he rest in peace).

I pray each and every one of you will be in church on Sunday -- worship wherever in the world you find yourself. At St. Michael's we'll have worship at 7:45, 9 and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. We'll enjoy fellowship and tacos at 10 a.m. -- plus a bake sale benefitting the Youth Group mission trip.

Blessings and peace, Janne.

2010-05-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Feast of Pentecost 2010

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.

And kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth you Spirit and they shall be created.

And you will renew the face of the earth.

These few sentences really say it all. Say what I believe about how God works. In me. In you. In the creation. Say what I long for God to do. In me. In you. In the creation. Say what I expect God is already doing, even though I often do not see it. In me. In you. In the creation. These few sentences also say everything about the Feast of Pentecost. As it must have been 2000 years ago and as it is today. God literally breathes God self into me, into you, into creation. Breathes into us that we may burn with flames of desire for God ... flames that bring sweetness and peace to our souls. The sweetness and peace with which we were created to reflect us God's image. With God's pentecost breath, we are created, yet again. Newly created and no longer carrying the fear of death within us because Jesus, the new creation, has defeated death and we need no longer burdened by this fear. And so we hope and long for such sweetness and peace for all creation? That all will be renewed without the fear and power of death holding anything or anyone prisoner.

I am very certain that God is accomplishing all of this, but I am also quite certain that you and I are called to be part of that renewal. Am certain that our community of St. Michael's is to be for us a city of God, a renewed city where each person is truly known to belong and to catch glimpses of that peace which passes all understanding and to know the sweetness of a community of friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. A renewed city of God, breathing life into the world around us.

See you tomorrow, the Feast of Pentecost. Come and be renewed. Come and let God's holy breath fill you. Come and know some sweetness and peace.

Blessings, Janne.

THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

2010-04-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Dear ones,
I'm thinking about the many families and individuals who are grieving right now. Oh, I know that the death of a loved one is often a release from pain, from cancer, from a failing body or mind ... but there is still the real loss of not being being able to speak directly to our spouse, our friend, our mother or father, or uncle ... of not being able to hold them in our arms and provide comfort and companionship in our own particular ways. Our sweet and sometimes ambitious plans for how we thought the future would look are changed permanently. And in the midst of our grief we encounter Sunday's lessons (readings) and from Revelation we hear that in this new creation, in our Easter lives, God dwells with us, and we with God. And God's longing for us, God's action for us, is to defeat death and to wipe away our tears. Not because we do not sorrow or grieve but because death does not have ultimately power over us. Even as we weep, we trust that in God's love we are truly one, with the living and the dead. And life has not ended at death, it is changed. In ways beyond our understanding. And for that we say, "Thanks be to God."

And from John we hear part of Jesus' farewell prayer/speech to his disciples. "Little children ... love one another as I have loved you." Love one another. Give of yourselves to one another. Jesus gives us a commandment to love -- a new commandment. Most often we speak of love as a feeling, and how can anyone, even Jesus, command how we are to feel? But if love is understood as acting toward one another as God has acted toward us (the whole world) and as Christ has acted toward his disciples, then love is not simply a feeling. Love is more than a feeling, it is an action! If love is a way of speaking and doing and being for one another, then it is not at all strange to speak of love for one another as a “commandment”.

So, in our lives, with all those around us, may we act in love! No matter how we feel, we are to act in love. Which puts us right where Jesus longs for us to be. With him.

I hope to see everyone at church on Sunday -- remember that it is a first Sunday and our class will enjoy "Taco Fellowship" rather than meet for study. Blessings, Janne+

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

2010-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is know as "Shepherd Sunday" -- in each of our three lectionary years we hear scripture readings containing images of shepherds, lamb, and sheep as we pray the 23rd Psalm, The Lord is my shepherd, hear three different stories from John's gospel account and sing hymns and anthems containing the word "shepherd." It's easy to get a sort of warm, cozy, sweet image whenever we think of sheep, lambs and shepherds; reality is that sheep are dumb, lambs are weak and vulnerable, and sheepherding is rough work. Lots of learned commentary has been written about this and we'll spend some time talking about these images in tomorrow's Sunday School (10:10 a.m. at St. Michael's).

