Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
A visit with Amelia (and Jenn and José)
Rob and I spent a couple of days in California last week. JFK to San Francisco on Thursday, returning Saturday. The weather was beautiful, but while it was HOT here, it was beautiful but COLD there. Temperature was in the 50s and it was windy. And I didn't even take along a sweater. Got to spend quality time with Amelia, and got to see the awesome condo that they'll be moving into within the next few weeks.
Here's a little "movie":
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
ThisWeeksSermon—April 12 Easter Day
Please follow THIS LINK to the Easter Sunday sermon.
Sorry for the hiaitus in postings. It's been busy!
No audio this week, either. Forgot to hit the START button.
FYI: I'm testing a different venue for online our parish "social networking." Click here to join Episcopalians in Marlboro. Let me know if you have any trouble with it.
Fr. Jerry
Monday, March 23, 2009
ThisWeeksSermon—March 22, Lent 4
“Breathe on me…”
The 4th Sunday in Lent, March 22d, 2009
+ + + + + + + +
“The dog was just breathing on me. It was kind of nice, actually. . . .”
“You know, the word dog is God spelled backward.
And all I could think of for the next couple of days were the words from that hymn that we sing at baptisms.
It kept relentlessly running through my head, except the word God got replaced with the word Dog.
Breathe on me breath of Dog.
Fill me with life anew
You know the tune. Very pretty.
That I may love what you love, and do what you would do.
The concept of Life, the breath of Life, abundant life, I was swimming in it for days.
“You know, the word dog is God spelled backward.
And all I could think of for the next couple of days were the words from that hymn that we sing at baptisms.
It kept relentlessly running through my head, except the word God got replaced with the word Dog.
Breathe on me breath of Dog.
Fill me with life anew
You know the tune. Very pretty.
That I may love what you love, and do what you would do.
The concept of Life, the breath of Life, abundant life, I was swimming in it for days.
It was everywhere.
It was all over me!”
+ + + + + + + +
Audio version available. CLICK HERE
Several of my friends and relatives suggested that I NOT begin my sermon this morning the way I’m about to.
But I’m doing it anyway, although I admit I’m kind of nervous about it.
Here goes.
By now everyone has to know that I have a dog.
Jackson the big white standard poodle.
And right about now I can “hear” Bill Borchert thinking, “Oh boy, here comes another one of those sermons about the dog….”
He’s right.
Sort of.
I can’t help it.
I absolutely love animals, and especially dogs, and especially this dog, because he’s my dog.
One of the things that I especially like about pets, in general, is that when I connect with a dog or a cat or a bird (I’ve had them all as pets) I feel an awesome connection with another species, with all of Creation, with God’s creation.
One of the things I like, about dogs in particular, is that they live “in the moment.”
It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday.
It doesn’t even matter what happened 15 minutes ago.
There’s no yesterday.
There’s no tomorrow.
There’s just “right now.”
The present moment.
Many spiritual people refer to this phenomenon as experiencing the “sacredness of the moment.”
Many claim that meditation will take you there, and that when you are there, you’re in the very presence of God.
The night of the breath
Jackson sleeps on the bed with me.
It’s a big bed, and he’s usually nowhere near me.
Maybe he simply prefers the foot of the bed.
Or maybe he sees me as a “top dog” and respects my space.
Maybe it’s a kind of guard-dog position.
I don’t know.
But the other night I had just dozed off.
I rolled over and realized the dog, oddly, was right next to me.
I could feel his breath against my face.
Somehow he’d moved up on the bed, and gotten his head between the pillows.
I peeked through my eyelids.
He was on his side, nose toward me, looking right at me.
I opened my eyes wider.
He moved his head even closer!
(I want you to know that this is a dog who does not have bad breath.
So it wasn’t disgusting, or anything like that.)
He was just breathing on me.
And it was kind of nice, actually.
The word God
You know, the word dog is God spelled backward.
I hope you don’t think I’m being sacrilegious, but all I could think of for the next couple of days were the words from that hymn that we sing at baptisms.
