Pancakes and Ashes: a reminder

Pancakes tonight, 5:30-7 at the church. No beads required.
Ashes tomorrow night, 7 at the church. A fresh start toward Easter.

ThisWeeksSermon February 22d, The Last Sunday After the Epiphany

“The light in our hearts”
The Last Sunday After the Epiphany, February 22d, 2008

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“My spiritual director once asked me how far I could get in the Creed before choking on the words. I won’t share my answer. But I too am a product of our literal-minded culture.”
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”…so they lapsed into poetry. When this life was born, the life of Jesus, they said a great light split the dark sky. Angelic choruses peopled the heavens to sing of peace on earth. They told of a virgin mother, a rejecting world, of stars and kings. Light once more separated the darkness. There was no other way to talk about it.”
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Streaming audio available. Click here.

May I speak only the truth, and may only the truth be heard by you, in the name of God our Creator, our redeemer, and our sanctifier.

Two magical stories
We got two stories of magic and miracles in this morning’s readings.

Elijah passing his prophetic role to Elisha
First it was the story of the prophet Elijah, passing his torch as the leading prophet of Israel to his understudy, Elisha.
It has all the markings of a heroic folktale, preserved as oral history, and that’s of course what it is, a heroic folktale.
It almost has the ring of a children’s story, in its simplicity and repetitiveness.
Elijah running God’s errands, first to Bethel, then to Jericho, and then on to the Jordan River, and all the while Elisha being told, over and over, “You stay put!”, but he doesn’t stay put.
He insists on tagging along anyway.
Everyone seems to know that it’s Elijah’s last day on earth, but for some reason, no one’s supposed to talk about it.
At the Jordan River, we discover that Elijah has a bit of the “magic of Moses” in his old bones.
Elijah rolls up his coat, hits the water with it, the water divides, and he and Elisha are able to walk across, reminiscent, of course, of Moses parting the Red Sea.
Elijah is then sucked up into heaven by flying horses.
And that’s where our reading stopped today.
But if you read on, you’ll find in the next verse or two that Elisha picks up the coat that Elijah left behind, and he’s able to do Moses’ magic as well.
He hits the water with Elijah’s coat, the water divides, and he walks across again.
The torch has been passed, from Elijah to Elisha.

The gospel
The other story of magic and miracle this morning was in the gospel, where Mark tells a story of Jesus’ “transfiguration,” Jesus’ dazzling, but temporary, metamorphosis, his clothing becoming whiter than white, and a voice of God coming from the clouds, “This is my Son,” the voice said, “the Beloved; listen to him!”
The torch has been passed again.

The point of the stories
The point of these stories of magic and miracle are to show that Elijah had inherited the standing of Moses, that Elisha had inherited the standing of Elijah, and that Jesus shared the historic prophetic tradition of all three of those major religious figures as well.
These stories show a continuity of ancient Israel’s faith with the birth of Christianity, a connection between Jew and non-Jew, a connection with the same God.

These stories are “true myth.”
The stories of course both have mythic qualities.
The Bible as a whole is way more poetry and myth than it is history.
It’s kind of unfortunate that we live in one of the most literal-minded cultures of all time.
We have trouble grasping the idea of “true myth.”
The two words seem to contradict one another.
I can vouch for that.
I used to think I had to cross my fingers when I recited the Nicene Creed.
My spiritual director once asked me how far I could get in the Creed before choking on the words.
I won’t share my answer.
But I too am a product of our literal-minded culture.
It’s not surprising that the Bible largely remains a closed book.
If you treat the biblical myths as history, as something literal, you end up either with distortion, or absurdity.
What the Bible genuinely is, is our story, our story told in myth, our story explained using parable, our story overflowing with metaphor, and allegory.
The Bible is our story, tracing the evolution of the human soul, and its relationship to the mystery we call “God.”
The Bible is our story, tracing the evolution of the human soul, and its relationship with the wider human community.
The Bible is our story, tracing the evolution of the human soul, to the cosmos itself.
The power of our story, told in myth and parable and metaphor, the power of our story for inspiration and transformation is immeasurable.
The true myth of the Bible can change lives.
And it does.

How can we describe the Jesus experience
Jack Spong writes about the effect that Jesus had on the women and men who followed him around.
They had tasted the power that was in Jesus, and they were made whole by it.
They felt a new freedom.
They knew what it meant to live in the moment, to live in what many call “The Eternal Now.”
They became agents of the power of Jesus.
They shared those gifts, and they shared their stories, from generation to generation, creating and re-creating our story, transforming it, making all things new.
As the power moved among those human beings, light once more separated from darkness, and it was good!
They searched for the words to describe the moment that recognized the fullness of this power, living in history, living in the life of this person, Jesus, but words failed them.
So they lapsed into poetry.
When this life was born, the life of Jesus, they said a great light split the dark sky.
Angelic choruses peopled the heavens to sing of peace on earth.
They told of a virgin mother, a rejecting world, of stars and kings.
Light once more separated the darkness.
There was no other way to talk about it.
Paul: Darkness and light
We read a bit about “light” from of one of Paul’s letters this morning.
What Paul said about darkness and light was this:
Those who have been touched by the God they see in Jesus have seen the Light, and it’s as if seeing the Light at the very first moment of creation, knowing the spiritual presence of God in Jesus, as if brand-new, knowing the spiritual presence of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, knowing the presence of the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness.”
It’s the Light that shines in our hearts.
It has separated the darkness.
(And I don’t need to cross my fingers any more.)

