May 5 sermon - You've got a friend in me

6 Easter/Year B/May 5, 2024

Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17

Opening prayer:

Holy God, Jesus taught us: To abide in his love, to love one another as he has loved us. He invites us into a loving relationship and friendship with him, and one another, as we commit to walking with him in a way of love that he has shown us and taught us, in laying down his life for one’s friends. We pray on this day, and in the days to come, that all God’s people and all the earth may abide in his love and come to know the joy of Jesus’ friendship; and that we will be moved to go out into our communities bearing the fruits of this love and friendship with all we meet; this we pray in the name of our friend, Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The season of Easter is beginning to wind down…two more weeks to go…before we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, and the beginning of a new season in the church year…

The school year is beginning to wind down, too…with end of the year celebrations, graduations, teacher appreciation week, final recitals and programs…soon teachers, students, families, and community members will change gears as summer programs begin, and new opportunities and activities are set to begin…

This time of endings and new beginnings, often brings with it, a lot of mixed emotions, as do other times of change and transition throughout ones’ life…

It’s a time for students and family members to reminisce on all the ways they have physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually grown over the years…and to celebrate that…

And as I think about children, and their years growing up, I think about how important friendships are to their growth and well-being over the years…and how it is in those early years growing up, that learning to be a friend, and the joy of being called one’s friend is so important to laying a good foundation for their emotional and spiritual health.  

I give thanks for all the loving and supportive adults who have helped children in our midst to form good relationships and friendships with their peers, and other adults in their schools, church and community.

Yet, I am especially mindful at graduation time, knowing that there are some children who will not be walking across that stage to graduate for  a variety of reasons; there are some children, who have not had the joy of experiencing friendships with other students; there are some who have not grown up in a supportive and loving environment, and have not had the same resources available to them, as some of their classmates have had; there are some children whose lives were cut short due to physical illnesses, and unrecognized mental health issues.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in the lives of children of all ages and to celebrate that recovery from mental illness is possible, and there are tools and resources available to help..  (SAMHSA.GOV)

There are a variety of resources out there to help family members, community members, and faith-based communities learn the basic signs of mental health illnesses and other facts about mental health to encourage those in need to seek help and to help those of us, who want to support our friends and family and community members in the best ways that we can. (and I plan to send out a list of some helpful resources later today and this week)

But I want to share briefly about a presentation I attended this week put on by the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee, to introduce the community to their Mental Health is Health Campaign.

According to their website description of the campaign - SYLC's Mental Health Is Health campaign aims to destigmatize the spectrum of mental health challenges, normalize asking for help, encourage adults to be aware of signs of mental health decline in youth and respond with urgency and appropriate resources, and illuminate how systems of oppression and inequity can impact individuals' mental health.

They showed us 2 colorful posters that they designed and created, and are being distributed in the community already.

One poster’s theme is: Cultivate Wellbeing, with this description on the poster: Mental Health is like a garden: growing, flourishing, challenging, and wilting. It’s in constant flux depending on the seasons, weather, and soil conditions. Similarly, many factors contribute to one’s emotional wellbeing or decline. Mental health is not about feeling good all the time, but being able to process everything that life throws at you. Without tending to our garden, mental health challenges can worsen, resulting in harm to ourselves or others. Knowing where to seek support is critical in cultivating a healthy environment for growing strong, resilient roots. No one has to struggle alone or hide behind the shadows of mental health challenges.

The 2nd poster’s theme is: Be a Harbor of Support –it speaks to us even more directly as community members and church members in this description: The ocean is an unpredictable element – waves crash, storms surge, and emergencies can happen. We as a community need to be prepared to respond when someone is in distress, whether that be an emergency on the water, or a mental health crisis. Recognizing the signals and flares is the first step in helping our kids and one another navigate rough waters and avoid rocky shores.

How can we as individuals, and as a faith community, support and help cultivate wellbeing in our community’s youth and families? How can we as individuals, and as a faith community, be a harbor of support for our youth and families in our community?

In this season of endings and new beginnings...think about the ways God is inviting you and our church community to share the joy of Jesus’ love and friendship with the youth and families in our community…so that no-one ever needs to feel alone, hopeless, or helpless in facing the ups and downs and struggles throughout all the seasons of our lives…

When we pause and take the time to abide in Jesus’ love, we will always have a friend for life. And when we experience the joy of this loving relationship and friendship…how can we not share it with others?

Jesus assures us…that we can always count on his love and friendship…and he call us to be that same kind of friend to one another…

Closing thoughts/prayer/song: You’ve got a friend in me (Toy Story, Randy Newman)

You've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

When the road looks rough ahead

And you're miles and miles

From your nice warm bed

You just remember what your old pal said

(Son), you've got a friend in me

Yeah, you've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

you got troubles, then I got 'em too

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you

If we stick together we can see it through

Cause you've got a friend in me

Yeah, You've got a friend in me

Now, some other folks might be

A little bit smarter than I am

Bigger and stronger too

Maybe

But none of them will ever love you

The way I do, just me and you

(Boy) and as the years go by

Our friendship will never die

You're gonna see it's our destiny

You've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitk

Creation Care Sunday - April 28, 2024

Creation Care Sunday/April 28, 2024

Readings: Benedicte Tongass: A Canticle for Southeast Alaska (Words: Bonnie Demerjian, St Philip’s, Wrangell); Creation A Congregational Reading (Liturgy for the Whole Church: Multigenerational Resources for Worship, by Susan K. Brock); Psalm 33: 3-9; 13-15; Mark 16: 14-15

Opening prayer: (from A General Thanksgiving- BCP 836)

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. Make us ever-mindful of our call to be God’s partner in caring for this world and all of creation, and make us ever-mindful of setting aside sabbath time to rest in God, as part of our call to love and serve and celebrate the wonderful world God has created out of love, for all of God’s people, for all of creation. Amen.