It kept relentlessly running through my head, except the word God got replaced by the word Dog.
Breathe on me breath of Dog.
Fill me with life anew
You know the tune.
Very pretty.
That I may love what you love, and do what you would do.
Breathe on me breath of Dog!
The concept of Life, the breath of Life, abundant life, I was swimming in it for days.
It was everywhere.
It was like all over me!
The uniqueness of John’s gospel
In the first three gospels, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, the word Kingdom is used 113 times.
But in the fourth gospel, the so-called Gospel of John, it’s different.
It is used only twice.
In John, it’s all about the concept of “Life,” Life with a capital-L, abundant life.
It’s not about the Kingdom.
And John’s “life” theme comes up in his morning’s passage from that fourth gospel.
Authorship of the 4th gospel
It was allegedly written by John, the son of Zebedee, a member of the inner group of Jesus’ followers.
According to legend, John lived into old age in Ephesus, an ancient Greek city in what is now Turkey.
It was a very important center of early Christianity.
Paul preached there, and John, the son of Zebedee, is said to have lived there.
It was in Ephesus that he is said to have composed not only this fourth gospel, but also three letters that made it into our New Testament, and maybe even the book of Revelation.
This legendary authorship is highly improbable.
The gospel was probably written near the close of the first century, well after John’s death.
And that makes it a close contemporary of Matthew and Luke.
There’s even evidence that it went through several editions.
And many scholars think that the gospel of John is actually the product of a “school” of writers who had been influenced by John.
Those writers (or that writer, as the case may be) would have us believe that the words we heard this morning were spoken by Jesus himself, spoken during a secret conversation with Nicodemus, a leading member of a strict Jewish sect.
The writer(s) began the passage with the words, “Jesus said,” and then they put quotation marks around their own words, describing their own theology as though Jesus was talking about himself.
Jesus said, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that those who believe in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
They’re not Jesus’ words, and anyway, it would be kind of weird to have Jesus talking about himself in the third person!
And the tense is off as well.
Surely, instead, if they were Jesus’ words about himself, he would have said, “God so loved the world that he IS GIVING [present tense] ME [1st person], so that believers will have life.”
What we get in the gospel of John is clearly first century theology.
The words are the writer’s own analysis of what the coming of the “son of God” meant to them.
It was faith in God, the Holy One they had seen in the life of Jesus, faith that could breathe new Life into others, not some time later, but now.
That was their message.
The Christianity that I seek
The essence of Christianity that I find lies beyond the scriptures that were written well after the life of Jesus.
The essence of Christianity that I find lies beyond the creeds that are third and fourth century creations.
The essence of Christianity that I find lies even beyond the familiar words of our liturgies that were shaped most dramatically by the 13th century.
The essence of Christianity cannot be bound by the words of a 2000 to 3000-year-old religious system.
The essence that I seek must always go beyond religious traditions.
I do not believe that God is a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim or a Buddhist, or anything else, even though these traditions have pointed hundreds of millions of people toward the Mystery of God.
Jesus gives a picture of God
In the Bible stories of Jesus of Nazareth, we get a picture of the God that Jesus was pointing us to.
God is portrayed as a life-giving, life-enhancing, awesome, surprising presence.
The God that Jesus called “Father” was one of generosity, of invitation, of inclusiveness.
Jesus pointed us to a God who would bring healing to the human condition.
Jesus pointed to a God who opened people’s eyes, opened rooftops, opened the doors of a wedding banquet, offered a new experience, a new way of being, a new creation, New Life.
Jesus pointed to a God who passed through all boundaries, and held each person’s place and dignity as paramount.
The God that Jesus was pointing us to is the One who created us from the earth, filled us with with a Divine, Holy Spirit, breathed the breath of life onto our faces and into our bodies.
The concept of Life, the breath of Life, abundant Life.
We’re swimming in it.
It’s everywhere.
It’s all over us.
But I’m doing it anyway, although I admit I’m kind of nervous about it.
Here goes.