A reading from the prophet Ezekiel is not directly part of the Shepherd Sunday readings but the image of Jesus as the good shepherd (John 10) draws heavily on Ezekiel. Read the following passage knowing that Ezekiel is speaking accusingly to the leaders of his day and earlier and is also holding out the certain hope that God will act and restore his people following the Babylonian exile. Now read the passage again and imagine Jesus as the speaker.

You have fed of their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for them.

For thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. In good pastures will I pasture them, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing ground. There they shall lie down on good grazing ground, and in rich pastures shall they be pastured on the mountains of Israel. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, shepherding them rightly (Ezekiel 34:3-6, 11, 14-16 in the The New American Bible).

Now, allow yourself to be caught up in the arms of Jesus, who is the good shepherd of God's people (Book of Common Prayer, p. 225). Allow yourself to rest there, at his breast, knowing that you have been lost, you have strayed, and that you have wounds that need binding up and sickness to be healed. Oh my, what goodness and healing there is for all of us, what delightful drink to quench our thirst.

See you at church tomorrow. The table has been spread. A place is reserved for you. Delights await you. The gathered community will be LESS if you are not there. Blessings, Janne+

Third Sunday of Easter

2010-04-17T19:24:00.001-07:00

This week's readings include incredibly mysterious and glorious visions of the heavenly court (described in Revelation 5) as well as the risen Christ serving a breakfast of bread and fish to the disciples who have gone back to their fishing work (John 21). Extra-ordinary and ordinary. Beyond our imagination and as real as smelling coffee in the morning. We live somewhere in between -- knowing that our ordinary, explainable experiences are not everything. And yet, they are what we experience and the place(s) we know Jesus, where we meet the risen Christ. Perhaps encountering him in the ordinary unleashes the imagination of our hearts and we can, with John, see into the nearer presence of God. Good stuff to think about, to pray about. To learn more about the actual readings, check out our Bishop's post (link to the right of this post). To experience both the ordinary and the incredibly mysterious, come to St. Michael's tomorrow! It's all there, in the body of Christ, giving thanks to almighty God.

See you tomorrow for church and Sunday School. Blessings, Janne.

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

2010-04-10T08:36:00.001-07:00

Banner art by Brian Smith for St. Michael's.

Photo by Doug Falls.

Saturday in Easter Week

Dear friends --

It's been almost a whole month since my last post; seemed like there just wasn't enough hours in the day. I got caught up in the solemnity of Holy Week and then the excitement of the Great Vigil and Easter Day. I do pray that each of you experienced a holy passion week and are now living a most joyous Easter (Eastertide ends with the Feast of Pentecost, 23 May 2010). Thanks to everyone who helped make St. Michael's Holy Week and the Feast of the Resurrection both meaningful and beautiful.

So now we are into the great fifty days of Easter -- O taste and see how good the Lord is! These are the days to thank God for being so very present in our lives. These are the days when we celebrate the risen Christ's presence among us just as he was present to his disciples following the Resurrection. These are the days to seek and recognize Christ in the people around us. Break bread and be present with our risen Lord. Sit at the table with your family and friends. Invite a stranger to join you. Come to St. Michael's table, God's table, and meet the risen Christ.

Each and every one of us has a place at the table. No one has the option of staying away.

In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, "The table fellowship of Christians implies obligation. It is our daily bread that we eat, not my own. We share our bread. Thus we are firmly bound to one another not only in the Spirit but in our whole physical being. The one bread that is given to our fellowship links us together in a firm covenant. Now none dares go hungry as long as another has bread, and anyone who breaks this fellowship of the physical life also breaks the fellowship of the Spirit."

So, come to the table. Your friends will be there. Your Lord will be there. Come and see.

