Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Troy Montana

Baptism - Water or Holy Spirit?

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

As Reverend Katerina Whitley states in her sermon for this week:

Jesus comes like all the other people who come to John, and is baptized. God arrives to us without fanfare, in the ordinariness of our lives, and we don’t recognize him. He comes enfleshed, from distant, unimportant Nazareth – not from the significant city of Jerusalem, but from Nazareth! Jesus enters the waters as a human being and emerges from the waters with the unshakable assurance that he is God’s Son, the Beloved.

As we see in Mark 1:11, God provides a private assurance to His Son that, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

How many of us have been baptized in Holy Spirit, as Paul describes in Acts 19:1-7? How many have received gifts of the holy spirit, described in Corinthians 12:7-11?

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

How many are believed when we receive that private assurance from God that we have received those gifts? And how many of us acknowledge that we have received them? Explored how we might use them in service to God and His creations? How many deny their gifts, and act as if they have been baptized with water?

The readings this week lead to a fascinating contemplation of why Jesus chose to be baptized with water; why God made His assurance to His Son a private one; and how many of us accept the baptism by the Holy Spirit when we receive it.

Naming Day!

2012-01-02T12:17:00.001-07:00

Today would, by tradition of the Church celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas, be Christ's naming day, or Bris/Berit Mila. When a parent gives a child a name, the parent is giving the child a connection to previous generations. As we see in Matthew, Chapter 1, Jesus comes from a long line of notable people in history. The Bris, Berit Mila must take place for an infant boy at eight days of age. If this is performed before the child is eight days old, it is not considered valid. The reasoning behind waiting for eight days is that everything was created in seven days. When a child is eight days old, the child has surpassed the physical world and entered a world far more spiritual. Mila is a sacred religious rite and not merely a hygienic practice. The Jewish parents accept this as a normal part of life.

"Jesus" is a transliteration, occurring in a number of languages and based on the Latin Iesus, of the Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), itself a hellenization of the Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yĕhōšuă‘, Yeshua) or Hebrew-Aramaic יֵשׁוּעַ (Yēšûă‘), both meaning God delivers or God rescues.

Names are important in the Bible, both when self-taken (the change from Saul (meaning responded or prayed for) to Paul (meaning small or humbled)), and when changed by God (Abram (biblical patriarch) to Abraham (father of multitudes); Sarai (my princess) to Sarah (princess)). At this start of this New Year, think about what your name means - and what you want it to stand for. How would *you* like to be known in history?

Christ in Christmas

2011-12-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

This week's reflection came from Linda Pepe, and the whole thing is well worth reading. But I wanted to post the couple of paragraphs that deal with the topic if keeping Christ in Christmas:

Christ IS Christmas... and regardless of whether we show up at the door in the middle of the night after a divine encounter with a host of angels, or shuffle through the whole experience more concerned about coffee and gastric distress, Christmas will always be about Christ. And we can commercialize it or Santa-ize it, or bake through it or shop through it… but we still can’t TAKE Christ out of Christmas…

And do you know why? Because Christ can’t take YOU out of Christmas… you are the reason there IS a Christmas- you’re the reason that Jesus was sent here the first place- because of God’s great love for you…because of God’s love for US! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son!” For God so loved each one of us… because God loved, Jesus came to earth- bringing with him the foundations of everything he knows- love, joy, hope…

So Merry Christmas! May it be exactly as you wished it to be, or exactly as you made it to be. May you notice and welcome the gift of the Christ child.

Christmas Eve for the Homebound

2011-12-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

General Seminary was selected to produce the nation-wide Christmas Eve program for CBS-TV this year. You can tune in to your local affiliate at 11:35 p.m. to bring in Christmas Episcopal style.

Change

2011-12-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

At this time of year, when so many of us are both watching every penny and wanting to share all that's in our hearts, this video is a wonderful reminder to appreciate the little things, and to know that it doesn't take a lot to make a difference in someone's life.

The Choice

2011-12-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Reverend PattiAnn Bennett pointed out in her sermon tonight that each individual has a similar choice to Mary. Not discounting, of course, Mary's contribution to becoming the mother of the Christ child, but rather her choice to accept this as God's will - her statement in Luke, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

How often are we, as individuals, guided to do something, give something, provide something for someone else? And how often do we make the choice to say, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."?

PattiAnn went on to describe several instances this past week where people have stepped up, "Here am I," and the Lord has provided people specially suited to their gifts - a family of 6 with frozen pipes, no money for many essentials, and much need received groceries, wood to burn, necessities and a coupon for the makings of Christmas dinner. Their Wood Bank at St. Michael's and All Angels in Eureka is now a reality as people made the choice to aid those in their community by chopping wood, stacking, loading and unloading trucks to be delivered.

So when we're given an opportunity to be of service to our fellow man, will we follow Mary's example?

From the Children

2011-12-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is just priceless. This Christmas story was made with children actors less than eight years old, has managed to receive hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube in just a few hours. The creators say it reflects the spirit of Christmas by reflecting what took place on 'the first December 25,' as well as showing beautiful landscapes of New Zealand. It has been produced by an Anglican parish of Auckland in New Zealand.

Joy and Laughter

2011-12-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday is known as Gaudete Sunday in Advent, and we lit the candle for Joy. This sermon by the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Carter reminds us that joy and laughter are also gifts from God, and can often help us through difficult times. The quote here that I like the best comes from writer Peter DeVries: "Do not assume ... that because I write in comic ways, I am being trivial, and I will not assume, that because you write in serious ways, you are being profound!"

Joy can be found in things great and small. Last night's gift after the rather serious and staid Candlelighting Ceremony (the atmosphere would be as you expect when you're lighting candles for those who have passed on) was that of snow. The simple joy of seeing all things made new, pristine and beautiful by a layer of snow lifted our hearts immeasurably, as we already knew that our loved ones resided with God and He takes care of them - even as he reminds us that life must find that balance.

So don't forget to find - and recognize - the joy - God gifts us with it regularly.

Meditation - Too Cool Not to Share

2011-12-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hang up the Boots!

Saw this this morning and had to share - excellent message!

Catching Up Blog

2011-12-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a wee bit behind with updating, and there has been so much happening that this will be a blog of summary and links so you can read (or not) at your leisure.

First, we're in the season of Advent, and this sermon by the Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Jr. is absolutely awesome. We often get the message during Advent that this is a time of preparing ourselves for the birth of the Christ child, a time of waiting. Rev. Levenson looks at it a bit differently - he calls Advent the "Two Minute Warning" akin to what we see in a football game. Now is the time to take action, to get your head in the game, to give your very best because the birth of the Light of the World is just around the corner, and you don't want to be anywhere but the top of your game. I think this reflection was in honor of my very football crazy family.

Next, on the very same Sunday, our own Rev. PattiAnn Bennett prepared a wonderful sermon that she's finalizing (or I'd have the link to it) and I will link to later. She talked about the meanings and definitions of some of the Episcopal traditions and how they came to be.

Now, the Prayer Shawl Ministry sponsored by Holy Trinity for Lincoln County participated in the local 4H Craft Fair, and just had an informational booth, where people could find themselves gifted with a pocket prayer (just like what it sounds, a small, knitted or crocheted cross made with prayer that can fit in your pocket), or dishclothes (good for those odds and ends of yarn that can be useful) with prayers attached. A lot of people stopped when they saw pictures of Hazel Walsh, the oldest member of our congregation (at 105), wearing one of our prayer shawls, and reminisced about being in her classes. And several people were interested in learning more about the ministry. Needless to say, anyone interested is welcome to join us on Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 as we knit and crochet prayers into garments (blankets, shawls, hats, scarves, wrist warmers, or whatever else we might think of).

