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Author Archive: Frannie K : Return to Main
June 27, 2010
2489Frannie Hall Kieschnick -- June 27, 2010
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May 09, 2010
2475Frannie Hall Kieschnick -- May 9, 2010
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April 11, 2010
2453Frannie Hall Kieschnick -- April 11, 2010
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January 04, 2010
2371Sermon -- Frannie Keischnick January 3, 2010
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September 20, 2009
2237Sermon - Frannie Kieschnick - Sept 20, 2009
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July 19, 2009
2138Frannie Kieschnick - July 19, 2009
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July 12, 2009
2139Frannie Kieschnick - July 12, 2009
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May 15, 2009
2094Frannie Kieschnick - May 15, 2009
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February 03, 2008
1649Frannie Hall Keischnick - Feb 3, 2008
In Les Miserables, Jean Valjean, hardened by 19 years of hard labor, has stolen precious silver from the bishop who has welcomed him into his home, fed him, and given him a bed. Valjean has been captured and returned by his captors to face the bishop who adds two candlesticks to the recovered bag of silver and says:
Remember this, my brother,
See in this some higher plan
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for God.
The bishop’s words of forgiveness and hope and challenge change Valjean forever.
Whether they call us to new life or crush us, we are shaped by the voices to which we listen.
That is the message in this morning’s lessons, especially of the Transfiguration- we usually associate the Transfiguration with the sight of a transfigured Jesus-today I want to reflect on the sound of his voice.
You have heard the story often-of how the disciples and Jesus climb the mountaintop to find God in prayer. What they find is Jesus transfigured –his clothes glistening white-no more dust of Galilee only bright white light. And not only is Jesus there, but Moses, the symbol of the law and Elijah the symbol of the prophets are there-past, present and future focused in that moment.
Moses, Elijah, Jesus. All three known for defining moments; transformative moments in their lives. Moments where they are called by the very voice of God.
That day on the mountaintop they all hear the words God spoke at Jesus baptism, "This is my beloved in whom I am well pleased". But it doesn’t end there, and that makes all the difference. Do you remember? Did you hear it? What the voice said next? "LISTEN TO HIM!"
What was he saying? What did they hear over and over again above the din and cry of the voices in their hearts, the voices of the oppressing forces of Rome, the heartless religious leaders. "You are beloved. You who are poor and hunger for justice, you whose hearts are breaking at the suffering you live with, you are blessed for God is with you-God’s kingdom has broken in to this moment and you are blessed."
I live with a committee of voices within me-you may recognize them. They are the ones who say, "you are a failure, you are a bad mother, spouse, friend" (you fill in the blank)-they are the voices placed there by relationships, not necessarily but often abusive ones, by the "isms" of the culture-sexism, racism, ageism…by the messages of institutions- yes even the church. The ones Frederick Buechner calls the "great blaring boring voices of mass culture."
When I hear those voices I try to remember today’s story –
When I am counseling, and someone tells me about their "committee", the inner and outer voices-familiar to us all.
I try to say to them as I say to myself, "Of all the voices in your life, the voices from family, from the culture or from any institution including the church, listen to Jesus and no other.Take your cue from his voice. Hear your calling from his voice. Hear your hope in his voice."
When you are confused, doubting or despairing, when you have been told you are less than or not enough or incapable or unloved, when the church or the nation or the culture tell you to do something, or think something, that will be destructive to yourself or to others, listen instead to the voice of Jesus-the voice of compassion, the voice of mercy, the voice of forgiveness, the voice of justice, the voice of peace, the still, small voice of God.
Jesus spoke through words –mostly stories, through community’s healing touch, through fellowship at a table to which all are invited, all are welcomed. That is why we gather in community. That is why we come together in fellowship around the Holy Table - to taste the Kingdom of God, where all are loved-equally and unconditionally.
But let us not kid ourselves. It’s not always easy to discern the voice of Jesus. That's another reason to gather together, to listen together - to name the false voices - To hold one another accountable to Jesus' call - to be instruments for the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom.