Janne+

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

2010-03-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

Today's gospel reading is a favorite of many. The prodigal son's story -- of living wildly and extravagantly, the coming to his senses, and the welcoming home by his father, is so very applicable to our own lives.

Take a few minutes to read Luke 15. The chapter contains three parables about being lost (sheep, coin, children); the first two verses give us the necessary framework for understanding these parables. Look back to Luke 7:29-30 where we learn of the division within people in response to Jesus. And now the tax-agents and sinners represent the poor who respond positively and are becoming part of the "people" who receive Jesus, unlike those who are rich and powerful who reject his call. From: Luke Timothy Johnson in "Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Luke (The Liturgical Press, 1991)

Through these three parables we learn a lot of theology -- all in the simple images of common life dealing with sheep (well, it was common in Jesus' day), coins (money) and children! We learn about who God is -- always rejoicing when we are no longer lost! Always standing on the look-out for us, scanning the horizon, and gracing us abundantly with a welcome we do not deserve. And we learn who we are -- children of all ages who waste what we have been given and who, by God's grace, come to our senses, and return home. And children who stay at home and do the right thing and can't rejoice when our brother or sister returns.

Lots to talk about -- so, I hope to see you Sunday at St. Michael's -- for Sunday School at 10:10 am! Worship at 7:45, 9 and 11 am; 6 pm. Blessings, Janne+

And here is a little bit more for Lent 4: Mothering Sunday and Simnel Cake

So, the Fourth Sunday is Lent is known as Laetare Sunday -- laetare comes from the Latin words at the opening prayer of this Sunday's Mass in the Roman Catholic Church: Laetare Jerusalem! (Rejoice, Jerusalem). So, this Sunday we remember that Easter is on the way. This Sunday is also known as Mothering Sunday, a tradition that goes back a long way.

The Romans honored their goddess of motherhood in the spring with the feast of Matronalia. Small cakes, made of fine white flour, simila, were baked and offered to her shrine. When the Christian church grew, old customs were incorporated into the new gospel message (think of the Winter Solstice and Christmas) -- and so on the feast of Matronalia they honored Mother Church, spiritual mother of all Christians everywhere. Various customs became associated with this day and it is not that far of a step to go from honoring Mother Church to honoring our own mothers. So "Mothering Sunday" was well established by the 18th and 19th centuries when girls and boys were working away from home, "in service", and on this day they were allowed to go home to visit their famili

es, their mothers. They would bring a basket of goodies with them, including a simnel cake -- the name dating back to that special flour used by the ancient Romans!

So, here's a recipe for a traditional Simnel Cake - bake now and save for Easter Day!

6 oz. flour

4 oz. butter

4 oz. sugar

6 oz. currents

2 oz. grated peel (mix of orange and lemon)

8 oz. raisins (mix of regular and golden)

2 eggs

1 oz. almonds

1 tablespoon brandy

1/4 grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon soda

2 teaspoons vinegar

1/2 lb. marzipan

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; add eggs, then flour, fruit and remaining ingredients (except marzipan). Line large round baking pan with foil, butter it generously, pour in half of batter. Roll out marzipan and cut circle to fit pan, place on batter, then add rest. Bake at 325F for about 3 hours (until knife comes out clean). Cool. You can saturate cake with sherry (or brandy) if you like. At this point you can wrap tightly and store until Easter Day. When ready, cover with thin layer of heated jam (any flavor) and with rolled out marzipan. Decorate with 11 small marzipan or easter eggs (representing the 11 disciples left after Judas' betrayal). It's the Spring version of Christmas cake! Enjoy. From "A Book of Feasts and Seasons" by Jaonna Bogle (Gracewing Fowler Wright Books, Herefordshire, 1986)

Let you repentance be as manure ...

