Category: St. John’s Episcopal Church

Don’t forget to remember!

During Morning Prayer, we often pray A Collect for Guidance:

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Some days, I wonder if the reason it is so difficult for the Church to attract the attention and devotion of her people is because our busyness causes forgetfulness. Has our generation forgotten God? Or, is it that, given all the other things we have to remember, we just don't think of God that often. Maybe we are "practical atheists." By that I mean, we believe in God but don't allow God to have that much to do with our lives.

What does it teach our children when we never forget an athletic event but don't remember to be present for worship and Sunday school? What does it say about our values when we leave a 20% tip on the table at the restaurant but balk at the idea of 10% for God? What does it say about our integrity when we have time for the news, weather, and sports but not for daily prayers?

Do we just forget to remember God?

If so, we're not the first generation to do so. People forgot to remember God after the death of Joshua and his generation. "Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).

This is not a rant about making America a "Christian nation" or about how bad people are. It's a reminder to myself to rearrange my life so that the Lover of my soul is not left out and life can be what it is meant to be. I'm missing so much when I'm not trying to see the world and the people around me as God sees. I want to please those I love. I want to please God. But without God, I cannot please God.

So, today, I invite you to pray with me to God, "…that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but remember that we are ever walking in your sight."

I’ll see you in Church!

October 22, 2015
Put Together With Light

The leaves on the Aspen trees outside my window are turning yellow. This is not a rare or disturbing phenomenon. The tree is not dying. What is happening is the predictable effect of photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar. The word means “put together with light.” Chlorophyll gives plants their green color and helps make photosynthesis happen. As summer ends and autumn arrives, days become shorter and there is not enough light for photosynthesis. So, during autumn and winter, the trees stop producing food. They rest and live off the food they stored during the summer. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves and other colors are visible.

Soon, the leaves will fall to the ground and add nutrients to the soil that will benefit the tree when spring and a new era of growth arrives. This annual process of change is necessary in order for the tree to thrive.

Human life also involves change. But we do not have to regard ourselves as “victims” of change. Unlike trees, which do not have the privilege of deciding how to manage change, humans have choices. We have options! The greatest options involve intangibles such as attitude, inspiration, perspective, and spirit. After all, the inner life of a child of God is different from that of a tree. The kind of light we “put together” with the elements of our lives is a different kind of light, one we can seek in any season. Enlightenment is the human equivalent of photosynthesis.

We regard our Creator as changeless. Creation, on the other hand, is made alive by change. Of all God’s creatures, humans have the most options for managing change in purposeful ways that impact the unfolding story of creation. When we are able to work with changes that impact our lives, they are more likely to become springboards that propel us into the next stage of growth. Learning to live creatively with change allows us not just to survive but to thrive.

So, in the light God gives, let us relish opportunities to explore changes that are thrust upon us and to purposefully initiate changes that will promote life and growth. In learning from change we expand our lives and become more fully human. By exercising our faith in God to guide and protect us through transitions, “we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life” will find rest and refreshment in God’s eternal changelessness.

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. – BCP, page133

October 14, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ October 11, 2015

The Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for October 11, 2015

Read the Sermon for October 11, 2015

October 11, 2015
With Glad and Generous Hearts

I have compiled a series of meditations on stewardship for St. John's Episcopal Church, Jackson Hole, into an online booklet. You can make it full screen and turn the pages like a book or you can download it as a pdf. May it inspire you to a deeper appreciation for the spiritual discipline of stewardship.

October 8, 2015
God’s Abundant Protection

On a visit to England's Salisbury Cathedral, Gay and I were invited to join a tour of what I would have called "the attic," but the English refer to the entire structure as "the roof." Once we had climbed to the top of the interior of the Cathedral, we ascended stairs to the area above the nave that is normally invisible to worshipers beneath the magnificent 757-year-old vaulted Gothic ceiling.

