Epiphany 4 - Tuesday - Feast of Sam Shoemaker

Text: 4:40-44 (see below)

Today the Church remembers a man who has touched the lives of millions of persons in recovery all across the globe. His name was Sam Shoemaker. An Episcopal priest and author, Sam was instrumental in assisting Bill Wilson with writing a book entitled Alcoholics Anonymous (also known as The Big Book). In addition to this ministry of healing and grace, Shoemaker served parishes in New York City and Pittsburgh. He was a passionate and eloquent preacher of the Gospel; an author of many books;  and was instrumental in the establishment of small group ministries in the Episcopal Church. Sam Shoemaker was a titan of a man whose empathy and concern for those struggling with addiction is an example for all of us of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

I am currently reading a book by Richard Rohr entitled Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps. Rohr writes that “every one of us is addicted in some way or another.”  He believes that we must learn to identify our addiction, embrace our brokenness and surrender to God. When we adopt such a position, we will begin to bring healing to ourselves and to the world. From the Introduction of his book, Rohr states: “We cannot stop the drowning waters of our addictive culture from rising, but we must at least see our reality for what it is, seek to properly detach from it, and build ‘a coral castle and learn to breathe under water.’ The New Testament called it salvation or enlightenment, the Twelve Step Program called it recovery.”

The further I travel along my path of recovery; I find that the 12-Steps look more and more like the Gospel of Jesus. I am impressed each and every week by the radical hospitality and welcome that is offered at the meetings. Judgment is left at the front door. This is a gathering of people with a common experience – our brokenness and our desire to be made whole.

The hour I spend on Wednesday evenings is filled with God – a God whose compassion, grace and healing love is awesome and real. What is amazing about that weekly experience is that there are no candles, nobody wears any vestments, no priest to offer absolution, there are no stain glassed windows and no pipe organ in the small room in which we meet. It is simply “two or three gathered together” sharing our stories of our fall and recovery.

Rohr wrote another short piece called The 12-Step Program as Coded Gospel. In it, there is a passage that I am quite fond of:

“I am sure you have been in many gilded churches filled with haloed statues, Bible readings, lovely music, and proper ceremony, and have wondered if God was bored with the whole thing. I know I usually am. No transformed lives, little joy, no compassion for the larger world, no vulnerability, only the repeating of old and tired formulas by people who do not like to be surprised or unsettled. Least of all, by the ‘ever newness’ that we call grace, or the utter freedom that we call God. As Cardinal Newman out it, he was convinced that the one thing that characterized his Catholic congregation in England was that ‘they wanted to be left alone’” (page 6).

I wonder if the example of the Church that Rohr offers above is on its way out and that God is about to do something new and transformative. I wonder if the future Church will look more like a 12-Step group not focused or concerned about a creed or ritual but more concerned about a vulnerable community sharing its stories and supporting one another in their recovery.

Love One Another - Brian

Counter Community

Jacques Ellul

The church can only be a counter-community. If it is anything other than that, it has already compromised itself.

Source: Resist the Powers With Jacques Ellul by Charles Ringma

Luke 4:40-44

As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.  

Epiphany 4 - Monday - God's Will for Your Life

Text: John 6:27-40 (see below)

What is God’s will for your life?

In this passage from John’s Gospel, Jesus states that “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” Verse 39 announces that God’s purpose for redemption is to bring people to Jesus and to be transformed by all that he has to offer. As one commentary suggests: “Jesus has come down from heaven to make God’s will visible and accessible to humankind. Faith in Jesus is impossible without God’s initiating will for the world, but human beings retain responsibility for the decisions they make in response to God’s initiative” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX).

Jesus’ unique ministry was to make God known and accessible. But, what about you? What about me? What does God have in store for your life and mine?

In order to understand or hear God’s will for my life, I have to do three things daily. The first is to read a portion of God’s Word each and every day. I currently use the Daily Lectionary which you can find here http://satucket.com/lectionary/. The Word of God is as relevant today as never before. God is still speaking through the words found in the Bible. By using the Daily Lectionary, over the course of two years, a person will read just about every word of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. What a blessing that would be!