And finally, this Sunday, Holy Trinity is hosting the World Wide Candlelighting Ceremony for this part of Lincoln County - this is for anyone who has lost a child to light a candle for them and participate in a 24-hour wave of light around the globe. The organization who helps organize this event, along with support groups and grief counseling is Compassionate Friends. For anyone interested in attending the ceremony here, we will begin at 6:45 p.m., and light our candles at 7:00 p.m. The whole service is about 30 minutes, and everyone is welcome to bring pictures and stories of their loved ones to share, or just come and know that you're not alone in having lost a child, of any age. Refreshments will be served afterwards.

I will endeavor not to fall behind again, and will post the link to PattiAnn's sermon as soon as it's posted. Let me know if you have any questions.

Talents

2011-11-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Most people probably look at the "talent" referred to in the parable this week as a coin of some sort. However, a talent was actually a weight or measurement. It corresponded generally to the mass of water in the volume of an amphora, i.e. a one foot cube. When used as a measure of money, it refers to a talent-weight of gold or of silver. So, when we hear about the master giving 5 talents to the first slave, 2 to the second and 1 to the third, we're talking about a whole lot of money.

Let's look at the fact that the talent's original measure was a mass of water that fit within a container. In other instances, this would be called the capacity of the container, and likely, the master was providing to each servant the greatest (or least) capacity he felt they would be able to handle. The first slave was obviously a real go-getter, and likely, the 5 talents did not approach the capacity he was capable of handling. His container would hold a considerably greater amount, a fact the master recognized, and promised to provide him with more responsibilities. The second slave, would have about half or less the capacity of the first slave, if the master's estimation was correct, and rather than overwhelming him with more than he could handle, the master gave him what he felt his capacity could cope with. He also did well, doubling the value for his master, and not quite reaching the amount the first slave was originally given, but doing well for himself in his own capacity. His master rewarded that as well, being willing to provide him with more opportunities to grow, excel and increase his own capacity, or measure.

So then we get to the third slave, and have to wonder - did the master overestimate this slave's capacity? Was a full talent's measure too much for that slave? Or is it possible that the slave did not believe in his own capacity, and felt that it was safer to do nothing and return the same amount when the master returned? Is it possible the slave felt the master was overestimating his capacity?

Not long ago, we had the story of Jesus walking on water to get out to the boat where the disciples were. And Peter, wanting to believe, finds that when Jesus tells him to walk out to him, he could walk on water, as long as he kept his eyes on Christ. As soon as Peter's eyes waivered, and he saw the winds and the waves, he faltered, and began to sink. Jesus knew that Peter's capacity for belief was huge, and showed him that with that belief, all things were possible. It was only when Peter allowed the outside forces to affect his own belief in his own capacity that he began to sink.

Switching now to the modern definition of talent, as a gift or skill, do we find ourselves wondering if we're really as gifted or talented as some would describe us? Or are we possibly just fooling ourselves - God would never find what we have to give worthy of notice, right? Is it possible that God believes in us a lot more strongly, and has given us the capacity He believes we have, to use, to develop, to grow, so that we in turn can attract others through our own beliefs and capacity? Is it not the height of our own ego to believe that we know better than God about our talents?

As I was once advised by a very smart old lady - get out of your own way: God has use for you, and He believes in you even when you doubt yourself.

Be Prepared

2011-11-09T14:25:00.001-07:00

Of course, this was the message from the Gospel this week, and our wonderful interim Priest, PattiAnn Bennett, gave some examples of how being prepared might look. Our Boy and Girl Scouts practice this motto, but more to be prepared for anything that might happen for which they will be called upon to assist. Our governmental agencies, particularly FEMA, practice disaster preparedness and what to do, in case... Individually, we think about where we live, and what might happen, and what we would need to survive what might happen. Around here that can be anything from canning and preserving to having a sufficient place set up outside should the electricity go out and you need to keep things frozen, having a supply of wood and stuff enough to take care of minor medical problems.

One of the interesting parts of the Gospel was the fact that individual preparedness was quite important - it wasn't something you could share, nor was it something you could borrow. You, personally, have to be prepared.

The Church of Scotland states:

The parable has over the years been victim to detailed allegorical interpretation, but the main point is surely about being ready and prepared for the coming of the Lord, a day that is unknown in time, and the oil is representative of the good works that show the dedication, preparedness and attentive waiting for the day when the Lord will return and call his own.

Are you awake? Are you aware that the time of His choosing could occur at any time? Are you prepared?

Neighbors

2011-10-24T11:05:00.000-06:00

This week's reflection was provided by the former Rev. Judith Schenck, and discusses the importance of the little word - all. "We call it the Great Commandment or the Summary of the Law: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind and thy neighbor as thyself." And that word has huge meaning. I highly recommend reading the entirety of the sermon at the link provided.

One of the points in the piece talks about, who is your neighbor.

“Who is your neighbor?” asks Jesus. Our neighbor is anyone who stands beside us on this small planet, our island home. Distance is no obstacle to neighbors. A neighbor is any other human being with whom we share the image of God, which is to say, all human beings. A neighbor is not based on worth, on quality of life, on intelligence or beauty, on health or sickness, on moral development or religion, on color or sexuality or geography. We are all neighbors to one another.

Our wonderful interim priest, PattiAnn Bennett, proved just what a neighbor is, as she wrote to us recently: "Upon returning from convention Sunday evening I learned that an elderly parishioner from St Michael had no place to live and was suffering from some kind of mental dysfunction. She has stayed here with us this week and after many phone calls to her family back east & Adult Protective Services involvement and doctor's appointments I will escort her [home on the East Coast] to meet her daughter on Saturday."

Setting aside her own responsibilities (and likely assisted in that by her family and friends, also helping their neighbor as needed), she helped another made in the image of God, and did as she would hope others would do when presented with such an opportunity.

I appreciate the examples we are provided from the words of Rev. Schenck and the actions of Rev. Bennett. May we all strive to live up to the definition of "all" the Commandments provide.

Images

2011-10-17T07:45:00.000-06:00

The Gospel this week talks about rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and rendering unto God that which is God's. Interestingly, Christ's response is based on what is stamped on a coin - the image of Caesar. What He does not say, but which is fascinating to contemplate - were we not each "stamped" in the image of God?

Thinking about His response from this perspective puts a whole new meaning on the Gospel.

Parables - And Capacity

2011-10-10T11:25:00.001-06:00

There's a good joke that describes how parables can come across: "A flat-lander was invited to preach in a mountain Baptist church. He was worried, remembering that they eschewed educated preachers and were known for their fundamentalism and simplistic approach to the gospel. He preached with masterful command of allegory and hard truths veiled in simile. At the close of his message he gave the expected invitation and just one old gentleman in starched overalls responded. He came forward and whispered in the minister's ear, "Young feller, I want you to know that I know that just because the water's muddy, don't mean it's deep!"

Parables ... Symbolism... Something standing for something else, or meant to remind you of something else. Sometimes it seems quite mysterious - complicated and obscure. The thing is that the word for "mystery" in Greek contains a technical meaning - something unintelligible to outsiders, but clear to those initiated into the mystery. When you get it, it truly expands your understanding, and when you don't, you're left with rather more of a feeling that it's another one of those stories that really has no purpose, but shows how great Jesus is, and you move on.

So to bring another joke here: Young Assisant Pastor Bill was giving his 427th children's sermon. "Now kids," says Pastor Bill, "What's green, lives in the pond, sits on a lily pad, and hops?" The children looked at each other with vacant eyes as silence ruled that magical time. "Surely, someone has an idea?" Finally, little Susie stood up and said, "Well, it sounds like a frog, but it must be Jesus!"

How many times have you walked away like Susie thinking, well, I probably just don't get it, but that's okay?

So for a more modern twist, have you seen the movie, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"? Did you find it to be a great kids' story about good and evil? Did you know the symbolism for Aslan to be Christ; the stone table to be the "Old Laws" written on stone tablets; the White Witch to be Lucifer; Peter to be the Apostle Peter; Susan to be Mary; Edmund to represent Mankind; and Lucy to represent children and the innocence and faith of a child? Did the understanding of those symbols change the story for you at all? How many have seen the Matrix Trilogy and found it to be a relatively cool sci-fi series, but kinda confusing? And if you put the Christian overtones in, does the movie take on a bit more depth?

