My friends, we shouldn’t be surprised that once again this week we hear the theme of being a “prophet,” as it is really part and parcel of being a follower of our brother Jesus.  Coupled with this theme to prophesy, is the most comforting, additional theme of a God who loves us mightily. 

   I will begin with this second theme of a “loving God” who wants only good for us as this knowledge of such a God gives us the strength to be prophets, when we might otherwise walk away from such a task.

   This desire of our God that we would strive to be our best is laid out beautifully by Paul in today’s 2^nd reading from Ephesians. He says, “God [wants] us to be holy and blameless—full of love.” It must be said that striving after such qualities in our lives will no doubt help us to become our best. 

   Paul continues, saying that [as] “adopted children…we were willed an inheritance.”  As we consider this fact of being “adopted,” it is good to reflect that as of July 1^st  of this year, in Minnesota, and many other states, birth records have become fully available to adopted children.  Even though many adopted children are interested in those records mainly to know their “origins” for medical purposes and perhaps, curiosity, many will say that even after coming to know their original stories and coming to understanding about why they may have been “given up,”  they continue to call their “adoptive parents” their “true” parents as they were the ones who raised, and loved them into adulthood. 

   Thus, it is from this most positive view of adoption, that I invite us to ponder our God’s gift of love to us, and an inheritance of eternal life one day.  Additionally, let us consider that, contrary to ages-old Church teaching that this Loving God sent our brother Jesus to make reparation for the sins of us all, our Loving God did rather, send Jesus to show us the “best ways” to live our lives, to make sure that our human experiences here led us back to God—as such was God’s love for each of us. 

   One of those “best ways” then, was that each of us, as Jesus’ followers, would shoulder the mission/the call to be a prophet in the times and places of our lives, just as he did in his.  Amos, like many other prophets doesn’t claim to be a prophet, thinking wrongly that this task belongs to others—he is only “a shepherd” after all. 

   We can perhaps say the same; I am only a teacher, a farmer, a mother/father, an ordinary laborer, and so on—who am I to prophesy?  And our God through Amos seems to be saying, “Who are you not to!”

   This then causes us to look at just what prophets are being asked to do.  The fact that a simple shepherd is being asked to speak, “God’s truth” says that the “call” comes to the lowliest among us, and on up the ladder, in their own way —where each lives and works.

   We have already established through Amos’ call that “being a prophet” is not something that folks generally seek out.  Our brother Jesus understands, most likely from his own human journey, that there is “fear and apprehension” in this call to sometimes “stand alone” in speaking the truth given by God. Perhaps this is why many choose not to speak their God-given truth.  But Jesus sends his faithful followers out in twos that they might support one another. 

    I was called upon this past week to accompany a friend, driving her to an appointment for a procedure in Lacrosse, and bringing her back again.  She mentioned several times, before and after her procedure, “I am so glad that you were with me!” 

   Mark tells us today in the gospel story of the apostles being “sent out in twos”—“they cast out demons and anointed many people with oil, and healed them.”  “Anointing people with oil,” speaks to a “priestly function,” which we might feel would disqualify some of us, but as we know from Jesus’ teachings, we must always go deeper in these readings, finding that there are many ways “to anoint and heal,” –through touch and kind, supportive words, through simply “being with another in their pain,” and so on. 

   In today’s gospel, Jesus wisely shares with his followers then, and now, that indeed, “this being a prophet” won’t always be easy! He tells us that we may have to “shake off the dust,” we encounter along the way, which would seem to align with what we heard last week, that we aren’t ultimately responsible that our words cause others to change, but we are responsible for at least speaking the words given us by God. 

   Another of the fine-tuning pieces that we need to see in today’s gospel is that Jesus is telling the apostles to preach “repentance of sin” as they went from town to town.  We have often heard in years past the emphasis of Jesus’ “forgiving our sins,” as opposed to “repentance” on our parts.  The two often, for Jesus, went hand in hand, “Your sins are forgiven—go now, and sin no more—or in other words, “be better –try not to do this again, which really speaks to our God’s desire that we try to be our best. If we stop at “God’s forgiveness” instead of our, “repentance” too, it is all on God, without any effort on our parts. Jesus was wise enough to know that we, and others in our world would be better if we “repented” our wrong-doing, vowing to be better. 