Second, I must make time each and every to be still and to listen for God. This is difficult for silence can produce peacefulness and it can also be threatening. Our world is so full of sound and noise that it is very difficult to be still and to listen for God. However, as we begin to shed the “worldly clatter” of our lives and enter into the chamber of our inner self a marvelous transformation begins to occur.

Henri Nouwen in his book With Open Hands writes beautifully about this moment and the confidence it brings: “Along with the new knowledge of our ‘inner space’ where feelings of love and hatred, tenderness and pain, forgiveness and greed are separated, strengthened, or reformed, there emerges the mastery of the gentle hand. This is the hand of the gardener who carefully makes space for a new plant to grow and who doesn’t pull weeds too rashly, but uproots only those which threaten to choke the young life” (With Open Hands, page 40).

The opportunity to be still and to enter into silence is one of the supreme gifts given to us by the Creator. The more we practice this spiritual discipline, the greater intimacy we will find with God where heart can speak to heart.

The third component to understanding God’s will for my life is the courage to simply live it daily! I greatly appreciate what Matthew Fox has to say about living found in his work A Spirituality Named Compassion (see below). God’s will for your life and for mine is not about being happy or content. That philosophy was created by the Madison Avenue crowd and more importantly the false self.

Following God’s will, more times than not, brings me into conflict with the powers and principalities of this world, conflict with loved ones, and even conflict with the institutional structures such as the Church. But that is okay for nowhere in the Scriptures does it say that following God’s will in our life will keep us from suffering and pain. On the contrary, if you and I are going to live fully into this day, we are bound to run into moments of grief and woundedness. I believe that God calls us not to avoidance but to enter into that pain and discover the great truths found in such anguish and sorrow.

Trust in these three disciplines and with practice you can discover what God’s will is for your life.

Love One Another - Brian

The Goal of Life is Living

Matthew Fox

Our society tends to define happiness as absence of suffering and therefore we strive to invest our creative powers in building temples to security, whether they be the immortal marriage, the immortal job, the immortal corporation or the immortal skyscraper to house that corporation, or the immortal Nation with its invincible army and weaponry. One has to ask how much of this compulsion to wipe out suffering--or to buy it out in the form of insurance of all kinds--is not a symptom of a flight from suffering.

I prefer Pierre Boulez's definition of what life is about. Says he, "The goal of life is not happiness [aka security]; it is living." And living implies suffering. In fact, the creative person--and that hopefully is all of us--takes on additional burdens of suffering by entering fully into living.

Source: A Spirituality Named Compassion

John 6:27-40

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’

Epiphany 4 - Sunday - A Selection from the Musical "Barnum"

Today is the Sabbath. Go to your own church or a church of your choosing. Celebrate and give thanks this day for God's blessings in your life.

The Musical Offering for this Sunday: "Barnum"
I had the pleasure of seeing Michael Crawford in "Barnum" on Broadway and in a revival in London many years ago. Crawford was simply one of best performers I ever saw on the stage and screen (Hello Dolly with Barbara Streisand; The Phantom of the Opera; and many more). Here is the finale of "Barnum" which told the story of the great circus man PT Barnum. Do enjoy this tremendous entertainer and a very gifted cast.

Epiphany 3 - Saturday - Is Jesus In Your Boat?

Text: John 6:16-27 (see below)

This story of Jesus walking on the water appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John. The account given here in the Fourth Gospel is the shortest of the three and certainly the most concise. This is a miracle story. The disciples had finished their work and were heading back to Capernaum, the base of operation for the ministry in Galilee. Darkness had enveloped the land and sea (an important image for John) and the disciples were having trouble crossing the sea for a storm had come upon them.

After nearly four hours of rowing and trying to harness the wind, the Master of the Universe came walking on the water towards disciples in the boat. “It is I: do not be afraid.” Jesus’ words are the key to understanding this miracle. The Greek phrase for “It is I” is ego eimi which properly translated means “I AM”. In John’s account of the life and work of Jesus, this is a VERY important saying. It identifies Jesus to his disciples with the divine name, “I AM” (Think back to Moses and the burning bush or the seven I AM identifications that Jesus makes in this Fourth Gospel). God is present in the midst of this turmoil on the sea.

