Readings:

Isaiah  56, 1-7,  I will bring them to my holy mountain.

 Psalm 67,   Oh, God, Let all the nations praise you.

Romans1, 13-15, 29-32  I am speaking to you Gentiles.

Matthew  15, 21-28,  It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.

 

Isaiah 56 observations:

As soon as you see Isaiah, chapter 56, you know some things, if you are into the study of the Bible and especially  of Isaiah, my favorite.

1.  Isaiah 56 is Isaiah 3, chapter 56-66, the end of the book of Isaiah.
2.  Isaiah 3 is put together after the Babylonian Captivity, that is, around 555 before Christ.
3.  The Israelites have returned to Jerusalem, a totally destroyed, depressed city.
4. Therefore, it is plausible to expect Isaiah 3 to be trying to lift up the spirits of the people.  This he does, consoling the people with promises of a better time.   Note: the better days are conditional on good behavior.  Ever think of how our whole redemption story is conditional? Not much unconditional love.   In other words, if you want my love and favor, behave.

Matthew:

I think I will pass on commenting on this gospel.  I don't like it.  I only partially understand the culture Matthew was dealing with in the story.  And most of the commentaries simply try to explain away how harsh the story is. 

 

Them I will bring to my holy mountain

Of all the lines in the readings this morning, the line that touches me the most talks about bringing the people to the holy mountain.  I am touched for two reasons.

First, you know how much I love to go camping in the mountains, and especially the mountains of Yosemite and the Sierras.  In fact, on the 2^nd of September about 8 of us are headed to Kings Canyon, one of two parks just south of Yosemite, to do our annual 10 day back packing trip.

Secondly, the mountain is a metaphor for the state of peace. 

I would like to suggest two observations about going to the mountain of peace.

First, we get there easier and with greater happiness with others.

Secondly, sometimes the mountain is not what we expect or remember from a previous visit.

 

Three little stories of the week. 

Probably July of 2004, as usual, I took a group of 8 guys to my favorite hike in Yosemite.  I call it the Matterhorn Canyon trip. On about the 4^th day we have to hike over Burro Pass, about 11 K feet.  There are three passes on this trip.  Two are called Burro and this one is in the middle.  Matterhorn Canyon is precisely where we camped out for the night. 

We get up and go up the canyon and then up switch backs non-stop for a few hours. It is hard on everyone.  On this trip it is especially hard on one guy.  He is out of shape and gasping for breath.  I am afraid he is not going to make it.

So I get to the pass, dump my pack, return down the switch backs, take his pack, and up we go together.  We make it.  Over the pass and below is my most favorite campsite in the whole world.  We set off and get there, too.

Sitting around the fire that evening, I had a strong sense of accomplishment, contentment, and peace.  I was able to help someone to the top who might not have made it otherwise. This is on top of the fact that I am in heaven.

The second story takes place on the same favorite hike, Matterhorn Canyon, but in 2009.  This time guess who is having the rough time, not because of being out of shape.  The hips are shot.

That year I could go up, but just walking was rough and going down was really rough.  I had to borrow two ski poles.  Rose Banzhaf loaned me the poles and walked with me.  Mike Moran helped me get across streams and watched out for me.

The last morning after an 8 mile hike out, everyone has already been at the little restaurant at the trail head and I am just hobbling along, Rose sticking with me.  At about a mile out, I surrender and Rose calls for help from a car.  Tom & Daniel Fleming come to the rescue.  I will always remember the sight of Daniel coming toward me to take my backpack.

I had made it to the peace of the mountain.  I just needed help to get down.  Still peaceful.  Then, the decision was easy.  I got new hips within 5 months.  And last year we visited my favorite Matterhorn Canyon for the first time.  Talk about gratitude and peace.

The third little story comes from the Matterhorn trip last year.  I was longing to return to that favorite campsite after coming over Burro Pass.  We got there and I am saying, “This can’t be it.”  The campsite, which I have used perhaps 6 times, was a wreck, trees all knocked down, the stream following a different course.  It was the campsite.  60 mile an hour straight line winds had passed through and seemed to hit just that spot especially hard.

We camped there even though I was bummed.  I could see the places where I could remember some of our people camping in previous years.  But it was a mess. 