   We can probably sum up these thoughts today by thinking of how we operate in our own lives when we need help from others in accomplishing tasks in our lives.  Most, if not all of us turn to others that we know and trust, perhaps even love, to help us do what needs to be done. Our God does the same in asking us to be “prophets” in our own times and places.  No matter where we live, work, or share life with others, we are the best people, there, to speak God’s truth! Amen? Amen!

My friends, it would seem that even on a surface level this week, “being a prophet” is  the issue we are called to ponder.  I like the word, “ponder” as it suggests we are looking at any issue in more than a surface way. 

   As always, let’s look to today’s Scriptures to see what this means in our everyday lives.  The prophet Ezekiel in the 1^st reading today doesn’t seem to have a very pleasing task given him by God’s Spirit.  We learn in this short reading from chapter 2 that the people have been, “rebellious, defiant, and stubborn”—not encouraging words as a “potential prophet” enters in.  And additionally, we learn another interesting thing about being a prophet—it is not as important that the people change their ways as it is that the “prophet speaks.” 

   Thus, the onus is not completely on the prophet to get people to in effect, “be better,”  but on the people themselves.  At the very least Scripture says, “they will know that a prophet has come among them.” 

   I believe it is good as we reflect on this passage, as well as on the 2^nd reading from Corinthians with Paul, and the Gospel from Mark with Jesus, to try and put ourselves in their places to understand, and appreciate what it truly means, “to be a prophet,” because as followers of our brother Jesus, we each are called to the same.  By spending time with each of these three prophets, Ezekiel, Paul, and Jesus, we realize that we are in “good company” first off, and we are able to find “our way” perhaps in acting likewise.

   We can only imagine that for each, a certain bit of “fear: was present, and perhaps some “reluctance,” to be “the one,” to speak out—there would be some who would believe, and others who would not.  Having others “believe and be accepting of” what we say that is perhaps new, even challenging can be a “heady thing,” and one has to always work toward a balance in “speaking the truth,” and letting that “ability” go to our heads. 

   There was the possible danger of that happening to Paul as he was given a [so-called] “thorn in his side” to keep that tendency in check.  Paul asked God to remove the “thorn” on several occasions, only to be told, “my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” And it would seem that as Paul persevered in his call, “to be a prophet,” he learned a powerful lesson, saying, “when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong.” 

   I know personally, as I reflect on the privilege of pastoring this parish, that I am subject too, in my humanity, to letting it all “go to my head.”  Over the years, I have said to Robert, “If you ever see me becoming proud, pompous, and arrogant, please stop me!”

   This week we probably get our best advice, and counsel on the “gift of prophecy” from our brother Jesus. We see him “going home,” and finding more rejection than acceptance, saying to his apostles and disciples, then and now, “prophets [have] honor, except in their hometown and among their own relatives…”  Such was the case with me and my ordination—more who didn’t really know me were supportive, than those who did; some family members, and close friends were, as for Jesus, “stumbling blocks,” as I was, probably, in ways for them—“you are upsetting the applecart,” as we say in a more colloquial fashion—I was doing something, “out of the ordinary,” the status quo, something the Church fathers hadn’t sanctioned, and at that point, family and friendly connections for some didn’t matter—the law did.

   So my friends, as we ponder these Scriptures that really encourage us to be “prophets” in our world; a world that so needs those who will call a lie, a lie when they hear it, will challenge injustice when it is so blatant in minority groups of people, and who will simply strive every day, “to be their best,” even when there are few to model that behavior for them.

   I mentioned a few Sundays ago that I am reading a new book about Jimmy Carter, entitled, His Very Best.  Author Jonathan Alter no doubt named his work after a personal work by Carter, in his long life, entitled, in question form, Why Not the Best?

