Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Here is my response to Fr. Russ’s homily Sunday July 13, 2008:

I was as glad he gave us some thoughts on St. Paul’s use of the word sarks (flesh) as our Rector had mentioned it the previous week, but I was still mystified as to how to understand it. Now I am beginning to understand that for me the word has to do with how "flesh" is an analogy for all in the world that distracts me from experiencing the "spirit". So that when I am most in the company of Jesus, his spirit inhabits my being and keeps me freshly present to him. That is what is going on with me as my "flesh" battles for my attention but I am freed to be in his spirit when attending to his company.

We also talked in reflection time about the soil receiving the seed that stands for the word of God in the gospel reading. How that seed can grow in the good soil that is our lives. With all the gardners around me (I have four good gardners just in my own family!) I found it helpful to consider the many ways I can make the soil that is me fertile and ready to take the seed in and nurture its growth. John Staples

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Many wrestled with the Romans text (about "I do not do what I want.") after coffee hour in the Reflection group. I had arrogantly ignored it. Been there, and so forth. Then was brought into the argument, intrigued, and loved the discussion. Namely, I get how intensely I experience in myself and others a transforming power as we practice Jesus' presence in worship. Here he teaches me how"reframeable" (ask John Austin) the dark side of my life is, and does sore frame my every molecule.

This is not where our preacher went with her sermon (Could be titled"God the Matchmaker"). However, it illuminated Paul well for me. God is the matchmaker, the one who chooses us and chooses to make us whole in our being as we are wed to him. Now it seems to me Paul is saying that our condition is repaired, not by what we do with our bad aims in life, but what God does with us from our very beginnings to fix our bad aim.

The other analogy in the sermon that stirred my imagination was about the "easy yoke". Explained for me how the yoke is easy because it is double, and the other ox is Jesus (well, that's not how she said it). I am going to practice this easy yoke for the rest of the week.

John Staples

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

This week's sermon , preached by Margaret McGee, dealt with the infamous and disturbing story of Abraham and Isaac. It contained the necessary elements that make for great stories - violence and steamy romance....You'll have to read it to understand the implications hinted at here :)

Margaret heard the voice of a prophet in the form of her doctor. Who are the prophets in my life? And yours? And do we want to listen to their unwelcome words?

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

The title of this sermon was The Fire in Our Bones. And after listening to E+ recite the list of the fates of the apostles I wondered just how much burning fire I truly have shut up in these bones of mine?