Jesus follows his declaration with “Do not be afraid.” Now, this phrase is fairly standard in most theophanies. So, here is Jesus declaring to his disciples that he is indeed divine and encouraging them not to be afraid for the divine one is with them. When Jesus is brought into the boat immediately they reach the other side of the sea safely. The miracle in this particular story is not about Jesus stilling the storm – save that one for Mark’s account. The miracle in John’s Gospel underscores for me that with Christ in our “boat” we can face any adversary with confidence.

The question is: Have you invited Jesus into your boat?

Love One Another – Brian

A Song Every Day

Abraham Joshua Heschel

This is one of the rewards

of being human:

quiet exaltation,

capability for celebration.

It is expressed in a phrase

which Rabbi Akiba offered to his disciples:

A song every day,

A song every day.

Source: The Wisdom of Heschel

John 6:16-27

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’

Epiphany 3 - Friday - Opening Day with Tri-C Encore Series!

This morning amidst the snow and freezing rain, I began my seven week stint with the Tri-C Encore Series. I have twenty-five students all over the age of 65! A wonderful and diverse group of active learners. There is truly nothing like the "greatest generation". I learn from each of them so much more than I offer in return. It is a great blessing to be in their midst each week.


For this session I am lecturing on the final operas of some of my favorite composers trying to figure out what inspired these musicians; what was the message they were trying to convey in their composition; what can we learn from the individual arias and ensembles, the drama and what was happening in the life of the composer.


I began with one of my favorite operas: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). There is so much to discover in this magnificent piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Limited by the clock (I have only 50 minutes a session), I chose to explore the importance of key signatures and Mozart's involvement with Freemasonry and its effects on the opera. This was augmented by video clips from the opera.


It is truly such a pleasure to persuade folks that composers are impressing upon the listener (audience) ideas and inspirations right from the first downbeat. The Magic Flute is no exception.

Mozart’s final opera premiered at the end of the eighteenth century (1791), an era in which tonal key associations were of great importance. Certain keys were classified as bright, while others depicted triumph, death, tenderness, etc. All of Mozart’s operas were influenced by these musical standards.

The key of the opera, E-flat major, was the key of prayer, sacred love, and intimacy with God. The three flats of the key signature symbolized the Holy Trinity. The opera begins and ends in E-flat, and Tamino and Pamina both sing of love in E-flat, as well.

C minor was the key of death, and is first heard during the opening scene when Tamino is threatened by the serpent. It returns several times throughout the opera, including the scene in which the Queen of the Night, the Three Ladies, and Monostatos move towards Sarastro's temple.

Papageno, my favorite character in the opera, sings most of his solos in the key of G which was known for its pastoral association. In addition, Papageno's simple nature is reflected in the straightforward structure of the music accompanying his arias.

The key of F belongs to Sarastro and his priests. The key of F is most present in the opening of Act II with the March of the Priests and Sarastro's invocation. When other characters address Sarastro, it is usually in the key of F.

C major, considered the purest key (without sharps or flats), was known for its bright sound and was often used in military music. Since Die Zauberflöte is concerned with the triumph of wisdom through self-discipline, it is not surprising that much of the opera is written in this key. Most significant is the trials of fire and water in Act II, which are written entirely in the key of C.

And what about Freemasonry?

Mozart became a Mason some seven years before his death in Vienna. Knowing that the Masons were soon to be outlawed in that city and throughout Austria, did Mozart realize that The Magic Flute was his last opportunity to ensure that his esoteric knowledge gained through Freemasonry reach the rest of Europe? Was The Magic Flute more than just a folktale? Was Mozart more concerned about the metaphorical journey into the Enlightenment questions and ideals that remained at the time unanswered, yet could be found and resolved through Freemasonry?

I believe it is a stroke of genius that Mozart has Tamino and Pamina undergo the initiation rites together in Act II. The synthesis of Tamino and Pamina, and also that of Papageno and Papagena, represents the creation of the perfect society which Mozart hoped the philosophy of Masonry, the French Revolution, and his own works, would inspire.

What is so wonderful about Die Zauberflote, and so formidable, is that there is always a new layer to be discovered and explored every time we engage the piece. This is why Mozart's offering is timeless and continues to speak to and delight new generations of listeners.