2010-03-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

We're almost half way through the Lenten season -- this coming Sunday is the Third Sunday in Lent. Notice that it's Sunday in Lent rather than Sunday of Lent whereas when we get to the Easter season, all the Sundays are of Easter. This may seem like a silly little detail, but it actually says a lot about what we believe! Lent is a penitential season, with a focus on following Jesus to Jerusalem, to the cross. Many people choose to fast and to undertake special disciplines for the forty days of Lent. The forty weekdays, that is. Sunday is never a day of penitence or fasting because it is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the new life his defeat of death gives us. And we celebrate the resurrection EVERY Sunday -- even on those Sundays that occur in the Lenten season. So, whatever discipline you have undertaken, Sunday is a day off. In contrast, the whole season of Easter, the Great Fifty Days, lasting from the Great Vigil of Easter until the Feast of Pentecost, is one giant celebration of the resurrection -- and thus those Sundays are of the season. Amazing what two little words can tell us!

So, on this, the Third Sunday in Lent, we read Exodus 3:1-15, I Corinthians 10:1-13, and Luke 13:1-9. Take a moment to read these. If you don't have a Bible handy, you can use the Oremus Bible Browser http://bible.oremus.org this is a really great tool that allows you to use various versions and editions of the Bible.

In the Exodus story we learn about Moses and his call -- and we learn a lot about who God is. God speaks to someone like Moses, a man who's on the run because he has committed murder. And the sand of the wilderness becomes holy ground because God is present. The cry of the people is God's call to action. These are amazing things about who God is and how God acts. In the life of Moses and the Israelites and in our lives.

Paul, in I Corinthians, calls us to reflect soberly on our baptism and even though we regularly participate in worship and partake of the sacraments, we are not to develop a false sense of security. And we are to remember that even when we are unfaithful, God is not.

fig tree image creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.01/

The passage from Luke is so very "Lenten" with its urgent call to repentance. It tells us to act and to adjust our attitude. And, Jesus tells us, we are to remember that illness, death, disease, loneliness, catastrophes, disasters are NOT the punishment for sins. Yes, we are all to repent or we will indeed perish -- but life's joys and sorrows are not a measure of anyone's loyalty to God. What we can be sure of is that God is faithful (see I Corinthians above) and that God hears our cries (see Exodus above). And, according to the fig tree parable, what is our job? To allow our repentance to be the manure that feeds the tree that it, we, might bear much fruit.

So, I'm looking forward to working more on this and getting the sermon, God willing, put together and I will see you all Sunday morning. Remember that it is the first Sunday of the month, so Sunday School Class is replaced by BREAKFAST TACO FELLOWSHIP.

And, our Lenten series "Pharaoh's Production/Consumption Society" continues on Sunday afternoon, 4:15-5:45 p.m. Come join us.

With prayers for a continued holy and lessed Lent. Janne+

The Second Sunday in Lent

2010-02-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Tomorrow is the Second Sunday in Lent and we hear readings from Genesis, Philippians and Luke. The readings from Genesis and Luke bring to my mind a journey and how we don't ever know what lies ahead. This is true whether we are talking about an actual trip or about our spiritual journey, there is just uncertainly of going over strange roads to new places. Journeys may be fun and exciting, but they also carry dangers.

Read Genesis 15:-12, 17-18 and Luke 13:31-35. You may wish to read Bishop Doyle's reflection on the Second Sunday in Lent/Luke passage (link is in right hand column).

In our Genesis reading the danger comes from inside Abraham and Sarah -- it is fear. Fear that they are too old, fear that God won't really do anything new in their lives. It is a fear we all may experience, what matter how young or old we are. What if God is finished with us? What if this is all there is? Is this as good as it gets? By God's grace, like Abraham and Sarah, we hope to learn that God is most definitely not finished with us.

In the Lukan passage the danger seems more external. There are enemies of the cross, enemies of Christ, enemies of goodness, those who do not wish to respect the dignity of every human being. And Jesus knows this as he stands and looks out over the city of Jerusalem. We know it as we look around us and see that all is not well, with us or with the world. Perhaps our Lenten journey brings us to a hilltop somewhere, and standing next to Jesus, we weep with him as we see what has been done, and what has been left undone.