We spent a whole day there and with time I discovered that across the creek was a really nice level campsite.  That will be for next time.

Two thoughts. 

It is so nice to climb the mountain of peace with company, and even to come down.

The mountain may not be what I expected.  But peace can still be found by searching around.

Where is your mountain and who are your companions on the climb?

 

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 40, 1-5, 9-11, Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God (one of the most beautiful readings.)    This marvelous selection from Isaiah will be dramatized by Handel's Messiah, sections 1-4

Psalm 85, Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us our salvation.

2 Peter 3, 8-14,   Beloved, be eager to be found without spot or blemish.

Mark 1, 1-8, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

 

 

Have a Blessed & Happy Advent.

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda, 

Readers,  Connie & John Bresson  & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Mike Carrell 

Homily,   Deacon Mike Carrell

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Mike & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

 

Our beloved Deacon Mike Carrell.

 

 

Download Reading Week 2 Advent

 

Download Mike's Homily 12-6-2020

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Paul & Carrie recuperating, plus her ex, Larry;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine; For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

 

 

Tranquility.

 

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For John O'Donnell;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; for a little 4 month old boy undergoing an operation, from Barbara;  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Making Magic, Hue & Rich.

 

 

Birthdays:  Fred Jansky 73 & Patricia 20 years smoke free, Noah Thompson 24, TC Fleming, & Loretta

Anniversaries:

Tom & Denni, 45th

 

Mike at prayer!

 

 

Becky's List: View this photo
 

 

Community Finances, December 6, 2020

Expenses: $1300.00

Outreach   $225.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

When this is over, may we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger

Full shelves at the store

Conversations with neighbors

A crowded theatre

Friday night out

The taste of communion

A routine checkup

The school rush each morning

Coffee with a friend

The stadium roaring

Each deep breath

A boring Tuesday

Life itself.

When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people

We wanted to be

We were called to be

We hoped to be

And may we stay that way – better for each other because of the worst.

 

Laura Kelly Fanucci

Given to me by Pat Jansky

 

 

Readings: Acts 5, 27-41; Psalm 30, I will Praise You, Lord, for You have Rescued Me; Revelations , 11-14; John 21, 1-14

 

Third Sunday of Easter – Introduction to the Readings

 

 

All of our readings during the Sundays after Easter until Pentecost Sunday come from the same three books, Acts of the Apostles, The Book of Revelation and John’s Gospel.  In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles the apostles are again brought before the elders of the Jewish community and told to stop preaching.  What we skip over in our reading is an interesting section. 

 

 

The Sanhedrin wants to put the apostles to death, but one of their members, a Pharisee called Gamaliel dissuades this action by reminding the group that there had been other ‘apparent prophets’ whose followers had dissipated after the prophet was put to death and he argues that either of two things will happen:  the apostles will disappear soon, since Jesus has been put to death, or Jesus was the real thing and they had better leave the apostles alone!! 

 

 

Then our reading today resumes just after the apostles are flogged instead of being put to death.

 

 

A few words about the Book of Revelations, since we will be reading from it for the next several Sundays.  The book was probably written about the year 95 to 100 CE, by John, though not the same John who wrote the Gospel.  It is addressed to the seven churches in Asia, namely the whole community at that time, and the churches are enduring harsh persecutions under the emperor Domitian.  The style is mainly apocalyptic, which is a highly stylized form of writing  which is not one we are accustomed to these days.

 

 

Third Sunday After Easter

 

My daughter Rosheen loves to read- it always amazed me how quickly she could get through a book.  A few years ago an old family friend was ill and Rosheen was visiting her and offered to read to her.  Later I remember her telling me how beautiful the language was in the book, something she had not appreciated until she had to read aloud.  Some books are so well written that the language is indeed a joy. 

 

 

Our gospel today is one of those books.  We cannot begin to appreciate how much thought has gone into each and every word in the gospel.  I am not sure how many of you said to yourselves as I was proclaiming today’s gospel and said the word “charcoal fire” now haven’t I heard that recently!!  In fact you did hear it on Good Friday when we proclaimed the “Passion”.  Let me remind you of the piece.   