Prayer
Let us pray.
Eternal God, the Great Mystery that is outside everything and yet at the same time inside, keep alive in each one of us the search for a faith that is real, a faith that helps us to live happier lives, a faith that gives us a fuller meaning to life and the events of life.
Bring us to know the goodness that flows from the heart of the universe and may we be expanded in heart and soul by that goodness.
This is our prayer. Amen.
Jerry Brooks+

ThisWeeksNews from The Episcopal Church in Marlboro

Austin James Perillo came to church today!
It was very busy this morning at The Episcopal Church in Marlboro. Austin James Perillo was welcomed into full membership, and it was witnessed by a full house—nearly 70 of us. Austin's parents are Manny and Valerie. They were married nine years ago at our church and live in Dutchess County. What a warm, friendly group of visitors we had today. The movie included here includes photos taken during the service, at coffee hour, and later in the Sunday school, where Lea Buttner, Reneé Borchert, and their children have already begun preparing the sets and props for the 2009 vacation Bible school in June.

A perfect opportunity to improve our kitchens
At last week's vestry meeting, we decided to act on the two kitchen improvements that we've been talking about for quite some time. It seems like the classic "perfect storm," where things surprisingly come together all at the same moment to bring about change. We had previously raised about $1500 toward changes in the parish hall kitchen (new sink, built-in dishwasher, and kitchen counter). Turns out, Carolyn Cuilty, our treasurer, is working for a firm that in the business of kitchen upgrades, and some deep discounts are a possibility. Looks as though we will be able to move forward sooner rather than later.

The original kitchen in the former rectory has been an embarassing eyesore embarassing in the midst of our office and Sunday school rooms. Sgt. Bukavinsky, from the Eastern Correctional Facility, has been urging us to take advantage of services provided to nonprofit organizations by inmates. They currently have two teams available with guys who are skilled at putting up sheetrock. Steven Gilman provided a professional estimate of costs for materials, and it totals about $500. If we can raise that amount quickly (and I think we can), we can transform that room into usable space and eliminate an eyesore.

We owe the Diocese some back-payments
Turns out we paid the Diocese less in 2008 than we should have. The vestry will make an effort to manage funds this year in such a way that we're out of debt within 12 months.

Pancake supper Tuesday 5:30-7 o'clock: bring us your palm branches from 2008
It's an Anglican tradition, the pancake supper held on the evening preceding Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Mardi Gras without beads. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit. We'll be burning palm branches from 2008 Palm Sunday to be used the next day, Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday eucharist and imposition of ashes at 7 o'clock
Our service will begin at 7 o'clock Wednesday. I'm trying to come up with a list of alternative services in our area for those who are unable to make our service. Will keep you posted.

Red Cross blood drive on Saturday in our parish hall
The Red Cross will be taking over the parish hall Saturday from 9–2 p.m., hoping to replenish their supply. Spread the word!

Lenten family potlucks begin this Sunday
We'll be getting together at 4 o'clock on the next five Sundays sharing potluck meals. Following the meal, adults will stay in the parish hall for a program provided by the Congregational Development office of the National Church: Spiritual Journey: A Small Group Resource. The children will take part in a parallel "track" suited to their needs. We did this same sort of thing last year, and it was well received.

Birthdays
2/23 Nicholas Gephard

Anniversaries
2/24 Susan and Joe Jurkovic
Calendar*
Sunday, Feb. 22, 4:00pm Bach Cantata at Monastery
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:30pm Choir practice
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5:30pm Pancake Supper
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7:00pm Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes
Saturday, Feb. 28, 9:00am Red Cross blood drive
Sunday, March 1, 9:15am Church school dropoff
Sunday, March 1, 9:30am Family-friendly mass
Sunday, March 1, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 3, 7:30pm Choir practice
Wednesday, March 4, 6:30pm "From Ashes to Fire"
Thursday, March 5, 9:30am VBS planning
Saturday, March 7, 9:30am Lenten quiet day
Saturday, March 7, 2:30pm Sunday school to ARF
Sunday, March 8, 2:15pm Nursing home ministry
Sunday, March 8, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Sunday, March 8 Girl Scout Sunday
Tuesday, March 10, 7:30pm Choir practice
Friday, March 13, 7:00pm Integrity
Sunday, March 15, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 17, 7:00pm Vestry
Tuesday, March 17, 7:30pm Choir practice
Thursday, March 19, 11:30am “Third Thursday” mass + lunch
Saturday, March 21, 9:00am Faith is a Verb Adult Formation Workshop
Sunday, March 22, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 24, 7:30pm Choir practice
Sunday, March 29, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 31, 7:30pm Choir practice

ThisWeeksSermon February 15th 2009

“God is Wonder, not judgment.”
The 6th Sunday After the Epiphany, February 15th, 2008

“The revelation of God is Wonder, not judgment.
The only true response is silence, not certainty.
Sacred text is poetry and story, not commandment.
Religion is experience, not dogma.”