Love One Another - Brian

Epiphany 3 - Thursday - Feast of Timothy, Titus and Silas

Text: Acts 15:22-26,30-33,16:1-5 (see below)

Today the Church celebrates the lives of three early champions of the faith: Timothy, Titus and Silas. You probably remember these names from Sunday School classes you may have attended long, long ago. But there is still much to glean from the lives of these saints.

Timothy and Titus were missionary companions of Paul of Tarsus. You can read of their adventures principally in the Book of Acts, but also in 2 Corinthians, Galatians and 1 and 2 Timothy to name but a few. Timothy was a leader of the Christian community in Ephesus and Titus served the faithful on the island of Crete. These were both devoted men who loved the Lord and felt a call to share the message of Jesus with the world.

Silas’ story is found in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Acts. He was also a companion with Paul and was arrested with the Apostle in Philippi. Apparently, they were both beaten pretty badly by the authorities, placed in stocks and confined to prison. As you read in the Bible, that night following their arrest, Paul and Silas sang hymns, and encouraged one another. An earthquake in the middle of the night provided an opportunity for immediate freedom. They did not escape and when found by the prison officer, the example of Paul and Silas moved the jailor so much that he and his family became believers.

What I find so compelling about these men was their laser like focus on the mission and message of Jesus. There seems to be no other agenda except Christ and his message of reconciliation.

When I look out over the Church today, I see an institution fraught in battles and agendas that make little or no sense. Sexuality debates, worship issues, money and property conflicts, organ donations (current debate in Wales), arguments over women bishops, authority and independence, traditional or contemporary music, and personal agendas by both the leaders and members of the church that have nothing to do with the Gospel. Good gracious!

The Church is lost at the moment because it has forgotten its principal mission: the proclamation of the Good News – Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ Will Come Again! It is really very simple. We, in the Church, have made it too difficult for too many persons. Our actions have turned many man and women away from the faith.

The examples of Timothy, Titus and Silas encourage the Church of the 21^st Century to get back to basics. The reason the Church exists is because of Jesus. Our witness is to proclaim the Master’s love which we have experienced in our own lives. We are to testify to what we believe about Jesus’ death and his resurrection – not necessarily with words but more by our actions. We are called by Jesus to love others as much as we love ourselves.

When the Church accomplishes that mission, the mission of Jesus, the words of the scriptures will be fulfilled in our own time and generation: "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily."

Back to basics.

Love One Another – Brian

A Vital Human Action

Thich Nhat Hanh

The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.

Source: Verse and Voice, Sojourners website

Acts 15:22-26,30-33,16:1-5

Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members, and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: ‘The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. When its members read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the believers to those who had sent them.

Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.

Epiphany 3 - Wednesday - Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

Text: John 5:1-18 (see below)

This healing story is the final of four consecutive stories in the first portion of John’s Gospel that reveals Jesus reaching out to all sorts and types of people – a leader of the Jews, a woman of Samaria, a Gentile officer in Galilee, and a crippled man in Jerusalem. The welcome of our Lord is inclusive of all types of people, races, nationalities, conditions. There is no one outside of our Lord’s embrace.

So much information is packed into these eighteen verses that could keep the reader occupied for an entire day! I want to reflect on one moment in the story that occurs after the healing.

Here is a man who has been living on a mat for 38 years. Think about that for a moment. For almost four decades this guy had been sick with an illness that he could not overcome. He was living amongst the invalids of Jerusalem – the blind, the lame and the paralyzed. The pool near the Sheep’s Gate was thought to have healing powers. The belief was that an Angel of the Lord would stir up the water and the first person in the pool would be miraculously healed. Can you imagine the commotion when somebody realized that the water was “stirring?” There must have been utter chaos.

Jesus heals this man – no water – no angel. A simple command from the Lord of Life: “Rise, take up your pallet and walk.” The man did so. We find out in the next sentence that this healing occurred on the Sabbath!

What strikes me is the reaction from the authorities who John refers to as “the Jews”. Here is a man who had been ill for almost forty years, living in squalor on a pallet and now could walk for the first time in many years. The authorities blinded by self interest and the affairs of state scold him: “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” Hold on, what did they say? 

Really, guys? A man that you have known was ill for 38 years is now walking around like new and the best you can do is criticize, scold, and condemn?  I laugh out loud every time I hear those absurd words.