The contrast was striking. Whereas the ceiling one sees below is beautifully formed and painted, the timbers above, which support tons of lead sheeting, are rustic. Our guide pointed out a place on one of the ancient timbers where the carpenter had placed his mark. It occurred to me that the memorial of this humble craftsman also stood in contrast to the gilded memorials of powerful and influential people down below in the statuary, the windows, the textiles, and all the other treasures that are a part of the day-to-day life of the Cathedral.

Salisbury Roof Timbers

And yet, this sturdy structure provides a cover of protection for everything and everyone below it. Without the roof, exposure to the elements would destroy everything else. The vaulted ceiling of the Cathedral is supposed to draw the minds of worshipers to heaven above, which, like the roof timbers, we cannot see but we trust as the realm of our ultimate protection.

Salisbury Cathedral has been a place of pilgrimage for countless pilgrims since the mid 13th Century. Like pilgrims going up to the Jerusalem Temple, latter day pilgrims recite prayers and psalms on their journey. When I was looking at the roof of Salisbury Cathedral that day, the words of Psalm 121 came to mind.

I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?

My help comes from the LORD,
the maker of heaven and earth.

Click the Pic for a Virtual Tour

He will not let your foot be moved
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep;

The LORD himself watches over you;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand,

So that the sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
it is he who shall keep you safe.

The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.

Is it any wonder that the roof-peak on a building became a symbol for protection? The roof-peak is the inspiration for the ancient symbol we call a “chevron.” The French word chevron means rafter, the sloping supporting beam that runs from the ridge beam of a roof to its edge. In feudal times during the Middle Ages (ca. 1066 to 1485) knights and men-at-arms received the “top of the house” chevron badge or shield as an emblem of their protective role.

We see this symbol almost every day but never give it a thought. The classic upside down V-shaped symbol, especially used as a symbol of rank on military or police uniforms, is also used as a car logo, a corporation name, a kind of car racing, and more.

The chevron appears in the new insignia of St. John’s Heritage Circle as an element in the graphic device. It reminds us of the roof of St. John’s and all the chapels of the parish, which are topped by a cross. Like Salisbury Cathedral and other houses of worship, the lines of the architecture are intended to lift our hearts and minds heavenward and point us to God, who is our protector.

This generation has been entrusted with the work that was begun here decades ago. It is now our privilege and duty to exercise our trust in God, who “is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). God's continuing purpose for St. John’s compels us to return week by week to be nourished in Word and Sacrament and sent back into the mission field at our doorstep to love God and our neighbor in our daily lives.

Sometimes, carrying out God's purpose is challenging and frightening. Some of the neighbors we are commanded to love are not that lovable. Some of the places we are sent are not that safe. Some of the issues we must tackle are not that popular. The price we pay will sometimes be costly. Jesus never promised following him would be risk-free. He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” He also promised to provide all the grace, all the resources, and all the protection we need to continue his redemptive work.

If we will train our eyes to look, we will recognize signs of God's protection wherever we may be.

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,

will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust." (Psalm 91:1, 2)

The Catechism of the Episcopal Church, found on pages 845-862 of The Book of Common Prayer, provides An Outline of the Faith we profess. In the Catechism, we are taught, “The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.” I am grateful to be among people who are called, commissioned, and committed to that way of life. I am grateful to know that the One who gives that life to me is watching over me. I am grateful that God trusts me to extend the good news of divine protection to others who need it. I am grateful. Because I have received so much, I want my gratitude to be reflected in the generosity of my life.

The next time you see the chevron in the insignia of St. John’s Heritage Circle and the next time you look up to our roof or our intricate ceiling structure, think of God our Protector, who is the Source of all our gifts. Know that you are carved into the palm of God's hand and God will never let you go. Trust that God will supply you with exactly enough so that you can give a little more generously every day. Then, with a glad and generous heart, take the steps God sets before you to fulfill your vocation as a follower of Jesus Christ.

I'll see you in Church!