Jesus is in the news these days. But these days Jesus is associated with a judgmental, condemning God. We hear those voices within and we think they are God’s voice. They are not! You are not a fake, you are not a failure, you are not unworthy, you are loved - you are loved. Which brings me to a story about my son Jordan and Josetta Walsh, dear Josetta who with Kris Goodrich founded the Child and Family Institute many years ago.
I was in my office at church and Jordie was at Meadow Time at the Institute. I had a feeling I should check in - you know the way parents have those feelings. I went over and found Josetta Walsh sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around my toddler son who was having a huge tantrum. Over and over she was saying, in her Josetta voice, "you are loved, Jordie you are loved." Even when he relaxed and became still and peaceful in her arms, she repeated, "you are loved you are loved". The voice of Jesus.
Jesus, these days, has been hijacked by the radical Right who tell you how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Well I am here to tell you I do have a personal relationship with Jesus-in fact, many of you have heard me say, I have a huge crush on Jesus, but like Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, sometimes "I just don’t know how to love him."
But a personal relationship is different from a privatized one. Jim Wallis, Ed Bacon, Richard Rohr, all progressive religious leaders, all talk about the fundamental difference - A privatized relationship never gets translated into the communal, nor to any concern for the common good. There is no sense that the beloved community is universal, there is no call to exercise responsibility for the common good. There is no emphasis on true test of what it means to be a Christian - when you love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself. And "neighbor" is always understood by Jesus to mean anyone in need.
What does this mean for us? Today... as we live our lives in today’s world, our's may be the only voice of Jesus someone hears this week. Like the Bishop who spoke those words of forgiveness and challenge and changed Valjean forever, God calls us to be that voice to others. Who is in our life who needs to hear that voice? Who will God bring to us this week, needing to hear those words of unconditional love, speaking the deepest truth, that we are all worthy, all children of God, all beloved? Who needs to hear, through word and deed, that God has raised you out of darkness - you are God’s own - God’s beloved!
Does this sound like a challenge? Oh yes, but the same voice that kept those disciples going down from the mountaintop, to Calvary and beyond, that same voice speaks to us from the deepest places of our souls, where no din of blaring, banal, messages from outside can penetrate. Remember his words, spoken on another mountain in the beginning of his ministry, "blessed are you," he said. "Joyful are you." He wasn’t talking about some far-off day. He was talking about that moment. Although you may be poor, you already stand in the Kingdom with God. You have already felt the touch of the one who says "be not afraid." Let us listen to him!
AMEN
November 18, 2007
1546Frannie Kieschnick - Nov 18, 2007
I do not like airplanes. I love traveling to far away places but flying makes me fearful and anxious. Especially after 9/11, it often finds me separated from my stomach and clutching the armrests. On a recent flight, the turbulence was especially troubling- I usually find some reassurance by checking to see that the flight attendants are showing no signs of panic, but there were none in sight - so slightly panicked, I pulled out my traveling Bible At this point my seat mate leaned over and asked, "Do you know something we don't know?"
These are turbulent times- We are on an exciting new journey at Trinity and yet our beloved rector is ill. We live in a beautiful, prosperous community and yet life's pressures take their toll. There is violence and injustice at home and abroad. An oil spill has badly damaged beaches and wildlife and if that isn't enough, Yale lost to Harvard in the big game.
What to say then, on this Stewardship Sunday, in anticipation of Thanksgiving on Thursday, in the face of an unknown future and present doubts? People of God at Trinity we do know something and that can make all the difference.
We know that surely our God will save us, we can trust in God and not be afraid.For our God whom Jesus proclaimed and Jesus knew, is gentle, loving and generous. Our God calls us to live not out of fear and guilt but out of gratitude and hope.
A reading from the short quiz called "Are you ready to talk about money in your church? "
When the preacher begins a sermon on stewardship your first thought is:
A: Did I leave the oven on ?
