B18 Sunday 28 January '18 -- Paschal Series Part 1

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part I of XV

Sunday 28 January 2018

Third Sunday before Lent

The Charge to Moses and Joshua

Deuteronomy 31:19-30

¹⁹Now therefore write this song, and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, in order that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.  ²⁰For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I promised on oath to their ancestors, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, despising me and breaking my covenant.  ²¹And when many terrible troubles come upon them, this song will confront them as a witness, because it will not be lost from the mouths of their descendants.  For I know what they are inclined to do even now, before I have brought them into the land that I promised them on oath.”  ²²That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the Israelites.  ²³Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and bold, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land that I promised them; I will be with you.”  ²⁴When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end, ²⁵Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, ²⁶“Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God; let it remain there as a witness against you.  ²⁷For I know well how rebellious and stubborn you are. If you already have been so rebellious toward the Lord while I am still alive among you, how much more after my death!  ²⁸Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may recite these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.  ²⁹For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, turning aside from the way that I have commanded you.  In time to come trouble will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”  ³⁰Then Moses recited the words of this song, to the very end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Starting today, the Third Sunday before Lent, we will be exploring the Old Testament readings read at the Great Vigil of Easter, mindful of the words that we shall hear in the Mass during Lent that in the Lenten journey, we are called to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Feast of the Resurrection with great joy.

In the first reading for today, we hear about the succession of leadership among the people of God from Moses, who led the people out of bondage, to Joshua, who led them into the Promised Land.  If we only look at the very short window of time in which the handoff of authority takes place between Moses and Joshua, we can be tempted to think that Joshua is in fact the promised successor of whom Moses speaks in today’s Old Testament reading.  But if we remember Moses’ final words to the people, it becomes clear that Joshua is not this successor, but rather there is still one to come.

I say that because in his final words, Moses reveals that he already knows, because God has told him as much, that after him, the people will forget to be faithful when they have entered the Promised Land.  They will reject God, and will once more be found in need of deliverance.  And by the end of Joshua’s life, we will hear that message repeated.

We know from the witness of Scripture that Moses and Joshua warned the people for good reason.  In the absence of these two leaders, the people did indeed reject God and go their own way.  Again and again, the Scriptures tell us, God sent prophets to call them back to faithfulness.  Again and again the people turned away from God.  And so in the fullness of time, God did what the prophets could not do.  God came among us.  Jesus is the one foretold by Moses.

What is interesting is that his name, not as we know it commonly these days, but rather as Jesus would have been called among those who experienced the Incarnation of the Word of God in human flesh, is the same name as the immediate successor of Moses.  The names of Joshua and Jesus are in fact the same name; Yeshua!

As we draw near to our Lenten journey, we do well to consider how attentive we are being to Jesus, who has come among us to bring us into the Kingdom of God.  Each day that we live in this world, we are faced with the challenging of embracing again Jesus as “My Lord and My God,” and walking the way of faith that Jesus sets before us.  And this is indeed a challenge.  I say that because at times we need to encounter Jesus again as if for the very first time all over again, and to be reminded what this Christian life of discipleship means and demands of us.

There are so many different views even among us who embrace the identity of Christian as to who Jesus is and what his words mean for us and our daily life.  There are people who pacify Jesus and make him rather weak in his presence.  But if we read the Gospel, looking for who Jesus is and then how we are shaped by him, rather than looking at who we are and conforming Jesus into who we desire him to be in our midst, we will find a divine presence that comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.  And this is not the presence of Jesus that we often wish to encounter, for if we are honest with ourselves, we know that most of us are living rather comfortably.

So how does Jesus afflict us?  Remember that Jesus shows us again and again that he is the lover of all who longs to call all persons into relationship.  Remember that Jesus showed up in places where the comfortable thought he ought not be, interacting with persons that the comfortable felt he should not seek and befriend.  Remember that, in sharp contrast to all of our popular images of him, that Jesus was from a poor, Palestinian family.  If you want to know what Jesus looked like historically, don’t look at the art of the Church.  Look to the residents of Bethlehem and Nazareth, of Palestine, from our own day.

When we see this image of Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Mary, Son of God, it makes we wonder how we would react if Jesus stood in our midst and said the very things that we hear him saying in the Gospel Sunday after Sunday?  Would we accept him?  Would he be welcomed into our country and among our people, or would we seek to send him back, having rejected him and his words and deeds?