Christ said of parables in Mark, Chapter 4:13 and 25:

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? ... For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

Parables are the subject of much study for Christian scholars and apologists. Fr. John Hemer wrote an excellent essay on parables in which he said:

The only way the crowd can understand with the heart is to experience a collision, an offence, and then if they can get beyond that they have faith. If they can’t they remain in scandal. But, if they are not in any way put out by what Jesus says (think of the Vineyard labourers) if they simply fit what Jesus says into their world, they will never really come to faith but will imagine that they have. A parable can obstruct truth or reveal it – it depends on the attitude of the hearer.

So Jesus shows both possibilities: This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' (13:13-15)

But a little further in the same passage he says: All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world." (13:34-35)

So when we listen to the parables, perhaps we should challenge the easy understanding, put in a little more historic context and what the norm was for the listeners at the time. Then do the same thing for ourselves - challenge our own "easy" understanding and see if maybe there's more to the message for all of us.

When Necessary

2011-10-03T07:54:00.003-06:00

St. Francis of Assisi is said to have said, "Share the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words." In actuality, there's no evidence within 200 years of his life and death that he ever said such a thing, let alone lived such a life. Like the great troubadours of his time, Francis of Assisi was a wonderful storyteller. He taught the message of Jesus five times a day, climbing onto bales of hay to gather a crowd, telling them of the wonders of Christ's birth, his ministry, his death - helping people to be in the stable at the birth, to really see what Christ did. And at the drop of a hat, he could switch to talking about the evils of sin, and sermons of hellfire and brimstone emerged. Mark Galli, author of Francis of Assisi and His World, suggested people today would prefer to see the kinder, softer side of St. Francis, rather than focusing on the man as a whole.

The very nature of the Gospel requires that it be talked about. People can always live a good, moral, just life, performing excellent works of kindness, charity, healing and forgiveness. These actions are important, and walking your talk is definitely needed to help people understand you're sincere in your beliefs, but you first have to have a talk you're walking. For people to understand your motivation is to live a Christian life, a "Christ-like" life, words are absolutely necessary.

Another author, Ray Comfort (written over 70 books/Christian apologist, http://raycomfortfood.blogspot.com), wrote: "Saying preach the gospel, when necessary use words is like saying, feed the poor, when necessary use food.”

Sharing the stories of the Gospel, the words of Christ - St. Francis did this on a regular, ongoing, life-long basis. And he ensured that his actions matched his words, and expected the same of those who chose to follow in his footsteps.
_____________________________________________
Adding a quote from our priest, PattiAnn Bennett about St. Francis, taken from The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot, p. 192:

"Talk is cheap, but love is costly. When Francis and his friars went out into the world, thy didn't practice a form of hit and run, kamikaze Christianity. They didn't just preach and run. They reached out to people and did what they could do to serve. Thomas of Celano described Francis as "preaching everywhere the kingdom of God, and rendering his whole body a tongue, in order to edify his hearers by his example as well as by his words."

I think this makes the whole thing make much more sense.

God and Humanity

2011-09-26T13:42:00.000-06:00

As you know, our church has lay leaders that lead a morning prayer service on the 2nd, 4th and 5th (if we have them) Sundays of the month. (Insert shameless plug inviting anyone who would like to attend to join us ) Well, yesterday's reflection (this takes the place of a sermon) comes from Rev. G. Cole Gruberth, and fascinated me with regard to the relationship of God and humanity:

If John’s teaching or the teaching of Jesus or of the priests themselves were solely and unambiguously a matter of channeling God’s will, everyone would recognize its divine origin. The human teacher would be nothing but a mouthpiece for God, but would become less human for being so. On the other hand, if John or Jesus or the priests were acting only from their own human understanding, their teaching about God would lack any special authority.

By leaving his own question unanswered, Jesus suggests that doing God’s will requires a human being in relationship with the divine. If our work is based on an arrogant claim of our own authority, it can’t long remain true to God’s will. But neither does God require that we minimize our own humanity in order to do God’s work in the world. We are fallible creatures trying to teach and heal and love other fallible creatures, and perhaps our humility in teaching, healing, and loving is a more essential ingredient than our authority ever could be.

This would suggest that while, as many non-believers state, religion is a man-made creation, it still receives its authority from the divine, and our acts of faith are what matter. Thoughts for contemplation...

Creation

2011-09-15T17:21:00.000-06:00

This was shared with me, and I thought you might appreciate. For those with the faith that God exists, they will appreciate the gorgeous reminders in this video, and will both pity and never understand those who can't see the proof in front of their eyes.

Now of course, how the creation came into existence is up to interpretation, with many thinking, despite scientific proof to the contrary, that the Earth is only a few thousand years old. Others believe that God built the codes for evolution into his initial matrix, still making us all creations of God, and not contradicting "science" in the slightest. And then there are those who believe we're all a happy circumstance, an accident of molecules and atoms smashing into one another.

Do feel free to leave your thoughts.

Steps of Forgiveness

2011-09-12T12:54:00.001-06:00

There was an interesting section in the reflection shared yesterday, the 10th anniversary of an attack on our country. A quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a retired Anglican bishop of South Africa, and formerly chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission begins with him stating that to forgive goes beyond the unselfish devotion to the cause of others.

To forgive is a process that does not exclude hate and anger. These emotions are all part of being human. You should never hate yourself for hating others who do terrible things; the depth of your love is shown by the extent of your anger... When I talk of forgiveness, I mean the belief that you can come out the other side a better person. A better person than the one being consumed by anger and hatred.

The Gospel and New Testament readings also talk about forgiveness. Jesus' instruction to forgive someone seventy-seven times, and Paul pointing out that, "We will all stand before the judgment seat of God." It's not our responsibility to judge others.

I think the most interesting part of the reflection by Harry Denman said this:

We often think of forgiveness as something that someone who has done us wrong must ask of us! Let's take the high road, difficult as it may be. Let us forgive the person who has wronged us before the hatred eats away at our ability to forgive. It will not be easy, but God is there to help. We can do this by offering that individual up to God, not sitting in judgment, but by simply saying, "Help so and so and mend our relationship." ... When we withhold forgiveness, we remain the victim. When we offer forgiveness, we are doing it only for our own well-being. Forgiveness allows us to move beyond the pain, the resentment, and the anger. We always have a choice; to forgive or not to forgive. When we forgive, we make the choice that heals.

The whole sermon the above was taken from can be found here.

When we think about the acts committed on 9/11/2001, maybe now, ten years later, we can begin to make the choice that heals.

The Importance of Two

2011-09-04T22:00:00.001-06:00

Today's theme, in both Gospel and New Testament readings, was the importance of two.

In Romans 13, Paul reminds us that Christ, when asked which was the most important of the laws, responded: "’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

The first of the two new Commandments covers the first three of the Ten Commandments and comes from a Jewish prayer called the Shema: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." It talks about how we are to love God - "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve,” “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” and “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

The second of the two new Commandments covers the next seven of the Ten Commandments, and talks about how we are to treat one another: “Honor your father and your mother,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,” and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s property.”

Then in the Gospel of Matthew, Christ tells us, "Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." If we took this as we are meant to do, can you imagine what we could accomplish? Christ empowers each of us to do our part, find ways to agree and then ask. Now, how and when God chooses to respond is, of course, not up to us, but if we focus on the promise that all we must do is agree, we have a tool at our fingertips to reform the world into the vision Christ had.

The power of two seems to be both a huge simplification, and a huge responsibility for people at the same time. The rules are both simple and quite complex - to love God, and to love your neighbor as yourself. In this age of internet connectivity, where people all over the world contact people across the globe, "our neighbor" has become a lot broader in meaning - but likely exactly what Christ meant when he talked about it. Our neighbor is everyone with whom we interact - and our responsibility is to treat each one with care and kindness, as we would hope others would treat us.

