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From the Vicar...
I came to bring fire to the earth
As I write this, it is Tuesday - and already I have decided to preach from this coming Sunday's Epistle rather than the Gospel. I'm just not ready to get into the apocalyptic the first Sunday back from vacation!
That said, I don't want to ignore Sunday's Gospel either. It's one of those "hard sayings" mild-mannered preachers like me love to ignore. But...ignore it I can't. And, because I'm guessing you're not reading this with your Bible open, I need to quote the passage to you first before I comment on it:
Jesus said, "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" (Luke 12:49-56)
I wonder how these words might have been heard by their original audience. There were some apocalyptic expectations in the air, I can assure you. John the Baptist had spoken of the coming of the anticipated Messiah, saying "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Anybody who shared John's expectations might have heard these words of Jesus and looked for some pyrotechnics.
But there's only one problem: Jesus never acted all that pyrotechnical. Indeed, Jesus rebuked James and John's fire-breathing passions, and later, when another of his disciples brandished his sword and struck one of the arresting party in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus stopped him sternly, saying, "No more of this," and proceeded to heal the injured enemy.
Jesus never lived up to John the Baptist's fiery expectations, causing John such perplexity that he called from prison to ask, "Are you the one, or should we wait for another?" Jesus' answer, "'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them." No wonder John was perplexed. Where was the fire? All Jesus spoke of was healing.
No, Jesus never brought the fire of brimstone, violence and destruction - but he did kindle a fire nonetheless. The fire Jesus kindled was the fire of the Holy Spirit uniting people and enlightening his followers for ministry. The fire of Jesus is the fire of impassioned energy and commitment to action.
I have often quoted Frederick Buechner who said, "The place God calls you is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." That meeting is a place of fire and passion - fire to feed the hungry, fire to heal people, fire to enlighten minds and fire to advocate for justice.
Jesus does bring fire to the earth - and so my word to you this week is this: Get fired up! Get fired up with the passion of Jesus, with the passion of God, for healing and reconciliation, for feeding and spiritual growth and human justice. If Jesus came to bring fire to the earth, let his fire burn in us.
Faithfully,
Fr. Chip
Directory photography make-up dates
As announced earlier in this space, the Bishop's Committee endorsed our going forward with a locally-produced, non-commercial pictorial directory this fall.
Our new directory will only be valuable if it is complete. Accordingly, our goal is 100% participation. If you have not yet been photographed for our directory, here are our make-up dates:
- Christ Church: make-up date, Sept. 15
- Trinity Church: make-up date, Sept. 22
Members of either church may be photographed in either location.
"Let Freedom Ring"
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of "I Have a Dream" Christ and Trinity churches will be joining faith communities around the world in participating in a bell-ringing ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Christ Church, which has a giant (and very loud!) bell, will be the venue for the combined service. The service will begin with bell ringing for three minutes at 3 p.m. Prayers, a scripture reading, and the reading of an excerpt from Dr. King's famous speech, will round out the ceremony. Two simple, a capella hymns from the civil rights movement will frame the 30-minute service. On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. King ended his now-famous speech with a call to "let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire ... from the mighty mountains of New York ... from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania ... from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado ... from the curvaceous slopes of California ... from Stone Mountain of Georgia ... from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee ... and from every hill and molehill of Mississippi." Come join us as we mark the 50th anniversary of that momentous occasion. This will be an ecumenical opportunity open to people of all walks throughout our communities.
Trinity Church to add Saturday evening service starting Sept. 14
Sunday mornings may be a time for church, but for many busy people, the day is no longer off-limits to soccer games or work responsibilities. That has led some area churches to offer Saturday-evening worship. Long a staple in the Roman Catholic Church and common among many non-denominational churches, Saturday-evening services have been slower in coming to many Episcopal churches.
On Sept. 14, Trinity Church will launch a new weekly 5 p.m. Saturday service. At least initially, it will be a simple celebration of the Holy Eucharist, following Rite One - a service several people at Trinity have indicated they miss. In time, a monthly healing Eucharist may be added - or even such creative possibilities as a Taizé service or other "alternative" offerings of the liturgy. On evenings there are social events at the church (dinners, etc.), the service may be tied in so that those attending the event can come for the Eucharist, then stay for the evening program.
Members of both Christ and Trinity churches - as well as the community at large - are warmly invited.
Seacoast Convocation late summer happenings
Everyone is invited to join in these events occurring around our Convocation in the coming weeks:
- August 25th, 9:30 am: St. John's, Portsmouth: Service and Picnic at Great Island Commons, New Castle
- September 7th: St. George's, Durham: Coordinated Churches Yard Sale
The Seacoast Convocation will be advertising more activities for all Episcopalians of our region to join in on the fun. Look for ongoing updates.
Coming this fall...
Sept. 15 8:45 Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church as usual 11:00 "Homecoming Sunday" at Christ Church:
Outdoor Eucharist followed by barbecue (all are welcome, but this will not be billed as a "joint" event) 22 8:45 Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church with introductory sermon
outlining this fall's "Come and See" program 10:30 Holy Eucharist at Christ Church with introductory sermon outlining "Come and See" followed by Open Forum on our proposed Shared Ministry Covenant ` 29 8:45 "Homecoming Sunday" at Trinity Church: Holy Eucharist followed by Open Forum on our proposed Covenant 10:30 Holy Eucharist at Christ Church with guest celebrant Canon Hannah Anderson.
(The vicar will stay at Trinity Church for that morning's Open Forum.) Oct. 6 8:45 Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church "wrapped around" a special Parish Meeting to vote on adoption of proposed Covenant 10:30 Holy Eucharist at Christ Church "wrapped around" a special Parish Meeting to vote on adoption of proposed Covenant 12:00 Blessing of the Animals on Christ Church grounds
(joint activity for folks - and their pets - from both churches)
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