“For me the experience was the result of receiving the dreaded cancer diagnosis and then unexpectedly, being aware of the Wonder of it all, somehow, without warning, knowing a connection with God and the Universe that could not be undone, no matter what, ever.”

CLICK HERE to start streaming audio version.


May I speak only the truth, and may only the truth be heard by you, in the name of God our Creator, our redeemer, and our sanctifier.

Namasté
Namasté.
As you may know, “namasté” is a common spoken greeting in the Indian subcontinent.
It’s an expression of deep respect.
It’s commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists, but it’s also associated with spiritual meditation among Christians, and all over the world.
In India, the word is spoken at the beginning of a conversation, “Namaste,” with prayerful hands, palms facing one another.
At the end of a conversation, when departing, the same hand gesture is made, but usually without words.
Taken literally, namasté means “I bow to you.”
In yoga, namasté is said to mean, “The light in me honors the light in you.”
Other interpretations are, “I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me.”
Or “the Divinity within me greets the Divinity within you.”
“Your spirit and my spirit are One.”
These ideas should not be foreign to Christians.
The whole idea that God would become incarnate in a human being, Jesus, is the quintessential example of “God-within-us” in our tradition.
There are lots of other examples as well.
Early Christians spoke about Jesus being “in the Father”, one with God, and the Father being “in” him, and Jesus being “in” us, and us being “in him,” and so forth.
We as a church claim, actually to be God’s body in the world.

Naaman’s young skin and my old skin
Changing the subject here for a minute.
In this morning’s first reading, from the second book of The Kings, Naaman went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan River, following the directions of a holy man, and his flesh was restored, we’re told.
It became like the flesh of a young boy.
The leprosy, it’s called Hansen’s Disease today, the leprosy was gone.
He was clean.
(You know, I look at myself in the mirror and I think “If only I could get a bit of that Jordan river water.”
Wouldn’t we all like to have our flesh restored to the flesh of our youth!)
Nonetheless, the aging of our skin, clearly, it’s to be expected.
It happens.

Recognizing the wonder of God all around
But I think there’s another way to look at it.
Instead of focusing on what it is we expect, we can look for the un-expected, we can look for the surprise.
Call it “Wonder,” with a capital-W.
Wonder.
It’s all around us.
When I look in my mirror, and all we see are these wrinkles, and I wish, if only I could take a swim like Naaman’s, in the Jordan River, and be restored?
Instead of focusing on what’s expected, and trying to wish these wrinkles away, I might look at them as “an awesome Wonder.”
I might think of them as something more.
How about thinking of them as “patterned lines of experience.”
Where we see those extra pounds and protruding midsections, what we might see instead could be confirmation of the Wonder of “abundant life.”
When there are tears of regret, they can actually be miraculous occasions for the Wonder of of tenderness and empathy.
Those tears can be “moist opportunities for compassion.”
Where we experience failure, the Wonder of new opportunities presents itself, the Wonder of seeing things in new ways.
Paul celebrated this concept, you know, in his letter to the Colossians:
“…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
If we want to, we can lose ourselves in the Wonder of the un-expected.
We can welcome the surprise as hiding-places of the Wonder of God.
It’s possible to live being open to possibilities of divine revelation all around us, the Wonder of an incarnation……
of God with us, of God within us.
The wonder of the Light that is within all things that live and move and have their being.

An old joke about what we don’t recognize
Ian Lawton, an ordained Anglican priest who is now “Executive Minister” at a large community church in Michigan, told this joke in a recent sermon.
There’s a saying, he said, that Jews don’t recognize Jesus, Protestants don’t recognize the Pope, and Baptists don’t recognize one another if they run into each other at a Hooters restaurant.
In his sermon, Ian Lawton added one more.
Cynics don’t recognize beauty, even when it’s sometimes right under their noses.
It’s easy to become cynical, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t blind a person to the beauty that’s all around.
And then Ian Lawton said this about Wonder (and I especially like this part):
The revelation of God is Wonder.
It’s not judgment.
The only true response is silence, not certainty.
Sacred text is poetry and it is story.
It is not commandment.
Religion is experience, not dogma.

From a J.D. Salinger short story
In 1954 J.D. Salinger published a short story called “Teddy.”
Teddy, in the story, is a ten-year-old with enormous spiritual insight.
In this story, Teddy is having a conversation with an adult on a cruise ship.
Here’s what Teddy said:
“I was six when I saw that everything was God, and my hair stood up, and all,” Teddy said.
“It was on a Sunday, I remember.
My sister was a tiny child then, and she was drinking her milk, and all of a sudden I saw that she was God and the milk was God.
I mean, all she was doing was pouring God into God, if you know what I mean.”
An experience like that can change the way you see everything around you.
For me, the experience was the result of receiving the dreaded cancer diagnosis and then, unexpectedly, being aware of the Wonder of it all, somehow, without warning, knowing a connection with God and the Universe that could not be undone, no matter what, ever.
An experience like that lets you see everything around you with new eyes.
You feel different.
Not only do you feel more connected to everything, but you feel more compassionate, more content to simply be in the moment.
There’s a sense of participating in something huge, and grand, and much larger than any individual human being.
The boundaries between me and the rest of life are gradually, but surely, dissolving.