Our confession of faith serves as a witness against us.  We profess at every Mass that Jesus is Lord and God, that in him alone are found the words of eternal life.  We commit ourselves again and again as Christians to look and sound like Christ.  And our commitment, if we are not careful, can easily sound like the protests of our ancestors in the faith who swore passionately to Moses and Joshua that they would never forget their God or fail to walk in his ways.

Mercifully, the connection ends there.  In the Old Testament, we find a God, who when rejected, turns and rejects the people who have rejected their God.  The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus never rejects us, but continually seeks us out, longing to transform us.  The apostles, all of whom knew first-hand what it was like to be pursued by the grace of Christ, spoke of this when many of them wrote of God in Christ as always being “faithful even when we are faithless.”  Our God never gives up hope for us and for our salvation.  And when we know that we have such a God, what more should we do than simply submit and cherish the knowledge and love of God who is not finished with us yet.  As we prepare for Lent, and as we journey throughout Lent towards the Feast of the Resurrection, may we desire to be shaped by the hands of Jesus in such a way that we will always be faithful to God in the midst of the whole people of God, growing ever more faithful until at last we experience first-hand the power of Christ’s resurrection.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

II

The Story of Creation

III

The Future Glory of Zion

IV

The Conversion of Nineveh

V

The Flood

VI

A New Heart and a New Spirit

VII

Salvation Offered Freely to All

VIII

Israel’s Deliverance at the Red Sea

IX

The Valley of Dry Bones

X

The Gathering of God’s People

XI

In Praise of Wisdom

XII

The Gifts of Wisdom

XIII

The Three Youths in the Fiery Furnace

XIV

The First Passover

XV

Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast XV

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part XV of XV

Friday 30 March 2018

Good Friday

Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac

Genesis 22:1-18

After these things God tested Abraham.  He said to him, "Abraham!"  And he said, "Here I am."  He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you."  So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.  Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you."  Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife.  So the two of them walked on together.  Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!"  And he said, "Here I am, my son."  He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"  Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."  So the two of them walked on together.  When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order.  He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.  But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!"  And he said, "Here I am."  He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."  And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns.  Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.  So Abraham called that place "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."  The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.  And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast XIV

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part XIV of XV

Thursday 29 March 2018

Maundy Thursday

The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-24

12The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: ²This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.  ³Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household.  ⁴If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it.  ⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.  ⁶You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight.  ⁷They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.  ⁸They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  ⁹Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs.  ¹⁰You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.  ¹¹This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly.  It is the passover of the Lord.  ¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.  ¹³The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.  ¹⁴This day shall be a day of remembrance for you.  You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.  ¹⁵Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day shall be cut off from Israel.  ¹⁶On the first day you shall hold a solemn assembly, and on the seventh day a solemn assembly; no work shall be done on those days; only what everyone must eat, that alone may be prepared by you.  ¹⁷You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance.  ¹⁸In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day, you shall eat unleavened bread.  ¹⁹For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether an alien or a native of the land.  ²⁰You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your settlements you shall eat unleavened bread.  ²¹Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select lambs for your families, and slaughter the passover lamb.  ²²Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood in the basin.  None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning.  ²³For the Lord will pass through to strike down the Egyptians; when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down.  ²⁴You shall observe this rite as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children.

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast XIII

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part XIII of XV

Wednesday 28 March 2018

Holy Wednesday

The Three Youths in the Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3:1-29

3King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.  ²Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  ³So the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, ⁴the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.  ⁶Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.”  ⁷Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  ⁸Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews.  ⁹They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!  ¹⁰You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, ¹¹and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.  ¹²There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  These pay no heed to you, O King.  They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”  ¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king.  ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up?  ¹⁵Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good.  But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”  ¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. ¹⁷If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.  ¹⁸But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”  ¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted.  He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, ²⁰and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.  ²¹So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.  ²²Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  ²³But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.  ²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly.  He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?”  They answered the king, “True, O king.”  ²⁵He replied, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.”  ²⁶Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!  Come here!”  So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.  ²⁷And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them.  ²⁸Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him.  They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.  ²⁹Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

Feast Reflection: Conversion of St. Paul

The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle
                               Thursday 25 January 2018

O God, who, by the preaching of thine apostle Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

      ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Today the Church commemorates the conversion of Saul to Paul through which the apostle most known for taking the Gospel of Christ into places and among peoples outside the boundaries of those long believed to be the exclusive people of God.  Paul is the champion of the apostles to the Gentiles, to the least and the forgotten, to those told by others that they have no place in the Kingdom.