   This question for Carter came originally in his Navy days with a superior officer who asked him if, “he had done his best?” on a particular project, to which Carter answered, “No.”  His superior asked, “Why Not?”  Carter, it seems, has worked on his answer for the rest of his long life after, and I would guess will continue working on this challenge, “to be his best,” with whatever time he has remaining. 

   I have in the past addressed the Church’s Season of Ordinary Time, saying that it should perhaps be called, “Extra-Ordinary Time” because of all the challenge the Scriptures hold for us during these many weeks. And what I have come to these last years is that the “ordinary” things that each of us is called to “every” day of our Christian lives is the same challenge that Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus had in their lives; “to stand up, stand out, to be top-of-the-line—a real cutting edge!”

   As we look at our world, both in Church and State, we unfortunately don’t see much that is “cutting edge,” but more that I would humbly suggest are being, “stumbling blocks.”  Thus, we can’t wait for the “powers-that-be” in either Church or State, but must humbly speak our truth when called to do so, and this will be different for each of us.

   And if we aren’t always sure where to start, we can turn to Jesus’ words with the counsel, “check the fruits”—if you see peace, justice, and well-being happening—join in! If not, and the world picture looks full of distrust, chaos, self-centeredness, and injustice, speak from your hearts the truth that you hold there.  It has been said, “the heart is wiser than the head.”  And finally, when all is said and done, realize that like Ezekiel, you are not responsible for the ultimate change in people—but you are responsible for speaking the truth you know—perhaps your “speaking out” will plant a seed that will grow later—but again, you are responsible to do this much at least! Amen?  Amen!

My friends, as we continue on in Ordinary Time, a good place it seems to start today is with the Wisdom writer who said, in the 1^st reading that, [we] “are modeled [each of us] on the divine.”  That seems to go along well with the writer, whose name I am forgetting, who said, “We are spiritual people here, having a human experience.” 

   The idea that we “are modeled after the divine” is not just a “static” fact, but one that comes with a responsibility to strive to be our best.  The Wisdom writer goes on to say that “God created all things to be alive —[everything] is meant to be wholesome,” and additionally that, “justice lasts forever.”

   Now, if it is true that, “justice lasts forever,” and that our brother Jesus, came to “show us the way,” it would seem that part of our responsibility as his followers would be to have an awareness of the times and places where “justice isn’t equally given out in the lives of others, and this, by the way, includes ourselves!  Sometimes in our zeal to help others live a better life, we forget about ourselves.  This is often the case in the lives of many women who tend for the most part to be the givers/helpers in society, not often remembering themselves. 

   Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians in the 2^nd reading today, speaks about what really needs to be a “balancing” act in our lives. He quotes Scripture saying, “the one who gathered much had no excess, and the one who gathered little did not go short.”  In perhaps more simple language we could say, “at present, I have a surplus, and I need to, as a follower of Jesus, view that against another’s present need” –one day the surplus may belong to another, and I may be in need, with the hope that others will share with me! 

   Earlier, I spoke of women not always remembering to include themselves in the equation of “giving to others.”  Jesus, in today’s Gospel selection from Mark addresses this issue through the lives of two females.  It’s important from the get-go that we be aware that neither Jairus’ daughter, nor the woman with the unusual blood flow are named—the same is often true in other stories where children of either sex are spoken of—neither women, girls or boys had any standing in the culture in which Jesus lived and ministered, so why name them was probably the thought. 

   Next, let’s look at how Jesus handles each situation:  In a general way, wherever he finds injustice, his natural response seems to be, “to heal” –to bring understanding, compassion, and love. 

   In the case of the little, unnamed girl, Jesus hears with compassion the pain of her father, as he asks Jesus to heal her.  Jesus, I believe, is also trying to address our human tendency, to see the “glass half-empty” as opposed to “half-full.”  When the attendant arrives to say that “the little girl has died,” Jesus counters this with, “she is only sleeping.” 

   On one level—the surface that is, the child is dead, but Jesus wants to strengthen their faith—to see what may be beyond their human eyes.