Do you know any people in your life who act like the "authorities" in this story? Perhaps it’s you at times? Perhaps it’s me at times?

Miracles of God are happening all around us, all the time, every day. Are you aware of them? Do you take the moment to see them? Or are you so entrenched in “the law”, the daily “grind” of life that you have become blind to the amazing, awesome events that God is accomplishing today in our world.

I discovered a prayer written by members of the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan that speaks to being open to God’s presence in our daily lives:

Open my eyes to … The Spirit of God dwelling within and enlivening all creation and created beings. Open my eyes to the world as You see it.

Open my eyes to …Injustice. Injustice in the world. Injustice within myself. The hidden corners of life. Details no one else wants to touch. The suffering within my community. The needs of my brothers and sisters.

Open my eyes to … Look beyond the obvious, the jaded, and the seductive. See the dignity of every person I encounter. Appreciate the gift of each moment that I am alive.

Open my eyes to … The face of God in all humanity. Your beauty and grace in all people. The wonderment of your Presence that I may see that which my heart longs for in You. The wonder at God’s glory in every strand of life and every particle of creation so that I might know, and share, God’s love in the world.

Open my eyes to … See Your face in the face of others. Spark goodness in each person I meet. Accept differences. Experience the holy that surrounds me. Learn to love one another.

Love One Another – Brian

Every Person is God’s Work

Francis de Sales, patron saint of writes and editors

We must never undervalue any person. The workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence. Now God is present everywhere, and every person is His work.

Source: brainyqoute.com

John 5:1-18

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ But he answered them, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Take up your mat and walk.” ’ They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take it up and walk”?’ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

Epiphany 3 - Monday - Feast of Phillips Brooks

Text: Matthew 24:24-27 (see below)

If I said, “Phillips Brooks” in a crowded room of Christians, very few people would recognize that name.  And yet, Brooks is remembered every Christmas Eve, for he was the author who penned “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” More than that, Phillips Brooks was one of the greatest American preachers of the nineteenth century. You can read many of his sermons on the internet. I have a collection of his writings in my office for he is one of my favorites.

He was a New Englander through and though. Born in Boston in 1835, he went on to be educated at Harvard and received his M. Div. from the Virginia Theological Seminary.  He served parishes in Philadelphia after seminary but is best remembered for his time at Trinity Church, Copley Square in Boston where he served as Rector from 1869 until 1891. There he proclaimed the Gospel Sunday after Sunday bringing many people to the faith. If you are in Boston on business or a visit, I encourage you to wander over to Copley Square. To the right of the large parish stands a statue of Brooks. The Church is well worth a visit.

The lesson from Matthew deals with end times. Some things never seem to change for generation after generation has been fascinated with the end of all things. We spend so much time focusing on what might happen, or when it might happen, or how it might happen, that we lose the most important moment that we have – NOW.

If you and I believe that God is ultimately in charge of all things and God is nothing but good and full of love, then why do we worry or focus so much on a future end time? Today is enough for me. I will try and live fully into THIS day – loving my God – loving my neighbor – and working for the betterment of the world and community in which I live.

Love One Another - Brian

Doing What Is Right

Aung San Suu Kyi

You should never let your fears prevent you from doing what you know is right.

Source: Verse and Voice website

Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel laureate and leader of the nonviolent movement for human rights and democracy in Burma

Matthew 24:24-27

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, “Look! He is in the wilderness”, do not go out. If they say, “Look! He is in the inner rooms”, do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Epiphany 3 - Sunday - The Magic Flute (Mozart) - Papageno/Papagena Duet Act II

Today is the Sabbath – Go and worship God at your home church or a church of your choosing.

I have regular readers of my blog whom I am most grateful for. One family in particular is responsible for today's musical offering. Lynda and her daughters Rachel and Jenna enjoy my musical posts on Sunday mornings and apparently listen together as a family. Terrific!

But one day, Rachel asked "Why doesn't Brian have any opera on his site?"

So, today I take Rachel's request seriously and offer to all my readers one of my favorite moments in all of opera - the duet from Act II of Mozart's "The Magic Flute." This is the famous Papageno/Papagena Duet and features Wolfgang Brendel as Papageno and Gudrun Sieber as Papagena with all of their children!