So, in tomorrow's Sunday School class we'll talk about these two passages and about how they inform our Lenten journeys. We'll talk about the danger of fear and how, if allowed to rule, it limits not only our individual possibilities but also what we are able to do as the Body of Christ. See you tomorrow.

_____

Several of you have asked me what I'm reading and if I recommend any particular books. There is always a stack of books next to my favorite reading chair -- the following are in the top layer and actually have bookmarks, notes and other evidence that I'm reading them:

The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan (Harper, San Francisco 2006). I bought this several years ago after attending a Borg/Crossan Seminar and have been "meaning to" read it -- and now that I'm into it, am finding that it really is very good and insightful.

The Parting of the Sea: How Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Plagues Shaped the Story of the Exodus by Barbara J. Sivertsen (Princeton University Press, 2009). I have only read the first chapter but it is totally fascinating -- and, our family's annual Passover Seder and preaching at the Great Vigil of Easter are in my near future, so this is timely reading!

Leadership without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1994). This is a re-read, I find myself returning to it every few years; given to me by a friend who over the years has presented me with very many excellent books; this one may be the one I have learned, and continue to learn, the most from.

Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies by David Bently Hart (Yale University Press, 2009). I have not yet begun this, but understand it is excellent. So, it's next.

Plus I almost always have a Barbara Pym novel going, right now it's An Unsuitable Attachment.

Also, remember that tomorrow is session two of our Lenten Series Countering Pharaoh's Production-Consumption Society featuring Walter Brueggemann. We meet in the Parish Hall 4:15-5:45 p.m. to watch a brief presentation and then have small group discussion and fellowship; we finish in time for the 6 p.m. Holy Eucharist.

The First Sunday in Lent

2010-02-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

Hello dear friends --

first of all, thank you to Mary and Lillian for their thoughtful comments. Good stuff.

So, here we are, a couple of days into Lent. If you were not able to attend an Ash Wednesday service you may wish to read through, to pray, the Litany of Penitence found on pages 267-269 of The Book of Common Prayer. These confessions and petitions are very, very powerful. On Ash Wednesday we are reminded that we are human. So very human. Which means we are mortal and will die. And, as we heard in Robby's sermon, this reminder calls us to live fully, to live as if we are dying. May our Lenten disciplines help us do so. Forgive. Restore. Renew.

So, in preparation for the First Sunday in Lent, we read Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- and hear the story of how the Israelites travelled together and how God became known to a people. Not to an individual, not to a family, but to a people. The journey bound them together -- and included aliens and foreigners in their fellowship.

Our Gospel reading is Luke 4:1-13, the story of Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, being led by the Spirit, in the wilderness. And the devil tempted him for forty days. I wonder what wilderness looks like for us? Is it a barren place? Or is it a place so full of stuff that we can't even find it? How do we as a people, God's people, Christ's body the Church, maneuver our way through the wildernesses we find ourselves in? What are our temptations, what or who does the devil look like, sound like? How do recognize the Spirit's leading vs. the road of temptations?

Read these two passages -- chew on them a bit -- and we'll have a great conversation on Sunday, 10:15-10:50 a.m.

And a reminder: our Lenten program, "Countering Pharaoh's Production-Consumption Society Today" featuring Walter Brueggeman, begins this Sunday, February 21, 4:15-5:45 p.m. -- we'll watch a brief video presentation by Dr. Brueggeman followed by small group discussion and activities.

See you Sunday. Blessings, Janne.

it's Saturday evening ...

2010-02-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

and I'm working on tomorrow's sermon -- the gospel is Luke 5:1-11 -- at this point it feels like I'll be using three lessons, Isaiah, Corinthians and Luke, focusing on God's action, revelation, work and how that worked out for Isaiah, Paul, and Peter. And how it works out for us.