 

“Now the slaves and guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold , and were warming themselves.  Peter was also standing there keeping warm.”   In today’s gospel we read that Jesus was preparing breakfast over a charcoal fire.  The two events are linked.  In the earlier event, Peter denies even knowing Jesus, three times.  In today’s gospel, Jesus helps Peter get past that denial.  “Peter, do you love me?” Three times Jesus asks Peter, sort of a parallel to the three times Peter had earlier denied Jesus.

 

 

This is another example of the point we discussed on Easter Sunday.  The fact that God always gives us second chances.  Think about what Peter had done.  Jesus had just been arrested, all of the disciples had scattered, Peter had not run away, but was in the courtyard where Jesus was being held.  Remember that earlier that evening Jesus had even foretold Peter that he was going to deny him three times. 

 

 

This denial was no spur of the moment thing.  He had been forewarned, and still he denies even knowing Jesus.  Pretty serious stuff – and still God gives Peter a chance to repent.  God wants Peter back and God wants each one of us back too.  Never let anything cause us to stay away, there is no sin too great.  Remember Peter.

 

Picture 1:  Mass Begins

 

Picture 2:  Altar Helpers

 

Picture 3:  Offertory

 

Picture 4:  John & Anthony

 

Readings: Amos 8, 4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2, 1-8; Luke 16, 1-13.

Amos: This prophet lived about 800 years before Christ.  It was a time of prosperity in Israel.  However, Amos saw that the prosperity was limited to the wealthy, and that it fed on injustice and on oppression of the poor.  He warned that Yahweh would punish the nation for this.

Our reading comes toward the end of his little book and touches both themes: oppression of the poor and punishment of this by Yahweh.

Taking Care of Myself

In the first Sunday bulletin blog I sent out this month I included a link to an age profiler.  You answer about 30 questions and the instrument takes your present age, adjusts it according to what habits you claim you have, and then projects the year you will reach in life.  A number of you mentioned taking this and were amused at the results. I promised I would let you know what I came up with.  My present age is 67. My adjusted age was 41. And you will have me around until I am 109.  The profile indicates how you are taking care of yourself.

Our little steward in Luke this morning is taking care of himself. I’ve mentioned that biblical studies indicate that he simply cut his own commission to these debtors. He was not necessarily stealing from the rich man. By cutting his commission, he makes sure he is going to be popular with the debtors.

Which brings me to how we take care of ourselves. How do you do it? Want a scale or a map, one that is reflected in the profiler? I’ll give you seven that are pretty commonly accepted as essential. In a work called Aging Well by George Vaillant these seven points are used to describe where people in a study were. They were pictured on a spectrum from Happy-Healthy to Sad-Sick. The seven factors are relevant to every age.

The first four are no brainers:

• no smoking. And if you are smoking, the sooner you give it up the sooner you move closer to the Happy-Healthy side.
• no abuse of alcohol. I have read about a new class of alcoholics – the geriatric alcoholic. For instance, the successful business man who has retired and begins to drink more & more, earlier & earlier until he is polishing off a number of drinks every evening. 
• weight control. Tough. 
• exercise. At least walk. At least 3 days a week, maybe every day.

The last three are not as self evident as the first four.

• a family life or a social life. This involves a proactive approach to people, both family and friends.
• education.The better the education, the more Happy-Healthy. The degree only opens the door to lifetime education.
• defense mechanisms. How I handle bad things, deaths, firings, broken relationships.  Make lemonade out of lemons.

People who do well with these seven factors of life will be more happy-healthy. Those doing poorly will inevitably move toward sad-sick.

Our steward in the reading was taking care of himself.

How are you taking care of yourself?

Happy-Healthy scale: Download nicholas_age_scale.doc

AUDIO http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-09-23.mp3

Readings: Isaiah 2, 1-5; Psalm 122, Let us go Rejoicing to the House of the Lord; Romans 13, 11-14; Matthew 24, 37-44

 

First Sunday in Advent – Intro to Readings

With the start of a new Church year we begin a new cycle of readings, this year is Cycle A and the gospel readings will focus on Matthew’s Gospel.  It was written about the year 85-90 CE and used Mark’s Gospel, a source now referred to as “Q” and some material unique to Matthew.  The audience had knowledge of the Old Testament and is presumed to have been Jewish. 