This is a 1983 production from Munich with Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting. This is one of the best 2 minutes and 30 seconds that you will spend today. Enjoy!

Love One Another - Brian

The Collect for the Third Sunday of Epiphany
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Epipnay 2 - Saturday - Feast of Agnes

Text: John 4:27-42 (see below)

This morning we are treated to the second portion of the story of the encounter between Jesus and the woman of Samaria. You may want to read the text before continuing. It is featured at the bottom of the post.

To catch everybody up on what has happened to this point; Jesus was on his way back to Galilee and decided to travel through Samaria. He arrived with his disciples in Sychar and Jesus was tired from the journey. He rests at a well; Jacob’s well! The text says that it was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw some water from the well. Now, we know that the women in that society were responsible for collecting water from well each morning. But, “high noon” is the wrong time of day. Normally, this activity was done in the early hours of the morning when it was cool. Something is wrong with this picture.

We learn that this woman is living on the margins of her society. She has been married to many men and currently living with a man who is not her husband. She is clearly exhausted both physically and spiritually with her life and having to make this daily pilgrimage in the middle of the day. Jesus offers her living water and this woman is more than ready to receive it although it is clear that she does not understand fully. Having declared that she believes in the Messiah, Jesus boldly declares: “I am he.”

Now, the conclusion of our story.

Notice carefully in the text that the woman runs off to tell others about her experience with Jesus. What is the clue that she will return?

The water jar. The author of the Gospel of John is superb in offering the reader clues in every one of his stories.

Samaritans were not like many Americans today who might have 6 or 7 “water jars”. These were poor folks. Supplies were scarce.  A water jar was an important component of daily life. This woman is coming back for sure!

Not only does she come back, but she brings just about everybody in town and they all become believers! Again, notice the text carefully, when she goes into town she does not use theological argument or persuasion. There is no set dogma proclaimed. She simply offers an invitation: “Come and see a man who told me everything that I ever did.”

“Come and see.”

This pattern of persons meeting Jesus, having a life changing experience, and then inviting others to do the same continues throughout the Fourth Gospel. It is an example for us all. We do not have to have all the answers about Jesus. We do not have to recite a creed or catechism. All we have to do is make the invitation: “Come and see.” The Holy Spirit does the rest.

Tomorrow is the Sabbath. Christians will be going to worship God all over the globe. I imagine that there is someone you know who is searching for answers; struggling with a life issue; in need of healing either spiritually, emotionally, or physically; or simply wants to be in fellowship with another person. Would you be willing to contact them today and invite them with these simple words: “come and see.” A life might be changed forever.

Love One Another – Brian

The Long Loneliness

Dorothy Day

The final word is love.

Source: Sojourner’s Voice and Verse , February 2009

John 4:27-42

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.  They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

Epiphany 2 - Friday - In Memorium: Marcey and John Krum

Text: Matthew 19:13-14 (see below)

This morning I am attending the funeral service for John and Marcey Krum, long time residents of Hudson, Ohio and leaders in our community. Marcey was a dear woman who loved to sing in both church and local choirs. While I only had the pleasure of knowing Marcey over the last six years of her life, I will fondly remember leisurely lunches with both her and John at Laurel Lake; the coconut shrimp which was her favorite, the recounting of loving memories about raising children on Old Orchard Drive, riding in the annual Memorial Day Parade, and her deep and profound affection for her husband. Marcey was a dear woman who fought valiantly against the rages of Alzheimer disease. She died on November 10, 2011 at the ripe old age of 86.

John Krum will always be a hero of mine. He once told me that he wanted to live longer than Marcey simply to make sure that she was well taken care of. John was true to his word. He passed forty days after Marcey, peacefully and joyfully at the age of 90. My last conversation with him on December 22 will always be remembered for his abounding affection for life, for those he loved, and for his community. That moment, on a quiet night at Akron City Hospital, epitomized for me what John Krum was all about.

John set the record for the most lunches I have ever had with any parishoner. Over the course of six years, we lunched just about once a month. Those are now cherished memories. The routine was always the same, John would call me and say that he needed time with his “spiritual director” and I always followed that I needed time with “Your Honor.” I would pull into the entrance of Laurel Lake and there John was sitting on the bench ready to step out never wanting to keep you waiting.