   In the second story of the woman with the unusual blood flow, he is again working at addressing and strengthening the peoples’ faith. The woman with the physical condition already believes in something she can’t explain—”if I can only touch him,” I will be healed, and she believes in the miracle the moment it happens! 

   Additionally, I believe Jesus is trying to uplift the injustice that women face in his society by the mere fact of how they happened to have been born, and as such, he cares for, touches and heals females who suffer not only physically, but emotionally, and spiritually by the lack of equal justice in their world that doesn’t even name them! These are acts he wouldn’t have to do in his society, but then we know that he is always about, “doing something new!”

   Edward Foley, Capuchin friar, is well-known in  his book, From Age to Age: How Christians Have Celebrated the Eucharist for addressing Jesus’ desire that all would be treated equally, especially when speaking of who was welcomed in the temple.  As we know, women and children were relegated to a separate section apart from the men, and women experiencing any blood flow weren’t allowed at all along with anyone having any type of illness.  Jesus, Foley says, “took the meal to the hillside where everyone was welcome!”

   We can hardly miss the connection today to the hierarchical rules and regulations about who can present to receive the Eucharist.  It must be remembered that the invitation to receive the Eucharist does not ultimately come from the clergy, but from God, thus it is not the responsibility of humans to decide who is worthy or acceptable! That is why we women priests hold up the bread before it is received by all and say, “This is the Body of Christ, how blessed are we who are called to this table!” instead of, in the traditional Church we hear, “O Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I will be healed!”  The difference in the two statements seems to be that, in the 1^st, we receive with “gratitude,” rather than in the 2^nd, our stance is more about “shame.”

   In conclusion friends, I would direct us back to the Wisdom writer in the 1^st reading who said so well  that, “God created all things to be alive…wholesome,” and that each, could, should experience, justice.  Jesus often addressed “fear” in his ministry, saying, “Don’t be afraid, just trust, and believe.”  Our brother Jesus wants us to live and work in our world in like fashion, dispelling fear and shame, uplifting justice for all—touching and healing our world as he did his.  Jesus’ primary mission in our world was to make clear that his, and our “God’s goodness,” is as the psalmist says today, “for a lifetime.”  Our mission, like his, in our world, can be no less—or as Anglican Bishop John Shelby Spong is fond of saying, “over-the-top-love” for all, to the best of our ability.  Amen?  Amen!

My friends, the readings for this Sunday really call us to consider how strong our faith is, and if we place that faith in our loving God who at times, can feel somewhat, “intangible,” or do we place our faith in the more “tangible” things of this world—people, material possessions, and so on?

   The characters in today’s readings from the Old and New Testaments are having this same struggle, so looking at their experiences can perhaps guide our search. 

   We all know the story of our Old Testament brother Job, which isn’t included in today’s 1^st reading, but knowing that story helps us better understand the text that we do have today. Job, as we know has lost all that was important to him in his physical life; wife, children, animals, his health, and at one point, even the respect of his neighbors who couldn’t understand why he would not turn his back on his God who in their minds had caused all of his loss, or if not, certainly didn’t stop it!

   In today’s 1^st reading a voice rises above the storm, answering Job’s question of where God was in all this turmoil.  God’s simple answer to Job is—“I have been with you always!”  My friends, our struggles throughout life often call us to this same question—“God, are you there, do you care that I am suffering?”

   God’s answer, spelled out to Job in this 1^st reading should be taken to heart by us as well—“If I could control the chaos that creation was, I can control and support what is happening to you as well!” 

   We don’t fully understand why suffering happens in our lives and if truth be told, most of us would just as soon, it pass us by.  It is one of those things that we can only see in an unclear way—around the edges, as Paul speaks of in another place. 

   I always find that looking to our brother Jesus, to see how he reacted to what his life brought, gives me strength to do the same. In his humanity, as his life was ebbing away on the cross, his struggle to keep believing that his God was, “still with him” is expressed so poignantly in the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But through his patience, and his prayer, we know that Jesus’ faith was sustained, as in the end, he could say, “Into your hands God, I commend my spirit.” 