Periodically, throughout the year, we take the time during a Sunday service, to focus on Creation Care…This past Monday was Earth Day, and many celebrations have been taking place all week, giving us an opportunity to pause and turn our attention once again towards the care of our earthly home and all of its’ inhabitants. Of course, this isn’t meant to suggest that our focus on creation care should only be a once in awhile thing to think about …It just gives us an opportunity, today,  to intentionally turn our hearts and minds, once again, to the gifts of God, and the glory of God, revealed to us in Creation…in the land, the mountains, the deserts, the trees, the waters, the animals, the birds, the fish, the butterflies, the planets, the stars, the expanse of the skies, and in the people all around us…It’s meant to remind us to take time regularly to stop and notice the magnificence and beauty of God’s handiwork all around us, all the time, to see all that is good, very good, very, very good, in the world that God created, from the very beginning.

READ/Book: Noticing (written by Kobi Yamada, Illustrated by Elise Hurst)

Yes, we are invited to pay attention, to be more attentive to the world around us, learning to open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to pay attention, to notice…all that this beautiful, miraculous world has to show us and teach us…

But, it can’t stop there with just pausing and noticing the splendor of the whole creation, the beauty of this world, the wonder of life, and the mystery of love in all of creation.

It’s also a reminder to us to stop for a time to examine the ways our present day lifestyles are contributing to the destruction and depletion of the natural resources which sustain all of creation, to consider the ways we have hurt one another, and all of creation by our greed and selfishness, and to acknowledge our neglect and  carelessness in not being faithful stewards of all that has been entrusted to our care.

It’s a time to begin again, with a renewed commitment to not only call creation good and lovely and beautiful, but to respond in gratitude for all the gifts of God and the people of God, by striving to truly love one another, share generously the abundant gifts of creation with all whom we share this earthly life with, and by working together to safeguard this wonderful earth, this wonderful world, and all its’ creatures, not only with our lips, but in our lives…not only for today, but for future generations…

“The miraculous is everywhere and in everything. Waiting for us to notice it. Waiting for us to appreciate it. Waiting for us to love it.” (Noticing Kobi Yamada)

Closing thoughts/prayer/song: What a Wonderful World (by George David Weiss & Bob Thiele, illustrated by Ashley Bryan)

I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, “What a wonderful world!”

I see skies of blue and clouds of white, the bright, blessed day, the dark, sacred night, and I think to myself, “What a wonderful world!”

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. I see friends shaking hands, saying, “How do you do?” They’re really saying, “I love you.”

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow. They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know, and I think to myself, “What a wonderful world!”

Yes, I think to myself… “What a wonderful world!”…amen…

Rev Julie Platson, Rector/St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitka, AK

Good Shepherd Sunday Sermon

4 Easter/Year B - April 21, 2024

Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

Opening Prayer:  — written by Thom Shuman on Lectionary Liturgies

Day by day, God leads us: to the deep, deep pools of peace, to the green, lush lawns of grace. Day by day, Jesus calls us: to pour out ourselves in service, to anoint the stranger with hope. Day by day, the Holy Spirit shows us: the community we could be, the family we are called to become. Amen.

We are still journeying through the season of Easter…And on this 4th Sunday of Easter…every year…we set it aside as Good Shepherd Sunday…each year, we listen to a different part of chapter 10 in the gospel of John, that speaks about sheep and Jesus as the Good Shepherd…and every year, on this 4th Sunday of Easter, we read together psalm 23…

This psalm, to many, is comforting, especially in the setting of a funeral service, when it is most often read and heard…And it makes sense…because in our funeral services, the scriptures we listen to…are Easter related scriptures…we focus on the comfort and hope we find in Jesus’ resurrection, and how our belief in his resurrection, gives us hope not only for today…but for the days ahead…for the future that we cannot fully grasp just yet…

That’s why, for me…I love that we read this psalm together every year, outside of a funeral service…it’s a good reminder for us…to go back to the basics and core of what we believe…that we have a God that walks with us, all the days of our lives…A God that loves us, leads us, guides us, revives our weary spirits, comforts us, gives us hope in times of trouble, and assures us that in life and death…we can trust and believe that God’s goodness and mercy follows us, is with us, for this life…and for the future we cannot fully grasp just yet…

I think praying psalm 23…is a wonderful way to start the day…a daily prayer that can ground us and strengthen us…to be able to answer the call and commandment to love one another and serve one another, as Jesus has taught us…as the Holy Spirit, seeks to show us, and empower us to work together, to reach out to those in need in our communities, to continually seek ways to provide encouragement to those who are lonely, oppressed by society, in need of healing, guidance, and a sense of belonging…

And when I say a sense of “belonging”…I don’t mean that we want to welcome someone into some exclusive club…but to seek ways to truly welcome one another in love…a love that transcends our divisions; a love that shows us another way to deal with conflict without violence, without exclusion; a love that comforts and heals, and transforms us and reconciles us to one another…through a way of living that shows, not only in word and speech, but through truth and action - that we all belong…and that we will not cease in striving for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being…

Our neighbors, near and far, are crying out to be heard…to be seen…to be loved…to believe in something greater than the everyday violence, war, divisions, hunger crisis’, and exclusions from life-affirming care that many experience on a daily basis…

What you and I believe personally, what we believe about a God that loves us, and is truly with us always, is important…and praying psalm 23 can help us strengthen that relationship with God and affirm what we believe…

But it’s not meant to just transform me, and my life…I think of it as the cornerstone upon which we are called to build up the community of love around us…This love of God, made known to us through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, is meant to be shared…and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to do that…

I don’t know about you, but for me, some days, it is hard to envision a brighter future for all God’s children, when we are witness to the heart-wrenching ways God’s people treat one another, day after day…

But it is precisely in those moments of doubt and feeling overwhelmed, that I begin again, by focusing on the hope we can find in Jesus’ resurrection, and how our belief in his resurrection, can give us hope not only for today…but for the days ahead…for the future that we cannot fully envision or grasp just yet…

The Lord is my Shepherd…This I believe. The Lord is our Shepherd. What do we believe as the body of Christ, here in Sitka…and across the borders of lands and waters? This is an important question to ask ourselves from time to time to discern what we believe, and how we are being called to truth and action, here and now, in this time and in this place…

During this month of April, Child Abuse Awareness Month, I ask you to pray for our children growing up in violent times, pray for those who have been abused, and traumatized on daily basis…. Pray for the day that our children won’t be witness to so much violence in their lives…Pray and discern how God may be calling you to truth and action so that all children may be surrounded by an abundance of love that will help them to grow and flourish, as the beloved child of God, they were created to be from the very beginning.