The great irony, of course, is that Saul the Pharisee was quite certain that those among the Gentiles and sinners were rightly beyond hope and not capable or worthy of being the people of God.  There is a shocking difference between Saul the Pharisee and Paul the Apostle.  Could these really be one and the same man?  Yes, granted, one is the young man, and the other is the older man.  But as much as we cherish the thought that with years come wisdom, in reality we are still shocked when we see great stories and proof that years and wisdom have brought radical transformation to such a degree that the younger appears as one who has passed away and the older one who has been resurrected from the ashes of the past.  In this apostle whose conversion we celebrate today, we such such a transformation that is so powerful that this new man even gets a new name.

That conversion began on one day and in one moment of time.  The record of that day is found in the Acts of the Apistles, 9:1-22:

Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.

Today, as we celebrate the Conversion of this great apostle, remember that we as Christians all have such a conversion story.  It is almost certainly not as dramatic, but nonetheless in it we encounter again and again the transformation made within us by the presence of Christ in our lives.

Throughout his writing, Paul recalls this moment on the Damascus Road frequently.  He does so not only to share his story but also to keep himself grounded in the transformation of rhe Christian that is always ongoing in those who walk daily in living and loving relationship with Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, the Lover of Souls.  Therefore, today, as we celebrate the Conversion of the Apistle to the Gentiles, let us reflect on our own conversion and transformation, seeking prayerfully how we might grow today and be more clearly the servant of Christ and of Christians who in word and deed tell a story of faith that points to Christ as the hope of all and the lover of everyone.

      ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
                                    Father Timothy Alleman

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast XII

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part XII of XV

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Holy Tuesday

The Gifts of Wisdom

Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6

Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?  On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.  O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it.  Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.  "My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.  I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries."  To those without sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.  Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight."

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast XI

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part XI of XV

Monday 26 March 2018

Holy Monday

In Praise of Wisdom

Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4

Hear the commandments of life, O Israel; give ear, and learn wisdom!  Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies, that you are growing old in a foreign country, that you are defiled with the dead, that you are counted among those in Hades?  You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.  If you had walked in the way of God, you would be living in peace for ever.  Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is understanding, so that you may at the same time discern where there is length of days, and life, where there is light for the eyes, and peace.  Who has found her place?  And who has entered her storehouses?  But the one who knows all things knows her, he found her by his understanding.  The one who prepared the earth for all time filled it with four-footed creatures; the one who sends forth the light, and it goes; he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling; the stars shone in their watches, and were glad; he called them, and they said, "Here we are!"  They shone with gladness for him who made them.  This is our God; no other can be compared to him.  He found the whole way to knowledge, and gave her to his servant Jacob and to Israel, whom he loved.  Afterwards she appeared on earth and lived with humankind.  She is the book of the commandments of God, the law that endures for ever.  All who hold her fast will live, and those who forsake her will die.  Turn, O Jacob, and take her; walk towards the shining of her light.  Do not give your glory to another, or your advantages to an alien people.  Happy are we, O Israel, for we know what is pleasing to God.

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast X

Preparing with Joy for the Paschal Feast

Part X of XV

Sunday 25 March 2018

The Sunday of the Passion

The Gathering of God’s People

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!  The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies.  The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.  On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.  The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.  I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.  I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.  And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.  At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

The Rev’d Timothy Alleman

Rector

The Church of the Holy Cross

NFL Conference Championships Forecast

NFL Conference Championships Sunday

RECAP

My ability to correct pick the winners of the NFL playoff games has been nothing less, or more, than lukewarm.

In the Wild Card Round, I was correct on both NFC winners, and incorrect on both AFC winners.

In the Divisional Round, I once more predicted two correct and was incorrect on two.

The only difference in weekends was that in this round I was “hit and miss” in each conference.

As a result, the conference championships each have one team I expected to be there and one that has surprised me by their presence in their qualifying game for the Big Game in Minnesota.

American Football Conference

     Jacksonville Jaguar        vs        New England Patriots

National Football Conference

         Minnesota Vikings        vs        Philadelphia Eagles

PREDICTIONS

Jacksonville Jaguars take AFC Championship

The Jaguars Defense has an impressive game and takes another game with shock value…

Philadelphia Eagles take NFC Championship

The Eagles ruin the Vikings dreams of a home-game Super Bowl, but just barely …

Jacksonville Jaguars win Super Bowl LII

Jaguars Defense dominates a weakened Eagles Offense …

BUT…

Keep in mind that if the Minnesota Vikings win in Philadelphia, they will both host and play in the Super Bowl.  Whoever wins the AFC Game will certainly be watching the NFC Game to see if they will have a “neutral-site” Super Bowl or a “road-match” Super Bowl for which to prepare.  Neither AFC team wants the later.  Odds are against it, as this has never happened in the previous 51 Super Bowls.  But then again no host team has ever made it to their Conference Championship, so the Vikings have already made history.

Rector's Annual Report

Annual Report of the Rector

Monday, 1 January 2018 marked the first day of my eighth year as the Rector of The Church of the Holy Cross.  By the end of July, I will be into the sixteenth year of my priesthood.  I am in awe of the fact that what this now means is that half of my ministry has been right here in this place.  I am deeply thankful for what we have shared over the first seven years of our shared ministry, and I am very hopeful for the future of our parish and the mission we have received to be the presence of the Episcopal Church in the North End of Wilkes-Barre.  In my report for this year’s Annual Meeting, I want to look back at some things and look forward to other matters that will shape us and our presence and ministry.

Presence and Participation in the Diocese

This year will be a significant year in the life of our Diocese of Bethlehem.  As a Diocese, we will gather in Convention twice.  There shall be a Special Convention on Saturday, 28 April 2018, at our Diocesan Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  The purpose of that Special Election shall be the Election of the next Bishop of Bethlehem.  The annual Diocesan Convention will also be held in Bethlehem on Friday, 12 October 2018 and Saturday, 13 October 2018.  The next Bishop of Bethlehem, who shall be ordained a Bishop of the Church on Saturday, 15 September 2018, at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown, shall be seated on the Cathedra, the Chair of the Bishop, found within the Sanctuary in the Nave of our Cathedral, at the Friday Convention Mass.  At some point next month, the Standing Committee of the Diocese shall announce a field of three to five nominees for election as Bishop of Bethlehem.

Bishop Sean will continue his ministry as our Provisional Bishop until the day of the Ordination of our next Bishop.  A Celebration of his ministry is set for Saturday, 12 May at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral here in Wilkes-Barre.  At this point, Bishop Sean and I are planning for one more Episcopal Visit that he shall make with us.  There are tentative plans in place presently for this visit to occur on the day after the diocesan celebration, Sunday, 13 May, the Seventh Sunday of Easter.  Unlike the first visit that he made with us early in his ministry among us, Bishop Sean has shared that his wife, Carly, will be present.  Bishop Sean wants very much for his wife, a charming lady of Italian ancestry, to meet this Italian Anglican parish.  I have assured him that we will provide an Italian feast for the day that will delight his wonderful Italian wife.  What I have not shared, until now, is that my wife and I have decided that we shall cover the cost of the meal that is fit for the Italian wife of our good Bishop, whom along with the Bishop, I am delighted and honored to call a very dear friend.  The Bishop has also agreed to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on that day.  I shall bring that up again later in the report.

Participation within the life of the diocese is of vital importance.  I am very proud of the fact that in the years I have been among you, there has been a profound change in the relationship between the diocese and this parish.  Bishop Sean is committed to visiting us one more time not only to give his wife the experience of meeting this parish but more importantly because he has come to love this parish.  He is not alone in this.  When I arrived here at Holy Cross, there was a perception of this parish that somewhat matched the words of Nathanael’s response in last week’s Gospel concerning Nazareth.  I can tell you beyond any shadow of doubt that this perception has changed drastically, and that this parish is now viewed as a jewel of great value among the parishes of the diocese.  I want to be perfectly clear in saying that it is my desire that this perception will continue and grow in the next chapter of our diocesan life as we prepare to greet and welcome a new Bishop.  Remember that the presence of a bishop has a profound impact in not only the diocese but on the parish.  There is a reason why I sit where I do at Mass.  There are two different perspectives on where the Rector sits during the liturgy.  Some hold to sitting somewhere else than the seat which contains the symbols of the Bishop of the Diocese to which the parish belongs.  I choose to sit in that seat when celebrating the liturgy when it would otherwise be empty as the Bishop is not physically present among us.  I do so because as your Rector, I am mindful that my presence as your Rector points to the fact that the chief pastor of the parish is not the Rector but rather the Bishop, who shares his or her ministry with the priest called by the Vestry and attested by the Bishop to be the Rector.  We are connected to the Bishop and to the Diocese.  We are in communion.  The Diocese and the Parish are not “Them and Us.”  We are the Diocese in this place.

The Parish Vestry

I am deeply grateful for our Vestry and the commitment of those who have served on the Vestry in my time as Rector.  I wish to express my thanks to Bill Falzone, who has served as the Rector’s Warden, the Senior Warden, and continues to serve in that capacity.  I also wish to express my Deborah Hocko, who has served as Clerk of Vestry for some time now, and for a period once was both Junior Warden, the Vestry’s Warden, as well as the Clerk of Vestry.  After of today’s Annual Meeting, she is no longer the Clerk of Vestry or a member of the Vestry, as she has served two consecutive three-year terms on the Vestry, and thus must be off the Vestry for at least one year.  I also wish to express my thanks to Linda Abner, who has taken on the role of Treasurer and Financial Secretary, and who has assisted greatly in the task of making our finances more transparent.  There are two other persons who are completing first terms on Vestry who are eligible for re-election to Vestry.  I am deeply thankful for their presence on Vestry.

Changes within the Parish Family

The last year, and the latter half of the previous year, have been times of change within our membership.  We have experienced the deaths of significant members of our parish family, most notably Tom and June Falzone, Sal Falzone and John Falzone, just to name a few.  Their presence is still large among us, and rightly so.  We know that in life, they held us very much in their hearts and in prayer.  Mindful of the fact that as is said at every Requiem Mass, “for us, life is changed, not ended…,” we know that we and this parish are still very much in their hearts and in their prayers.  I, for one, find great comfort in this truth.

We have also experienced growth in our family as new members have come to us from elsewhere.  On these occasions when we have welcomed new brothers and sisters into our parish family, I have been extremely proud of the fact that these new persons have found among us a gracious welcome that confirms that this is indeed a loving family who delights in all who have been drawn to confess the catholic faith in this place.  This is a very special parish, and I remain convinced that we have the ability and the desire to show the love of Christ to all persons, and that this desire will continue to bear fruits in our parish ministry.

Our Common Life as a Parish Family

There are a few matters that I feel compelled as your Rector to address.  The first is that we all need to be mindful that we need to be committed to being regularly present and involved in the life of the parish.  The great challenge for the Church and for many other “social institutions” in the world in which we live is the “80-20 Rule.”  You may be familiar with this: “80% of the work is done by 20% of the membership.”  Among the other 80% of the membership, there is often the sense that the status quo will continue with the work of the 20%, and that their involvement is not needed.  I cannot stress enough that this is a fallacy in thought and reality.  This is specifically relevant to us as the 20% is comprised of those who are at a point in life where it is time to pass on a legacy of active faith to the next generation.  If we do not have persons willing to step up and receive this passing on of participation, we may all find that at some point down the road the status quo will not remain.  At present, there are three Episcopalian parishes within the City of Wilkes-Barre and two others just outside the city (Alden Station and Kingston).  Unless status quo gives way to a greater participation here and elsewhere, we need to be aware that this presence will almost certainly change in a way that mirrors the painful changes we have witnessed among our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in the Greater Wilkes-Barre area.  I say this not to be a voice of “gloom and doom” but rather in the hopes that, working with our sister parishes, we can change our fortunes into something beautiful and life-giving that brings growth and renewed hope.

I also want to address the matter of attentiveness to the time of Mass.  We often joke about what our attendance numbers would look like if we counted attendance at Mass by counting heads of those who are present within the Nave when the liturgy begins.  Remember that joking often serves to dismiss discomfort.  I can tell you that there have been occasions when I am troubled when I walk out of the Sacristy to go to the back of the Nave for the opening procession and discover that there are less than ten persons in the pews.  During the readings, I can sit and watch the numbers increase as the liturgy unfolds.  There is a certain level of comfort in knowing that others will show up.  But I am also troubled by this when I think of times when there are new persons who come to liturgy among us.  I wonder at what they think when they walk into our midst for the first time and discover only a few persons present when the liturgy begins.  Remember that it has been said that typically persons new to a Church community decide within minutes, if not even seconds, whether they will return in the future.  If new persons walk into a Church that is largely empty, what incentive are we giving for them to commit to return in the future?  Yes, there is a chance that at the conclusion of the liturgical experience that we can amaze them with a welcome that will change their minds.  It should not be assumed, however, that this will be the case.  We need to make a good first impression, and confirm it at the end of the experience.

Some Long-Term Goals

I have touched upon this to some degree at times previous, but I feel it is once more time to set a vision in which, as your priest, I share that it is my opinion that the rightful place of our children and youth during the Mass is in the Mass.  One of the shortcomings of many parishes of various communions of the Church is that we have relegated the experience of Church for our children and youth to be outside the liturgy.  Our children and youth are not regularly being taught how to worship.  The chief way we teach this is by having them among us.  It troubles me greatly that among us our youngest generation tends to experience the liturgy only when serving at the Altar.  I am deeply grateful for their presence as servers at the Altar.  But I also long to seem them and the adults who teach them the faith side by side in the pews regularly at Mass.  And what troubles me also is that a number of our youngest generation are present in the building itself, in the Nave for liturgy or the undercroft for Sunday School, only when they are present at the Altar as servers for the liturgy.  I wonder what the chances are that these ones will in years to come become faithful and regular adult worshipers here or anywhere else when they have such a limited experience of the Church gathered in Worship around the Word and Sacraments.

Yes, I know, there are times when kids make some noise.  I have shared especially with our Saturday crowd as in recent months we have had a regular presence of young children, that I delight in the sounds of infants and children during the liturgy.  It has been said by others that a Church in which there are no sounds of infants, children and youth, that what is found is a “dying Church.”  I am inclined to agree.  The only matter up for debate is the speed at which this death is occurring.  But if all the generations are present, there is hope, but more importantly, there is life!

On a closely related matter, I am troubled by the fact that as adults, our experience of Church tends to be worship alone.  I would love to see more opportunities for us as adults to come together for the learning of the faith.  It is not just our children who need to learn.  We as adults need to continually be learning and growing in the faith.  My greatest challenge in this, I must admit, is the fact that I am a bi-vocational priest.  I would love to devote more time, and I long for the need to embrace this challenge and seek that time to spend in this task of teaching and learning the faith among our parish family for my own growth as well as the growth of us all.

Financial Challenge

You may recall that in December I presented you with a “Rector’s Challenge.”  This came out of the preparation of the 2018 Parish Budget that contains a budget deficit of roughly $11K.  Today I want to repeat that challenge and recap my thoughts.

·        This deficit is roughly $212 dollars weekly…

·        Based on estimate of 45 giving units, this deficit would be eliminated with an increase of giving weekly of $4.70 per giving unit.

·        My commitment to you all, rooted in my love of you all and of this parish, is that I will match commitments to increased giving “2 to 1” up to $6 in my own annual giving to the parish.

·        What this means … at $6 weekly increase by:

o   10 giving units     Rector gives additional $120 for year      (Additional $2.31 weekly)

o   20 giving units     Rector gives additional $240 for year      (Additional $4.62 weekly)

o   30 giving units     Rector gives additional $360 for year      (Additional $6.92 weekly)

o   40 giving units     Rector gives additional $480 for year      (Additional $9.23 weekly)

o   50 giving units     Rector gives additional $600 for year    (Additional $11.54 weekly)

I know that some have stepped up to this challenge.  If you have already, I thank you!  If not, please prayerfully consider this, and if so moved, share this intent with Linda Abner.  I will be reporting to Vestry on this regularly in order that there will be record of the fact that I am stepping up and keeping my promise.  For the record, here is a breakdown on my current level of giving just to be transparent:

·        Monthly Gifts to the Parish:         $215.50                       $2,586.00 annually

·        Monthly Gifts to the Diocese:      $204.05                       $2,448.60 annually

·                            TOTALS:                   $419.55                       $5,034.60 annually

I am not sharing this with you or making this challenge among you in the hopes of gaining some praise or recognition for these choices.  I give because I feel I am compelled to do so.  I give to both the parish and the diocese because I want to support the parish while at the same time keeping myself mindful of the fact that my affiliation/membership is not with a parish but with the diocese.  It should also be noted that what I give to the diocese I give in the name of the parish.  My giving to the diocese is earmarked as Acceptance for Holy Cross.  This arrangement works wonderfully then as it is a reminder for me and for the diocese of our shared ministry as Rector and Parish who together give to build up the Church beyond the walls of this parish.

Financial Challenge

In the weeks to come, during the time before Lent, I will be announcing the formation of a Confirmation Class for those who have not been confirmed but who wish to be confirmed by Bishop Sean when he is present among us later in the year.  Please let me know if you are wishing to receive this Sacrament of the Church.

Concluding Thoughts…

I cannot say enough how honored I am to serve among you and to be your servant.  In the years we have shared, I have fallen in love with you all.  My deepest hope is that you all are always aware of the emotions of my heart towards all of you.  I hold you all in my thoughts and prayers daily.  And I give thanks daily for the love that I feel from you and the care that you all go out of your way to show at every opportunity.  I am truly blessed by being in your midst!

Yours in the Love of Christ Jesus,

Father Tim+

The Rev’d Father Timothy Alleman