Powerful concepts.

Face Lift

2011-08-31T07:15:00.000-06:00

For those who may have seen someone outside scraping or painting the church, Holy Trinity is getting a much needed paint job - which would likely go faster if the author of this blog would allow her son to work on a ladder without a spotter, but paranoid mom that she is, it'll just have to go as quickly as it can when she gets breaks from her own work schedule. Once it's all finished, we'll post pictures.

East Coast Quake

2011-08-23T23:08:00.000-06:00

Many of you probably read about the earthquake on the East Coast. For some, particularly those in California, there's a lot of laughter that a 5.8 isn't anything to get excited about. However, the East Coast doesn't have the same building requirements as the West Coast, and some of the damage is fairly significant. They were pretty lucky that it wasn't worse than it is.

The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. suffered some pretty significant damage. You can see pictures here. They are a self-sustaining congregation, but these repairs are going to be costly. They are asking any who can to help - which you can do here.

Even without being able to offer funds, we can all offer prayers for a speedy recovery of a national treasure.

Who Am I?

2011-08-21T13:22:00.000-06:00

This seemed to match pretty well with the lesson we got from Peter a couple weeks ago.

Saint Mary

2011-08-15T09:25:00.000-06:00

Today is the Feast for the Assumption of St. Mary in the Catholic calendar. Being an Episcopal church, we still acknowledge the importance of Mary, but I thought I'd tell you a story about one of St. Mary's flowers that doesn't have the name "Mary" in it (the way that Marigold or Lily of the Valley do).

SAGE

When the soldiers of King Herod were out killing little children, Mary and Joseph traveled through the mountains of Judea with the Baby Jesus. Joseph had gone into a nearby town, leaving Mary and the baby to shelter by the road. While he was gone, Mary, sitting at the side of the road, felt the vibrations in the road that told her the soldiers were coming.

She first went up to the Rose bush, and asked if it would open its petals and leaves and hide her and the baby from the soldiers. The Rose was rude, not only saying no, but to get out of its sunlight, as it had beautiful blooms to put out for all to admire. Mary then went to the Clove bush, and asked if it would allow her and the baby to hide among its leaves and flowers. The Clove bush refused, saying it was busy creating beautiful blossoms for all to see.

Finally Mary came to the Sage plant and asked if it would be willing to shelter her and the baby. The Sage plant agreed, blooming and filling out its leaves so abundantly that a whole canopy was created for them to hide under. The soldiers of Herod rode by, not noticing the plants or the woman and child.

In return for its shelter, Mary blessed the Sage plant with a sweet smell, and a useful life, wherein it could help many with the medicinal properties of its leaves and flowers. And since that time, the Rose has had thorns, and the Clove bush bad-smelling flowers.

If you'd like to see more stories about Mary's Flowers, there's a great book with legends, meditations and stories here.

Are We Ready to Take God's Hand?

2011-08-07T10:00:00.001-06:00

My thanks to Rev. Judith Schenck, for an excellent inspiration in her sermon about today's readings. First is the story of Joseph and his brothers. And the Gospel is the story of Jesus walking on the water in a storm out toward the boat, and Peter believing in Him enough to join him, for a time.

I am reminded of the story that goes around about the flood and the man who is convinced God will save him. He is visited by two sets of people in boats and a helicopter, but sends them away, because God will save him. When he dies, of course, he asks God why He didn't save him and God's puzzled response of - "I sent you two boats and a helicopter - what did you expect?" is priceless. Or the other joke about the atheist college professor who says he'll wait 15 minutes for God to smite him in order to prove He exists - and the Marine that decks him because God's busy right now and sent him.

In the midst of our daily lives, how much do we focus on the coincidences - the opportunities that we allow to pass us by because we don't trust that God might be acting through someone who can provide what we need? And how often do we pay attention to the fact that we, ourselves, may be the instrument through which God is acting?

Even in the face of the evils done to Joseph, is it not possible that God, in His infinite wisdom, wanted Joseph in another place, where he might act as His hand, extended in grace at a time of His choosing? Looking at the rather volatile history of the Christian Church, is it not possible that some of these things that occurred were to aid in spreading the news of the Christian Faith - in a way that could be accepted at the time? Would the Church have grown without the choices made, at the Council of Nicaea, for instance? While men have free will in the choices they make, can God not turn acts of ignorance or evil, into acts that will benefit His faith?

Like Peter, do we trust that God will guide us right? Or, like Peter, do we flounder in the face of our own fear of trusting in God? Are we ready to take the hand God sends us? And are we ready to be the hand God sends us to?

Happenings in Lincoln County Episcopal Churches

2011-07-31T10:00:00.003-06:00

Oddly enough, I think we're getting to the point where we might be entering the 21st Century as far as technology goes. The cluster of Lincoln County Episcopal Churches now has its own website at Northwest Montana Episcopal Community.

This will be the website where you can find out what's going on with Holy Trinity here in Troy, St. Michael's/All Angels in Eureka, and St. Luke's in Libby. This will also be where Rev. Pattiann Bennett will be posting her sermons, so from this point, I'll just be linking to them and commenting as needed to keep our blog updated.

As you can see also, we've made quite a few changes to our site, adding pages and organizing things a bit differently.

So, what we'd ask of our readers is to give us some feedback, either through commenting here, or emailing us privately (you can use the Contacts page). Let us know if you'd like to see something extra, if you don't like something, if you think something should be changed, or if you have suggestions that we haven't yet thought of. We would really appreciate it!

The Parables of the Little Things

2011-07-29T22:19:00.000-06:00

As you know, on weeks when our interim priest is not here, the lay leaders organize the Morning Prayer service, finding sermons that have been made available for that purpose. Rev Pattiann Bennett, our interim priest, wrote the majority of the text below - but as it was my turn to organize the service last week, I had a sermon by Rev. Charles Hoffacker that was also quite good. I noticed that a couple of paragraphs from Rev. Hoffacker's sermon would fit perfectly into Rev. Bennett's sermon, so with their permission, I repost it below. Rev. Hoffacker's portion is in italics.

In the gospel today, Jesus’ genius of parables brings his message of God’s presence, activity and love for the whole world and our living in it right down to here and now, to earth in the very near and real element’s of our most basic and daily of days.

The kingdom is like a mustard seed. The kingdom is like yeast. The kingdom is like treasure hidden in a field. The kingdom is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. It is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind.

When we think of the kingdom of heaven, we might think of a place “up and out there”. A place we will arrive at someday, a place that is tomorrow instead of today. A place that is far away and one we can’t really get our hands on. But doesn’t Jesus teach that the kingdom of heaven is right here after all, within us and in the objects and happenings and people in our lives. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes like a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.

When I was confirmed, I received a necklace which had a mustard seed embedded in a tiny glass magnifying globe hanging from the chain. It was given as a symbol of faith and reminded me that God works in mysterious ways and that the smallest seemingly inconsequential things in life can have great God possibility and promise and value. On my birthday 2 years ago, a dear friend gave to me a whole container of mustard seeds, reminding me again that God works in mysterious ways and that the smallest seemingly inconsequential things in life can have great God possibility and promise and value.

The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.

Three measures of flour. Do you know how much that is? About eighty pounds! This woman is not Martha Stewart whipping up a couple delicate, exquisite little biscuits that together weigh less than a canary. No, no. This woman is a baker!

She’s emptying sixteen five-pound bags of flour into the biggest mixing bowl you’ve ever seen. She’s pouring in forty-two cups of water. She’s got a mass of dough on her hands that weighs over a hundred pounds. Kneading this lump of dough, shaping it, pounding it. It looks like some scene at the end of a professional wrestling match. Here we have a no-nonsense operation. Sports fans, this is baking at its best. A woman, with her apron dusted with flour, her ten fingers deep into the dough – she’s a combination of Julia Child and Hulk Hogan.