May God’s Holy Spirit shows us the community we could be, the family we are called to become…and equip us with the boldness to love one another, not just in word and speech, but in truth and action…for this day…and for the future of God’s beloved kingdom, for the future of all God’s beloved children, here on earth, as in heaven.

Prayer/Hymn after sermon: Be a shepherd for my flock - Voices Found, #100

                    Be a shepherd for my flock. Feed them richly on my word.

                    Show them shelter in the storm, for I call you to serve.

1        With a mother’s tender love, care for all who need to hear

          they can run into my arms. Ease every fear. Refrain

2        To the blinded bring my light, to the weary my rest,

          to the poor abundant life forever blest. Refrain

3        Take my message to the world. Keep the stories ever new.

          Sing my truth, dance my joy. I’ll carry you. Refrain

Be a shepherd for my flock, #100 from Voices Found — Words: Traditional Nigerian. Music: Jane McAlister Pope. Words and Music: Copyright © 1998 Jane McAlister Pope. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Rev Julie Platson, Rector

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

2nd Sunday of Easter Sermon

2nd Sunday of Easter/April 7, 2024

Today’s sermon by Chip Camden

Readings: Psalm 133, Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31

Our gospel lesson from John tells us the story of two post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, occurring one week apart on successive Sundays.  The first of these Sundays was the evening after the resurrection -- the same day that Mary Magdalene had reported to the disciples that she had seen the risen Christ that morning at the tomb.  That evening, although the disciples have gathered behind locked doors, Jesus appears in their midst, greets them, and shows them his wounds.  Then the disciples rejoice to see him.  The order in which this is told seems to imply that they didn't really see him for who he was until they saw his wounds.  In the parallel account in Luke, the disciples initially think that they are seeing a ghost.  When Jesus shows them his hands and his feet in that account, he makes a point of demonstrating that they are made of flesh and bone.  While the disciples are still having trouble believing it, he goes on to eat something, proving that his risen body is truly physical.  They needed to be convinced.

Is it any wonder, then, that in John's account when the disciples report this appearance to Thomas (who was not present), he has trouble believing them?  They tell him that they have seen Jesus’ wounds, but who knows, maybe they were having a mass hallucination?  Thomas wants to see this for himself.  Not only that, he doesn't want to trust his eyes alone.  He wants to feel the wounds with his hands -- and really feel them.  Our English translation has Thomas say that he wants to "put" his finger in the mark of the nails and his hand in Jesus' side.  But the Greek word used here is βαλλω (ballo) - literally, to "throw" or "thrust".  Thomas wants to go deep in order to be sure.

The following Sunday, the disciples are gathered as before, but this time Thomas is with them.  Jesus appears, as before, and immediately addresses Thomas.  "Bring your finger over here... bring your hand and thrust it into my side" (using the same verb, ballo, that Thomas had used) "and don't become faithless, but rather faithful."

We aren't told whether Thomas followed through on those actions.  The narrative seems to indicate that he didn't need to.  For him, seeing Jesus was enough after all.  He immediately exclaims, "my Lord and my God!"  This reminds me of Job's encounter with God.  After about forty chapters of demanding that God would respond to his complaint, when God finally shows up Job needs no further response: "but now my eyes see you" says Job, and that settles everything.

Jesus says to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

So many interpreters have taken this as a criticism of Thomas' faith.  "You made it across the line, Thomas, but you could have done better.  Real faith is believing without any evidence whatsoever.  Try harder next time."  Interpretations like that have done a great deal of harm, by casting faith as a kind of spiritual performance that can be measured and graded.  I don't think that is what is meant here at all.

First of all, to whom is Jesus referring when he talks about "those who have not seen and have believed".  Certainly not the other disciples!  They've seen the risen Christ at least twice as many times as Thomas has, and they took more convincing when they did.  Is anyone else in this story believing without seeing?

The past tense of the verbs here could be taken to indicate the prophets and all those who believed that a Christ would come, but never saw that happen in their lifetime.  The great chapter on faith in the epistle to the Hebrews refers to "these all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn't receive the promise" of the coming Messiah.  But I think in our present narrative the reference is really to all of us who would come to faith in Christ after the apostles -- the same group referred to in I Peter 1:8, "[Jesus Christ,] whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don't see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

To underscore this idea, John tells us in the next two verses that "Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name."  Even we aren't asked to believe without any evidence -- John's gospel seeks to be at least some of the evidence that we need by providing a vicarious experience of the living Christ.

Jesus did not withhold the evidence from Thomas that he needed, and God does not require blind faith from us either.  God only requires the faith that we're capable of.  For thirty years, after becoming fed up with hypocrisy and harmful doctrines in my experience of Christianity, I became an agnostic in theory and an atheist in practice.  I never rose to the hubris of declaring that there is no God, but I tried to live as if that were the case.  During those years, I often thought that if there were a God, surely God must honor honest doubts.  Surely God would not be gratified by a pretense of belief.  There is a kind of doubt that is also a pretense -- a doubt that seeks to end the conversation because it doesn't want to know the truth.  But there is also a kind of doubt that says, "I don't know if I can believe that to be the truth, but I want to know what is the truth."  That kind of doubt has more in common with true faith than the so-called faith without question in what you're supposed to believe. 

After thirty years, God gave me the answer I needed -- possibly the only answer that would work for me.  God wonderfully revealed to me just how mistaken I could be about things, and that opened a new realm of possibility that I began to explore.  Thus my faith grew out of questioning my assumptions, rather than relying on them.  God meets each of us where we are. 