Wonder and Effortless Action
If you are overwhelmed by Wonder at the sight of a coral reef, or by a pristine mountain lake where the water’s so clear that you can stand waist-deep and still count your toes, if these experiences are true for you, you’re not very unlikely to throw an empty beer can into the water, or anything else that doesn’t belong there.
If you look at the stars and you’re overwhelmed by the size of the universe, you’re less likely to think that you’re the center of the world, or that the universe exists simply to satisfy your own needs.
If you’re lost in the joy and pleasure of a toddler learning life’s lessons, you’re a lot more likely to be compassionate toward that child, and probably toward others as well.
If you have these experiences, you know something of the Wonder of God’s presence here and now.

The revelation of God is Wonder, not judgment.
The only true response is silence, not certainty.
Sacred text is poetry and story, not commandment.
Religion is experience, not dogma.

Namaste.
When Wonder in me greets Wonder in you, there is only one of us.
In the eyes of God, those wrinkles and expanding midsections and tears and failures are gone.
They have disappeared in the waters of the Jordan River.

Prayer
Let us pray.
Eternal God, the Great Mystery that is outside everything and yet at the same time inside, keep alive in each one of us the search for a faith that is real, a faith that helps us to live happier lives, a faith that gives us a fuller meaning to life and the events of life.
Bring us to know the goodness that flows from the heart of the universe and may we be expanded in heart and soul by that goodness.
This is our prayer.
Amen.
Jerry Brooks+

Valentine flowers for Amelia Jane

The two grandfathers (Los Abuletos) remembered Amelia Jane on Valentine's Day. Mom and Dad let her unwrap the Fedexed bouquet and recorded it for the rest of us.

I had something to say about this experience in my sermon Sunday.

"If you’re lost in the joy and pleasure of a toddler learning life’s lessons, you’re a lot more likely to be compassionate toward that child, and probably toward others as well. If you have these experiences, you know something of the Wonder of God’s presence here and now."

ThisWeeksNews Sunday, February 15th

Well, we're closing in on the end of the Epiphany liturgical season. Ash Wednesday is February 25th, a week from tomorrow. Time is passing faster than ever, it seems. What I'm thinking is that time passes quickly when you're enjoying yourself; it drags when you're not. If that's so, then for me it's a good thing tht the pages of the calendar turn quickly.

Baptism this coming Sunday
This coming Sunday we'll be baptizing Austin James Perillo, borne to Manny and Valerie on June 21st. We baptized Austin's brother a couple of years ago. Hope you'll be joining me Sunday to welcome this little boy and his family into our family.

Pancake supper Tuesday
Two days later, February 24th, it'll be the annual pancake supper—a tradition that goes back to days when our denomination in this country was the Church of England. I don't recall what time dinner was served last year. Stay tuned. I do, however, know what time we'll be observing Ash Wednesday with imposition of ashes: February 25th at 7 p.m.

Lenten potlucks: five Sundays
On the five Sundays in Lent, we'll be meeting for an early supper—4 o'clock each week. The meal will be pot luck, followed by a two-track program: something for adults, and something for boys and girls. The adult track is titled "A Spiritual Journey." The purpose is to view our lives as a "spiritual journey" and, hopefully, to deepen our spiritual awareness. One effective eye-opener for many is the power of stories. Each of us has her or his own story to tell. So we'll be looking closely at our own stories, hoping to glimpse God moving in our midst. This could be the makings of a truly meaningful Lenten preparation for Easter.

Mid-Hudson Lenten event March 4th (****Highly recommended by me, four stars)
A Lenten program, “From Ashes to Fire,” is being presented by the Mid-Hudson Program Committee. The Rev. Canon Andrew Dietsche (diocesan Canon for Pastoral Care) and The Rev. Canon John Osgood (dioscesan Canon to the Ordinery) will each make a presentation, with time allowed for questions and discussion. Wednesday, March 4, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Zion Church, 12 Satterlee Place, Wappingers Falls. Sandwiches and beverages will be provided. No cost. See me to reserve a seat.—jb+


Calendar

Thursday, Feb. 19, 11:30am Third Thursday Mass+healing, then lunch & conversation
Sunday, Feb. 22, 9:15am Church school dropoff
Sunday, Feb. 22, 9:30am Mass
Sunday, Feb. 22, 4:00pm Bach Cantata kickoff
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:30pm Choir practice
Tuesday, Feb. 24 Pancake Supper
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7:00pm Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes
Saturday, Feb. 28, 9:00am Red Cross blood drive
Sunday, March 1, 9:30am Family mass
Sunday, March 1, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Tuesday, March 3, 7:30pm Choir practice
Wednesday, March 4, 6:30pm "From Ashes to Fire"
Thursday, March 5, 9:30am VBS planning
Saturday, March 7, 9:30am Lenten quiet day
Saturday, March 7, 2:30pm Sunday school to ARF
Sunday, March 8, 2:15pm Nursing home ministry
Sunday, March 8, 4:00pm Lenten potluck
Sunday, March 8 Girl Scout Sunday
Tuesday, March 10, 7:30pm Choir practice
Friday, March 13, 7:00pm Integrity
Sunday, March 15, 4:00pm Lenten potluck