Once in the car, John always had a plan – Deli on Rye – Zeppe’s - Hudson’s - Reserve Inn – Noble House – Otani. We always ate in Hudson, Ohio. We always supported the local establishments. That was John’s way. Lunch was never just one on one because John knew everybody by name, even the wait staff at the local restaurants.

John was a graduate of Amherst College, served in the United States Army and fought in World War II. He and Marcey were married in 1948 and John worked for 39 years with Pickands Mather & Company. He was a member of Christ Church Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry numerous times and at the Diocesan level. A civic leader, John was elected Mayor of Hudson and served from 1999-2003. He was instrumental in the development of the First and Main retail complex in Hudson. One of his last civic projects, and one that he was passionate about, was the creation of the Hudson Veterans Memorial Garden in Markille Cemetery.

That last accomplishment will always be near to my heart for on the Memorial Day in which the Garden was to be dedicated, I was asked to offer the opening invocation and closing benediction. I was honored that day to ride with John and Marcey in the Parade through town. It was a picture perfect day. Marcey was seated in the front seat and John and I on the top of the back seat with the top down. A picture of that trio still sits on my desk as a reminder of a cherished moment with dear friends.

As we made our way up the parade route, it was clear who the shining light of this moment – John was. As we turned the corner at Route 91 and 303, the crowd swelled and John did not disappointment blowing kisses, waving, and basking in the well deserved adoration. At one point he leaned over to me and said, “Brian, blow kisses, blow kisses!” I replied, “Your Honor, if I blow kisses to these young children and their mothers, I will get arrested!!” He laughed. Marcey laughed. We all laughed together. Over the course of the next mile and a half, John Krum blew hundreds of kisses. But, many more kisses came back to him and to Marcey. God bless you both.

Love One Another - Brian

How to Achieve Peace

Dalai Lama

Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.

Source: Verse and Voice, Sojourners Website

Matthew 19:13-14

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs."

Epiphany 2 - Tuesday - Feast of Saint Anthony

Text: Mark 10:17-21 (see below)

Today is the feast day of Anthony of Egypt who some declare as the founder of Christian Monasticism. Anthony inherited great wealth from his parents who were Christians. One Sunday morning at worship, as the story goes; today’s text from Mark’s Gospel was read and had a profound effect on Anthony. Making sure his sister was well cared for; Anthony sold all of his inherited possessions, gave the money to the poor and headed out into the desert for some twenty years living as hermit. Out in that fiery furnace, Anthony dedicated himself to a life of prayer, reading and manual labor.

Around the year 305 CE, Anthony was encouraged to organize a group of believers who lived in the desert praying constantly for the welfare of all Christians, worshipping God, and providing for the poor through manual labor. Later in his life (335 CE), Anthony returned to Alexandria to argue passionately against the heresy of Arianism and converted many persons to the Christian faith.

There have been a number of times in my ministry when persons have come to speak with me about this particular passage from the Gospel of Mark (usually in stewardship season). “Do I really have to give up all of my possessions to follow Jesus? That sounds a bit rash, don’t you think?”  I am always grateful for those moments and questions because it is clear that the Spirit is wrestling with that person and inviting them to enter more deeply into the journey of faith.

I do not believe that every one of us is called to sell all of our possessions and recklessly head off into the desert in search of God. This was for Anthony and many others their particular calling to follow Jesus. Materialism, if we are honest, can be stumbling block for many of us and must be looked at with clarity and not vagueness if we are to speak with integrity about our faith.

The Master could see that the young man’s possessions in the Gospel story were hanging him up from a real and authentic experience of the living God: hence, the challenge from Jesus. But, for you and for me, the call to follow Jesus may be very different from what this young man experienced; yet just as sincere and meaningful.

The question that I take away from this lesson and from the story of Saint Anthony is simply this: What items, possessions, feelings, or desires get in the way of my faithfully following Jesus? In my own life journey, what are the goods, the baggage that I have acquired along the path that needs to be shed? Perhaps you and I will have to get rid of many of our possessions. Perhaps you and I need only cleanse ourselves of one or two things. Each disciple of Jesus is different and each of us must individually decide from our own life experiences what must be given up so that we follow Him faithfully.