By now everyone has to know that I have a dog.
Jackson the big white standard poodle.
And right about now I can “hear” Bill Borchert thinking, “Oh boy, here comes another one of those sermons about the dog….”
He’s right.
Sort of.
I can’t help it.
I absolutely love animals, and especially dogs, and especially this dog, because he’s my dog.
One of the things that I especially like about pets, in general, is that when I connect with a dog or a cat or a bird (I’ve had them all as pets) I feel an awesome connection with another species, with all of Creation, with God’s creation.
One of the things I like, about dogs in particular, is that they live “in the moment.”
It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday.
It doesn’t even matter what happened 15 minutes ago.
There’s no yesterday.
There’s no tomorrow.
There’s just “right now.”
The present moment.
Many spiritual people refer to this phenomenon as experiencing the “sacredness of the moment.”
Many claim that meditation will take you there, and that when you are there, you’re in the very presence of God.
The night of the breath
Jackson sleeps on the bed with me.
It’s a big bed, and he’s usually nowhere near me.
Maybe he simply prefers the foot of the bed.
Or maybe he sees me as a “top dog” and respects my space.
Maybe it’s a kind of guard-dog position.
I don’t know.
But the other night I had just dozed off.
I rolled over and realized the dog, oddly, was right next to me.
I could feel his breath against my face.
Somehow he’d moved up on the bed, and gotten his head between the pillows.
I peeked through my eyelids.
He was on his side, nose toward me, looking right at me.
I opened my eyes wider.
He moved his head even closer!
(I want you to know that this is a dog who does not have bad breath.
So it wasn’t disgusting, or anything like that.)
He was just breathing on me.
And it was kind of nice, actually.
The word God
You know, the word dog is God spelled backward.
I hope you don’t think I’m being sacrilegious, but all I could think of for the next couple of days were the words from that hymn that we sing at baptisms.
It kept relentlessly running through my head, except the word God got replaced by the word Dog.
Breathe on me breath of Dog.
Fill me with life anew
You know the tune.
Very pretty.
That I may love what you love, and do what you would do.
Breathe on me breath of Dog!
The concept of Life, the breath of Life, abundant life, I was swimming in it for days.
It was everywhere.
It was like all over me!
The uniqueness of John’s gospel
In the first three gospels, Mark, Matthew, and Luke, the word Kingdom is used 113 times.
But in the fourth gospel, the so-called Gospel of John, it’s different.
It is used only twice.
In John, it’s all about the concept of “Life,” Life with a capital-L, abundant life.
It’s not about the Kingdom.
And John’s “life” theme comes up in his morning’s passage from that fourth gospel.
Authorship of the 4th gospel
It was allegedly written by John, the son of Zebedee, a member of the inner group of Jesus’ followers.
According to legend, John lived into old age in Ephesus, an ancient Greek city in what is now Turkey.
It was a very important center of early Christianity.
Paul preached there, and John, the son of Zebedee, is said to have lived there.
It was in Ephesus that he is said to have composed not only this fourth gospel, but also three letters that made it into our New Testament, and maybe even the book of Revelation.
This legendary authorship is highly improbable.
The gospel was probably written near the close of the first century, well after John’s death.
And that makes it a close contemporary of Matthew and Luke.
There’s even evidence that it went through several editions.
And many scholars think that the gospel of John is actually the product of a “school” of writers who had been influenced by John.
Those writers (or that writer, as the case may be) would have us believe that the words we heard this morning were spoken by Jesus himself, spoken during a secret conversation with Nicodemus, a leading member of a strict Jewish sect.
The writer(s) began the passage with the words, “Jesus said,” and then they put quotation marks around their own words, describing their own theology as though Jesus was talking about himself.
Jesus said, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that those who believe in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
They’re not Jesus’ words, and anyway, it would be kind of weird to have Jesus talking about himself in the third person!
And the tense is off as well.
Surely, instead, if they were Jesus’ words about himself, he would have said, “God so loved the world that he IS GIVING [present tense] ME [1st person], so that believers will have life.”
