This week's sermon

 

GOD and H2O

          What is it about God and water?

          First God parts the Red Sea and then the River Jordan to let the Hebrews walk on dry land.

          At least no one died when the Jordan started flowing again, unlike what happened to the Egyptian Army when the Red Sea flowed back and all were drowned, even their horses.

          Then years later Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm that had threatened his disciples.

          He also washed his disciples’ feet and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

          And how are we welcomed into the Christian Church? By the water of baptism.

          And if you watch carefully, you’ll notice I add a little water to the wine which God will turn into Christ’s blood.

          Finally, you’ll see me wash my fingers before celebrating the Eucharist.

          God and water have a thing going.

                                                ****

          Today’s Gospel has nothing to do with water, but Matthew does pour some ‘hot water’ on the Scribes and Pharisees!

          He points out that people should ‘follow’ their teachings but points out that they don’t ‘do as they say’!

          The scribes and Pharisees just want to be the center of attention and be given deference. They don’t live up to their teachings, even though Jesus thinks they are teaching the ‘right’ things.

          So, sometimes we can get ‘wisdom’ from those who don’t live up to their calling.

          Ponder that for a moment….

 

          Then Jesus tells us something equally discombobulating—

“The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who are humble themselves will be exalted.”

          That’s not how we traditionally view the world.

          For us, there are the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.

          But Jesus turns that upside down and inside out.

          The ‘haves’ will become the ‘have nots’ and the ‘have nots will become the ones who ‘have’.

          Something else to spend time pondering….

 

          Last Wednesday we celebrated All Saints Day in the parish house with half-a-dozen folks. We shared bread and wine and gave thanks for those who are saints of God.

          The Saints were the greatest among us who became our servants.

          The Saints were the folks who humbled themselves to become exalted.

          And that is what we are called to do.

          To be servants.

          To humble ourselves.

          What would doing that mean to you?

          Let us take a few moments to consider how to be humble and how to serve….

 

Shalom and Amen.

Rain, snow, sleet

When I got up this morning it was raining in Cheshire.

I drove to Milton (higher elevation) and it was snowing.

I went to Marshall's to buy boxer shorts and when I came out it was sleeting.

Quite an All Saints/All Weather Day.

 

how stupid I am

Remember how I posted that my windows in the car--except for the driver's window--couldn't be controlled?

I took my car the English Auto today and Bern brought me home.

They called at noon and said to come pick up the car.

So, we went.

The problem was I--or Bern--had hit the child lock and disabled the other three windows.

How stupid I am.

I actually didn't know that button did that...or anything?

English didn't charge me and told me they get those all the time.

Bern said "that must have made you feel better."

And I replied, "I think they told me that to make me feel less stupid."

Alas and alack.

How stupid I am.

 

Rain and pain

It's been raining for two days.

One of the problems is that I left my car windows down in the front and the rain somehow messed up the raise windows function of my car and I have the front passenger window down about six inches.

I'm taking it to English Motors tomorrow and hopefully they'll figure it out.

But I have had to have garbage and leaf bags covering it in the rain.

Driving with them is frightening--they blow out and up.

Plus, Bridget, our dog, hates to go out in the rain.

Plus, my left hip hurts a lot.

I have salon pas on it, but the stairs make it ache.

Not been a great two days for me....

Diocesan Convention

 Friday and Saturday were the dates of the Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.

I went on Friday since M.C. drove with me.

The Convention bored me nearly to death.

But M. and I left an hour early and had a good dinner together in a restaurant that luckily served wine.

I didn't go today because I would have had to drive since M. had a funeral to preside at and because I felt sick and didn't want to endanger anyone else there with my illness.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Long retired from full-time ministry, I really don't give a s*** about what the Diocese is up to.

And I don't think retired clergy should attend or vote since what will the future have to do with us--as long as no one tries to dismantle the Church Pension Fund!

Shalom and good night....

MONTAINI SEMPER LIBERI

I was looking through the desk drawer I hardly even use--except for a nail cutter--and found two things I had forgotten about.

An unopened iron-on patch of the state seal of West Virginia which depicts a coal miner on one side and a Davy Crockett looking fellow on the other of a rock with the date July 20, 1863 on it. That was the date that West Virginia was created out of a weirdly strange area of Virginia with two panhandles, for the Civil War. It also had the Latin phrase above, which means, "Mountaineers are always free".

The other was a half-dollar sized nickle from McDowell County National Bank dated July 20, 1963--for the 100th anniversary of the state.

I've had these things a long time--long enough to forget them.

But it was a joy to find them.

I was 16 when the Centennial happened.

I hadn't yet met Bern.

Memories are good.

I my even iron the patch on a jacket....

 

Autumn

It's Autumn in Connecticut and the sound of leaf blowers is in the air.

I hate them because they are so loud and annoying.

Bern hates them for a better reason--leaving leaves on the ground to replenish the soil is good for the environment.

Two of our neighbors were blowing leaves the other day and I couldn't stay on the deck and read because it was so annoying.

Couldn't they make a leaf blower that doesn't sound like a bazooka being fired?

Or couldn't people respect the environment more than a leafless lawn and just leave them to decompose over the winter?

Questions like those leave me exhausted.