ThisWeeksSermon, 5th Sunday After Epiphany

“Remember what we’re here for.”
The 5th Sunday After the Epiphany, February 8th, 2008

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“What this story says to me is that it’s a good thing to just stop for awhile.
Stop the multitasking.
Do one thing at a time, intentionally.
Enjoy the wonder of being in the present moment.
Recognize holiness and even divinity in the people and things around you.
Entertain new possibilities, and be open to seeing the world in a new way.”

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Click here to listen to streaming audio version of the sermon.

May I speak only the truth, and may only the truth be heard by you, in the name of God our Creator, our redeemer, and our sanctifier.
Amen.

Thursday morning at the train station
Thursday morning Rob and I arrived more than half an hour early for the 10:33 train into the City.
Allowed plenty of time.
Wanted to be sure to find a parking space.
It was really cold outside.
But it was warm in the waiting room.
Three of us sat on a bench in the sun.
Rob on my right, then me, and then, on my left, a woman I’d spoken with briefly as we were buying our parking tickets.
Thirty minutes with nothing to do.
So I pulled out my laptop computer and placed my laptop in my lap.
Started it up and got three things going at once:
checking for eMail, looking up the weather report for the next couple of days in San Francisco, and calling up my things-to-do list, doing all three of these things simultaneously, and at the same time, keeping my eye on her, the woman ten feet to my left, on the bench.
She asked me to watch her black canvas bag, which she left on the bench, while she stepped out for a smoke.
While my fingers tapped away on my keyboard, I did keep an eye on that bag, looking back and forth between it and the computer.
I kept an eye on the bag until she came back, and after that, I kept an eye on her.
What she did when she got back was immediately kneel in front of the bag, as though in payer.
I could hear her talking to the bag, but couldn’t make out the words.
I kept typing, and listening, and sneaking a peek every once in awhile.
This kind of multitasking comes naturally to me.
I do it all the time.
“Rob,” I whispered.
“I think that woman over there is praying to her suitcase!”
I kept typing.
Then finally, I got an idea of what was actually going on.
I tested my idea.
“What’s in the bag,” I asked her.
The answer: two cats.
She had been on her knees all this time talking with her two cats.
A kind of prayer, I suppose.
But not what I was thinking.

Here’s the way my day goes.
As I said, this multitasking thing is something I do all the time.
If I’m in the kitchen, the TV is on.
If I’m in my office, I’m listening to the radio over the internet:
news from Boston, contemporary music from Woodstock, classical music from Seattle.
I grind coffee beans and make a double cappuccino while I’m preparing the dog’s breakfast and portioning out his medications.
I never just read the morning paper.
I read the paper and watch TV at the same time.
My day goes something like this.
I set out to answer eMail, but then the phone rings.
It’s a client asking me to fix a bad link on a website.
It’ll only take a minute.
So I don’t go right back to the eMail.
Instead, I start up Dreamweaver, the program that manages my websites.
It’s a big application and takes awhile to open, so I decide there’s time to synchronize my iPod with my computer, and so I start that.
Then the phone rings again.
I can see it’s Val Stelcen in the bishop’s office returning my call.
Better drop everything and take that one!
She has a request.
She wants me to send out eMail to Ulster County clergy.
Of course I still haven’t gotten back to my original eMail, but I follow through with Val’s request anyway, and that’s the way my day goes, switching from one thing to another to another to another.
This way of working is called “multitasking.”
For most of us, it’s the way we live our lives these days.
Read while we exercise.
Eat breakfast on-the-go.
Text-message while listening to a lecture.
Talk on the phone while grocery-shopping.
Talk on the phone while driving a car!
It’s what we do.
Multitasking.
Switching from thing to thing to thing.
Never just focusing on one thing at a time.