B: I'm so glad my shallow materialistic neighbor is here to hear this.
C: I wonder what God might have to say to me today about the stewardship of my treasure, my talent and time.
D: OK , just try to convince me!
If your answer was C I wonder what God might have to say to me today then be assured that this preacher is not going to argue that Paul's advice to avoid certain believers living in idleness and Jesus's dire predictions are God's way of saying you should increase your pledge, or else.
Some who call themselves believers do just that using fear and guilt to convince or motivate others. But their God is not our God. No fear tactics or guilt trips here. For we know a Jesus who said, Perfect love, casts out fear. Who said, Do not be afraid. I will be with you always.We may not always experience his presence but we will never be separated from his love.
The lessons today talk about what we know as disciples and followers of Jesus- they show us a way- and it is what fills me with gratitude and hope,despite the fears we face, the challenges we endure, the future we do not know...
Paul says to the congregation of Thessalonika, believers, you know how to imitate me. You are capable of talking the talk, but not all are walking the walk. What good is the gospel if only lip service is paid to it.Some are practicing idleness, not godliness Hang in there. Don't stop practicing godliness and doing what is right.
In the gospel, the disciples, terrified by Jesus predictions, want to know when the end of times will come and what sign there will be, Don't we all! But Jesus turns their attention on what they need to know in the time being. He says, there is no get out of jail free card. Even for his followers, there will be struggles and choices but these will be moments of truth for they are opportunities to give witness in word and work to the eternal love of God.
I want my children's generation to grow up in a safe and comfortable world, but I want them to know that safety and prosperity are not always the highest values. Those saints, like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Teresa who have loved God's world with exuberant joy and aching lament did not escape suffering. And yet they lived extraordinary lives. They practiced godliness, They practiced compassion and they gave thanks for the chances to do just that.
They knew something. It is something we know but do not necessarily live. God's home is not in buildings, possessions and institutions, but in the love of our hearts and the generosity and compassion of our actions. What would it mean if we considered turbulence and suffering in our lives,and in the world, as opportunities to give witness in word and work to the eternal love of God, the love from which nothing can separate us, If we lived not out of fear and guilt but out of gratitude and hope?
Would we do things, say things, give things differently?
Jesus says, Make up your minds not to prepare in advance for I will give you words and wisdom. I don't know about you, but I can relate to the Gospel according to Peanuts cartoon where Charlie Brown has just dropped the baseball and Lucy is looming over him, hands on her hips, shouting "What do you have to say for yourself" Charlie Brown looks out and says, "Isn't this where Jesus is supposed to give me the words?"
I don't know about you but there are plenty of times in my life when Jesus' words and wisdom do not seem to be coming to me. That is why Jesus says, at the end, by your endurance you will gain your souls. Hang in there. Stay with it. Through it all, I will be with you. By your constant diligence,by practicing the presence of God all along the way you will gain your souls.
In his Cotton Patch version of Luke, Clarence Jordan translates the words- "you will gain your souls" - to, "you will find a new dimension to life. Your life will be rooted in the eternal -you will live out of a sacred space -and God will live through you, Christ's spirit will speak through you."
How do we find the inner strength to endure? It comes from doing what God means us to do in life despite fear, doubt and even death .It comes from the God of all comfort and strength who in Paul's words gives us sufficient capacity so that when we are knocked down, we are not knocked out. It comes through acts of compassion.
A story is told about Christians who were prisoners of war. Early on they prayed regularly, read their Bibles and made a great effort to maintain their faith. But as their conditions worsened their faith began to waver. So the men turned to the care of those who were suffering most.It was here in acts of compassion for the weakest among them that the spark of faith began to glow again and their faith was shown to be alive.
Could it be that compassion then is both the source and manifestation of inner strength. Could it be that what we must do to stand when others are falling, in the midst of turmoil and trials, is to choose to show compassion. How contrary to the conventional wisdom of how we deal with turbulent times. But that is why we are here - gathering together, growing together. Not just to survive but to thrive.