October 6, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ October 4, 2015

The Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for October 4, 2015

Read the Sermon for October 4, 2015

October 5, 2015
The Heart of the Matter

In the last several reflections, I have explored various aspects of Christian stewardship. I would like to think that any one of them might inspire you to place more emphasis on the spiritual vocation and practice of Christian stewardship in your life. Now, in summary, here’s the heart of the matter.

We need to give.

God is frequently referred to as “the giver.” For example, we pray to God, the “giver of every perfect gift,” “giver of life,” and “giver of pardon.” The favorite of all Christian Bible verses is “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). God is the Supreme Giver and we, who are created in God’s likeness, are endowed with a godlike and uniquely human capacity to be givers. We need to give!

Our gift to God establishes a pattern that sanctifies what we do with the remainder. One of the offerings in ancient Judaism was the offering of First Fruits. The first portion of the harvest, “first fruits,” was offered to God. (Leviticus 23:10) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, the first fruits of all your increase” (Proverbs 3:9) And St. Paul wrote, “If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy” (Romans 11:16). So when we give God the first portion of what God has given to us, it has a way of establishing a holy perspective on all our treasure.

Stewardship is different from fund raising. Fund raising is giving to some cause that we approve of with the expectation that we will get something out of it. Stewardship, on the other hand, emphasizes giving to God because we’ve already received. Fund raising will always be necessary, but Christian communities are built upon the generous stewardship of their members.

We need to give and we give to God in response to God’s generosity toward us.

We are asked to make a pledge.

In this and thousands of churches, people are asked not only to practice tithing but also to make a written pledge of financial support. Why is a pledge necessary? Perhaps it should not be necessary. But the fellow parishioners you have entrusted with the governance of the parish do a better job of planning if they have a reliable estimate of the giving of all the members. So, after the pledges are in, they develop a mission plan that seeks to balance the spending with the projected contributions toward God’s ongoing mission.

After all, God has made countless pledges to us. Have you ever thought about the origin of the word “Sacrament?” It is derived from the Latin word sacramentum, which means a sacred pledge or oath. Christian Sacraments are God’s pledge to us. In Holy Baptism, God pledges to love us for ever. In the Holy Eucharist, God pledges ongoing provisions for the living of the Christian life. We pledge to God in response to God’s pledges to us.

We are a covenant community. A covenant consists of unbreakable pledges made between two or more parties. Christianity is meant to be lived in such a community. Theologian George Rupp once said, “There is no life without community and there is no community without commitment.” A written pledge to share one’s treasure is an expression of participation in and commitment to the covenant community.

We make a pledge to God and one another each year as a way of saying, “You can count on me.”

We are called to put our heart into it.

Jesus had much to say about the relationship between our treasure and our true priorities in life. For example, he said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Isn’t that the truth? Just look at how spend money on things we really love.

The spiritual discipline of Christian stewardship helps to prevent us from loving anything so much that God is squeezed out of our lives. Jesus spent so much time preaching and teaching about our relationship with possessions because he wanted to prevent us from a form of slavery in which we are possessed by our possessions. He wanted to help us avoid putting any idol in the place of our Creator. He wanted us to give God our heart and we just can’t do that if our treasure is in the way. When our giving to God is sacrificial enough, we know if our hearts are being drawn from the love of God.

Some say the heart in the St. John’s insignia symbolizes that St. John’s is the heart of Jackson Hole. That may be true, but other churches and institutions also believe they are the heart of this valley. Some say that the heart signifies St. John’s love for our neighbors. That also may be true. I invite you to consider that it represents the divine call to put our heart into St. John’s and, as the cross inside it suggests, to do it sacrificially. The offering of our treasure will be one of the signs that we mean it.

“For, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I’ll see you in Church!