The brain switching
The word multitasking comes from the world of computers, actually.
I can ask my computer to do any number of things, all at once:
transform a bunch of photos into a movie, print a 500-page document, add up a column of figures, whatever.
The computer will complete all the tasks, eventually, but it might slow to a crawl, and if I give it too much to do all at once, it might even give up and crash.
Something called “context switching” is what slows the computer, the need to continually switch from one workspace to another.
For us, the kind of multitasking that we take for granted is the human version of “context switching.”
What psychologists say
In the last couple of decades, psychologists have been studying the nature and limits of human multitasking, and the effects of “context switching” on humans.
They see that all of these switches that we make on a daily basis gobble up our energy, and affect productivity.
We may complete all the tasks eventually, but productivity can slow to a crawl.
If we try to do too much all at once, like the computer, we may very well, ourselves, crash.
Context switching is disorienting.
And what’s more, psychologists note, frequent context switching interferes with one’s ability to feel happy.
Timothy Ferriss, a productivity guru, argues that you should rarely multitask and should instead devote full attention to completing just a very small set of defined goals in a given time.
Jesus needs time alone.
This morning in the gospel reading, Mark told a story about Jesus going about healing people who were sick and disabled.
It didn’t seem to matter who needed help.
Jesus responded to anyone who asked.
Clearly, even this early in his ministry, Jesus was gaining a reputation.
Mark says that people were flocking to Jesus, and in today’s story, it apparently had been overwhelming, switching from person to person and thing to thing, as we do.
It had to have been stressful.
And apparently it was.
One thing right after another.
Nonstop.
What a day for Jesus.
A human version of the dreaded computer crash.
Here’s what happened next:
The next day following that frenetic series of healings, the next day early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
In the midst of everything, Jesus simply left.
He stopped what he was doing, and disappeared.
Didn’t say anything to anyone.
Didn’t leave a note.
He simply left.
Went to what Mark called “a desolate place,” a place with no distractions.
And there he prayed.
This sent his disciples scrambling.
They searched everywhere.
The crowds wanted a show, and the disciples couldn’t find the star of the show.
When the disciples did finally find Jesus, he said “no.”
“Let’s move on.”
In the midst of this frenzy of activity and fame, Jesus had sneaked out the back door to pray to the god he called “father,” and and to reorient himself to his calling, his purpose.

Many things to be learned
Of course there are many things to be learned from this passage, but what stands out for me is that Jesus recognized his need to get away.
Even the one we call the “son of the most high” could not get his thoughts straight in the midst of so many things happening around him all at once.
Too much context switching from thing to thing to thing.
Too much multitasking.
He needed time alone, to think, to pray, to regain his focus.
There’s a sort of hunger, an insatiability, that can come with being in the spotlight all the time, and Jesus rejected that feeling outright.
He remembered what he was there for.
Fame and power were not it, not what he was there for.
Staying busy all the time was not what he was there for.
And those things are not what we’re here for either.

The point of the story?
What this story says to me is that it’s a good thing to just stop for awhile.
Stop the multitasking.
Do one thing at a time, intentionally.
Also, for maybe only 10 or 15 minutes in the midst of the day, just stop, with intent, and think about regaining some perspective on what’s going on in your life, in your family, in our community, in our country, in the world.
Enjoy the wonder of being in the present moment.
Recognize holiness and even divinity in the people and things around you.
Consider the connection between ourselves and all things that live and move and have their being.
Entertain new possibilities, and be open to seeing the world in a new way.
Jesus recognized that he needed to get away, to retreat, and to reorient himself to his calling, to his purpose.
Jesus said “no” and went off to a desolate place where he got back in touch with the One he called “Father.”
We can do the same.

Jerry Brooks+

ThisWeeksNews from The Episcopal Church in Marlboro—February 8th

Savannah Laurette Collin became a member of The Episcopal Church this past Sunday. Baptisms at our church seem to be particularly joyous occasions. It gives me enormous pleasure to be able to offer this sacrament which celebrates the miracle of new birth—in this case, Savannah's first rite of passage. 

We had quite a crowd in church Sunday, with many visitors. We counted 72 in church, with 60 taking communion. Anne Borchert again prepared a cross-shaped cape, this time for Savannah. Fortunately, Christine Eagan had brought some delicious pumpkin muffins. Nonetheless, Joanne Ward had to run out for bagels and break to ensure enough for everyone. (We were surprised by Sunday attendance.)

It also was Boy Scout Sunday this week. Eric Borchert attended church in full uniform, looking awesome. (Can't believe we didn't get a photo of Eric, but take my word for it. Eric looked great in his uniform!)

 Photos from Sunday are included in a separate posting. Click here to view.

Mid-Hudson Lenten event March 4th
A Lenten program, “From Ashes to Fire,” is being presented by the Mid-Hudson Program Committee. The Rev. Canon Andrew Dietsche (diocesan Canon for Pastoral Care) and The Rev. Canon John Osgood (dioscesan Canon to the Ordinery) will each make a presentation, with time allowed for questions and discussion. Wednesday, March 4, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Zion Church, 12 Satterlee Place, Wappingers Falls. Sandwiches and beverages will be provided. No cost. See me to reserve a seat.—jb+

Lenten quiet day at the Monastery March 7th

The Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy will be leading a Lenten quiet day at Holy Cross Monastery Saturday, March 7, 9:30–3:30 p.m. (Cost expected to be $15–$20.)

Birthdays
2/13 Madison Segnit
2/16 Martha McMullen
2/23 Nicholas Gephard

Anniversaries
2/24 Susan and Joe Jurkovic

Calendar
 Tuesday, Feb. 10, 7:30pm  Choir practice
 Friday, Feb. 13, 7:00pm  Integrity
 Sunday, Feb. 15, 9:15am  Church school dropoff
 Sunday, Feb. 15, 9:30am  Mass
 Sunday, Feb. 15, 2:15pm  Nursing home ministry
 Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7:00pm  Vestry
 Thursday, Feb. 19, 11:30am  Mass+healing, then lunch & conversation
 Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:30pm  Choir practice
 Tuesday, Feb. 24  Pancake Supper
 Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7:00pm  Holy Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes
 Wednesday, Feb. 25  Ash Wednesday
 Saturday, Feb. 28, 9:00am  Red Cross blood drive
 Sunday, March 1, 9:30am  Child-friendly mass
 Sunday, March 1, 4:00pm  Lenten potluck
 Tuesday, March 3, 7:30pm  Choir practice
 Wednesday, March 4, 6:30pm  Lenten Program: “From Ashes to Fire”
 Thursday, March 5, 9:30am  VBS planning
 Saturday, March 7, 2:30pm  Sunday school to ARF
 Sunday, March 8, 2:15pm  Nursing home ministry
 Sunday, March 8, 4:00pm  Lenten potluck
 Sunday, March 8  Girl Scout Sunday

Click here to view the "live" version of the parish calendar.