 
 

A familiar phrase occurring some 41 times in the gospel is “this was to fulfill….”.  In Luke’s Gospel the major theme centered on Jesus journeying up to Jerusalem.  Matthew’s Gospel had five major sections, each ending with a great discourse, the most well known being the Sermon on the Mount.  Matthew’s Gospel is one of the two gospels to tell us about Jesus’ birth.  Joseph is the focus in this gospel and Mary is the focus in Luke’s Gospel. 

The trigger event for Matthew’s Gospel was the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.  Since the temple was central to the Jewish faith – what was to become of Judaism?  For Matthew it was Jesus, he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, he is the way forward.

 

  

Homily 

The last line of our first reading from Isaiah was “let us walk in the light of the Lord” and I would like to use that line as our starting point for a few ideas on the Sacrament of Baptism.  In the rite of infant baptism, the priest hands the parents and godparents a lighted candle and says “receive the light of Christ”.  By our baptism we are put on a well lit spiritual highway.    

We know that in the gospels, Jesus begins his public ministry by being baptized by John in the Jordan River.  This baptism of John’s was a baptism of repentance.  The next time baptism is mentioned in the gospels is in Matthew’s gospel at the very end of the gospel “go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”. 

The Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s letters make clear that this command of Jesus was very quickly identified as the method of joining this group of followers of Jesus.  It became a ‘Rite of Initiation’.  Remember that for this early group, they were Jews first and then baptism made them different.  We have a clear disagreement between Paul and the other apostles over whether gentiles who were baptized needed to be circumcised also.  Paul won that argument. 

 
 

Within a couple of centuries we find a big change when the church declares that only those who are baptized can enter heaven and so we have Original Sin invented and baptism was the only way that could be forgiven.  This later let to the invention of Limbo.  It wasn’t until the Second Vatican Council that the focus on baptism shifted back to its being a sacrament of initiation or joining. 

 The point I would like to have us consider this morning is this:  what does being baptized mean to me today?  It may have happened when I was two or three days old, or maybe when I was an adult.  It was a one-time event, but I believe that has an effect in my life every day.  By being a member of the Christian community I am part of a group which focuses on living life according to a set of ideals, has a faith in a God who loves me and who wants me to love my neighbor.  

Just a few words about water, as the main symbol used in baptism.  Water is one of those primal elements, necessary for life.  Our experience of water is fairly simple, great for washing things, essential to keep a lawn alive here in Texas, wonderfully refreshing on a hot day for quenching thirst.  But for the Old Testament people it also reminded them of the escape thru the Red Sea from a life of slavery in Egypt, it was there at the beginning of time at the creation,

 and the waters of the flood destroyed all of the evil in the world.

 

Even though my baptism was a once only event, each time I come here to the community to celebrate the liturgy, each time I try to follow God’s way I am reaffirming what my parents had done to me when I was three days old. 

Picture 1:   Tony beginning with Advent Candles

Picture 2:   Sacrament of the Sick with Curtis

Picture 3:   Curtis' daughters, Marlene & Cindy

Picture 4:   Ryan with mom & dad, Jim & Michelle

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12 

Fourth Sunday in Easter Time – Intro to Readings.

 

 
 In both our first two readings today Peter is mentioned.  In Acts we hear him preaching and urging people to repent and be baptized. We are told that about 3,000 responded and were baptized!  Our second reading is written by Peter, his first Letter to the early Christian communities, in modern day Turkey.  So I thought that I would spend a few moments talking about Peter.  Incidentally, Peter could well be the “poster boy” for a married clergy!  He was the first person called by Jesus, and was married.  And against any claim that Jesus may not have realized that Peter was married, we are told that Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law (Matt 8:14), and St. Paul even mentions that the wife traveled around with Peter (1 Cor. 9:5). 