For those of you who are reading Luke for on-going bible study, here's an interesting, at least to me, observation. Remember we talked about the order and placement of stories being an important device for the gospel writers. Well, in the Lukan order of things, when Simon Peter responds to Jesus, he is not answering some unknown, unproven, preacher proclaiming a coming kingdom. Luke has already told us that Jesus is well known, has taught, healed, made miracles, healed ... his fame had spread. And now a pretty good fisherman sees that he is not worthy to be face to face with Jesus, the incarnate God, right there, in front of him. So Peter's unworthiness brings him to his knees. And you know what? His acknowledgement of this unworthiness is also exactly what makes him stand again. He is ready to listen, to act, to accept God's word.

Also, some really great stuff on Bishop Doyle's "Hitchhiker's Guide to Luke" -- check it out!

Remember, no Sunday School tomorrow as we gather for TACO FELLOWSHIP! See you at church.

Reflections on last Sunday's class discussion on Luke 4:14-21

2010-01-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to notice the difference in the order of the stories in the gospel accounts. Each writer had something particular in mind when composing his version of the gospel account; we notice that Luke placed the story of Jesus returning to his hometown, to Nazareth, very early in the recounting of Jesus’ ministry, immediately following the time in the desert. Matthew and Mark have the same story, but it is placed much later (see Matthew 13:53-58 and Mark 6:1-6). Dr. Barbara Hall, one of my New Testament professors, used to ask, “What was Luke up to?” In this case we don’t really know how much actual time had passed “returned to Galilee … a report spread about him … began to teach … “ (verses 14-15) and now Jesus is in the synagogue, prophetically reading from the scroll of Isaiah, and concludes with “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (verse 21). So right now, Jesus says, the Spirit is here and right now when the year of the Lord’s favor is proclaimed (verses 18-19).

In chapters 1-3 Luke pointed us back to the law and the prophets, showing us all the ways Jesus was the fulfillment of all hopes and dreams and expectations – and now, in chapter 4, Luke points us to the whole rest of his gospel account – we are going to hear how in Jesus good new is going to be brought to the poor, captives will be released, the sight of the blind restored and the oppressed will go free. And it does not stop there. When we look at Luke’s second volume, the Book of Acts, we see that Peter and the other followers understood and experienced the Spirit being upon them and that through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, his body, the church, are now to proclaim the presence of the Spirit, to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, etc. And now it is our job, our ministry …

On Sunday, January 31, we will continue our discussion and study of Luke 4, looking at the stories of Jesus’ being run out of town (“no prophet is acceptable in his own town”), and going to Capernaum where we hear of his first signs and wonders while teaching on the Sabbath, throwing out an unclean spirit and going to Simon’s house where he heals Simon’s mother-in-law. In other words, Jesus’ prophetic work and authority is established.

So, read the rest of chapter 4. See you tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Tomorrow we'll talk about Luke 4:14-30

2010-01-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday's conversation centered on the terrible tragedy in Haiti; we spoke of how we are all called to reach out in the best way we can. Several class members had suggestions for outreach and we spoke some about Episcopal Relief and Development ( er-d.org ). Lots of information about Haiti is available on this site -- including updates from the Diocese of Haiti. Our conversation turned to how Luke as physician and healer informs our thoughts and actions about the suffering, pain, and death we are witnessing. This week was encouraged to pray the following brief prayer and it has really stayed with me:

We pray for dignity for the dying and hope for the living.

For tomorrow we are reading Luke 4:1-30. Our conversation will focus on 4:14-30 where we hear about Jesus returning to Galilee and how he taught in the synagogue, "... announce good news to the poor ... proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind ... send off the oppressed with liberty." If you have time, I recommend reading our bishop's reflection on this passage (follow link on the right). We will talk about Jesus returning to his home town , filled with the Holy Spirit, and how he seems to have begun understanding his mission and who he was called to serve. In light of Jesus' action, what's our mission and who are we called to serve: Bishop Doyle asks, "What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus and not be directly involved in the work that Jesus was involved in? Who are God’s people today that we are not being attentive to?"