Snapshots—February 8th Baptism of Savannah Laurette Collin

Savannah Laurette Collin became a member of The Episcopal Church Sunday morning at her baptism. Savannah is the daughter of Dierdre and Matthew Collin, married at our church two years ago. It was a very happy morning at our church!

Pizza with roasted veggies, a pear rustic tart, and two days later dessert with Amelia

It's always wonderful to spend time with a one-year-old, especially when she's your granddaughter, but I've got to tell you that one of the perks on each Thursday-to-Saturday visit is the meal we get to prepare together.


Saturday it was a homemade pizza. Whole wheat crust, mozzerella cheese, roasted butternut squash and broccolini and red onions and parsnips followed by…

…a pear-and-ginger rustic tart. Served it with low-cal vanilla ice cream.


We may be gone…
but not forgotten.
Jenn's in D.C. on business for a couple of days. José is "home alone" with Amelia. Last night we entertained her as she polished off a container of baby yogurt.

Amelia is definitely into electronics. If it has a button or a switch, she's there. And this Skype service is the best thing ever as far as she's concerned.

Our day at the beach in San Francisco

Spent the day Friday in San Francisco. After Amelia saw her pediatric dermotologist, we headed for Ocean Beach (where the Cliff House is). Then we headed for The Presidio and finally back to Berkeley, where we had a great authentic Mexican lunch and did some shopping. Cherry trees are in blossom!

Back to New York tomorrow….

House-painting, finally

I think we moved here in 2005 and that it'll be four years this coming summer. Brand-new construction, but without light fixtures, towel bars, bathroom mirrors -- and all with a thin coat of a yellowy "white" splashed everywhere. And I do mean "splashed."

Four days into this, the main floor walls are done, but not the woodwork yet. The ceiling in the front hall is more than 30 feet up at its highest point. What a chore.

What you see here is pretty much the color scheme, although my monitor isn't representing the red accurately at all. I call the part that's painted red the "elevator shaft." It starts on the ground floor in my office, enclosing stairs leading to the door on the far left in this photo. On this, the main floor, the "shaft" encloses a half-bath on one side and provides a solid (red) wall in the kitchen. On the third floor, it rises to the vaulted ceiling and encloses the guest bath.

All the woodwork will be white. Not the creamy color you see here. I won't tell you what this is costing, but my spiritual director/companion, Jane Leifer, suggests that I deserve to live in a beautiful space. She told me that when, in year 2 here, I told her we had bare light bulbs everywhere there should be a light fixture.

Enough about me … and the paint.

Off to California tomorrow.

jb

ThisWeeksSermon, 4th Sunday After Epiphany

“Rock-paper-scissors-Jesus”(A homily for kids)
The 4th Sunday After the Epiphany, February 1, 2008

Click here to start streaming audio.

What’s in this picture?
Rock, paper, and scissors, right?
What’s stronger: Rock, paper, or scissors?
Of course, rock.
What’s stronger: paper or scissors?
Of course.
It’s scissors.
What can you use to cover up a rock?
Right, paper.
So who knows how to play……
that rock-paper-scissors game……
where the strongest one wins.
How to play the game
You hold out one had, palm up.
Make a fist with the other hand.
Come down on the flat hand counting 1-2-3.
Then show your choice: rock, paper, scissors.
Who wins?
If you come down with paper…
you win over the rock…
but but you lose if it’s scissors.
If you come down with the rock…
you win over the scissors…
but you lose if it’s paper.
If you come down with scissors…
you win over the paper…
but you lose if it’s the rock.
[Try it]
Don’t do this now!
But sometimes when this game is played…
the winner gets to slap the wrist of the other person.
It can hurt.
Only a game
Rock-paper-scissors is only a game…
but in real life…
some kids sometimes……
try to show that they’re stronger than others.
They try to show that by acting tough.
Sometimes……
they try to show that they’re stronger……
by saying mean things to other kids.
Some will pick on other kids……
that they think are not as strong as they are.
Some will even try to show that they’re stronger……
by beating up on other kids.
Today’s story
The story that I read a few minutes ago was about Jesus.
Jesus was a teacher.
And once upon a time…
he was teaching people in the town’s meeting place.
They called it a synagogue.