   With Jesus, as Paul tells the Corinthians in the 2^nd reading today, “the old order has passed away…now everything is new!”  Jesus was constantly looking at his world, turning things upside-down when needed to insure that everyone had a chance at a full life.  He asked and continues to ask today that his followers do more, be more, but at the same time, he doesn’t ask more of us than he is willing to do himself.

   I am presently reading a quite, wonderful, new book about Jimmy Carter by Jonathan Alter.  The title is, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life.  There came a time for this ex-president, who had always considered himself quite religious, when he was compelled to move to a new place in his religious/spiritual life.

   Being from Georgia, he grew up and into manhood during a time in the south when the racism that undergirds our nation was coming to the forefront, demanding justice.  Being that Jimmy had many political aspirations, he often straddled the fence, not speaking publicly about what, in his heart, he knew to be wrong—it was often a delicate dance for him even after his faith told him that he couldn’t just “talk,” but had to “walk” what he supposedly believed. Jimmy found the words of a Baptist minister at this point in his life most compelling.  The minister asked, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict?” 

   My friends, faith for each of us can be a slippery thing—Paul prayed during his life— “I believe O God, help my unbelief!”  Our humanity gets in the way for us just as for the apostles in today’s Gospel from Mark.  They are dealing with their life-long nemesis, “the sea” and they are afraid.  And to make matters worse, their friend and teacher, Jesus, whom they have seen heal and care for others, is asleep!

   It is almost comical to read, even in its seriousness, as Jesus—now awakened by his fearful followers, asks them, “Why were you so frightened?” (Where’s your faith?)  I too find myself convicted by Jesus’ question, “Have you no faith?” As we all know, “faith” is most often easier to talk about, than it is, “to have, to act upon, in times of trouble.  But then Jesus does, what Jesus always does—he calms, he reassures, he brings peace, and the apostles can only marvel, and hopefully we can too when we are afraid—“who is this that even the wind and sea obey?”

   Sister Ilia Delio speaks most beautifully in her book, The Emergent Christ about “this something new” that Jesus is doing in the lives of us humans who are trying to believe.  As the “Christ,” Jesus, she says, becomes so much more in our lives, and to so many more than as “Jesus” alone.  As the “Christ,” Jesus is basically, big enough to be meaningful to all, showing all human creation how to become all that we were meant to be, and in fact, she calls that, “heaven.”

   Jesus, through the calming of the sea, shows his apostles and us a greater truth—no matter what befalls us, with God by our side, we have no need to fear.

   And my friends, with that assurance, we can do the good in our world that Jesus did in his, and when we are afraid, especially if it feels like we are standing alone, we must remember that we aren’t—that he is right there with us.

   This is the real Eucharistic revelation that needs to happen in our world—that we, each of us becomes “the bread, the body of Christ here, now! Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, our Jewish brother spoke well to the issues of where is religion today—why it is declining, and I will end with his words, which I have shared in the past, but which bear a re-hearing:

       It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the

        eclipse of religion in modern society.  It would be more honest to blame religion  

        for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it

        became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid.  When faith is completely replaced by

        creed, worship by discipline, love by habit, when the crisis of today is ignored

        because of the splendor of the past, when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a

        living fountain, when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than

        with the voice of compassion—its message becomes meaningless.

Amen? Amen!    

My friends, all the readings for this weekend are mostly quite positive in speaking about our relationship with our loving God, especially in the person of our human brother, Jesus, who became the Christ.  Paul tells us in the second reading to the Corinthians that “we walk by faith, and not by sight,” and we realize how true this is, especially in the statement that I made above about, “Jesus becoming the Christ!”  We do truly take this on faith that indeed our God is big enough to be “meaningful” to all, in all—as the Christ!  Now, if our Church hierarchy could be more inclusive in how they look at who God may indeed be!