 We know that he was a fisherman when Jesus called him to discipleship, and Peter immediately left his nets and followed Jesus.  His story is interesting because Peter had a tough time of it.  Peter got into trouble lots of times.  When Jesus first prophesied about his death, Peter objected only to be strongly rebuked by Jesus (Matt 16:22, Mk 9:31) who said to him, “get behind me Satan”.  He tried his hand at walking on water, only to sink ignominiously (Matt 14: 28-31). And after witnessing the Transfiguration with James and John, his immediate reaction was to erect some tents, (Matt 17:1, Mk 9:2 and Lk 9:28) missing the whole point of the event!  At the agony in the garden, he couldn’t stay awake with Jesus, and had to be woken up three times (Matt 26:40, Mk 14:37).   And of course his biggest blunder was that even having been warned that he would do it (Matt 26: 33-35, Mk 14: 29-31, Lk 22:33ff and Jn 13:36-38) he denies Jesus three times (Matt 26:69ff, Mk 14:68ff, Lk 22:58ff and Jn 18:25ff). 

 All of this would seem to disqualify Peter from any possible position within this little community, and yet he emerges as its head.  You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.(Matt 16:18)  What seems to be the lesson from all of this, no matter how much of a mess we make of things, God does not seem to mind!

 
 
 

 Fourth Sunday in Easter Time – Homily

 One of the major themes in John’s Gospel is to show that all of the major Jewish Feasts are transformed by Jesus.  This gospel reading comes on the day after the Feast of Tabernacles.  If you look closely at John’s Gospel, it can very easily be divided up into a number of different major Jewish Feasts.  There are Passover Feasts, one at the beginning of the Gospel, a second in the middle and of course the third at the end.  But in between these we have the Feast of Tabernacles and immediately after that the Feast of Dedication.  The Feast of Tabernacles is interesting because it lasts 8 days, and is the third most important feast for the Jews. The feast was celebrated in the fall.  There were many processions with candles.  For us Jesus is the Light.  Tents were erected, and the feast celebrated the harvest, and also the original dedication of the temple.  Water was brought from the Pool where the blind man from our reading on the fourth Sunday in Lent was cured.  We recently had a reading which comes right before today’s gospel reading and it was about the young man born blind, and which the Jews refused to believe that Jesus had cured him.  Remember they even called in his parents and asked them if their son had been blind.  So we have just been reading about blind people.  Then comes today’s reading, and it expands the meaning of the blindness to that of the Pharisees.  Because they certainly should have been able to recognize who Jesus was, but instead they are the blind ones. 

 Jesus uses the example of a shepherd and sheep recognizing him.   Shepherds are obviously what we are supposed to talk about today!  But how many of you have ever seen a shepherd?  Or know anyone who is a shepherd?  Or, better yet, any one here ever been a shepherd?  Ok. How about sheep, has everyone seen sheep, at least eaten mutton!

 I am afraid that we better talk about something else!  The gospel today is discussing getting in through a gate and that the Pharisees are going to have a tough time of it.  The good news is that we are already in!!  Yes, by our baptism we are already through that gate, we are already in the kingdom of God.  We need to focus on what is expected of one in the kingdom!  Remember last week’s gospel, the two disciples had decided to leave Jerusalem and head home, the whole Jesus movement was a bit of a failure.  A stranger, who explains the scripture to them, kind of like what John and I try to do each week here, joins them on their journey.  Then when they stop for the night, they invite the stranger to join them, and they recognize him when they sit down to a meal and break bread.  Which is what we do here too!  We break bread together, and in that action we need to be able to recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Christ is present in each one of us!!  Like the two on the road, they do not recognize Jesus, we too can easily find it hard to recognize Jesus, but he is there, present in each one of us.

 I think we can forget about the sheep, and even forget about shepherds, it was all from a very different time and place.  Our focus needs to be on the fact that we are already thru that gate, and are in the kingdom of God.  Our focus needs to be on seeing Jesus in each other.  But remember, we are not going to be perfect, we will probably be more like Peter, the good news is that God doesn’t seem to mind.  All that matters is that we are trying.  After the resurrection, remember Peter had to pass only one test, “Peter, do you love me, feed my lambs, feed my sheep” How did those sheep get in again!!

 

Picture 1:   Beginning of Mass with Tony

Picture 2:   Offertory with Barb & Warren

Picture 3:   Leo with Jackie

Picture 4:   Emma

Picture 5:   Sienna with her daddy, Payton