Honesty equals humility.  If we honestly admit our doubts instead of posing as spiritual giants who have none, then we open ourselves in humility to the real working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  May we have the courage of Thomas, Job, and countless others who have faced their doubts head on.  God will arrive, bringing a better faith.

According to tradition, Thomas later traveled to India as its first missionary and was martyred there.  There is still a Christian denomination in that region of India that claims direct succession from Thomas.  One of its members emigrated as a child with her family to the United States.  She eventually joined the Episcopal Church, and we became friends when I lived in Palo Alto.  She has become one of the most beloved Christian authors of our time.  Her name is Debie Thomas, and she has a new book out entitled, "A Faith of Many Rooms: Inhabiting a More Spacious Christianity."  It even contains a chapter on the Apostle Thomas.  I highly recommend it.

Palm Sunday Reflection before the Passion Reading

March 24, 2024/The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Liturgy of the Palms Gospel: Mark 11:1-11

Opening Prayer: Jesus, when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation. Grant that when the shouting dies, we may still walk beside you even to a cross. Amen. (NZPB)

Every year, when the church gathers together for worship on the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week…the celebration always invokes a dizzying array of emotions as we listen first to the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the waving of palm branches and shouting hosannas…that quickly changes to a more somber note, as we listen to the reading of the Passion Gospel…the scriptures that heartbreakingly remind us of Jesus’ final week that led to his suffering and death on the cross on Good Friday. Yet, we know, on this side of history, that death did not have the final say…because, as we will be reminded in the scriptures next Sunday –just three days later, the tone changes quickly, once again, with the joyous news of Jesus’ resurrection that we proclaim on Easter day….Alleluia! Christ is Risen…the Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Yet for today…we begin again…as we recall, remember, reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross this Holy Week….as the shouting of the hosannas are about to go silent… replaced with loud shouts to Crucify Him!

Jesus’ passion story has something new and important to teach us every year if we will allow ourselves to enter fully into the stories and experiences and events that unfold throughout Holy Week…I invite you to pay attention to all the voices…the loud ones, the quiet ones, and all those in between…listen intently...listen deeply…and listen for the Word of God to transform your hearts and minds through the love and passion of Jesus Christ…

And now…Let us settle in, quiet ourselves, open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to hear what the Passion Gospel according to Mark has to teach us anew…in this time...and in this place…

we wish to see Jesus/March 17 sermon

5 Lent Year B

3/17/24

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 119:9-16; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

Collect of the day: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The opening collect for today, often makes me smile and chuckle a bit to myself when I hear the words “unruly wills”….but after I think about it for a moment, I guess it does describe us pretty well at times. I think we spend a lot of time trying to figure out whose will we are following, or I should say, whose will we think we are following…God’s or our own….The mind and the heart have quite a reputation for not being on the same page…so indeed….our thoughts and actions can be a little disorderly and unruly at times…And often, at first glance at the scriptures, those words don’t always bring those unruly thoughts and wills into focus easily…

It takes practice, it takes discipline, and God’s grace, to try and make sense of the scriptures. It takes practice, it takes discipline, and God’s grace, to bring those unruly thoughts and wills into focus…It takes practice and discipline, and God’s grace to learn to love what God commands and to align our desires with God’s promises …It takes practice and discipline and God’s grace, in the midst of all the swift and varied changes of the world,  to allow our hearts to be fixed where true joys are to be found… that is, in Christ Jesus.

We don’t easily wrap our minds around the idea of loving what someone commands of us. Our minds don’t easily accept the swift and varied changes of the world.

We don’t easily acknowledge that we have sinned, against God or our neighbor, or ourselves. We don’t easily understand why things have to die, for something new to begin. We don’t easily get it when Jesus tells his followers things like this: “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

But, even in the midst of all of life’s uncertainties and all the unknowns, and the things we struggle to understand,  we can consider this message of promise and hope: that the peace that surpasses all our understanding, in times such as these, can be fulfilled in us and our neighbors, when we strive to be in a loving relationship with Jesus and one another. And a relationship with Jesus, begins in the heart with this desire and hope… “I wish to see Jesus.”

When we begin, simply, with those words…“I wish to see Jesus”…they can move us to set aside time to meet with Jesus… to get to know him more fully, through the reading of scriptures, praying them, discussing them with others. We can get to know Jesus more fully by setting aside time to sit in silence, and allow the thoughts in our heads, in our minds, to subside for a time so we can hear the good news being spoken about Jesus and his love, in our hearts…And we can get to know Jesus more fully, when we allow the fruits of God’s love, made known to us through Jesus’ heart and ours, joined together as One…to inspire us and move us to seek the face of Jesus in all whom we meet and serve in our daily lives…  

It is in the meeting and the joining of our hearts with Christ and one another, when the Holy Spirit reminds us of the promise of a new covenant between God and his people, as foretold and spoken through the words of Jeremiah…But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people…

It is in the meeting and the joining of our hearts with Christ and one another, when the Holy Spirit reminds us of the words of the psalmist today…with my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments. I treasure your promise in my heart…

Our Lenten journey is winding down now, with Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, just a week away…

At the start of Lent…we were invited to examine our hearts…and throughout Lent…attend to them in ways that would help us turn back to God, turn back to Christ…to re-align our unruly wills…to better align with God’s will and vision of a beloved community that flourishes when all know that they are loved, valued, and respected as the beloved child of God they were created to be.

As you reflect back on these past few weeks…Have you sought ways to see Jesus, in your own life, and the lives of those you encountered along the way? Have you taken the time to look inward to see what corners of your lives have been cluttered with the things that have built up and hardened your hearts? Have you spent some moments in silence, letting go of the things that have taken away the joy and peace that wants to live and breathe in your heart? Have you engaged in certain practices this Lent that have allowed you to strengthen your love and relationship with Jesus and your neighbor?

Now that we’ve seen glimpses of Jesus again throughout this Lenten season, are you prepared to walk with Him once again on his journey to the cross during Holy Week? Or will you be tempted to look away because it’s too much to bear?