So in the story…
Jesus was talking with the people……
there in that synagogue.
He was telling them things……
they’d never thought of before…
wonderful things they’d never heard before.
And everyone was really turned on……
by what he was saying.
Everyone except this one guy.
It was a guy who was acting crazy.
He kept interrupting Jesus.
“Jesus.!”
“I know who you are!”
“You’ve come to destroy us!”
This guy had an evil spirit inside of him…
a demon that was making him say bad things.
But this story has a happy ending.
(I love stories with happy endings, don’t you?)
It shows us how strong Jesus was.
All Jesus had to do was say was…
“Be quiet!”
“Come out!”
And guess what happened.
The evil spirit did exactly what Jesus told it to do.
The evil spirit came out of the man and everyone was amazed.
They couldn't believe that Jesus was stronger than the evil spirits.

The point of the story
What this story tells us is that Jesus had power over evil.
He showed that God is stronger than our worst enemy.
Jesus was strong…
but he never used his strength……
to hurt anybody.
Instead of a rock-paper-scissors slap…
or taking whatever he wanted……
whenever he wanted it…
he used his power to help people.
This is a story with a happy ending.
And people told this story to one another……
because they wanted everyone to know……
how much God loves us.
They wanted people to know……
that we should use our strength……
the way Jesus did.
So now what?
So now what do you think is stronger?
Rock-paper-scissors…
or Jesus?
It’s a new way to play
I have an idea for a new way to play rock-paper-scissors.
You know…
Jesus never did this. [clenched fists]
Jesus never clenched his fists.

Jesus lived his life with his palms facing up…
even when he was facing his enemies.
Here’s my idea.
Let’s play rock-paper-scissors-Jesus…
and let’s have it come out Jesus every time.
So it’ll be 1-2-3-Jesus…
with our palms facing up…
the way we hold our hands……
when we take communion.
Both hands open to God.
1-2-3-Jesus.

ThisWeeksNews from The Episcopal Church in Marlboro

Sunday, the first of February, was the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. It was also children's Sunday at Christ Church. Boys and girls from the Sunday school welcomed those who came to church, distributing service booklets. Billie-Jo Buttner read the lesson from the Old Testament (and did very well!). They presented the bread and wine and took the collection. During the consecration, they stood with me at the altar. Scroll down for photos.

Vacation Bible School planning has started

The team that's preparing for the 2009 vacation Bible school kicked off their preparations at a meeting held this week. Last week the event was set at the beach, this year's it's in the mountains. You'll be hearing about progress as the next few months go by, and you'll be asked to help by providing some needed materials.

Choir practice was scheduled to begin yesterday

Bad news. Had to cancel. Another snowstorm … again. Rehearsal will begin again next week, preparations for Easter.

Baptism next week

This coming Sunday we'll be baptizing Savannah Laurette Collin. Her mom and dad were married at Christ Church a couple of years ago. Give me a great deal of pleasure to be able to offer this sacrament to their offspring.

EpiscoBuild fundraiser Sunday

There's an EpiscoBuild (Habitat for Humanity) fundraiser scheduled for Sunday at St. George's Church in Newburgh. (Details at the end of  this blog.)

Nursing home visit rescheduled

Our visit to the Hudson Valley Nursing Home will take place on the 3d Sunday, not the 2d Sunday, this month.

Photos from Sunday morning

Nicholas and Benjamin Gephard at coffee hour. Brianna Gilman brought cupcakes that appeared to be "groundhogs." Chocolate sprinkles for fur, slivered almonds for buck teeth, etc. Delicious, too!

The sermon was for the kids. I taught them my own version of rock-paper-scissors, about the "strength" of God in Jesus. It went this way: rock (a fist), paper (flat hand, palm down), scissors (1st and 2d fingers forming scissors), and Jesus (both palms up, one over the other, as though receiving communion). Our youth in the parish are definitely a priority for all of us.

Boys and girls at the altar at the elevation of the conscrated bread and wine.

And here they are as the communion is being distributed.

Evelyn Gilman receiving communion with her mom, Brianna.

Four newly elected members of the vestry were "commissioned" Sunday. Left to right, Erin Gephard, Paul Segnit, and Joanne Ward. Bill Borchert (far right0 was elected warden.

Announcements

EpiscoBuild fundraiser this afternoon

The internationally acclaimed, faith-centered drama troupe—Coventnt Players—will be performing Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. George’s Church in Newburgh. It’s a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity and “our house,” EpiscoBuild. Since 1963, Covenant Players has pioneered the use of drama as a communications resource in the church. Units of Covenant Players travel throughout the world communicating the reality of the Gospel in churches of all denominations. Suggested admission is $10 for adults, students and seniors, $5.

Lenten quiet day at the Monastery March 7th

The Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy will be leading a Lenten quiet day at Holy Cross Monastery Saturday, March 7, 9:30–3:30 p.m. (Cost expected to be $15–$20.)
Mid-Hudson Lenten event March 4th
A Lenten program, “From Ashes to Fire,” is being presented by the Mid-Hudson Program Committee. The Rev. Canon Andrew Dietsche (diocesan Canon for Pastoral Care) and The Rev. Canon John Osgood (dioscesan Canon to the Ordinery) will each make a presenttion, with time allowed for questions and discussion. Sandwiches and beverages will be provided. No cost. See me to reserve a seat.—jb+