What if we understood the pledges we make this day to be acts of compassion-expressions of God's love in the very midst of life- given to a faith community whose mission is just that, acts of compassion. What if we understood Thanksgiving to be an opportunity to give witness in word and work to the eternal love of God. What a difference it would make!
May we live and choose not out of fear but out of hope, to live compassionate Christ like lives.. AMEN
Let us pray-
O Master let me walk with thee, In lowly paths of service free, Teach me thy secret, help me bear, The strain of toil, the fret of care...Teach me thy patience, still with thee, In closer dearer company, In work that keeps faith sweet and strong, In trust that triumphs over wrong. In hope that sends a shining ray, Far down the future's broadening ways. In peace that only thou canst give, With thee O master, let me live.
(Washington Gladden)
November 26, 2006
1089Frannie Kieschnick - Nov 26, 2006
The Sunday after Thanksgiving Day - Rev Frannie Kieschnick
(Audio recording coming soon)
The early Church believed that the end of time was imminent-that soon very soon the King of Glory would come- but they found themselves as we do living in the meantime- as people of faith-how do we live in the meantime- They tried to make him a king but Jesus said, "For this I was born, to testify to the truth- and what is that truth- God is love-Thanks be to God."
The story is told of two friends who bumped into one another on the street one day. One of them looked especially forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked him, “What has happened. What has the world done to you, that you should be so sad?” His forlorn friend replied, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, an aunt died and left me $10,000.” “Well, well. That’s a lot of money!” “But two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew, passed away leaving me $20,000 free and clear.” “Sounds like you have been incredibly blessed!” “Just wait. Last week I learned I had inherited $100,000.” Now his friend was really confused. Then why do you look so glum?” “This week...nothing!”
That is the trouble with receiving something on a regular basis. Even if it is a gift. We eventually come to expect it! There is actually a word for this these days, it is called entitlement--a whole bunch of parents on the peninsula are very concerned about their own children acquiring this mindset not realizing that we can all fall victim to it- it is an attitude that permeates our community, our nation and even our international relations. It is a problem.
What can we do. What is the antidote for this epidemic- the antidote for this attitude of entitlement?
The antidote is a daily dose of gratitude- It is an attitude of gratitude-the attitude not only practiced by people of faith but required of people of faith. Scripture is filled with injunctions to be grateful. In Colossians we hear, "Put on the garments that suit God’s chosen people, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. And be filled with gratitude. Let the message of Christ dwell among you in all its richness." In Philippians, "Have no worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.".
Perhaps you are so filled with worry there is no room for gratitude, perhaps you aren’t feeling blessed this day. Perhaps, hard as you try, you cannot see the gifts that God has given you. Maybe the pain in your life has overwhelmed you to the point where you cannot no longer see how blessed you are. Or perhaps you have been so blessed that even those blessings don’t feel as blessed any more.
The truth is, the world has had a hard year. Locally we have had a hard year-many of us have had hard years-lots of loss-close relatives and beloved mentors have died, jobs have been lost, health has deteriorated-
But it is the Sunday after Thanksgiving-we are supposed to give thanks- we are people of faith it is what is required of us.
So what do we do? One thing we do is to gather together to make Eucharist-which means in Greek "give thanks." In a way we could say that Thanksgiving day is Eucharist day when we practice giving thanks- we give thanks consciously, intentionally for all that God has given us in our lives-when we say thank you to God and one another for the gift of every moment of life and love in this world and then next. I don’t ‘know about you all but in my house it is the only meal of the entire year when everyone is willing to take a moment to hold hands and give thanks before diving in.