What we get in the gospel of John is clearly first century theology.
The words are the writer’s own analysis of what the coming of the “son of God” meant to them.
It was faith in God, the Holy One they had seen in the life of Jesus, faith that could breathe new Life into others, not some time later, but now.
That was their message.
The Christianity that I seek
The essence of Christianity that I find lies beyond the scriptures that were written well after the life of Jesus.
The essence of Christianity that I find lies beyond the creeds that are third and fourth century creations.
The essence of Christianity that I find lies even beyond the familiar words of our liturgies that were shaped most dramatically by the 13th century.
The essence of Christianity cannot be bound by the words of a 2000 to 3000-year-old religious system.
The essence that I seek must always go beyond religious traditions.
I do not believe that God is a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim or a Buddhist, or anything else, even though these traditions have pointed hundreds of millions of people toward the Mystery of God.
Jesus gives a picture of God
In the Bible stories of Jesus of Nazareth, we get a picture of the God that Jesus was pointing us to.
God is portrayed as a life-giving, life-enhancing, awesome, surprising presence.
The God that Jesus called “Father” was one of generosity, of invitation, of inclusiveness.
Jesus pointed us to a God who would bring healing to the human condition.
Jesus pointed to a God who opened people’s eyes, opened rooftops, opened the doors of a wedding banquet, offered a new experience, a new way of being, a new creation, New Life.
Jesus pointed to a God who passed through all boundaries, and held each person’s place and dignity as paramount.
The God that Jesus was pointing us to is the One who created us from the earth, filled us with with a Divine, Holy Spirit, breathed the breath of life onto our faces and into our bodies.
The concept of Life, the breath of Life, abundant Life.
We’re swimming in it.
It’s everywhere.
It’s all over us.
ThisWeeksNews—March 22, 2009
Another quick trip to California. Returned Saturday evening following an uneventful but productive flight. That nonstop from coast to coast provides a rare opportunity for several uninterrupted hours. Quality time with the next day's sermon! Returned with a camera full of photos, and a couple of short "movies." On Friday, Amelia picked up a Matchbox toy car, deciding it was not a car, but a car phone! Click on the video to see this funny scene.
Holy week is fast-approaching. A week from Sunday is Palm Sunday. Then weekday services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We'll also be doing the Easter Vigil on Easter Saturday, inviting people from the community who wish to be baptized ("open baptism").
Sunday morning at the church, we welcomed visitors from Martha's Vineyard and from the coast of Maine. It was incredibly satisfying to hear a very positive reaction to their experiences in our little church. Sometimes you just don't know whatcha got until someone tells you so.
I have a few photos from the coffee hour. And then later on, from the Lenten potluck program. Boys and girls decorated a cake decorated with symbols of the Easter Passion.
Holy week is fast-approaching. A week from Sunday is Palm Sunday. Then weekday services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We'll also be doing the Easter Vigil on Easter Saturday, inviting people from the community who wish to be baptized ("open baptism").
The gifts of God for the People of God…No strings attached.
Then, finally, Easter Day. Each event offers its own experience as we relive the story of the end of Jesus' life and the birth of the spiritual Christ power. Services on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will begin at 7 o'clock. Easter Day celebration will take place at the regular time, 9:30.
Here are some of the announcements from yesterday's service booklet:
Coffee hour arrangements…
If no one has signed up to provide for us at coffee hour, and if I can remember (!), I will swing by Dunkin’ Donuts on my way to church and pick up a couple of boxes of Munchkins each Sunday. The weekly cost is a little over $15. If you’d like to assist in underwriting this, contributions will be accepted. For some, I expect it’s an option that’s better than taking a turn at hosting.—Fr. Jerry
Care to join me for dinner at Casa Milanese May 16th
Once again it’s the Highland Rotary’s annual “Service Above Self” dinner-dance at Casa Milanese. Vito Dispens will be receiving the award. It’s also Highland Rotary’s 25th anniversary.