Whenever I bake bread, I do it the way my mother taught me. I use a heavy blue pottery bowl. I pour in warm water, add sugar and stir til it’s dissolved, then add a spoonful of yeast. Sometimes I stir it in. When my grandchildren are there, we patiently wait together and expectantly watch for the mystery to unfold. In a little while the water begins to bubble as the yeast which has been laying in the bottom of the bowl begins to work; to bubble, expand and begin, it is very exciting to watch this amazing silent explosion of power occur where a moment before there was simply still water and sugar. Then we add oil and flour and more flour and more flour and mix and knead and knead and knead until we have a mass of dough ready to rest abit on the counter as it begins its transformation into something very different from what it began as.

Without yeast, dough just sits there, not growing or changing, only fit to fry flat. Flat bread is what it will be, which is not a bad thing. But yeast changes the character of the whole thing. Yeast brings transformation. ‘Unleavened bread is like a water biscuit, hard, dry, unappetizing and uninteresting; bread baked with leaven is soft and porous and spongy, tasty and good to eat. The introduction of the leaven causes a transformation in the dough; just like the coming of the kingdom causes a transformation in life.’ (William Barclay The Gospel of Matthew [The Westminster Press, 1975] 79)

Jesus uses the stuff of every day living to help us understand how God works in the world. How God in the dough of us changes everything. Instead of thinking of the kingdom of heaven as up up and far away, out of reach, Jesus brings it right here to our hands and heart’s reach. He shows us that if we look we can see the kingdom all round us in the little, the hidden and the unexpected events in our lives, because we can be blind to the presence of the kingdom in our life even when it is obvious.

Three weeks ago I met a woman who is a nurse and has specialized in caring for children with cancer for 32 years. In the midst of our conversation, she mentioned how little she had done in her life, and how sorry she was about it. She’s only been a nurse she said. Hasn’t done anything special. I almost choked when I heard her say it. I thought, what? Here is someone who has devoted her life to taking care of children and after 32 years of it feels she hasn’t made a difference or done much with her life.

She had no idea how the mustard seed of her life had grown into the greatest of shrubs and become like a tree where birds could make their nests. She had no idea that the yeast of herself had leavened the whole batch and the leavened bread which became her life wouldn’t have been possible without what she and God brought to it. She didn’t notice the kingdom of heaven.

Sometimes we think that the only way to make a difference in the world is to do something extraordinary and big. And some people do do extraordinary big things that have made differences in the world. Look at any number of scientists or engineers or technology experts for example. Look at any number of recognized writers, inventors, activists, musicians and artists. Some of us are not ever going to do those kinds of big things in the world. And we don’t need to. We need to bloom where we’re planted, step in faith, trusting that God is taking the seeds that we are and the yeasts that we are and growing us for the kingdom of heaven. We need to notice. We need eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart open to find God in our midst and at work in the world.

The kingdom of heaven is like many things we already know, like someone quietly doing her work for 32 years and not noticing the effect her compassion and love for children has had on the world. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Closer than we know. Under our nose. As we go into the world today may we notice where the kingdom is.

Not up and out there, but close at hand. May we notice. Amen.

Enough

2011-07-27T11:03:00.000-06:00

There's an interesting story by a man named Bob Perks, about a father and daughter saying their "final" goodbyes at an airport. Each of them said, "I love you, and I wish you enough." The conclusion of the story provides what had been a tradition in their family:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye.

I thought this was a nice tradition to start in my own family, and figured I'd share it with anyone else who might like it.

I wish you enough. :)

Social Media and the Episcopal Church

2011-07-23T14:07:00.001-06:00

With all of the social media out there (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the new Google+), the Church is advised to get out there to reach the 70 to 80% of the online church-going public. A white paper just published by the Office of Communication (copy available here) provides a guideline for churches to follow. In brief, they advise:

1. Know thyself - Make a list of the top five programs that make your congregation unique (e.g., your church’s MOPs group, pre-school, or mission trip team). Create Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for each program, and delegate responsibility for each account to a member of your community who is active in that particular area.

2. Make your website the crown jewel of your communications strategy — and keep it fresh with constant updates: Your website should definitely include such things as service schedules, directions to the church, bios of church leaders, and other basic “about us” information. But you should also include transcripts of sermons, articles written by staffers as well as members of the congregation, blogs, news feeds, videos of events, status updates of church fundraising projects, and any other information that might be of interest to future or current parishioners.

3. Make it a two-way conversation - Provide e-mail addresses of church administrators, leaders, and authors of articles posted on the church website or Facebook page. Enable feedback forms so people can type in their reactions to what they’ve just seen or read.

4. Put someone in charge of your online strategy - Treat your online
communications as an essential part of your church’s operations. Write a job description—even if the “job” is a volunteer position—that specifies precisely how often the website will be updated, how many Facebook updates will be posted every week and how many Tweets will be sent out a day.

5. Don't be too controlling - Establish guidelines, but don’t be overly strict. Provide people with the opportunity to express their opinions. Insist on good manners and polite discourse by all means, but don’t censor messages that simply express disagreement with prevailing congregational attitudes.

6. Don't reinvent the wheel - Always research what products and services already exist in the market before attempting to build anything yourself. It is very likely that someone has already created what you need.

As you can see from the above, we've done part of what's recommended. I definitely don't update often enough, but I'm working on changing that. People who know me from social media sites have requested a link to this page at times, but they don't tend to be here in town. In a little tiny town where our average attendance is under ten, in ages that range from 46 to 105, there's not a lot of online chat going on between church members. But for a tiny little church, we've got a huge heart, great community spirit and volunteer our hearts out to try to send love to everyone who comes in contact with us.

But in the meantime, we'll try their suggestions. :) And if *you* have any suggestions, please feel free to share them with us. We would like the opportunity to make you feel welcome.

Daily Office

2011-07-18T08:25:00.000-06:00

As a small church with a priest who visits twice a month to provide a Eucharist Service, Holy Trinity relies on portions of the Daily Office (generally morning prayer, but sometimes the noontime) for the rest of our spiritual life. A friend from the East Coast has shared St. Bede's Breviary which allows you to choose the office, the book, the depth/time you want to spend, etc. It's really quite an interesting site and I highly recommend it to anyone who celebrates the Daily Office.

Quote of the Day

2011-01-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C. S. Lewis

The feeling one gets from a baby's laugh, the intricacy of the human body, the expanse of the universe - I think all of these things fall into the same category C. S. Lewis talks about. It is all the evidence people of faith need to know without doubt that the Creator exists.

World Candle Lighting sponsored by Compassionate Friends

2010-12-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

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Holy Trinity will be participating in the Worldwide Candle Lighting sponsored by Compassionate Friends, On December 12, 2010 beginning at 6:30 p.m. and culminating in lighting candles for children of all ages who have died. Please join us in supporting the loved ones left behind.

Starting Over

2010-09-06T09:47:00.001-06:00

I've fallen behind on blogging on this site, and will be attempting a weekly blog once again. Today will just be to update you on activities at the church.

We have an interim priest - Pattiann Bennett - who provides a eucharist service on the first and third Sundays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Her regular church is Saint Michael's All Angels Episcopal in Eureka, where she provides weekly services, as well as a first Wednesday of the month evening prayer service which is sung. She provides services in Libby at our sister church - St. Luke's, on the first and third Sundays at 5:00 p.m., and is available for extra services (weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc.) if we just let her know. We have been very blessed with her service.

Morning prayer is provided at Holy Trinity at 9:00 a.m. on all other Sundays of the month. We take turns with leading, providing reflections (in place of sermons), and trade off with who does what (music, hospitality, readings).