This is a time like no other…a time to focus all the more on seeing Jesus in the events of Holy week...even though we don’t fully understand in our minds why it has to be like this: Jesus dying on the cross, for the promise of his resurrection to be fulfilled, why things have to die, for something new to begin, and how it is...that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

For if we keep our eyes on Jesus throughout Holy week, through his death on the cross, and keep watch and see Him rise again on Easter Sunday…it will all become clear…we will see the glory of the cross….we will see how it is that “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

By the grace of God, our unruly wills and sinful ways are forgiven. Jesus’s death on the cross, his resurrection and ascension, has opened the way once again for us to begin life anew, over and over again.

We are given the opportunity, each and every day, to begin and begin again in the heart with this desire and hope… “I wish to see Jesus.”…and then to go…to go out into the world to seek and serve Christ…in all persons…loving God and one another, loving your neighbor as yourself…….with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…

Prayer/Hymn: Open our eyes, Lord – Bob Cull (#229 –praise chorus book)

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch him, and say that we love Him.

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen, open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

Rev. Julie Platson, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

 *PHOTO: 4th c. Christian Mosaic

Lullingstone Chapel

Eynsford, England

4th Sunday in Lent: God so loved the world...

4 Lent/Year B – March 10, 2024

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

Opening Prayer/Words: ~ written by Katherine Hawker

For God so loved the world;

The sparrows, the mountain lions,

the fish and the people.

For God so loved the world;

In success and failure,

in sickness and health,

in mediocrity and extraordinary.

For God so loved the world;

Enough to become one of us,

enough to suffer along with us,

enough to offer new life for us.

For God so loved the world….Amen, Amen, Amen.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization publicly characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic…our lives were changed dramatically in those early days…and even now…four years later…we, as a local, national, and worldwide community are still struggling to recover in so many ways…    

It was on the 4th Sunday in Lent that year, March 22, 2020…when we held our first ever zoom service…in the early days following the initial news of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting close to home here in Alaska…

I took time this past week to go back and read and reflect on some of my sermons from those first few weeks…and this morning…I want to take us back to that 4th Sunday in Lent in 2020…and share a few words from my sermon that day…

March 22, 2020 – 4th Sunday in Lent

(I don’t imagine that any of us sitting here this morning…had ever imagined that this season of Lent, would unfold in the way it has…Just a few short weeks ago, it seems,…the COVID 19 virus was impacting lives in China, and other countries…Yes…our hearts were going out to the people in those countries…our hearts were breaking for people enduring such uncertainty, chaos, and fear…But, the physical distance from these countries, in the beginning…felt so remote…

It was happening somewhere else…not here…somehow…I still felt safe here…as if it would only happen somewhere else…and not so close to home…

I can’t even remember, right now, when the moment hit me, that what was happening somewhere else…was happening here too…

The events in the past few weeks have been changing in a blink of an eye…and it seems as if we are caught up in a whirlwind, in which we are being tossed every which way…a whirlwind of information being thrust upon us, at the same time another dose of loss and uncertainty being added into the mix, hour by hour…

Every day, we are being asked to do one more hard thing, after another…things we’ve never had to do before… making some very difficult decisions that we’ve never been faced with before…We are being asked to stay home, keep our distance from each other, don’t travel, don’t gather in groups, don’t meet in the church as we’ve always done, don’t send the kids to school or to the playground to be around other families,  don’t visit anyone in the pioneers home, don’t visit the elderly, the vulnerable, those whose health is compromised, don’t travel to see your aging loved one in their care facility, because they aren’t allowing visitors, don’t travel to attend a long-planned wedding, don’t plan a wedding right now, don’t plan any kind of a celebration that would bring lots of people together, don’t worry, don’t panic, do not fear…

When we hear these words over and over again…don’t do this, don’t do that…it can be very difficult to do the very thing we are trying not to do…to not worry, to not be fearful, to not panic…and yet to we can turn once again to our faith, our beliefs, and our trust in God…that indeed we can believe, that in Jesus, we have a Shepherd…who will lead us and guide us, in all times, and in all places, and in all circumstances…)

I share these words from four years ago with you today which was only the very beginning of so many other life-altering changes that followed in the coming days and months… as a reminder of how much we have been through together in these past few years, I share them as a reminder of how far we have come since then …and I share them as a reminder to all of us of what has brought us safely to this day: The gift of God’s grace and love for us, for the whole world, in life and in death…our love and faith and trust in God through those days of great turmoil and uncertainty…and our willingness and perseverance in sharing the gift of God’s grace, love, light and hope, as revealed to us in Jesus, with those in our communities, near and far…

“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.”

At the diocesan convention in October 2020…in the first few months after the start of the pandemic we were reminded of the ways we could  be “United with Christ in the interest of others” during a time we were being separated physically from one another and wondering about ways we could still reach out and express our love and care for our neighbors…And as I looked at the list of 20 ways we came up with…My thoughts turned to our willingness and perseverance in finding ways to share the gift of God’s grace, love, light and hope, as revealed to us in Jesus, with those in our communities, near and far…

Here's the list:

1.  make a phone call to someone

2. contribute to local food banks

3. pray for one another

4. Take a walk with a friend

5. write a prayer note to a church or fellow church member

6. March for equality

7. Vote!

8. Drop off a meal for a friend

9. connect with church members

10. Visit outside with an elder

11. Wear a mask

12. wash your hands

13. Write a thank you note to the medical community

14. sharing our harvest

15. Be patient and kind with one another

16. Sing with a friend

17. clean up trash

18. invite a friend to church

19.Reject cruelty and divisiveness

20. Embrace empathy and diversity

These 20 ways to share the gift of God’s love, light and hope in Christ Jesus, for the well-being of our neighbor…are certainly not exclusive to the early days of the pandemic…

They can be a lifeline to those among us now who may feel as if there is no hope, and that there is no end in sight through these troubling and overwhelming times that are present even now in 2024...