It is not a new idea, giving thanks; giving thanks even for apparent tragedy and trusting god to be god. Thousands of years ago, the Jewish people formulated blessings (berakah) for every circumstance of their lives. Good news comes, "then blessed be the one who is good and does good." Bad news comes-"then blessed be the judge of truth!" Humankind had a duty to pronounce blessing on the bad as well as the good in life, because all life came from God. The Talmud says, "It is forbidden to taste of this world without a blessing!"
Let me tell you about a man named George- he has had more than his share of life’s hell, especially in recent years What puzzles all his friends is that he is so inexplicably cheerful-and in a way that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. There’s nothing forced about his upbeat spirit, he say there are basically three responses to life, “Damn!”, “Help!”, and “Thank you”. He’s tried them all. The first one he describes as something like pouring all your energy down the drain. The second is appropriated more often than he would like. But it is the third that produce the most mileage. He says, “I faced a lot of bad stuff in my life, including death, and I decided I might as well live, and lives as gratefully as I could. Every day’s a gift, and I don’t want to waste it in either cynicism or self pity.”
Our challenge then this Thanksgiving weekend and every day is to say "thank you" to God for the whole mess-the things we welcome as well as the things we wish we could escape. For all that we experience is an invitation to draw closer to God, and God is constantly drawing closer to us. God goes with us everywhere; there is no corner of our lives where God is not present. Difficult as that often is to believe, let alone remember!
Sometimes we have to work our way through the "damn!" and "help!" before getting to gratitude and it’s often a struggle to get to that grateful place when life is particularly hard and unfair. No one said it would be easy. In fact in the face of tragedy and evil, gratitude is the hardest spiritual practice of all.
- it is all about the radical conversion of a woman, Sara, who visited St. Gregory’s in the city, took communion, found Jesus and heard a call to feed others in Jesus' name by establishing food pantries all across the city. When people come to the pantry they often ask her to pray for them. In one passage, Sara describes a middle aged couple who have found sobriety a little to late for their daughter a broken and bitter girl whose life had been made hell by her parent’s drinking. They are fervent AA members now but they are consumed by guilt about their child, much as Sara was about the years her own daughter, Katie, had been lonely and worried, when Sara had been going through her own troubles. Sara writes, "Katie was thriving now, unafraid and sunny. I had to believe that the hurt places in her and my inadequacies were not defining who she could become. that our lives were not about avoiding pain at all costs but about going through it, together and finding gratitude for the experience.'God', I said after a long time holding hands with the couple, 'thank you for healing; for new life after all, and thank you especially for the dark years. Thank you for everything that works in the dark.'”
It is hard to feel gratitude in a society that encourages us to want more, to be greedy for more, to compare ourselves to others-that fills us with a sense of entitlement that won’t let go- just check the advertisements for post Thanksgiving sales. Greed grabs, gratitude receives. That is why it can seem like a radical, subversive reaction to life.
Gratitude takes nothing for granted.
Gratitude unleashes the imagination. It defies the messages of the world and of others.
Gratitude is irrational, Unnerving, Life changing.
So let us be thankful that we don’t already have everything we want for we have something to look forward to.
Let us be thankful that we don’t know something for it gives us an opportunity to learn.
Let us be thankful for our limitations, because they give us opportunities for improvements and to depend on others.
Let us be thankful for each new challenge for it can build character and strength.
Let us be thankful when we are tired or weary, because it might mean that we were able to make a difference.
Let us be thankful even for our mistakes, for they teach us valuable lessons and God's unconditional love.
To be grateful is to remember and recognize the love of God in everything God has given us and God has given us everything...So let us be on the lookout for God and ready with our chorus, “This week....Everything! “
Thanks be to God. Amen.
November 06, 2005
644Rev. Frannie Kieschnick - The Sunday after All Saints Day
The Sunday after All Saints Day - November 6, 2005
Trinity Parish - The Rev. Frannie Hall Kieschnick
After a long and painful illness, a young mother died leaving her husband and a 6 year old son. His own grief notwithstanding, the young father tried to comfort and support his son but felt utterly helpless. The Memorial Service came and went and father and son found themselves at home alone. There was nothing to do but go to bed but sleep eluded both of them. Unable to bear the sound of his boy beginning to cry again, the young father slipped under the covers with him wrapping his weeping child in his arms.