Holy Trinity also sponsors the local Prayer Shawl Ministry, providing prayer shawls, lap blankets, baby blankets, scarves, hats and mittens where needed in the communities of Troy, Libby and Eureka. All religions (or any who just love to knit or crochet) are welcome to contribute as the National Prayer Shawl Ministry is non-denominational. This group meets at 2:00 p.m. every Sunday for two hours. We are also *always* looking for donations of yarn, so if you've got extra yarn that's not being used, if you were left yarn by the passing of a loved one and don't know what to do with it, please consider donating it to the cause. There's a link to the National Prayer Shawl Ministry on the side, if you'd like more information.

While Holy Trinity may be relatively small, we have been sponsoring a monthly Alternative Healing Seminar group - its members believe that we all have knowledge to share that shouldn't cost an arm and a leg, so the seminars can be in the form of lectures, videos, discussion groups, etc. The next one coming up is actually this Saturday, September 11 at 1:00, with a guest lecturer who will be giving an Introduction to Pranic Healing, so we offer our thanks to Lisa Mountain for her time and energy.

From this group came the concept of a Reiki (or other laying on hands techniques) Share - where practitioners from various forms of energy healing provide a 15 minute session to those who would appreciate the energy, prayers and relief that this work can provide. Each Tuesday evening at 6:10, the energy group is at the church, and any member of the community is more than welcome. Because we don't charge anything for this service, we do welcome donations to the church to help out with replacing the electricity, paper products, etc. that we use while we're there.

That's where we are right now. We're planning some renovations (painting and some repairs) soon, so any able bodies are of course, quite welcome. :)

Have a great week!

Trinity Concepts

2009-06-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

Today being Trinity Sunday, we, of course, focus on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Rev. James Liggett gave an some interesting concepts in a sermon from June 11, 2006.

He talks about God existing before anything was created, and in speaking His name, the Son was created as an expression of the Father through the Father's Word. The action of speaking is descriptive of the Holy Spirit. Later, he describes it as the Lover (or person who loves), creating the Beloved (the object of affection) through the Love He is expressing.

Extrapolating that, Rev. Liggett goes on to explain that we are created in God's image, and our duty as Christians is to express the Love of God through the Holy Spirit, continuing the cycle begun before time began.

I feel a bit like I'm studying the Tao when it comes to the Trinity, because just as I start to get a grip on the concept, it becomes bigger than I've contemplated, and contemplation continues. :) The interconnectedness, however, described in this sermon is truly fascinating for some future meditation work. :)

The Wearing of the Red

2009-05-31T12:02:00.000-06:00

I've found it rather interesting that after Easter, all of our readings are coming from the New Testament, rather than having an Old Testament reading along with a New Testament reading. And today, celebrating Pentacost, we are very strongly reminded of how God comes among us - as fire and wind.

We saw this in the burning bush with Moses, with the pillar of flame that guided the Jews through the desert, and once again we see what Christ refers to as "The Spirit of Truth" which will always be with those who follow Christ's word: "John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

That last verse could be considered a reflection of the very creation of Mankind when God breathed the Spirit of Life into man, making it a part of our very nature, as natural to us as taking a breath. All we must do is be willing to listen - and at Pentacost, that breath may become the very fire of creativity that we see occurring throughout history.

So perhaps wearing red is a good reminder to us to allow the Spirit of Truth to fire us up, remind us of the creative breath of life we each have, that we may better serve God.

Substitute for Judas Iscariot

2009-05-31T11:22:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit behind, so this is about last week's lesson - the replacement for Judas. The disciples got together and decided that 12 were needed to fulfill all of the ministry the Christ had left for them, and two names were put forward to replace Judas: Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. We know from the accounts that after drawing lots, Matthias was selected and became the 12 apostle.

Now, from here, we learn: "bar-sab-'as (Ioudas Barsabbas): Judas was, with Silas, a delegate from the church in Jerusalem to the GentileChristians of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. They were appointed to convey the letter containing the decision of "the apostles and the elders, with the whole church" regarding the attitude to be taken by GentileChristians toward the Mosaic law, and also to explain "the same things by word of mouth." They accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, and, "being themselves also prophets," i.e. preachers, they not only handed over the epistle but stayed some time in the city preaching and teaching. They seem to have gone no farther than Antioch, for "they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth," and it was Paul and Silas who some time afterward strengthened the churches in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:40,41).
According to Acts 15:34 the King James Version, Judas returned to Jerusalem without Silas, who remained at Antioch and afterward became Paul's companion (Acts 15:40). The oldest manuscripts, however, omit Acts 15:34, and it is therefore omitted from the Revised Version (British and American). It was probably a marginal note to explain Acts 15:40, and in time it crept into the text. Judas and Silas are called "chief men among the brethren" (15:22), probably elders, and "prophets" (15:32).
Barsabbas being a patronymic, Judas was probably the brother of Joseph Barsabbas. He cannot be identified with any other Judas, e.g. "Judas not Iscariot" (Jn 14:22). We hear no more of Judas after his return to Jerusalem (Acts 15:22 ff).
S. F. Hunter"

So, even while not chosen to be among the 12 apostles, Judas continued on to serve the church, assisting Paul. We can look on this as an example for ourselves, in that, while we may not be chosen to lead, we are still followers of Christ, able to contribute, each in our own way, to spread the word. I thought Barsabbas to be the most interesting person of the lesson.

The answer is The Cross

2009-05-04T17:14:00.000-06:00

The Bishop came to visit our little church for his annual visit, and to talk with us about our search for a new parish priest. He gave us a bit of direction and we'll work on finding some answers.

In the meantime, he gave a very interesting sermon, starting with the time of the Second Great Awakening in the 1830s, and how that had a very significant impact on how religion in the United States in particular was shaped. It was at that time that the experiential, emotional aspects of connecting to God were espoused and lauded, without so much emphasis being put on the actions that make us Christians. Rather than love being a feeling you can wrap around yourself, as a Christian, it should also be an action that assists people to improve themselves and go on to express their love in actions as well.

Today, we experience the rise and fall in church attendance -- not just as Episcopalians, but most all Christian churches are experiencing -- as people "shop" around for the best "show." How's the choir? Is the priest any good? Is the music modern or classical? How does the congregation dress? What, pray tell, does any of that have to do with being a good Christian?

So, the Bishop pointed out some of the questions that many non-Christians, or seeking Christians have:

How much does God care about our day to day lives?
Does He care about our deeds, that we sin or do good, that we fear hell and strive for heaven?
Is God truly a loving God?
Does He understand the sacrifices we make in our efforts to be good Christians?

The answer is the Cross.

In this time of focusing on the resurrection and rebirth of Christ, we also need to know, without doubt that God is there, caring for us, daily, because He truly understands what we're striving for. He's there to help, to listen, to inspire, and to hold us accountable for the choices we make. So let one of your questions, as you shop around for a good "show", be something along the lines of, what can *I* do to show God I understand all this?

Happenings at the Little Church in Troy

2009-04-26T21:35:00.001-06:00

This week, we thought we'd simply update everyone on the various programs that our little church is participating in, planning or in the process of. :)

First, one of our most successful outreach programs is the prayer shawl ministry, affectionately known as The Knit Wits. :) We typically have anywhere from 5 to 7 people knitting and crocheting for prayer shawls, and the other program we've already begun, now named Caring Covers, which provides blankets for kids in foster care (giving them something of their own to have, cuddle into and take care of). When we were initially approached about the Linus Program, we loved the concept, but truly don't have the money required to participate in a program that we feel, shouldn't cost money. :) So, the blankets will still get used, but everybody's work is volunteer and there's no overhead. Additionally, there's a program with the military for donating hats and scarves for military members serving in rather colder places - we're checking into that program. :)

Another of our members is very active and aware in the senior community, and is arranging for someone who volunteers to provide foot care on a monthly basis for the seniors. Troy's senior center didn't have an interest in the program, so we figure that our meeting hall will provide enough room to operate the program out of Holy Trinity. The foot care is done on a donation only basis, and the local transportation can be arranged ahead of time. We think this will be a wonderful addition to our community.