That’s why setting aside time to remember together is so important …to reflect back often on where we have seen God’s love and healing presence among the people in the biblical stories, and among us in those times when we had no idea how we would put one foot in front of the other…to remember and rejoice in how far we have come… and to remember, how time and time again, God has brought us safely into a new day… a new day with opportunities for us to share the gift of God’s grace, love, light and hope, as revealed to us in Jesus, with those in our communities, near and far…

“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.”

(below written by Katherine Hawker)

For God so loved the world;

The sparrows, the mountain lions,

the fish and the people.

For God so loved the world;

In success and failure,

in sickness and health,

in mediocrity and extraordinary.

For God so loved the world;

Enough to become one of us,

enough to suffer along with us,

enough to offer new life for us.

For God so loved the world…Amen, Amen, Amen.

(written by Katherine Hawker)

Closing Prayer/Hymn:  Amazing Grace

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

3rd Sunday in Lent/Sermon - remember the sabbath...keep it holy

3 Lent/Year B – March 3, 2024

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

Opening Prayer: God of the Sabbath: We pause with You on this seventh day, the end of a busy week for some and a week that has dragged along for others, approaching You with our trials and joys. We come to rest in your presence. We bring to You our complicated encounters, the difficult news and reasons to rejoice, the aches and pains that have hindered us, the strains from labours and long work hours. We come to rest in Your presence. Thank You that You meet us here, Creator who rested on the Sabbath, Son who wrestled in the wilderness, and Spirit, who comes among us now, inspire, refresh and guide us. We come to rest in Your presence.  Amen (Church of Scotland)

What brings you to church this morning? What keeps you coming back…week after week…year after year?  - the prayers, the music, the scriptures and bible stories, the celebration of Holy Communion, the traditions, the fellowship time with those gathered here on a Sunday morning?

Is this your sabbath day, to pause and rest after a busy week that has dragged on with many challenges and frustrations…or perhaps this is your Sabbath day that you set aside to give thanks to God for the blessings you encountered during the past week…

Maybe it’s a little of both…a day to remember, to give thanks, and to rest in God’s presence in all times and in all circumstances…

One of the many gifts of pausing to observe the sabbath, a day of rest…is the reminder that God meets us here…Jesus meets us here...and the Holy Spirit meets us here, inspiring us, refreshing us, guiding us in centering our hearts on Jesus and God’s purpose and will for us, once again.

When I say “here”, I mean here in this time and space that we gather together in, and I mean here in our hearts, and in our minds and in our bodies, and in our souls.

It is so easy for us to get overwhelmed by all the rapid daily changes among us, and to get caught up in all of the concerns of our lives and the traumatic events that happen every day worldwide. And before we know it…we have wandered so far off from God…we forget who we belong to, who loves us and all of God’s people, and we forget God’s will and purpose for us…as the people of God, as the Church of God, as the body of Christ.

We forget that the Mission and purpose of the Church is inspired by the Mission of Christ.

Let’s turn to the prayer book for a moment, to see what the Catechism section has to teach us about the Church…

The Catechism – BCP 854-855

The Church

Q.      What is the Church?

A.      The Church is the community of the New Covenant.

Q.      How is the Church described in the Bible?

A.      The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.

Q.      How is the Church described in the creeds?

A.      The Church is described as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Q.      Why is the Church described as one?

A.      The Church is one, because it is one Body, under one Head, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q.      Why is the Church described as holy?

A.      The Church is holy, because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, consecrates its members, and guides them to do God's work.

Q.      Why is the Church described as catholic?

A.      The Church is catholic, because it proclaims the whole Faith to all people, to the end of time.

Q.      Why is the Church described as apostolic?

A.      The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and  fellowship of the apostles and is sent to carry out Christ's mission to all people.

Q.      What is the mission of the Church?

A.      The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

Q.      How does the Church pursue its mission?

A.      The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.

Q.      Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?

A.      The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.

Why did I bring up this teaching about keeping the Sabbath and rediscovering the Mission and purpose of the church?

Because, as we heard and saw in today’s gospel reading…God’s religious folks can sometimes get caught up in rules and systems and laws that distort God’s will and purpose of becoming a beloved community…

In today’s gospel reading, the people had wandered so far off from the teachings of God, and God’s will and purposes… This time of Passover, of remembering liberation, was being used to exploit, marginalize and exclude: The money changers charged a fee for their services that impacted the poor; the animals offered for sacrifice had to be perfect and unblemished, and they were charged fees by the inspectors for their services that cost 15 times more inside the temple than outside; the poor, the majority, either had to borrow the money to buy their offerings or they couldn’t afford them. Their choice was either to get into debt to fulfill their religious obligations, or default on them, find themselves classified among the sinners, and be excluded from the number of the righteous. No laws were necessarily being broken by these Temple practices, but in the very place of divine encounter, the spirit of the law, the love of neighbour, was being denied.  Jesus was justifiably angry. (Church of Scotland)

Across the church…this is a time of a great reckoning, a time to examine the ways we too have established systems and practices that have exploited, marginalized and excluded people from experiencing the fullness of God’s love and liberation intended for all.

This is a time in the world when rapid changes are happening, and societal influences are impacting our role as the church here and now, in our communities.

This is a time of great opportunity for us to offer hope to a hurting, lonely, and broken world.

So, it’s important for us, as the church, to set aside time to re-discover what our purpose and mission is as the people of God, the Church of God, as the body of Christ.

And one important practice to help ground us in this important re-envisioning work is to remember the sabbath day…and keep it holy.

These might be moments throughout the week, as you pause to pray and sit in silence with the Holy One…

And in those times we gather together here on Sundays, when we are reminded that God meets us here…Jesus meets us here...and the Holy Spirit meets us here, inspiring us, refreshing us, guiding us in centering our hearts on Jesus and God’s purpose and will for us, once again…

And when I say “here”, I mean here in this time and space that we gather together in, and I mean here in our hearts, and in our minds and in our bodies, and in our souls.

This season of Lent is a perfect season of the church year to help us practice the importance of sabbath keeping, helping us re-discover God’s will and purpose for us as the people of God, as the church of God, as the body of Christ, here and now.