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. - Acts 2:46,47

October 1, 2015
Sermon for Blessing of the Animals ~ September 27, 2015

Listen to the Sermon for Blessing of Animals Sept. 27, 2015

September 27, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ September 27, 2015

The Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for September 27, 2015

Read the Sermon for September 27, 2015

September 27, 2015
The Cross of St. George and Tithing

Now as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you-so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. – 2 Corinthians 8:7

As it was a challenge to the original recipients, this exhortation of St. Paul remains a challenge to the Church in any age, including St. John’s today. We are invited to excel in generosity toward God! What is the standard to guide us in such an undertaking? The Episcopal Church teaches that the tithe (ten percent of our income) is the minimum biblical standard for Christian giving. Minimum? The average financial pledge for Episcopalians is about 4% and for members of St. John’s it's about 2.5%. We're being encouraged to step up toward the tithe. And yet, our Church’s teaching suggests that that is only “the minimum.” How much more will be enough?

The reason our Church's teaching is stated this way is that the New Testament standard for giving is one hundred percent. Do you remember the occasion when Jesus pointed out the poor widow who put two small coins in the offering box at the Jerusalem temple? It was an object lesson for his disci-ples. He wanted them to notice that the more prosperous people contributed the mandated minimum portion of their wealth as an offering to God and the poor widow contributed everything she had. “Truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:3-4).

On another occasion, some people asked Jesus whether it was lawful for the faithful to pay taxes to Caesar. He responded, “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor's.” He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's” (Luke 20:24-25). The image and title of the Emperor was stamped on the coin of his realm. Jesus' subtle point was that the image and title of God is stamped on the human being, which is the most valuable asset of God's realm.

It is our purpose and our privilege to offer ourselves to God. Jesus showed us how to do that on the cross. The result of that ultimate offering was resurrection. Our offering is made complete and our lives made victorious when joined with his offering. “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

In the insignia of St. John’s, the Red Cross of St. George on the white field is a reminder of the English origins of The Episcopal Church. From the thirteenth century until the nineteenth century, the flag of England was a red cross on a white field symbolizing the patron saint of England, St. George. Most of what we know about St. George is legend. We usually associate him with the Crusades or dragon slaying. However, reliable sources suggest that George was a martyr who suffered under the persecution of the emperor Diocletian in the fourth century.

Martyrdom has always been considered the supreme witness for one's faith. Even more importantly, that red cross is a reminder of victory through sacrifice – the sacrifice of Christ and his martyr, George. When Christian art began to depict the Risen Christ holding a triumphal cross-shaped staff with a banner attached to it, the banner was most frequently white, symbolizing purity, with a red cross on it, symbolizing the victory of the risen Christ over death.

Although Christians still die for their faith in many places, you and I will probably never be required to face physical death for our faith. Nevertheless, we are called to offer our lives completely in Christ's service. St. Paul's invitation to Roman Christians is as significant to us as it was to the those to whom it was addressed during a time of persecution two thousand years ago:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

So, then, how are we to understand the tithe in relation to the radical expectation that we are supposed to give everything to God? Here's a way to look at it. The tithe is the portion we give specifically to God as a tangible sign of our acknowledgement that everything we have – possessions, time, lives, relationships, labors, influence – whether saved, spent, or given away is a sacred trust from God. Giving sacrificially to God is a spiritual discipline, like the disciplines of worship, prayer, sacraments, study, and good works. We give God a portion of what we have that is large enough to be considered sacrificial so that we notice when it is gone. That should make us mindful of what we do with everything else that remains.

Gay and I practice tithing as a spiritual discipline in this way. Years ago, when we struggled with the decision about how much to give to God, we realized that if we tithed and could not live on the remaining 90%, we were living beyond our means. So we made the necessary adjustments to our life-style and discovered that we still have more than enough. In fact, we are still able to save for a comfortable retirement and to support other worthy causes. It is only one way to keep tabs on our spiritual life and values, but a very important one. It helps us see how abundantly God blesses us so that we can bless others.

When you see that red cross, remember the ultimate sacrifice and victory of Christ, St. George, and all the Christian martyrs. Be mindful of the living sacrifice you are called to make and the victorious life you are called to live. Consider how your bold decision to give to God will gladden your heart and make you a more generous saint in God’s household. Envision how together with your fellow saints you can ensure that St. John’s is a beacon of generosity.

“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11-12).

I’ll see you in Church!

September 23, 2015