One of the courses I took in seminary was about the effect of chemical dependence and addiction on family systems. I knew my own family system had stories to tell, because I could remember as a 10-year-old watching my mom flush an entire bottle of Pinch scotch down the toilet. It had been a Christmas gift to my parents from friends.
Dear Friends,
You’re getting me two eblasts in a row because my colleague, Transition Minister Julia Nielsen, is on vacation for a couple weeks. This Sunday, we have one of those gospels that makes us squirm. Jesus says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”
There is a well-known verse in the Epistle reading this coming Sunday: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” [Heb. 13:2] I put it up there with the motto many of us learned at St Michael’s: “Never resist a generous impulse.”
What an amazing moment in our communal life this week has been. Last Sunday, about 160 folks from St Michael’s/San Miguel gathered for Eucharist and a picnic in Wilshire Park. It was like church on steroids: the service included a dramatization of the gospel of the day, Fr. Beto officiated at a wedding, and the Profile Committee handed off the Parish Profile to the Search Committee. That means that interested parties can now express an interest in being considered for Rector. Kudos to Barb and her Profile team!
The last few years have brought us big lessons – as a nation, a city, a parish and as individuals. One of the most intense lessons, as spiritual traditions the world over have taught us over and over again, is that all things can and will change no matter how we plan for the future. We have tricked ourselves into thinking that we can protect ourselves against the future. Some of us shore up our sense of certainty through storing up money and possessions. Some of us build walls around ourselves against those who disagree with us.
I found myself, typical morning decaf in hand, sitting on my front porch on Monday morning making a valiant effort to find a regular breath. Inhale… exhale. It’s been a long week. The parish profile is finding its final version. We’re moving forward into the next phase of transition, God willing. The world continues to move in ways that confound, with challenges in our news feeds. The turning toward summer is upon us, with heat and the mountains visible on the horizon.
The gospel text this Sunday is familiar, Luke’s Good Samaritan. It’s simple: a man suffers assault and lies beside the road. Good and religious people pass by, for many reasons. Then a man who no one would guess has it in him stops and cares deeply for the fallen man, binding his wounds, finding him a place to rest and heal, showing him mercy.
Beloved, what bubbles up in you when you read this?
‘Like a path through the forest, Sabbath creates a marker for ourselves so, if we are lost, we can find our way back to our center. ‘Remember the Sabbath’ means ‘Remember that everything you have received is a blessing. Remember to delight in your life, in the fruits of your labor. Remember to stop and offer thanks for the wonder of it.’
On the Third Sunday in Lent, we heard St Paul remind the Corinthian Christians, “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.” This verse has been reverberating in my head this week, as we keep hearing of fully vaccinated and boosted friends testing positive for Covid. Hospitalizations and deaths are nowhere near what they were even months ago, but we are not out of the woods yet. So, be careful out there, and be patient. We’re going to be in this yo-yo-ey world for a while.
Over the last few weeks, I was blessed to visit my favorite retreat center (a Buddhist dhamma hall in Onalaska, Washington, at the foot of Mount St. Helens) to sit in silence for ten days of meditation. I’ve been known to joke—if asked for a strange fact about myself—that one of my quirks is that I am able to sit eerily still for intimidating amounts of time.
Sunday Worship Schedule
7:30 – Spoken Traditional language (Rite 2 with no music)
9:00 – Traditional Service with Choir
11:00 – Inclusive Language with Choir
1:00 pm – Misa en Español
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