Finally, the tears stopped and then out of the silence the boy asked- "Daddy, is your face turned toward me?" "Yes, my little, one it is." "Then I think I can sleep."
In the darkness of our lives, in the despair, the pain and suffering of our grief and loss, we too arrive at that place where there is no sleep, no comfort, only tears and we too cry, "God is your face turned toward me?" We long for comfort not only for ourselves, but for our loved ones, for the victims of wars, of natural disasters, of disease.
How blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
That particular Beatitude stands out today for not only do we stand in the midst of a grieving world (we just marked the death of the 2000th Americn soldier in Iraq, not to mention the injured or the Iraqis lost) but we celebrate the Sunday after All Saints Day. One of the things the Church invites us to do on this major feast day is to mourn. I have to say, this year, it seems like especially good timing, for there is much to mourn far and near. Later we will read the necrology-the list of those who have died and for whom we have prayed during the last 12 months of our life together. And we will mourn their loss.
I remember as a child growing up in the church, hearing the words "in the multitude of thy saints thou hast compassed us about with so great a cloud a witnesses that we, rejoicing in their fellowship, may run with endurance the race that is set before us." Of course I didn't understand all those words, I just loved the image of the great cloud of witnesses- in my imagination I saw billowing white clouds filled with angelic faces smiling down at the whole world.
God if your face is turned toward me, then maybe then I can survive, I can move on, I can run the race set before me. God if your face is turned toward us, then maybe your world can survive maybe we can move toward shalom, justice and peace for all your children.
There is a deep and universal truth about pain, suffering and loss. That truth has found expression from the prophets to Jesus to Elizabeth Kubler Ross (God rest her soul) to the experts on post traumatic stress. The truth is- if pain suffering and loss are not grieved, one cannot move forward. Without grief there is no newness of life.
Joan Didion has written a moving memoir called The Year of Magical Thinking. It is about the first year after her first husband's death then five months later her daughter's death. I commend it to you all-Keplers has 70 more copies on order! At one point in the book, Joan Didion quotes an English anthropoligist describing in his 1965 book on grief the contemporary rejection of public mourning as a result of the increasing pressure of a new ethical duty to enjoy oneself. He observed that the trend was to treat mourning as a morbid self-indulgence, and to give social admiration to the bereaved who hide their grief so fully that no one would guess anything had happened.
At her best, the Church has not listened to the trends of the time! And so we gather and we do grieve. I want to point out here that churches are very good places to weep as well- and let's remember that tears of joy are welcome too.
The pupil comes to the rebbe and asks, "Why does Torah tell us to place the words upon your hearts and not in your hearts? The rebbe answers, "It is because, as we are, our hearts are closed and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay until one day, the heart breaks and the holy words fall in."
A poet once wrote, A great pain has humanized my soul. Those who are not numb in the face of their own grief or the grief in the world are those who are more fully human and humane. Those who have been comforted are those who seek to comfort others.
Today on All Saints, we place our grief in the context of that great cloud of witnesses known as the communion of saints-the community of saints. As Christians we believe that the community of faith in this life is united with the community of those who have died, have passed through death and now live in the greater life where they see God face to face in the light of eternity. Although our relationship with them is different from our relationship with one another in this life, we are not separated from them. Thomas Merton said, our relationship is not over, it is changed. They surround us like a cloud. We hold hands with them across eternity. We believe that when we experience our mourning in the context of the communion or community of the saints, then we can be comforted for in and through them we know that God's face is turned toward us. and so we sing, "We feebly struggle, they in glory shine, yet all are one in thee, for all are thine- Alleluia."