Closing Prayer/Hymn:  Speak, Lord, in the Stillness/The Quiet Hour

1 Speak, Lord, in the stillness

while I wait on Thee;

hushed my heart to listen

in expectancy.

2 Speak, O blessed Master,

in this quiet hour;

let me see your face, Lord,

feel your touch of power.

3 For the words You speak, Lord,

they are life indeed;

living bread from heaven,

now on my spirit feed!

5 Fill me with the knowledge

of your glorious will;

all your own good pleasure

in my life fulfill. Amen

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

2nd Sunday in Lent/Sermon - hoping against hope...

2 Lent/Year B – February 25, 2024

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38

Opening Prayer: (written by Bishop Telmor Sartison)

God of compassion, the way of the cross is as much a mystery to us as it was to the immediate followers of Jesus. But we have heard how your grace is exercised in the journey of suffering and rejection experienced by Jesus. Help us to hear with ears inspired, to see with eyes opened to your ways, and to respond with lives committed to your service. Amen.

On this 2nd Sunday in Lent…I’m wondering if anything particular jumped out at you from any of the readings, as you were listening to them today?

Were there any words or images that were familiar and comforting to you?

Were there any words or images that are challenging you?

Were there any words or images that you just can’t get out of your mind?

I think this week’s lessons give us a little bit of everything…as do most of the readings you will be listening to throughout the season of Lent…

There were familiar and comforting and hopeful words in the Genesis reading in God’s covenant with Abraham…yet at the same time, those very words could be seen as challenging…almost impossible sounding to Abraham and us…and an image that I can’t get out of my mind from this reading…is how stunned Abraham must have been in hearing God proclaim his plans for his covenant with him…

In the reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans…the familiar and comforting words for me are the ones reflecting back to story of God’s covenant with Abraham…and his steadfast faith…and what Abraham’s steadfast faith has to teach us now…The challenge for me in reading this passage was to slow down to be able to grasp everything being said…the reading is a very “wordy” one, with long sentences…it felt like one very long sentence that kept going around and around…yet without a doubt, the image that I can’t get out of my mind…all centers on these three words… Hoping against hope…

The reading from Mark…surely is a familiar one to most of us and a challenging one, from start to finish…… beginning with Jesus teaching his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again…the interactions between Jesus and Peter felt intense and harsh…Jesus’ words to the crowds and disciples were one challenging teaching after teaching…Telling them that if any want to become one of his followers, that they need to deny themselves and take up their cross, and follow him, telling them that those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it….Telling them that  those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Certainly, I think today’s gospel reading gives us several images and words that we probably can’t get out of our mind today…

But here’s the real challenge for us today…what are the comforting words or images that jumped out at you today in the hearing of today’s gospel?

Maybe nothing jumped out at you at first…I know that my practice is to read it more than once…and often, and in different translations…so just reading it once, and as a stand alone reading…can make it difficult to discern the good news embedded in today’s gospel…

So, here’s a few thoughts to ponder on finding comfort in today’s gospel reading…

 As difficult as Jesus’ words were about his impending suffering and death…the teaching didn’t end there…it ended with the good news about his resurrection three days later…He was open and honest and truthful about what they should expect in the coming days…he was preparing them and giving them a glimpse of what was to come…

Peter didn’t want to hear this…he stopped listening when he heard the difficult  words about Jesus’ suffering and death…he missed the good news about Jesus rising again in three days…and the hope that they could hold onto…

Jesus then tries to re-direct Peter’s focus on his good news message instead of getting pulled astray by the worldly temptations and limitations of our minds and the influence of evil one in the world…He tells Peter… you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.

 He’s telling Peter…focus on the divine things…focus on God, focus on me…listen to what I am saying to you…trust me… “follow me”

Jesus tells the disciples if any want to become his followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross…but he doesn’t end there…he says follow me… I have more good news to teach you and show you…follow me…

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?

Jesus wants us to have an abundant life…not to forfeit our life…God desires an abundant life for every one of us...that is good news!

And Jesus’ invitation to follow him is a way of life, walking in love with God and one another, that can lead us to an abundant, joyful, hope-filled life..

I’d like to close this morning with a reflection that I shared with the vestry this past week…written by the Rev Scott Gunn… he invites us to consider some other good news found in today’s difficult gospel reading…

(“Dear friends in Christ, (Today’s) Gospel brings a challenging message from Jesus. Among other things, Jesus says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”

Wow. That’s rough. But it makes total sense. If all I worry about is protecting myself, I end up closing myself off from opportunities for God’s grace to work in my life and, through me, in the world. It makes everything about me. But if I can make everything about God’s grace and mercy, I begin to live a life that is steeped in gratitude and overflowing with love.

Jesus says we have to choose whether riches are more important to us than living an abundant, joyful life. If I spend my life chasing earthly things, I will almost certainly miss out on knowing heavenly things. Focusing on stuff leads me to lose my soul for the sake of… not much, really.

But when we make God’s grace and mercy the core of our being, we discover gratitude beyond our imagining. And we cannot help but spill over with mercy and grace for the world around us. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly astounding.

This season of Lent offers us the gift of a time to focus on what’s important. Perhaps we first need a reminder, so we notice what’s important! And then we can try to live the life to which Jesus calls us—rooted in gratitude, grace, and mercy.)

 As we begin the 2nd week of Lent…I invite you to read through today’s scripture readings again… And reflect on…

Any words or images that were familiar and comforting to you?

Any words or images that are challenging you?

Any words or images that you just can’t get out of your mind?

And with steadfast faith and hoping against hope…take up your cross and follow Jesus…in a way of love that can lead us to an abundant, joyful, hope-filled life for all of God’s people…

Prayer/Hymn: Where He Leads Me/ Lift Every Voice and Sing II, #144

1        I can hear my Savior calling,

          “Take thy cross and follow, follow me.”

