Praying for the victims in the AZ shooting

Loving God, welcome into your arms the victims of violence in AZ. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Heal those who are recovering from their wounds and help us in our anger, fear and uncertainty. Bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love and help us work towards that peaceful day, when no one will mourn for a loved one, gun down by violence. We pray this in your son's name, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (adapted from a prayer I found online)

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. (BCP)

Assault on Christmas

A great article! Read it here:

http://www.thestate.com/2011/01/05/1631503/scoppe-the-assault-on-christmas.html

One excerpt:

On the 10th day, a colleague fretted that she had not gotten her decorations down by New Year’s Eve; when I told her it was only the 10th day of Christmas, she thought I was making a joke. I contacted Susan Wilds McArver, who teaches church history at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, to ask why our society ignores the last 11 days of Christmas. She reminded me that many of the first settlers came to America to escape the “excess” of my own Church of England, and said that while South Carolina, Virginia and a few other colonies were quite friendly to the Anglican/Roman Catholic/Orthodox tradition, several colonies banned any celebration of Christmas; Connecticut even outlawed making mince-meat pies.

The Epiphany

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Blessing of a Home at Epiphanytide

A part of church history is the custom of blessing homes at the New Year. A family would hold a short service of prayer to ask God’s blessing on their dwellings and on all who live, work with and visit them. In this way, we invite Jesus to be a “guest” in our home, a listener to each conversation, a guide for troubled times, and a blessing in times of thanksgiving.

“Chalking the door” or the door step may be used as a way to celebrate and literally “mark” the occasion. In the Old Testament the Israelites were told to mark their doors with the blood of the lamb on the night of the Passover to ensure that the angel of death would pass them by. Deuteronomy 6: 9 says that we shall “write [the words of God] on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, … and you shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.”

Chalk is made of the substance of the earth and is used by teachers to instruct and by children to play. As the image of the chalk fades, we will remember the sign we have made and transfer it to our hearts and our habits. (from the worshipwell.org)

The Blessing of the Chalk at the end of the Eucharist

Loving God, bless this chalk which you have created, that it may be helpful to your people; and grant that through the invocation of your most Holy Name all those who with it write the names of your saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, may receive health of body and protection of soul for all who dwell in the homes where this chalk is used, we make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Blessing of a Home at Epiphanytide

Since the Middle Ages there has been a tradition that on (or near) the feast of the Epiphany we pray for God’s blessing on our homes, marking the entrance with chalk (an incarnational image reminding us of the dust of the earth from which we were made). We mark the main door of our home with the initials of the Magi and the numerals of the new year, connected with crosses:

20 + C + M + B + 11

The initials remind us of the legendary names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – and also stand for the Latin motto: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house.” In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this ritual, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we have invited God’s presence and blessing into our homes. It is traditional to write the inscription on the lintel, above the door, but it can be written anywhere near the entrance.

The following prayer may be said while the entrance is marked:
The three Wise Men: C - Caspar, M - Melchior, B - and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human,
20 - two thousand,
11 - and eleven years ago.
++ May Christ bless our home
++ and remain with us throughout the new year.

May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is your incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen.

Thanks to Bosco Peters & Scott Gunn.

January 2 Sermon (2 Christmas)

“Wise men still seek him.”

I’ve seen this on shirts and on billboards, it reminds us of the feast of the Epiphany, of magi, wise men of the east who come seeking the Christ child. And it calls us to seek him out in our lives. They each brought their gifts: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Each a symbol. Each a connection to the life that Jesus was going to live. A life Jesus calls us to seek. And there is a legend, a story from over a century ago, that tells us about a fourth wise man, whose name was Artaban, who also sought out Jesus.

(excerpts from “The Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke, 1896)

He travelled from Persia to meet the other magi, carrying with him his gift for the new King - three precious jewels - a sapphire, a ruby and a pearl. On his way Artaban met an old Jew by the roadside, who was nearly dying from fever. He decided to stay with the sick man until he was well, he couldn’t leave him to die and so he missed the other three wise men who completed their journey to Bethlehem. The Jew told Artaban that the prophets said that the King would be born in Bethlehem . To make such a journey it was necessary to form a caravan and buy expensive supplies and equipment. So Artaban sold his costly sapphire to raise money and he set out for Bethlehem.

When he arrived in Bethlehem and made enquiries he was told that the other wise men had left 3 days before. A young mother told him that the family he was seeking had fled and that Bethlehem was in fear of King Herod. While Artaban was in the town, the soldiers arrived with orders to kill all the baby boys. The young mother was very frightened for her young son and when the captain of the soldiers ordered the child to be killed, Artaban came to the rescue and gave his ruby to the soldiers to save the boy. Artaban sought for the King for many years, although he only had one of his gifts left - the pearl.

Finally, after 30 years of searching, he came to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover. The city was buzzing with talk about the man named Jesus who claimed to be the son of God and who was to be crucified. Artaban wondered whether he could use his last jewel to save the life of this man, Jesus. But as he hurried through the streets of the city, Artaban came across a young girl who was crying. She told Artaban she was crying because she was going to be sold into slavery to pay her father’s debts. Artaban could not pass by and leave the girl for slavery. He took the pearl and laid it in the hand of the girl and said "Daughter, this is the ransom. It is the last of my treasures which I had hoped to keep for the King." While he spoke, the darkness of the sky thickened and the shuddering tremors of an earthquake ran through the ground. The houses rocked. The soldiers fled in terror. Artaban sank beside a protecting wall. What had he to fear? What had he to hope for? He had given away the last of his tribute to the King. The quest was over and he had failed.

What else mattered? The earthquake quivered beneath him. A heavy tile, shaken from a roof, fell and struck him. He lay breathless and pale. Then there came a still small voice through the twilight It was like distant music. The rescued girl leaned over him and heard him say, "Not so, my Lord; for when saw I thee hungered and fed thee? Or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw I thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and clothed thee? When saw I thee sick or in prison and came unto thee? Thirty-three years have I looked for thee; but I have never seen thy face, nor ministered unto thee, my King."

The sweet voice came again, "Verily I say unto thee, that inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me." A calm radiance of wonder and joy lighted the face of Artaban as one long, last breath exhaled gently from his lips. His journey was ended. His treasure accepted. The Other Wise Man had found the King.

His precious gifts for the King had been sold, or given away, to help others on his long journey and through such generosity, Artaban had worshiped his King and served him by using the gifts he had to help other people. Now its up to us, To use our gifts. To seek Christ who is still all around us. In the great words of Howard Thurman:

"When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with the flocks,
then the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost,
to heal those broken in spirit,
to feed the hungry,
to release the oppressed,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among all peoples,
to make music with the heart”

As we remember Artaban's story in our hearts, may we radiate the Light of Christ, every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say, by sharing our gifts with the world. For it is then the work of Christmas has begun in us. Amen.

The Holy Name of Jesus

All Jewish boys were circumcised and named on the 8th day of their life, and so, one week after Christmas, on January 1st, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus:

Eternal Father, who gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The Holy Gospel: Luke 2:15-21

Prayer for the New Year

Another Year Is Dawning

Another year is dawning,
Dear Master, let it be,
In working, or in waiting,
Another year with Thee.

Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace;
Another year of gladness
In the shining of Thy face.

Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of service,
Of witness of Thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.

Another year is dawning,
Dear Master, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven
Another year for Thee.

--Francis Ridley Havergal (1874)