Silent auction, music, dancing, prime rib, chicken Francaise, stuffed filet of sole. Last year about 20 of us from the parish attended. Filled two tables. It’s a ready-made parish night out. All we have to do is pay the $40 per person and show up! Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7. See me to reserve a place at the table!—Fr. Jerry
If you’re not an Episcopalian yet, would you like to be?
If you were baptized in The Episcopal Church, you’re automatically an Episcopalian. If you were baptized elsewhere, but confirmed in The Episcopal Church, you’re an Episcopalian. If you were confirmed elsewhere, but received into the Episcopal Church by the laying on of hands, you’re an Episcopalian. If not, an awesome opportunity awaits.
On the last Saturday in May, Confirming and Receiving of new members will take place at our Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It’s an awesome setting for any occasion, but especially for this rite of “belonging.” Interested? Let me know. Preparation will be painless…even enjoyable.—jb+
LiturgicalNote (for reading of the gospel)
In Anglican churches, as in the early church, members of the congregation take an active part in the liturgy: responses, songs, hymns, etc., and by “Amens,” we ratify and make our own the prayers spoken by others.
In addition, members of the congregation may do the following:
Stand and face the reader during the reading of the gospel, and make the sign of the cross with the right thumb on the forehead, lips, and breast when it is announced.
Got contributions for rescued dogs & cats?
Our Church school boys and girls are collecting supplies for the Animal Rescue Foundation in Beacon. They’ll be delivering the supplies as part of a monthly “field trip” to ARF.
Here’s what they’re asking for: • Cash contributions, • Paper towels • Heavy-duty, extra-large garbage bags, • Clorox bleach, • Pedigree dry and wet dogfood, • Puppy Chow, • Friskies wet cat and kitten food, • Purina One or Purina Cat Chow dry cat food, • Purina One or Purina Kitten Chow dry kitten food, • Cotton rounds, • Clorox Clean-Up Spray, • Newspaper, • Catnip and Pounce cat treats.
Birthdays & anniversaries
Birthdays
3/22 Niki Tauffner
3/25 Diane Baker
4/5 Joanne Ward
4/5 Evelyn Gilman
4/17 Mary Ruvolo
4/18 Richard Chilcott
4/22 Felicia Harrington
4/26 Bryan Cuilty
Anniversaries
3/27 Wayne and Barbara Carroll
4/27 Bill & Reneé Borchert
Calendar*
Tuesday, March 24, 7:30pm Choir practice
Wednesday, March 25, 12:00am The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday, March 26, 7:30pm Choir practice XTRA
Saturday, March 28, 10:30am Wardens’ Conference 2009
Sunday, March 29, 9:15am Church school dropoff
Sunday, March 29, 9:30am Mass
Sunday, March 29, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 31, 7:30pm Choir practice
Saturday, April 4, 2:30pm Sunday school to ARF
Sunday, April 5, 12:00am Palm Sunday
Tuesday, April 7, 7:30pm Choir practice
Thursday, April 9, 7:00pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist & Agapé
Friday, April 10, 7:00pm Integrity
Friday, April 10, 7:00pm Good Friday
Saturday, April 11, 7:00pm Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
Sunday, April 12, 2:15pm Easter Day
Tuesday, April 14, 7:30pm Choir practice
Thursday, April 16, 11:30am "Third Thursday Thing" (mass+healing+lunch)
Tuesday, April 21, 7:00pm Vestry
Income and expenses
Income Expense Variance
Budget, Jan. 1–Jan. 31 $3,833 $4,227 -$394
Actual, Jan. 1–Jan. 31 $4,904 4,735 $169
Last week (March 15) Not counted (Budgeted weekly = $884)
Here are some of the announcements from yesterday's service booklet:
Coffee hour arrangements…
If no one has signed up to provide for us at coffee hour, and if I can remember (!), I will swing by Dunkin’ Donuts on my way to church and pick up a couple of boxes of Munchkins each Sunday. The weekly cost is a little over $15. If you’d like to assist in underwriting this, contributions will be accepted. For some, I expect it’s an option that’s better than taking a turn at hosting.—Fr. Jerry
Care to join me for dinner at Casa Milanese May 16th
Once again it’s the Highland Rotary’s annual “Service Above Self” dinner-dance at Casa Milanese. Vito Dispens will be receiving the award. It’s also Highland Rotary’s 25th anniversary.