                             Where He leads me I will follow,

                             I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

2        I’ll go with Him through the garden,

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way. Refrain

3        I’ll go with Him through the judgement,

          I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way. Refrain

4        He will give me grace and glory,

          And go with me, with me all the way.    Refrain

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska

1st Sunday in Lent/Sermon...experiencing God anew...

1 Lent/Year B – February 18, 2024

Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 25:1-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15

Opening Prayer:  God of wilderness and water, your Son was baptized and tempted as we are. Guide us through this season, that we may not avoid struggle, but open ourselves to blessing, through the cleansing depths of repentance and the heaven-rending words of the Spirit. Amen.

(https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/prayers.php?id=71)

Our gospel of Mark reading today opens with a familiar setting, once again, that begins with the baptism of Jesus. Just last week we were reminded of these same words from the beginning of the Epiphany Season, as well as the variation of the same scripture just last Sunday, on the final Sunday of the season of Epiphany… Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

As we begin this new season of the church year, the season of Lent…we, who have been attending Episcopal Church services for several years, will most likely associate this season with a lot of familiar traditions, scriptures, and service rituals….

On the night before Lent begins, we have our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, its name coming from the Germanic-Old English word “shrive,” meaning absolve, and it is the last day of the liturgical season historically known as Shrovetide. Because it comes directly before Lent, a season of fasting and penitence, this was the day that Christians would go to be “shriven” by their confessor. Shrove Tuesday also became a day for pre-fasting indulgence. In particular, the need to use up rich ingredients such as butter, milk, sugar and eggs before Lent gave rise to the tradition of eating pancakes on this day. (episcopalchurch.org – 2018)

The season of Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes in the shape of the cross on our foreheads, and the invitation, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.  Other familiar highlights of this season include the color purple, the Great Litany that we prayed at the start of the service, no alleluia’s until Easter, Holy Week observances…Palm Sunday processions, Maundy Thursday foot washing, Good Friday passion readings, Holy Saturday, a day of silence before the Resurrection Sunday/Easter day!

What has really jumped out at me, as we begin the season of Lent in 2024…are the familiar marks of the cross upon our foreheads at the time of our baptisms, and as we begin the season of Lent.

At the time of our baptisms, we mark a beginning…the priest makes the sign of the cross on our forehead with the Chrism oil and says these words… you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. Amen.

When our foreheads are marked with ashes in the shape of a cross on Ash Wednesday, our thoughts turn towards our mortality, our end of life when the priest says these words… Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Yet, in both of these familiar and seemingly different times and seasons of our lives…we are marked as Christ’s own forever…in life and in death. In all our beginnings and in all our endings…in everything that is familiar…and in everything that is unfamiliar to us…

I think that is important for us to consider…as we seek to not only rejoice in those familiar times when surely we know God is present…but to learn to trust that God is present with us, even in those times in our lives when we are challenged to navigate the unfamiliar times, the temptations and trials of this world that cause us to despair, or make us hesitate to believe that God is about to show us anything new…

Lent is a good season to practice this…through self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word…we can come to trust in a God who is present, in all times, in all places…in life and in death…in all our beginnings and in all our endings…in everything that is familiar…and in everything that is unfamiliar to us…

It is often in the unfamiliar territory, in the wilderness times of our lives, when we do have the opportunity to grow spiritually, and experience God anew in our own lives, and in the people and places that surround us now, and in every stage of our lives…

But it’s not always easy to let go of the familiar, to enter into the unfamiliar spaces…yet I find hope and comfort in today’s gospel message that begins with Jesus’ baptism, and the voice from heaven affirming Jesus’ identity, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him…

I like to believe that God’s angels, God’s messengers of hope are always there to attend to our temptations, our hurts, our doubts, our need for guidance when we are thrust into times of unknowing and uncertainty…and as we intentionally set out to walk a new, unfamiliar path, in hopes of living a more authentic life, as the beloved child of God we were created to be…and as a beloved child of God, who was named and marked as Christ’s own forever…

As we begin this season of Lent anew…one theme that is often highlighted, is our need to let go of some things…let go of some things that get in the way of our relationship with God and one another…and that might mean…we need to let go of some of the “familiar things”…

I close this morning, with a reflection on Letting go of the FAMILIAR, written by Bishop Rob Wright, from the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta…

The Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness and away from the familiar for a season. Spirit herded/hearted him away from home and routine, placing him among “wild beasts” and in the hands of attentive “angels.” He was at the same time, vulnerable and cared for.

Adventures with God are always like that, God subtracts and then God multiplies. That’s fine for Jesus and his adventure, you might say, but who wants to leave the familiar, really?

Remember whether we’re talking work, marriage, learning or life with God, the familiar should come with a warning label! The familiar can become a rut and a rut can become a grave. If we’re not careful we can adventure-proof our lives and make them memorials to who we and God formerly were rather than living testimonies to who we and God are right now.

Consider the wisdom of the garden spider, the web she weaves serves her purposes, it never snares her. I’ll just bet that if we were to ask Jesus about his wilderness of the unfamiliar, he would tell us that it was worth it.

Worth it because new trust in God grows in new circumstances. Worth it because there’s blessing to receive even and especially in loss. Worth it because

God’s wisdom about how to grow our souls is wiser than our best thinking. Worth it because God relishes opportunities to show us the abundance in what we believed to be desolate places.

What the unfamiliar, disorienting, and even fearful patches of life can teach us, is the time is always right to trust God anew. Remember: What is unfamiliar to us isn’t unfamiliar to God!

Prayer/Hymn (H) 559

1        Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

                   o’er the world’s tempestuous sea;

          guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,

                   for we have no help but thee,

          yet possessing every blessing,

                   if our God our Father be.

2        Savior, breathe forgiveness o’er us;

                   all our weakness thou dost know;

          thou didst tread this earth before us;

                   thou didst feel its keenest woe;

          yet unfearing, persevering,

                   to thy passion thou didst go.

3        Spirit of our God, descending,

                   fill our hearts with heavenly joy;

          love with every passion blending,

                   pleasure that can never cloy;

          thus provided, pardoned, guided,

                   nothing can our peace destroy.

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska