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July 30, 2006

Fred Heard - July 30, 2006

Sermon—July 30, 2006
Mark 6:45-52
Father Fred Heard
Holy Trinity

Last Sunday, we saw Jesus feed the 5000 and you will remember, that is the only miracle mentioned in all four gospels. Immediately after that event, Jesus walks on water. This is one biblical event where we often joke about friends or family members walking on water. It can be a compliment and evidence of our high regard for that person or to the contrary—our judgment of the size of their ego.

With today’s gospel, Matthew, Mark, and John write about Jesus walking on water. As I was preparing my sermon, I was once again reminded of that bumper sticker: “It’s in the Bible; I believe the Bible, end of discussion.” Well I believe the Bible too—but I also recognize there were different writers and different memories, and different interpretations and different times. In the same Bible, but depending on which gospel you read, the disciples cross the water from east to west or from west to east. Jesus sees them on the water, in trouble, or he starts out across the lake without seeing them in distress. When he gets to them they are in the middle of the lake, or they are at the shore. He does or does not climb into the boat. The disciples are convinced by what they see, or utterly clueless. Which will it be? It is in the Bible and I believe the Bible. The writers of this story are not very detail oriented…and if this is a recruitment message, I should think they would want to make sure the story “sticks” together. Obviously, no editor has gone over every detail because there are rough spots and pure conflict from one story to the next.

Over the last several weeks, I have been reading emails between Adair and her cousins about their grandparents. They are trying to compile a story about their grandparents. Adair remembers that Grandpa spoke with an accent because he was born in Norway. Several cousins do not share that recollection and finally one of the cousins said, “Adair remembers what she remembers.” In today’s lesson, it is much the same. This is not an invented event. Everyone remembers that something happened on that water. It is the core they remember and they are telling it with three different memories…and different versions of the same story. They are writing years or even decades later, so maybe their memories have gotten a little fuzzy around the edges, and some of the details vary from writer to writer. Some of the differences we find in these stories can be traced to that fact.

This is also the place when our 21st Century minds take over and we start looking for explanations of events that happened two thousand years ago that fit our concept of scientific proof. Sometimes we simply try to make something fit and we have to adopt an explanation that isn’t plausible to make our concept believable. It was interesting to listen to the question put to our new Presiding Bishop when reporters asked her about creationism at her first news conference. Her explanation was that she is a scientist and she does not find God and science incompatible. If we seek the most rational explanation for Jesus walking on water, we should probably go with John. Jesus reaches the disciples at the very moment that the boat gets to shore. They want to take Jesus into the boat but didn't because the boat reached land. So maybe what they see, in the middle of the storm and danger and confusion, is Jesus walking out to them from the land. Jesus is not catching up to them from behind, he's wading out to them, since he got there first. It is not hard to find that as a perfectly reasonable explanation in the writings of creditable Bible scholars. There are only two problems with that version of the story—Matthew and Mark must be ignored and there is no second boat for Jesus.

Our intellect is what so often trips us up when we ponder our faith or our relationship to God. We spend all our time trying to make logical what is not logical. We don’t spend equal time worrying about the earth being flat or any of the other truths we were teaching up until a few years ago like the importance of a lobotomy in treating mental illness. Maybe we need to move beyond the idea that there is a logical explanation for miracles or that they even need to be explained. Again, we constantly try to understand or measure God in all of his glory with our intellect and our limited knowledge. Most of us are quick to agree that we are not on an intellectual level with God. If that is the case, there will be events we read about in the Bible and things that surround us that we will not comprehend.

We do not have the eyes or the ears or the understanding to explain or perceive the God that surrounds us. Did you ever take time to ponder the grandeur or greatness of God or how long eternity is? Acceptance by faith is important to us as children of God. With faith, we can truly understand what God would have us do in this world. But if we have a good healthy dose of faith, will we have a complete picture of what God has done and what is coming? The answer must be no. But with faith God speaks to us more clearly and our path is more in focus. No matter which version of Jesus walking on the water, we read—the clear message is, “It is I, do not be afraid.” With this comfort we learn that Jesus Christ is with us and that he comes to us in stormy times and that the wind will recede. And one more thing, Jesus comes to us even when we doubt.

You see we really don’t have to be able to walk on water ourselves. Jesus was asked to perform miracles to save his life. He refused. The important thing is for us to believe without miracles. Jesus talks constantly of the need for faith.

It is both easy to love God and to have faith when all is well. It is easy to thank God for good fortune, for money He has given us, for good relationships, for the sunshine in our lives. It is even easy to turn to God when things are going badly. It is at this time that we pray—illness—Pray!—family member in trouble—Pray!—job not going well—Pray!

When things progress beyond bad, it is easy to hate God—a child is drowned on a family outing—“How could God let this happen?” Most of the time however, bad times remind us to call out for God’s help.

During this week, I have spent much time in the company of Trinity saints who are recovering from serious surgery or illness. In each case, we have prayed and we have said simply—thank you, God. You see, my Brothers and Sisters, what I have seen in the faces of those recovering is faith. I thought of that as I read this anonymous commentary on faith:
Count your blessings instead of your crosses; count your gains instead of your losses. Count your joys instead of your woes; count your friends instead of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears; count your courage instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean;
count your kind deeds instead of your mean. Count your health instead of your wealth; count on God instead of yourself. AMEN





July 23, 2006

Fred Heard - July 23, 2006

Sermon—July 23, 2006
Mark 6:30-44
Holy Trinity Parish
Father Fred Heard

And so, we come back to where it all began. Three years ago, this last week—those crows led me to this special place called Holy Trinity. The crows are still here. You are still here. I am still here. We have faced ups and downs and we have grown together. You have taught me much and I hope I have reflected what our Lord would have me say to you. I have learned that we are all spiritually hungry and that is part of the excitement in welcoming our new Bishop Marc Andrus. Change can be threatening but it can also be invigorating. I have seen change and excitement come to Trinity as the search for a new rector has moved into the application process. I feel that change coming with the approaching November investiture of a new Presiding Bishop, The Right Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori.

There is much to take with you from today’s Gospel, “…they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” “And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.” This is a miracle. The people are hungry spiritually and physically. The people came and Jesus didn’t send them away as the disciples suggested. Instead he offered hospitality.

Sometimes, I have been hungry emotionally, physically, or spiritually and have politely declined an offer for food because I wanted to be polite—but I have also thought if they offer one more time, I will accept and then the offers stop…and I think, “if only…” Jesus is the bread of life and we are entrusted with making that known—and I have seen people in my ministry who are desperately hungry spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

It isn’t always a prayer or a sermon that will draw people closer to Jesus Christ. It can be a smile as they enter the church or a warm welcoming hand or someone telling them they are glad they are here or someone inviting them to coffee. You see, if you have been coming to Trinity for awhile, you have probably felt or witnessed Christ’s presence. If someone is new it might not be so obvious. There might be no points of comparison—there may have been no lives in which to observe Christ. And so my Brothers and Sisters, when we issue stewardship calls for time or talent or treasure if that is the first rung on your spiritual ladder, that call might mean something entirely different than if it comes to the ears of someone who has witnessed first hand what was done in outreach last year or what the youth did on their recent mission trip or what has been done in spiritual care.

We are not all on the same page in this spiritual journey and we never will be. Our challenge is to level the “playing field” and to always remember that Jesus Christ is at the center of it all. If you have never eaten an artichoke, you don’t know what you are missing. Looking at that strange thistle, you might stop eating before you get to the miracle of the heart. If you have never experienced the wonder of Jesus Christ or seen him in the lives of others, it is difficult to understand what “all the fuss is about” and you might stop eating before you get to the heart.

Jesus’ disciples were tired. They were worn out. Jesus invited them to rest. “And they went away to a deserted place by themselves.” People saw them and a great crowd followed. There they were, thousands waiting for a word from Christ to encourage their impoverished spirits. Isaiah tells us this morning, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” Additionally in Isaiah, “Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord; and I will heal them.” In Psalms, this morning, we are reminded, “They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that he has done.” In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” Just as it is today, there was a profound hunger for spiritual food. As we look to grow the church, we must be very careful that we don’t get involved with “techniques for growth” over feeding the hungry.

The people we try to reach are not units, they are saints. This week, there was an item in the news which stated that vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor…but like theology we make distinctions between butterscotch, strawberry, and chocolate and this is where we find little agreement. In the church we need to remember we are vanilla or Jesus Christ. Jesus recognized the spiritual hunger of the crowd. He taught them for long hours. No miracle seems to have made such an impression on the disciples as the feeding of the 5000, because this is the only miracle of Jesus which is told in all the four gospels. It has been interpreted in a number of ways. Albert Schweitzer believed that it perhaps anticipates the great feast to be held in the coming Kingdom of God. Probably there was different emphasis as the story was handed down by tradition preceding Mark. But yet we can clearly see that the disciples had been hesitant to share their limited resources and then when the meal was finished, there were enough leftovers for each one to have a full basket. Here we see the two reactions to human need—the disciples noticing the hour, wanted to be rid of the crowd and Jesus wanting to do something about the problem. The plain fact is it is always easier to let someone else take care of those in need. In these days, it is always easier to let the government raise and handle money for the poor instead of the church.

God is great and we are small. Do we dare to undertake his work? In comparison to God, our efforts are negligible. Our resources are limited. Yet God knows this and he still calls us to his side. Jesus shares knowledge and his ministry. We are called to a hungry, crying and needy world. We are asked to share what we have and in the final analysis it is faith that sustains us. God recognizes that we are lost sheep without a shepherd and yesterday He gave us our new shepherd with Bishop Marc. Soon he will give us two more shepherds—a new Presiding Bishop and a new Rector. There will be new programs—new visions—new leadership with Jesus Christ as the foundation and you my Brothers and Sisters as the saints of our faith. AMEN





July 07, 2006

Anne Jensen - July 2, 2006

Proper 8B Deut. 15:7-11, Ps. 112, 2 Cor. 8:1-9,13-15, Mark 5:22-24,35b-43

A wealth of generosity: This is a phrase Paul uses to describe the action of the Macedonians who took up a collection for the church in Jerusalem. He first shames and then uses flattery to get the Corinthians to do the same. In the process he teaches about God’s generosity through Jesus. Who for our sakes became poor. He shares this wisdom with them: “I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you…” It’s a matter of balance.

Today’s first and second readings and the psalm are perfect for a stewardship sermon. I’m going to treat stewardship lightly this morning. I encourage you to read the lessons and take them to heart. You can take the insert home and read it again during the week. Stewardship is a way of life; it goes on all year. Here at Trinity we are using the expressions, “Stewardship is everything you do with all that you have.”

It’s all about balance. “The one who had much did not have too much and the one who had little did not have too little.” This leaves us to discern what in our lives is too much, and what is too little in the lives of others.

The words of Moses in Deuteronomy and Paul to the Corinthians refer to material need, but generosity of spirit is inherent in such giving. It implies and requires an openness to the needs and ways of others.

We have a great need of such generosity within our church at all levels. Right here at Trinity I ask you to be generous with one another. If there are actions taken or statements made that seem out of order, instead of making assumptions, becoming angry or suspicious, please ask openly and without defensiveness, what the purpose or intent was. Let us treat each other as the sisters and brothers in Christ that we are.

Beyond our own congregation we are called to similar openness to the rest of the church—no easy matter in some cases.

Last week, in the wake of the General Convention, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, published a reflection called “The Challenge and Hope of Being Anglican Today.” The press has made much of a proposal he suggested—a two-tiered communion with a covenant—those who sign on are voting members; those who cannot agree to the covenant are affiliated and are in conversation and presumably in mission with the communion.

But that’s not all he said. He was emphatic about giving support to the defense of homosexual people: violence, bigotry and legal disadvantage are wrong. He also calls members to appreciate the role played in the life of the church by homosexual people.

Many people and parts of the press believe the issue is homosexuality, but it’s really about process. The issue the archbishop lays out is the question about how we make decisions corporately with other Christians looking together for the mind of Christ.
The archbishop makes a couple of points:
1. It doesn’t help to act as if the question has been resolved when in fact it hasn’t. A pointed statement to the American and Canadian churches.
2. The called-for “listening to the experience of homosexual people” hasn’t gone very far. A statement pointed to the church in parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
3. There are other fault lines, such as ordaining women.

You may have thought that the communion was going along just fine until 2003 when Gene Robinson was elected bishop of New Hampshire, but the truth is that there have been disagreements for a number of years.

One thing we must remember is that the Anglican Communion is a voluntary group, an association of local churches, not a single organization with a controlling bureaucracy like the Roman Catholic Church, so everything depends on what have been generally unspoken conventions of mutual respect. Many in the church felt these were ignored in 2003 and we have been living with the fall-out of that ever since.

The communion could just dissolve and the local churches go their own way, but the same problems exist within the local, meaning national, churches. We know that from our own country. Also the churches are bound to each other informally through networks and exchanges. For example, we have a partnership with GAIA, which is not a one-to-one church exchange, yet churches are involved.

However, at my last church, we had a partnership with a school in Uganda. The parish gave a lot of money to the school, and they were able to build a library and add a couple of classrooms. People also collected notebooks, paper, pencils, crayons and all kinds of school supplies. We were getting ready to do another project just as the archbishop of Uganda, one of the more outspoken critics of the American church, pronounced that they would not take any money from any diocese that supported Gene Robinson. Connecticut did support his election, so we asked our liaison to ask the bishop who oversaw the school if they still wanted to continue the partnership. The bishop essentially said, “Never mind what the archbishop said, we want to continue our partnership.” They needed us and that church needed to be connected to the needs of African children.

What Archbishop Rowan Williams is doing is setting the framework for a process of discernment that allows for theological discussion, something that is reasoned and open to the Holy Spirit in contrast to hardened politicized debate. We are invited into a process, one that calls for generosity of spirit and mind.

This is an uncertain time for the church and uncertainly breeds fear. Time and again in scripture we hear the words, “Do not be afraid.” In Today’s gospel Jesus says, “Fear not, only believe.” The child thought to be dead is restored to life and health. Jesus gives two commandments: “Don’t tell.” and “Give her some food.” Commentators say the food is a sign of the completion of her restoration and was probably obeyed. The other probably wasn’t. Why did he say it? The best response I can give is that this story is symbolic action—it reveals that Jesus embodies God’s power over life and death, but that the fullness of what this means wouldn’t be known until later. The healing is a sign of grace. His own death and resurrection will be the grace through which all our sins are forgiven—such is God’s generosity. We ray for such healing and restoration of our church.

As we are the recipients of this grace, we can be ministers of grace. It may mean making room for undeserved mercies for ourselves and for others in the midst of working out how we are going to live together as God’s people, being in mission for the sake of the world. It is God’s generosity that must dwell in our hearts.





July 02, 2006

Fred Heard - June 25, 2006

June 25, 2006 Sermon - Father Fred Heard
Mark 4:35-41

It is summer and countless people will be out fishing and spending time around the water all over this beautiful state and all over this special place in the world we call the west.

Even though it is summer, these beautiful days can quickly turn from beautiful to treacherous. Temperatures change, black clouds appear, the wind picks up, and the rain can come. It is time to drop the fishing poles and head home…but delay can close paths of escape and the whole situation can become life threatening. For the inexperienced, this can be an exciting adventure—very much like a snow storm in the winter. But we can learn that wind and water or snow, are powerful allies. This whole outing can turn into an adventure filled with terror. Ultimately, most people will survive and those terror filled moments will fade into memories. The Lord has brought us through a storm and we are safe. God’s care can be a lesson about life. I told you sometime ago, that I am not a fisherman and perhaps this is not on your list of things to do either and so let’s just forget about this whole fishing thing and the storm and all.

But you know what? Even on this beautiful California summer day, many of us are encountering storms. They take different forms—emotional, physical, spiritual, economic, relationships. Look at scripture and note that: Jesus calms our storms. We can recognize our human frailty in the midst of a storm and when we pray that the storm be calmed, we can see his loving concern.

In today’s Gospel, when the lake was calm, the disciples felt safe in the boat. They noticed however, as the storm took form, the boat offered them little security. Jesus was with a crowd. He spent time with those who needed to be healed and with those who needed to hear of his kingdom. Jesus was their safe boat and he offered them refuge. He often spoke in parables to help them gain insight. Jesus’ kingdom is one of grace. He gives his love to the world that we might believe in him and be saved.

Jesus is in his Galilean ministry. He has picked his disciples. He is now teaching them spiritual truths. I was a teacher for a lot of years and sometimes my students missed the point and this was true of Jesus’ disciples. Sometimes learning comes from practical experience and that is the purpose of today’s Gospel. The disciples were looking to Jesus to save them and in doing this, they were showing some faith and hope in him…while, at the same time, they were demonstrating the “littleness” of their faith. On another occasion, the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. The Lord replied, “If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Once a man asked Jesus to heal his son, “If you can…” Jesus replied, “If you are able!” It is easy to identify with the problem of having a little faith but needing more faith than we have.

It took three words to calm the storm, “Peace! Be still!” This is a demonstration of his power. Some have said they have a problem with the idea that someone could calm the storm. This isn’t “someone” we are talking about…it is Jesus Christ. Jesus did demonstrate his power on many occasions and most certainly when he rose from the dead. We hear many people in our time say they have supernatural powers, but the next time you hear that, ask them how many times they have told a storm to hush and have the storm actually obey their command?