Silent auction, music, dancing, prime rib, chicken Francaise, stuffed filet of sole. Last year about 20 of us from the parish attended. Filled two tables. It’s a ready-made parish night out. All we have to do is pay the $40 per person and show up! Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7. See me to reserve a place at the table!—Fr. Jerry
If you’re not an Episcopalian yet, would you like to be?
If you were baptized in The Episcopal Church, you’re automatically an Episcopalian. If you were baptized elsewhere, but confirmed in The Episcopal Church, you’re an Episcopalian. If you were confirmed elsewhere, but received into the Episcopal Church by the laying on of hands, you’re an Episcopalian. If not, an awesome opportunity awaits.
On the last Saturday in May, Confirming and Receiving of new members will take place at our Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It’s an awesome setting for any occasion, but especially for this rite of “belonging.” Interested? Let me know. Preparation will be painless…even enjoyable.—jb+
LiturgicalNote (for reading of the gospel)
In Anglican churches, as in the early church, members of the congregation take an active part in the liturgy: responses, songs, hymns, etc., and by “Amens,” we ratify and make our own the prayers spoken by others.
In addition, members of the congregation may do the following:
Stand and face the reader during the reading of the gospel, and make the sign of the cross with the right thumb on the forehead, lips, and breast when it is announced.
Got contributions for rescued dogs & cats?
Our Church school boys and girls are collecting supplies for the Animal Rescue Foundation in Beacon. They’ll be delivering the supplies as part of a monthly “field trip” to ARF.
Here’s what they’re asking for: • Cash contributions, • Paper towels • Heavy-duty, extra-large garbage bags, • Clorox bleach, • Pedigree dry and wet dogfood, • Puppy Chow, • Friskies wet cat and kitten food, • Purina One or Purina Cat Chow dry cat food, • Purina One or Purina Kitten Chow dry kitten food, • Cotton rounds, • Clorox Clean-Up Spray, • Newspaper, • Catnip and Pounce cat treats.
Birthdays & anniversaries
Birthdays
3/22 Niki Tauffner
3/25 Diane Baker
4/5 Joanne Ward
4/5 Evelyn Gilman
4/17 Mary Ruvolo
4/18 Richard Chilcott
4/22 Felicia Harrington
4/26 Bryan Cuilty
Anniversaries
3/27 Wayne and Barbara Carroll
4/27 Bill & Reneé Borchert
Calendar*
Tuesday, March 24, 7:30pm Choir practice
Wednesday, March 25, 12:00am The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday, March 26, 7:30pm Choir practice XTRA
Saturday, March 28, 10:30am Wardens’ Conference 2009
Sunday, March 29, 9:15am Church school dropoff
Sunday, March 29, 9:30am Mass
Sunday, March 29, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 31, 7:30pm Choir practice
Saturday, April 4, 2:30pm Sunday school to ARF
Sunday, April 5, 12:00am Palm Sunday
Tuesday, April 7, 7:30pm Choir practice
Thursday, April 9, 7:00pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist & Agapé
Friday, April 10, 7:00pm Integrity
Friday, April 10, 7:00pm Good Friday
Saturday, April 11, 7:00pm Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
Sunday, April 12, 2:15pm Easter Day
Tuesday, April 14, 7:30pm Choir practice
Thursday, April 16, 11:30am "Third Thursday Thing" (mass+healing+lunch)
Tuesday, April 21, 7:00pm Vestry
Income and expenses
Income Expense Variance
Budget, Jan. 1–Jan. 31 $3,833 $4,227 -$394
Actual, Jan. 1–Jan. 31 $4,904 4,735 $169
Last week (March 15) Not counted (Budgeted weekly = $884)
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