Those of you who have known me for a while have heard me talk about the balcony people in our lives. I believe in balcony people. People who cheer us on both in this life and from the life to come. They are the ones who lean over and yell from the balcony of hearts, "Go for it. You can do it. I believe in you." They remind us of true happiness not what the world defines as happiness. They proclaim, "Great is the joy in heaven when we work to be true to who GOD made us to be- workers for healing reconciliation justice peace." They sing our song when we forget the words. We may never have met them. They aren't necessarily even aware of us nor that they are present in our balcony but they are part of the communion of saints who encompass each of us with grace. They are the ones in the darkness whose faces we see turned toward us challenging us, comforting us, calling us into our fullest self, into the full stature of Christ.
Let me tell you some stories of this communion of saints linking us in this life and across eternity with a grace that sets us free to participate in the coming of God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaking at the funeral of Rosa Parks, this week Hillary Clinton said, "We all need to remember that we can all have Rosa Parks moments. Every time we stand up for someone who is being mistreated, every time we turn away from prejudice and bigotry, every time we support those who are on the front lines fighting for our rights, we are part of Rosa Parks and her legacy." The communion of saints links us to a grace that sets us free.
If you think you have to be wealthy and powerful to be a philanthropist or have a building named after you think again. Last year, the Community Foundation of Silicon Valley honored Bill Gates for his philanthropic reach. This year it honored a 16 year old boy known as JW who lost his fight to cancer this summer. A foundation spokesperson said about their choice of someone who wasn't an executive, On the local level we haven't seen anyone else who's been able to give back like this. His dream was to build a home away from home for families of gravely ill patients and it is about to come true. Although the volunteers say that it has been different with him gone, they look down at the blue wristbands children sold for the project and remember his little sense of humor, how he was telling everyone it would be OK and never give up and they say, "let's get this house built!" The communion of saints links us to grace.
How can I stand in this pulpit, where I stood when I could still hold my children in my arms, and not remember Trinity's saints who have gone before us- Melanie, who inspired more people to come to church than any ad campaign ever -Sam, who was the one who really ran the parish-Wilma, whose flower arrangements Martha couldn't rival.
Each of us today holds in our hearts those who have gone before whom we mourn and yet who live on in our hearts and through our lives, who lean over the balconies of our hearts and call us into our true selves as individuals and as faith community.
One more thing about this God whose face is turned toward us. It is about God's heart and It is what I believe in the deepest places of my soul. Preaching at his son Alex's memorial service, Bill said,
"A dear soul brought me a casserole a few nights ago and said to me she couldn't understand the will of God. I took her by the shoulders, and I told her that it was not my God's will that Alex should die. When Alex's car sank beneath the waves in Boston Harbor, my God's heart was the first to break."
It doesn't matter what our wound or pain or suffering may be. It may be cancer. It may be a dying spouse. It may be doubt, anger, shame or depression or addiction or disappointment or anxiety. It may be the loss of someone dear to us. It may be the pain of the world's suffering or horror at the world's hatred. It may be oppression and injustice. Whatever it is, through Christ, we know that God's face is turned toward us, guiding us into the circle the community of saints, inviting us to be healed and to move forward into the newness that is God's desire for each of us, calling us to listen to our balcony people who believe in us and call to us to turn our faces toward God!
How blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Thanks be to God.
Recent Sermons
- Frannie Hall Kieschnick -- June 27, 2010
- Frannie Hall Kieschnick -- May 9, 2010
- Frannie Hall Kieschnick -- April 11, 2010
- Sermon -- Frannie Keischnick January 3, 2010
- Sermon - Frannie Kieschnick - Sept 20, 2009
- Frannie Kieschnick - July 19, 2009
- Frannie Kieschnick - July 12, 2009
- Frannie Kieschnick - May 15, 2009
- Frannie Hall Keischnick - Feb 3, 2008
- Frannie Kieschnick - Nov 18, 2007
- Frannie Kieschnick - Nov 26, 2006
- Rev. Frannie Kieschnick - The Sunday after All Saints Day
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