In the works are two seminars or workshops - one on financial planning most likely using Dave Ramsey's program, and one on alternative healing. Once we have more information on them, we'll post it here.

That's it for now, but I think great things come from our church. Come check it out. :)

The Message of Thomas

2009-04-19T22:10:00.000-06:00

Today's blog is inspired from the sermon of Rev. Dr. Susanna Metz (whole sermon can be found here). What struck me was this section: "In the final verses of today's gospel passage, Jesus tells the disciples that many would come after them who would not have the same experience of him that they did. No one would again walk and talk with him as the disciples had; and yet, these others would also come to believe."

We are those others. And like the apostles and disciples who followed, we meet each week to continue learning about Christ, support one another and are (hopefully) effective witnesses to the life of faith Jesus offers to us. We are today's disciples. And also like the apostles, there are probably many of us who still get a catch in our voice as we realize each year at Easter, the true miracle of Christ's life and resurrection. There is a lightness in our hearts when we are once again able to say, Alleluia! And those things help to lay to rest some of the fears and doubts that we sometimes bring with us, like Thomas, like most people. We know at this time of celebration that when Christ said, "For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20) - He meant it. So, if Christ were to appear in our midst, would we need to touch his hands and his side? Or would we, like Thomas, be able to simply offer our own profession of faith, in the simple acknowledgment of Christ as our Lord and God?

Easter

2009-04-14T14:40:00.000-06:00

This week's sermon focused on a soldier, far from home, in a land where he wasn't wanted nor liked, writing a letter home. Complaints of food, too much sand and the heat began the letter. Sound familiar? Despite the rather anachronistic telling, the letter was from Romulus, a guard sent by Pilate to watch over the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth so that none of the zealots could come and take his body away. This was his account of watching Jesus die, and seeing the same man on the morning of the third day merely walk out of the tomb. Needless to say, he became a believer, and had to let his folks know that he was going to follow where Christ led.

The other part of this week that was truly wonderful for me, personally, was that I got to meet Hazel, one of the older members of our congregation. She brought brownies with M&Ms for the feast we seemed to have after the service. She's in a wheelchair, but from what I can see, seems to wheel herself about - which gives her a very firm-gripped handshake! We offered our condolences as Hazel lost the last of her 12 brothers and sisters last week. She's the only one left at 102. I'm hoping we get to see more of her in the future!

Framing Christ's Life

2009-04-07T20:19:00.000-06:00

The Man leaned down to whisper encouragement in my ear. The crowds around us were loud, everyone cheering and waving palm branches. The roads were lined with the palms, the way all returning heroes and conquerors were honored. I may have been a little skittish, but I was proud to be carrying the Man on my back. His voice, though, reminded me of where His journey had begun, and when we had first met. Don't ever let anyone tell you that a donkey doesn't remember - my job in this story is one that no one will ever forget.

It was quieter when I carried His mother. His father walked in front, leading the way, and we traveled a very long way, many, many days' journey. The woman was large with child, but at that point, I was only a few years old, and being young and strong, felt I could go on forever. What I didn't realize was that it truly felt that we were going on forever. Sometimes, we'd travel with groups for a way. I'd talk with the other donkeys to see where they'd traveled, but mostly, knowing the precious cargo I'd been given to transport, I stayed with the man and the woman. They truly cared for one another, watching out in little ways as the endless journey continued. When it came time for her to deliver the baby, we stopped at house after house for a place for her, only to hear each time, there's no room. The man, Joseph, was finally told he could use the stable. I started walking toward it before Joseph got back to me. The woman, Mary, was in pain, and kept squeezing on me. I do wish your mama could have been there - she would at least have known what to do. We got to the stable and I knelt down so she could get off my back easier, and soon, the Baby was born.

Lights shone down from the sky, and it seemed that everyone heard about it, because they didn't get a moment alone after that. Shepherds, animals, Angels - even Kings came to visit - they brought camels! I guess when God has a Child, it is rather something to brag about. He sure did let everyone know. That was an exciting time, and by the time we went home, I was carrying more than the Baby's mother!

And now, look at Him. Hailed as the King He is, greeted with joy and laughter. I walked as tall as I could, so everyone could see Him. And even still, He takes the time to make sure I'm okay, whispering encouragement to me that it'll soon be over. He sounds sad, and I wonder about that. It has been my blessing to watch over Him throughout his life. I'm getting to the end of mine now. Perhaps you'll be able to carry Him where he goes next?

The above was inspired by Karen G. King, our wonderful seminary student who knows that as we are presently without a priest, we greatly appreciate the sermons she sends to us to share in our congregation!

Two Sets of Brothers

2009-01-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

This week's gospel focused on Jesus gathering his followers and He began by telling two sets of brothers to leave off their fishing, leave their families, friends, business, and follow Him. Again, the words of last week, "Follow me" are focusing Christians on what that means, exactly.

There's a great sermon called Strength to Love that talks about what that means, and how we, as Christians, follow Christ. In reading that, and thinking about the concept -- how much are you willing to give up, in order to follow the path of Christ -- got me thinking about how Christians, or people of any religion must ask the same question of themselves.

With the background I had, the first story that came to mind was one of a young girl named Mona, whose story of her faith is told here. There is a play based on her life which asks the question, "When the Moment Comes" -- what will you do. If everything is laid on the line, do you deny your faith for a moment in order to live for whatever your reasons are, or do you remain steadfast in your beliefs, knowing that it may ultimately lead to your death?

And then a friend of mine recommended looking at the website Who Will Save Iraq's Christians which tells stories of Iraqi Christians fighting for their lives, livelihoods, homes and children, and often simply fleeing before the persecution they experience there.

And from there my thoughts ran to what Christians have done in the past when persecuted and forced underground, and how they recognized one another -- the symbol of the fish in the first centuries of the common era, the forget-me-not flowers used by some Christians (Masons) during WWII because of their aid for Jews, and of course, the symbol of the Cross today.

So in that chaos of thoughts, it still comes down to the questions: How will you follow Christ? How will your life change because of your beliefs? How will your actions change because you are a Christian? How do you follow him?

Follow Me

2009-01-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

This week, our blog is the sermon provided by a sometimes parishioner of ours, Karen G. King, seminarian, who has graciously consented for us to publish it here. It was lovely to meet this lady I've heard so much about, and we'll miss her as she continues her schooling.

"Follow me."

Two words. For children they are easy words. Follow the Leader, for instance, is a game in which a child leads and others follow, aping the leaders' movement. Simon Says is another game that children play, and in this game if someone says, "Simon says, 'Follow me,'" all the children do exactly that -- they follow whoever is the leader at that moment.

Adults have a hard time with "Follow me." They have to think and weigh the consequences of the action of following someone else. Questions like "Do I like this person?" "Do I believe what this person believes?" "Will this person want my money?" "Will I have to sacrifice my job?" And so it goes. We adults no longer have the innocent faith of children, who hear the words follow me and accept blindly that it is okay to do so. (As an aside as I wrote this about children, I suddenly realized that children of the late 20th century and the early 21st century have had to be taught that blind faith in strangers is dangerous. What a terrible comment about our world!)

The innocent faith of children prior to the mid-20th century is a metaphor for how the apostles accepted Jesus' call. When Jesus said, "Follow me," that is what they did. It was a little different when an apostle said to a potential disciple, "Follow Jesus." That person -- Nathaniel, for instance -- had to ask, "Why would I want to do that?" Phillip simply says, "Check him out and see what you think." And, we know the rest of the story, or do we?

You and I are parts of the rest of the story, aren't we? A story that has not yet ended. As such, many of us are Nathaniels. We have to check it out first. If we like what we hear and see and if we have faith in what we hear but cannot see, we follow. Then, and only then, do we become people who have made ourselves apprentices to Jesus Christ so that we can become capable of doing what he did.