   The images given us in each reading are about “growth” and what happens, or can happen when a power (God)—Someone, or something is alive and well in our lives.  Ezekiel speaks about this force as the Cedars of Lebanon, as does the psalmist in the selection from #92 today.  Cedars were large, massive, and strong trees in their time, akin to “God” in their lives—able to protect and care for them. 

   Mark’s gospel speaks of the mustard seed which is said to be the “smallest of seeds,” yet grows into the “biggest of shrubs,” and even the “birds of the air nest there.” 

   Now, we probably can all agree that these reading selections for today should not just be taken on a merely surface level, because then what we have is simply some nice stories about how trees grow. No, God and God’s prophets have more in mind for us. 

   Ezekiel’s first reading can be taken as a great comfort in our attempts to follow Paul’s command that, “we walk by faith.”  The prophet Ezekiel tells us that “the tall trees, God stunts, while the low trees, God makes grow.”  Perhaps a statement on how our God will always lift up the “lowly” first! And the psalmist suggests, seemingly in agreement with Ezekiel that “the just will flourish like the palm tree.”  The psalmist continues, “Our God is just, my Rock…[who protects].

   So again, so much here in these readings about “who God is for us, how this God will be present to us, and with us, how God wants us to live, and how this same God will protect us.  I would encourage a re-reading of Ezekiel’s reading this next week if we are needing comfort in “walking by faith,” when we don’t have full “sight.” 

   I am sure each of us can look back at times that required us to “walk in faith,” when we weren’t sure of the outcome, and perhaps we would say that God’s Spirit was with us, giving us the strength to move ahead when we couldn’t yet see the outcome—times when we made life choices, for education, marriage, having children, purchasing a home, and so on. Each of you, along with me, “walked in faith,” in starting and participating in this parish—one that the hierarchy of our Church often called, “playacting.” For me, I have always looked at what we do here by its “fruits,” and as long as I see us growing spiritually and doing the good that God calls each of us to, we will continue. 

   In Mark’s gospel for this weekend, the mention of that “smallest of seeds,” the mustard seed, is such a wonderful way to think of something “small” –the invitation from our loving God, to do something capable of becoming life-giving in so many ways, such as our beloved AAO experiment here in Winona. 

   This past week, I had the opportunity to travel back, as it were, in my memories to a time as a young, married woman with small children, when I was part of a rural parish—Immaculate Conception—Wilson, the parish where Robert and I married each other over 50 years ago now, and had our children baptized.  The passage of time with the deaths of many over the years, changing spiritualities, the clergy abuse crisis, and other matters, caused the numbers attending to dwindle, to the point that the powers-that-be determined that it was no longer a viable parish, and with the shortage of male priests, could no longer be kept open.

   The church was officially closed two years ago and has been used since as an oratory, for funerals mainly, but weddings too.  The meeting this past week was to determine what, practically speaking, needs to be done with the church building going forward. 

   I was saddened to realize that the over-riding decision seems to be that the building will be taken down—demolished possibly within the next year.  I don’t say this with any animosity per se toward those wanting/needing this end, as I haven’t been an active member there for many years, but only in a general way toward our Church that doesn’t seem to be more creative, in its many church closures, of its “temples” housing so many wonderful, memorable, and poignant spiritual memories of a community, than to simply, tear them down.  Where are the pastors, leaders, filled with “mustard seeds” who might see such situations as “closed buildings” and envision “greater shrubs” of new life? –offering perhaps spaces to house the homeless, or as fixer-uppers for just the right family. 

   It is at times like this that beyond, “walking-in-faith,” that I also need to have “hope” that our “better angels” perhaps can break through in our world.  We need such a Church as well as a State, where actions such as our United States Supreme Court voted on Friday—to appeal the ban on bump stocks for semi-automatic weapons making them ever more deadly, would be looked at more through a lens of common sense, and goodness, than mere law.  Let us pray friends this week for more life-giving actions, as well as write letters demanding better of these “interpreters” of the law.  And finally my friends, in these times that try our faith so much, let us hold onto hope for each other, me for you, you for me, and keep on planting the “small seeds” that we know can and will grow!  Amen? Amen!