A Tale of Three Widows

All trying to survive

All forced to live an invisible life

Two have banded together to figure out a way through: one uses life wisdom, one uses her wiles

One has given it all in $$

All trust in God’s favor – all believe that God is steadfast

All trust in a system. All are caught in patriarchal (work of the devil? Collect) society that can either care for them or discard them

Ruth and Naomi seem to end well in Jesus, but the unnamed widow’s ending is unknown – even though Jesus noticed.

Ending of the Temple in 70 yrs – the sanctuary made by human hands

The scribes who pillage the houses of widows

Vs.

The apostles who go out and will carry forward Jesus’ work

Stagnant church

Vs.

Church on the move

Always stays the same & comfortable

Vs

Trying something new & unknown

Always the same worries and troubles

Vs

Transformed by the love of Jesus

Closing ranks

Vs

Holding space

Museum for saints

Vs

Hospital for sinners

Serious rules

Vs

Serious fun

All of these are too black and white –

Sometimes need to look inward and care for own widows and orphans

Sometimes we need to hunker down for comfort and weather storms

Sometimes we are called out to minister to Others = Foreigners

Sometimes God calls us out of our buildings and into new spaces

Seasonal, Cyclical

Tales of the widows remain in our lore – Jesus’ genealogy, Jesus pointing out the Widow.

He watched her – what do we see?

What is ours to learn from the Three Widows?

Use of Wisdom and rhythms of life

Use of wiles and strengths

Throw all we have into the mix and see what God does with it

I am very curious about what God is up to these days in Wichita Falls. God has been steadfast and has blessed us over and over and over again. God will remain steadfast and continue to bless us as we struggle and discern who and how we are to be the Episcopal Church in Wichita Falls.

This is frequently how my preaching notes look. There is audio on the right sidebar PodBean Player.

A Witch at Church

Julia's writing prompt today: It's NaBloPoMo day 2!

Prompt: write about what you wear at church (your best clothes, your comfy clothes, robe, stole, etc.). What does the phrase "church clothes" look like in your world?

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This last weekend included All Hallows' Evening - which has been shortened to Hallowe'en on most secular calendars. It is an ancient Christian holiday, appropriated from a Celtic celebration (more info here). A lot of Christian holidays have appropriated the holy days of other religions, as any scholar of world religions can trace. I believe those days have been appropriated because someone somewhere realized that there are rhythms to life that cannot be denied. On the dark days of the transition between seasons, maybe people needed a reason to gather and have fun.

All Hallows' Eve gives Christians a chance to poke fun at death and darkness, knowing that God through Christ is the Eternal Light that no darkness can overcome. We seriously believe what Paul said about no darkness being able to come between us and the love of God. We seriously believe what John of Patmos teaches us in Revelation about God being the ultimate winner of any universal contest between dark and light. We act silly and playful, dress in costumes, trick or treat, and generally revel in God's victory and steadfastness. We get to hear readings that are nowhere else in our regular Sunday lectionary: the Witch of Endor, Eliphaz the Temanite, the battle between the dragon and the angels; it's all fantastical. 

I think we look like Twins!

As an almost 50-yr old American woman, I do not mind the insinuation that I am dressed as my true nature in this picture. When I don a witch costume, I am trying to don the feminine mantle of Professor Minerva McGonagall, Mrs Molly Weasley, or even one of the unfortunate women chronicled in Kepler's Witch. Kepler's Witch tells the story of Christians convicting women of witchcraft merely because they were smart enough to notice the rhythms of life, remember which herbs and plants cured which symptoms, and maybe were bit more enlightened than others in a pre-enlightenment era. There is much discussion among middle-aged American women about embracing our inner Crone as we grow older and wiser - as we grow into being a witch by Kepler's definition.

As an Episcopal priest, I know that there are people who call me a witch in undertone, meaning it to be a derogatory utterance. When I don a witch's hat and cape, I am claiming the title in order to take away it's power to place me in a powerless position, as the Imp advised the Bastard to do in one of the Game of Throne books (I cannot remember if it was when Jon Snow was just leaving for the Wall or when Tyrion Lannister visited him at the Wall). A religious woman with strong convictions certainly fits the definition of a witch to a lot of people who have a tough time separating faith from magic and prayers from wishes. 

I do believe there is some criticism that could truly be leveled at my costume choice: Paul tells us not to eat the meat offered to idols if it causes our less mature members to stumble. In a society of people who do sometimes have a hard time separating faith from magic and prayers from wishes, maybe it is dangerous to dress as a witch wearing a priest collar. Also, just as it is inappropriate for me as a white woman to make up in black face, I should not dress as a practitioner of Wiccan when I am clearly not Wiccan. [Aside: all of the Wiccan practitioners I see in movies and TV dress like me on any day I am not wearing clericals. That gives me a giggle.]

Thank you for the prompt Julia! Reflecting on my choice of church clothes this last weekend was enlightening to me. 

David's Downfall

The continuing story of King David. Audio on the PodBean Player on the right sidebar.

The Rise of King David

This is a Story instead of a Sermon: The story of how David got to be King of both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms. It is a simple re-telling of David's story up today's reading. There is an audio file to listen to on the PodBean Player on the right sidebar.

Lord of the Dance

Welcome the readings for what a dear friend calls “Improper 10.” We get a glimpse of the ancient Trumps in the gospel reading – the more things change, the more they stay the same. The daughter dances for a group of powerful political men – one of whom wants to show off and then cannot back down for fear of looking weak or indecisive. Maybe she was dirty dancing, but maybe she was not; either way, it’s a creepy story right? And that creepiness is not the worst of it; John the Baptizer ends up dead – almost execution as a side story. Mark tells it for a good reason though. This is not the same Herod who ordered the census count, or the same Herod who ordered all the baby boys murdered, but this is the same Herod who will pronounce judgment of Jesus in only ten more chapters. And this Herod is consistent – he doesn’t really want to kill Jesus any more that he wanted to kill John, but he will give into the politics again later, just as he does today. The daughter dances, and Herodias gets revenge on John.

We have David dancing today too.  Remember Indiana Jones? The Ark is dangerous. In the beginning of the journey, David and others are dancing with songs, and lyres, and harps, and tambourines, and castanets, and cymbals – making a joyful noise and dancing along – then tragedy. Did you notice we skipped a few verses there? In those verses, the Ark starts to slip off the wagon and one of the drivers reaches to steady it. ZAP – he dies. The Ark is dangerous – it holds the stone tablet fragments, Aaron’s rod, a Golden Urn full of manna – and it has POWER. David seems to get shook up for a bit and parks it for a few months, then goes after it again. Now we are back in our reading and David is described as dancing with “all of his might.”  One of his wives looks on; Michal was raised as royalty and seems disgusted by his not looking very “Royal” in all his energetic dancing. He was looking very foolish actually – long white linen alb, dancing with all his might, giving burnt offerings to God and peace offerings to the people – he blessed the people before sending them on their way – not very kingly at all – actually much more priestly.

These are great readings on our First Anniversary. Some of you all may remember when I first got here last October; I mentioned that it would take a while but eventually we would learn to dance together. Me and the altar team: we all have to learn to anticipate what the others will do next and I think we’ve gotten pretty good at it. As congregations: you all have had to learn to dance with me an with each other. Trust has been built. Sure, a few toes got bruised here and there, but I am proud of how far we’ve danced together! We’ve spun and dipped; we’ve cooked and served; we’ve pirouetted and stomped; we’ve gathered and distributed. We have done the hard work that other, more established congregations can sit out – and we are the stronger for having done it together. This dance is not always easy – it’s not always fun – but we are all honoring our raising when we dance with the one that brung us. We are not here merely dancing together, congregation with congregation, me with you. No, we are all here dancing with God. God has called us to this work of dancing and blessing and making offerings of peace. God has called us at this time and this place to be His People dancing together here in Wichita Falls. Surely there are others who like to dance out there – let’s invite them into our Flash Mob, shall we? Who will you ask to dance with us? Amen.

The Rabbi's Gift as the Smallest Seed

THE RABBI'S GIFT

The story concerns a monastery that had fallen upon hard times. Once a great order, as a result of waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth, all its branch houses were lost and it had become decimated to the extent that there were only five monks left in the decaying mother house: the abbot and four others, all over seventy in age. Clearly it was a dying order.

In the deep woods surrounding the monastery there was a little hut that a rabbi from a nearby town occasionally used for a hermitage. Through their many years of prayer and contemplation the old monks had become a bit psychic, so they could always sense when the rabbi was in his hermitage. "The rabbi is in the woods, the rabbi is in the woods again " they would whisper to each other. As he agonized over the imminent death of his order, it occurred to the abbot at one such time to visit the hermitage and ask the rabbi if by some possible chance he could offer any advice that might save the monastery.

The rabbi welcomed the abbot at his hut. But when the abbot explained the purpose of his visit, the rabbi could only commiserate with him. "I know how it is," he exclaimed. "The spirit has gone out of the people. It is the same in my town. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore." So the old abbot and the old rabbi wept together. Then they read parts of the Torah and quietly spoke of deep things. The time came when the abbot had to leave. They embraced each other. "It has been a wonderful thing that we should meet after all these years, "the abbot said, "but I have still failed in my purpose for coming here. Is there nothing you can tell me, no piece of advice you can give me that would help me save my dying order?"

"No, I am sorry," the rabbi responded. "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."

When the abbot returned to the monastery his fellow monks gathered around him to ask, "Well what did the rabbi say?" "He couldn't help," the abbot answered. "We just wept and read the Torah together. The only thing he did say, just as I was leaving --it was something cryptic-- was that the Messiah is one of us. I don't know what he meant."

In the days and weeks and months that followed, the old monks pondered this and wondered whether there was any possible significance to the rabbi's words. The Messiah is one of us? Could he possibly have meant one of us monks here at the monastery? If that's the case, which one? Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant Father Abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Certainly Brother Thomas is a holy man. Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. Certainly he could not have meant Brother Elred! Elred gets crotchety at times. But come to think of it, even though he is a thorn in people's sides, when you look back on it, Elred is virtually always right. Often very right. Maybe the rabbi did mean Brother Elred. But surely not Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, a real nobody. But then, almost mysteriously, he has a gift for somehow always being there when you need him. He just magically appears by your side. Maybe Phillip is the Messiah. Of course the rabbi didn't mean me. He couldn't possibly have meant me. I'm just an ordinary person. Yet supposing he did? Suppose I am the Messiah? O God, not me. I couldn't be that much for You, could I?

As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off off chance that each monk himself might be the Messiah, they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.

Because the forest in which it was situated was beautiful, it so happened that people still occasionally came to visit the monastery to picnic on its tiny lawn, to wander along some of its paths, even now and then to go into the dilapidated chapel to meditate. As they did so, without even being conscious of it, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out from them and permeate the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, they began to come back to the monastery more frequently to picnic, to play, to pray. They began to bring their friends to show them this special place. And their friends brought their friends.

Then it happened that some of the younger men who came to visit the monastery started to talk more and more with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them. Then another. And another. So within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the rabbi's gift, a vibrant center of light and spirituality in the realm.

This story came from The Different Drum, by Dr. M. Scott Peck, M.D.

The audio of the sermon is available on the right sidebar PodBean Player.

We are Family - Jesus says So

Did you all hear me take a long, deep, cleansing breath earlier this week? I am so excited that we are back in Mark – with plain language – unclean spirits & crowds who get who Jesus is – scribes and disciples who can’t even seem to buy a clue… it’s good to be back on track again. Today’s gospel is Classic Mark – a story within a story – all pointing us to who Jesus is and how we are to be.

Today in the inner story, we get a lesson about the Unforgivable Sin – insulting the Holy Spirit. This one always worries me a bit – how about you? Here’s the deal – if we are worried about it, we are not doing it. Resisting the Spirit, refusing to repent, regarding God with contempt or rebellion, refusing forgiveness = that’s what Jesus is talking about. The scribes were refusing to believe in who Jesus was and instead insisted on attributing his divinity to a demonic association.

In the outer story, we get a lesson on family. This reading is troubling to some people because it seems as though Jesus is being disrespectful to his family of origin, especially his mom – which would be breaking a commandment. However, there is no evidence that Jesus’ real family was actually there. This translation says mother and brothers, but it was probably cousins or extended family members. Since Jesus later answers specifically about mother and brothers, the translators carried that into the story. This reading is also comforting to some people because Jesus gives us permission to shed the unhealthiness that some of us might find in our families of origin and surround ourselves with healthy, loving, new families. Jesus expands what “family” means. He then goes onto to equate those who do God’s will as family.

This is where we get the language of Church Family. In some ways this could be very unhealthy – just as all families can be very unhealthy. In an ideal church, this can be very healthy. It becomes a way for us all to care more deeply about each other – more than co-workers or acquaintances. We can invest time and energy getting to know and care about each other. We have the privilege of having the hard conversations and higher expectations of each other. This is church at its best and healthiest – doing God’s will together: feeding people, housing people, helping people – inside and outside of these walls. Today, the first volunteers for the Habitat for Humanity fundraiser will begin volunteering and we will do that for an entire eight days. Next week, we will feed 60 or so of God’s Beloveds who will stay at Faith Mission for the night. We are living into doing God’s will and being a healthy family.

I have placed an empty piece of paper in your bulletin. One of our family members needs help. You all know Luke. He is struggling with addiction. His parents are going to leave directly from here to go visit him today. I want his church family to send him notes of encouragement. Before the service is over, we will bless those notes and his parents as they leave on the journey – taking our notes and best wishes for his health with them.

God as Parent to us all, bless this your family. Amen. 

The audio will be on the PodBean Player on the right sidebar.