I can only tell you what this apprenticeship looks like for me. I said, "Yes, I will follow you" only after many years of thinking and reasoning and searching. As a result, I am in New York City, studying to be a priest. I am a long way from home, from friends, from people I love. It was my choice -- God does not coerce people into following Jesus, which, as far as I am concerned, is one of the great things about God. I have a choice! You have a choice! Martin Luther King, Jr., had a choice, as did a man that he admired -- Mahatma Gandhi.

Each of us as Christians decided at some point in our lives that we wanted to be apprentices of Jesus. This does not mean that we are able to be Jesus. This means that what Jesus taught becomes the pattern of our lives. Within the Gospels, we find the teachings of Jesus that show us how to live our lives in relationship to time, place, family, neighbors, talents, and opportunities.

For instance, as a hospital chaplain, I had a real opportunity to serve God and that opportunity caused a real problem. I would walk into a room of a seriously or critically ill person as a representative of Jesus Christ so I was supposed to talk about God. Wrong! I was there to be present to their suffering as Jesus was present to the suffering of his times, friends, family, neighbors. This call to hospital chaplaincy was not about religion or Christian service. It was very secular -- I was there to listen to the suffering around me; and if I could actively help, I was to do so by bringing them myself as an active listener with whom they could share their joy and sorrow and suffering. My opportunity for discipleship led me to a whole new place and gave to me as much as I gave to it. I learned that while discipleship can be a religious affair, it also belongs to the world.

Jesus' mission, doing the will of God by bringing a new view of God and a new way to reach God, was religious, but it was so much more. It changed the way mankind not only views God, but also how people view each other. It brought a new secular pattern of living to the world.

So it was with King and Gandhi. They were called to ministry in the religious sense, but that ministry led to a much greater role than just leading prayers, teaching others about God and living a good life. They both became the hope of their friends, neighbors, families for a new world order that would free them from the oppression of others. Their roles were secularized: Gandhi brought about the independence of his country from Great Britain, and King brought about the end of segregation in the United States.

Martin Luther King, Jr., said:

Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop ... Like anybody, I would like to live a long life -- longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know ... that we, as a people will get to the promised land.

Gandhi said:

You have to stand against the whole world although you may have to stand alone. You have to stare the world in the face, although the world may look at you with blood-shot eyes. Do not fear. Trust that little thing in you which resides in the heart and says: 'Forsake friend, wife, all; but testify to that for which you have lived and for which you have to do' ....

Jesus could see God and brought a vision of a new way of living to the world, and he was killed as were the apostles and many of the disciples that came after them. Martin Luther King, as an apprentice of Jesus, was assassinated on the balcony of his motel room for wanting a new way of life for Blacks. Gandhi brought down an empire and brought a new way of life to his people. While all of these men were not Christians, they had tremendous faith in God and as such followed Him wherever it took them. They followed God's call.

How are we to live into our individual calls and follow Christ? It is as simple as it is difficult. As apprentices of Jesus, we are to act as he did -- help the poor, the sick, widows, orphans, and the oppressed. We are to treat each person as we would wish to be treated by them, and we are to love and to serve God. How we go about doing this is as individual as we are. We have to ask God and listen to God's response. By doing so, our individual roles will be revealed to us. Even if they are not earth shattering as were the roles of Gandhi and King, they are equally important to achieving God's kingdom on earth.

Gandhi made a statement about himself and his relationship to God that I think applies or should apply to all of us. He said, "I am a man of faith. My reliance is solely on God. One step is enough for me. The next step He will make clear to me when the time for it comes." As I see it, we are to trust God and follow Jesus, knowing that God will make clear to us exactly what form each of our discipleships is to take, how it is to take place, and when it is to take place.

Epiphanies

2009-01-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

As with most people, I generally look at the concept of an "epiphany" as those moments of life-altering change, where something has occurred that literally challenges and changes the way I think or feel about something. It is that sort of epiphany that makes up many of the stories of the Bible, whenever Christ performed a miracle -- it made the news! I'm fairly certain that John's epiphany of who Christ was when God's light and voice appeared at the time of His baptism changed him in ways that he never even considered before. John knew that he was the forerunner, that his job was to tell people that Christ was coming, and to prepare, and yet, having absolute, physical confirmation of Christ's existence and seeing Him before him in the flesh, had to have given him a renewed sense of purpose, a certainty that before was merely belief.

And yet it is belief that we all, as every day Christians, must rely on in our day to day functioning. And it is my belief that it is the other type of "epiphany" that provides us with the certainty we seek. Imagine, if you will, the sound of a baby's laugh... the stillness and beauty of a snow covered landscape before being broken by any footprint ... the shaft of sunlight that breaks through the dark clouds of rain ... the look on a pregnant mother's face the first time she feels her child move ... the perfection of the human body. And think about the sense of peace that flows through your entire body when confronted by the *epiphany* that we are blessed, constantly, by the God who loves us enough to provide evidence of our belief, to provide us with the certainty we desire in order to continue on our path.

I grew up in a house where those epiphanies were pointed out, until I was old enough to recognize them for myself, and help in pointing them out to others. I'm one of those fortunate few who learned that certainty is acquired merely by being aware, and knowing the perfection in God's plan is much greater than I can see around me, but taking comfort in the knowledge that it is there, and appreciating the signs provided.

May this season of Epiphany allow you to be aware and turn your own belief to certainty.

The Travels of the Magi

2009-01-04T11:21:00.001-07:00

Today, not yet being Epiphany, we celebrated the second Sunday after Christmas with the story of the wise men. And one of the questions asked in a story borrowed from an Episcopal minister in Michigan was, who are today's wise men, traveling to meet Christ? What gifts do they bring, and what do those gifts say about Christ today?

We know that the wise men in Christ's time brought gold -- a symbol of Christ's kingship, frankincense -- an incense used in worship, and myrrh -- both a substance used in embalming royalty, and a powerful method of fighting infection. These were gifts of the wise men in acknowledgment of who they were visiting, as well as statements about the baby Jesus and His life as it would be, both on Earth and in Heaven.

Fortunately, God blessed us with a traveler today, after the service was done. A man named Teddy is traveling from Wyoming to Washington, by bicycle, to return home after quite some time. Now while bicycles aren't camels, it appeared that Teddy's gifts in his travels included providing us an opportunity to give him a bit of hot chocolate, fellowship, a left-handed glove turned wrong-side out to make a right-handed glove to replace one he lost, a scarf to help cover his face in his travels, and a lift up the hill out of town. He gifted us also with his knowledge of the Bible, current affairs and stories, along with the absolute faith that no matter what happens, we win in the end, because we get to meet God.

Gifts of this nature say a whole lot about the gifts and the giver. May God grant you the gift of meeting a magi this week.

Getting Started on the Web

2008-12-28T12:03:00.003-07:00

Holy Trinity, the Episcopal Church in Troy, Montana, has decided to attempt a web presence that is active, hopefully able to be found by people looking for us, and grows as our congregation needs.

Being fairly new to both Troy and Holy Trinity, please forgive any mistakes, and blame them entirely on me. :) I'm a firm believer in blogs and the power of people to find pretty much anything they're looking for on the web.

Holy Trinity is open, welcoming and absolutely wonderful to anyone looking for a spiritual home, a home away from home or simply a place to worship as you pass through town.

At the moment, Holy Trinity is in search of a priest, as our previous priest needed to move. :) We miss him and his wife terribly, but wish him the very best in his new parishes. In the meantime, we hold weekly prayer services, and have supply priests come visit about once a month so that we can receive Holy Eucharist. You can check the calendar for updates on when everything is. The link is to the left.

I'll work on updating this blog weekly, sometimes posting what the sermon or story is, sometimes giving information about upcoming Bible studies, and perhaps borrowing stories from the Diocese of Montana, just to keep all of us up to date.

If there's anything you'd like to see or know, feel free to e-mail me at the link on the left.