Love One Another - Brian

Forgiveness and Love

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. It is impossible even to begin the act of loving one's enemies without the prior acceptance of the necessity, over and over again, of forgiving those who inflict evil and injury upon us.

Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship.

Source: Strength to Love

Mark 10:17-21

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’

Epiphany 2 - Monday - Feast of Richard Benson

Text: John 2:23-3:15 (see below)

Nicodemus meeting Jesus at night in the Holy City of Jerusalem during the festival of Passover is one of my favorite stories in the Fourth Gospel. Here is a Pharisee who is seeking something more. Obviously not satisfied where his institutional religion has taken him, Nicodemus is searching for something more and he sees in Jesus a remarkable opportunity for renewal.

Nicodemus arrives under the cover of darkness, perhaps so that he is not noticed by the authorities. I believe it is even more than that for the image of the movement from darkness to light is a key theme in the Fourth Gospel. Here is a man who is seeking enlightenment and perhaps this man Jesus will assist him.

The Master’s approach is remarkable, significant and a model for all who pastor or teach. Notice that Jesus does not give him any answers but gently leads Nicodemus into a deeper understanding of the truth. “You must be born again, Nicodemus.” This leader of the Jews is completely dumbstruck by such a saying. His legal mind is trying to figure out how one could possibly be physically born again. Nicodemus is left scratching his head, “How can these things be?”

What happens to our friend Nicodemus? Does he understand the wisdom offered to him on that night? Will he end up following Jesus or return to his home seeking yet another way? Like any good story teller, John encourages us to read on. Nicodemus will appear two more times in this Gospel and each time he moves more bravely into the light gaining understanding, courage, and the willingness to do the right thing at the right time. He is a model of discipleship for us all.

Love One Another - Brian

Pregnant With the New

Martin Buber

When we grow aware of a new way in which to serve God, we should carry it around with us secretly, and without uttering it, for nine months, as though we were pregnant with it, and let others know of it only at the end of that time, as though it were a birth.

Source: Ten Rungs: Hasidic Sayings

John 2:23-3:15

When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind^* blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Second Sunday of the Epiphany - Johann Strauss II - Overture to "Die Fledermaus" (Carlos Kleiber)

Today is the Sabbath – Go and worship God at your home church or a church of your choosing.

I have always been a fan of Carlos Kleiber, especially when he was conducting German of Viennese music. Here is the overture to Johann Strausss' "Die Fledermaus" ("The Bat") with the Bavarian State Orchestra in 1986. Something for you to enjoy on this Second Sunday of Epiphany while it snows outside (in NE Ohio).

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Epiphany

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Epiphany 1 - Saturday

Text: Genesis 6:9-22 (see below)

On Jeopardy this week the creators of the show had a Final Jeopardy question about Ancient Measurements and the answer was: “What is a cubit?” That moment came to mind when I read the lessons for today. 

I have always been devoted to the story of Noah’s Ark as it is found in the pages of the Book of Genesis: Something about a man who was growing old and deciding to follow the call of God to accomplish such an outrageous plan, to be faithful, to follow through, and to receive a promise at the end. More than any other story in the Hebrew Scriptures, the narrative of the Ark and its contents has contributed to many hours of discussions along life’s journey from Sunday School lessons as a child, to presentations on Ancient flood stories at the Chautauqua Institute, to a memorable Bible & Biscuits discussion, etc. The story of Noah and his Ark never fails to deliver.

What follows below is a clever reminder of the many lessons that can be taken from that story found in Genesis 6. The author is unknown for it is a piece that has been around for a long time. Enjoy.

Noah’s Ark Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah’s Ark…

· ONE: Don’t miss the boat.

· TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat.

· THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.

· FOUR: Stay fit. When you’re 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

· FIVE: Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

· SIX: Build your future on high ground.

· SEVEN: For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.

· EIGHT: Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

· NINE: When you’re stressed, float awhile.

· TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

· ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting.

Love One Another - Brian

The Snails Made It Too!

Charles H. Spurgeon, English Preacher of the Nineteenth Century

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”

Source: ThinkExist.com

Genesis 6:9-22

These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.’ Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.