Many of these disciples were fishermen and they had encountered rough seas on numerous occasions. Even the veteran sailors lost control of the ship. When they cried out however, Jesus heard them and he responded even though he taught them a lesson at the same time. You see Jesus hears people who call out for help in the middle of the storms of their lives…and the question, I guess, is do we—do you—hear people who call out for help in the middle of the storms of their lives? Or even more importantly, as the storms form in our lives who is there to offer us security and to lend a helping hand? N. Graham Standish writes in Discovering the Narrow Path, a Guide to Spiritual Balance, “…the mystical life is not a life spent only in prayer and seeking. It is a life of service. The mystics all were grounded in love, and their love needed to be expressed in their service. Mother Teresa served the poor in Calcutta. George Muller served orphans in England. Francis of Assisi served the poor in Italy and around the Mediterranean. Brother Lawrence humbly served others in his community by working in the kitchen. Frank Laubach served by teaching reading to the poor in the Philippines. The particular service is not as important as the actual act of serving.

Thomas a Kempis has said, “Without love good works are worthless, but with love they become wholly rewarding no matter how small and insignificant they may seem. Jesus did care for the disciples. He still cares for each of us in our stormy lives. What storms are out there in your world? There are storms that strike suddenly, without warning—hurricanes, fires, earthquakes which as we learned with Katrina bring destruction to property and death, to friends and relatives. There are the storms of failing health and old age which frustrate the mind and reduce the effectiveness of the body. There are storms in our households which threaten families—unrest between children, disagreements between husbands and wives, unpaid bills and unproductive jobs. There are storms which threaten our faith— when we grow tired of living and think about ending our life, when God seems distant and uninterested in our welfare. Jesus cares. But do we as the Christian community?

It is easy to care about the victims of Katrina or the victims of a tsunami—these are the disasters of headlines. But what about the old lady who needs a ride to church? What about the person who needs a ride to the doctor’s office? What about the brother or sister who needs to go to a grocery store? What about the person who is confined to home who just needs a visit? What about the person who signs up for “meals on wheels” simply because that means someone will deliver the meal and they will have company once a day? Do we dismiss these Brothers and Sisters because they are simply “too needy?” Do we even know they exist? Do we care? Some months ago, I was preaching and I think the topic was stewardship and a younger person whispered to his mother that I was getting ready to ask for money and I never did and boy was he surprised. Well today, you might think I am going to ask for your time and you are right.

You know a study was announced this week which showed that the word “time” is the most used noun in our vocabulary. “We don’t have time to do this”…There isn’t enough time…I ran out of time”…”You must get this done on time”…”Time is running out”…time…time…time.

My dear Brothers and Sisters, time is running out. The examples I have just given are real—they are not imagined and they are real within our community at Holy Trinity. We build buildings. We go on mission trips. We sing songs. We plan Sunday School Curriculum. We plan the future for our Memorial Garden. We eat. We play. We learn. We preach. We also hurt. We are needy. We need boats to save us from the storms in our lives. This week, I have gone to the cupboard looking for volunteers to meet needs within our community here in Menlo Park and it is bare. Soon and very soon, we are going to have to decline requests for rides to church or the doctor or the grocery store. Jesus answered the disciple’s frantic prayer with a definite, decisive command, “Peace! Be still.” Jesus’ commands were followed by a great calm. Then he asks the soul searching questions, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"

Those who call on us for help should not feel the pain we are feeling as we attempt to meet their needs. If they believe they are a burden, we will never hear from them again and that is why it is so easy to abuse and mistreat this part of society’s community…because ignored, they will simply retreat and that is what insincere politicians have discovered. Unlike younger people there will be no protests and the end will come and we can just put it out of our minds. Please accept these words as your call to ministry. Ask yourselves if you as God’s people have faith to completely trust him as he presents his power and divine will to you in your lives. It is not good enough to mouth the words of compassion—Jesus calls you to believe with total trust. Jesus calls for passion when working with his community. When the storms of life approach you or your neighbor, turn to Jesus Christ. Rely on him always…and always remember as you pick up your brothers and sisters, He is there to help you carry the burden. I am reminded of that old theme from Father Flannigan’s Boys Town as one boy is carrying the lame boy he says, “He ain’t heavy Father, he’s my brother.” AMEN





 
 
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