I hope to see you tomorrow. Janne

Comments are now enabled ...

2010-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

thanks to Nicole for pointing out it wasn't possible to post comments -- it was totally my error, but I think the settings are now correct. So, here's Nicole Hubik's comment, which she graciously shared via e-mail, but I wanted it to be part of this, hopefully, ongoing conversation.

Nicole writes, "I wanted to share with you my thoughts before Sunday's class" so here they are:

I’d like to bring up a few things from the book Janne’s been letting me borrow - “Illuminating Luke”! The book focuses on the images and symbolism behind historical paintings to put meaning around the iconic paintings of that time. We talked about in class how Luke is often portrayed in paintings, often painting Mary himself. Not only was Luke closest to knowing how Mary might have looked, but since he is the patron saint of the arts, artists also often painted their own portrait in the face of St. Luke to show their sense of pride /attribute their inspiration to their patron saint. So the next time you see Luke depicted in Medieval and Renaissance art, it could be the artist himself!

Also, one of the most overlooked aspects of the nativity scene is Jesus lying in a manger – literally a feeding trough for the animals. In the most basic symbolic sense, Luke is foreshadowing that Jesus is offered to all of us as food for the world! The theme of food and meals is also one of the ways Jesus reveals his mission to others throughout Luke (7:36-60; 11:37-54; 14:1-24). This tradition is also continued in the breaking of the bread as we gather around years later, not around the manger, but the table for the Eucharist.

Lastly, it’s pretty fascinating to think about the scene surrounding Luke’s nativity - Shepherds guarding their flocks from the dangerous land outside the city walls shows God chose for Jesus to be born not within Rome with the elite but among perhaps the most dangerous, poorest places. The book says in fact shepherds were despised and often considered thieves in Jewish culture – way different from how we depict shepherds in today’s reading of the bible, no?!

2010-01-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our bible study. The Sunday morning version of "Living the year with Luke" began last Sunday (meets 10:10-10:50 a.m.); this blog will offer resources about bible study in general, about Luke in particular -- and the coming Sunday's topic or focus will be posted ahead of time followed by some questions, thoughts, reflections after we actually meet on Sunday morning.

Last Sunday we talked about who Luke is -- and how we know him as Luke/Acts author, as beloved physician and healer, as painter and as patron saint of artists. We talked about how icons, especially of the Virgin and Child, became attributed to Luke and how, through history, he has become closely associated with Mary. We will continue to expand on these items as we move into our study of the actual text.

But first things first! Do you own a good study bible? Have you made yourself familiar with it, including the resources included such as general introductions and articles, introductions to individual books? There might be helpful maps, lists, dictionaries, etc., included for your use.

If you are shopping for a bible, pick one with an easy to read font, clear notes, a book that "feels good" for you to handle, use, and READ! I recommend a study version of the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV for short). I use the "NRSV Access Bible" and also "Oxford Annotated NRSV" for preparation of sermons and teachings but for my own personal bible reading I prefer "The Revised English Bible" or my Danish bible. In addition, I like to read other translations, editions, and even languages ... the nuances help me dig a little deeper into the text. And just fyi, at St. Michael's we read from an NRSV bible in Sunday worship.

If you like to underline and make margin notes you might find it helpful to bring your own bible to class; we do have bibles available for reading -- but not so much for marking up!

__________

So, this coming Sunday we'll talk more about who Luke was -- and how his gospel account has been viewed and used for the past 2000 years -- tracing Luke's hand in the writings of church fathers as well as in later theologians and teachers, in paintings, in icons, and in architecture. All of this is groundwork and preparation for our actual reading and study of his gospel account. Our background work of what was prepares us to hear and experience what is.

This prayer for Saint Luke is in The Book of Common Prayer (p. 244) and expresses well my hope for our study of Luke's gospel account: that each of us may know the love and healing power of Jesus! Let us pray.

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.