I stay away from things political, but where there is a clear connection between the teachings of Jesus and hate, I step into the arena, briefly.

There is a new film coming soon. It is called Mormon Proposition. You'll want to see the film. Here is a trailer for it. There is a blog for the film here.

In a related matter, the Church of Sweden has made marriage gender un-specific. Read about it here. The vote was 176 Ayes, 62 Noes, 11 abstentions.

Ah, I do love the Swedes!

Pentecost XX / Trinity XIX

Pentecost XX / Trinity XIX
Proper 24
Year B

Job 38:1-7, (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9, 25, 37c; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

James Hewett writes, “God did not save us to be a sensation. God saved us to be servants.”

Today’s gospel reading provides a remarkable contrast between sensation and servant. In this reading we hear the story of two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, who make the request to Jesus to receive a position of prominence in the Kingdom: “Let one of us sit at your right, and one at your left in Glory” they ask of Jesus. The disciples’ impudence and lack of understanding is beyond belief. How could two people who are so close to Jesus miss the boat so completely? Did they forget the encounter with the rich man that occurred just before their request? Or the encounter with the little children? And have they not heard Jesus’ own prediction of what was soon to happen to him? In light of all of this, their request is truly astounding.

And it angers their fellow disciples. But what seems to anger the other disciples is not so much that James and John have misunderstood Jesus’ teachings – which could perhaps be justified – but that James and John went to Jesus requesting a place of power ahead of the rest of them. The other disciples do not seem to be acting out of righteous indignation; rather, it appears that they are jealous. And Jesus’ loving response to them all is to take the opportunity to contrast earthly greatness with divine greatness. Earthly greatness is defined as having power over, whereas divine greatness is defined as being servant to.

Today, there are examples all around us of the secular quest for greatness and its often accompanying spectacular fall. Bernie Madoff is an obvious example of the quest for monetary power, but our country’s growing credit-card debt hints at how widespread the problem is.

In contrast to worldly greatness, to be great in God’s eyes is to be a servant modeled after Jesus’ own life of service. For many listeners, the story of James and John is disconcerting because if James and John, who knew Jesus personally, couldn’t incorporate his teachings into their lives, how on earth are we to do so?

These stories are a reminder for many of us that, try as we might, all too often our actions are more reflective of motivations of the secular world than the divine. So how do we become better servants?

One way is by making sure that the motivation for our service is love. Eighteenth-century Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Secker said, “God has three sorts of servants in the world: some are slaves, and serve Him from fear; others are hirelings, and serve for wages; and the last are sons [and daughters], who serve because they love.”

In the week ahead, as you seek to serve God, check your motivation. Divine servanthood is always motivated by love.

Another way to become better servants is by being mindful of who it is that calls us to serve. We should remember that in all things we serve God, and God alone. By becoming more aware of God’s presence in everyday life, we can strive to understand that all we do is somehow of God. With this approach, even the most mundane tasks that might not usually be associated with our spiritual lives can be viewed as service.

One young mother recalls her difficult transition from paid employment to being a stay-at-home mother after the birth of her first child. A spiritual director assisted her in the process, instructing her to walk with the baby each day, being acutely aware of her surroundings and being alert to where God might be. She recalls seeing nature and the created order, as well as the frenetic pace of those around her, in a new way during these walks. She also began to see her tasks, such as the endless piles of laundry that had to be washed, as a service of love.

A third way to become better servants is by ensuring that our church is a “servant church.” Theologian Karl Barth discusses such churches in his book Dogmatics in Outline. Barth describes the living church as one that:

[P]roclaims the Gospel to every creature. The Church runs like a herald to deliver the message. It is not a snail that carries its little house on its back and is so well off in it that only now and then it sticks out its feelers and then thinks that the claim of publicity has been satisfied. No, the Church lives by its commission as herald. Where the Church is living, it must ask itself whether it is serving this commission or whether it is a purpose in itself.

Is your congregation a living servant church? Does it have a clear understanding that it exists in service to Jesus? Do all actions stem from Jesus’ commission to proclaim the gospel? Do worship services, community outreach, and activities all have the possibility to transform those they touch? If not, then perhaps it might be time to begin a conversation about refocusing on Christ’s divine purpose for your congregation, because, after all, the mission of the church is the mission of Jesus Christ.

The story of James and John is disconcerting because even the most pious listeners can see a bit of themselves in the story. How many of us are able to truly base our lives and actions on the divine definition of greatness – servanthood?

Fortunately, this story closes with a message of hope. Jesus proclaims that the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus promises us that although we will all fall short, through his death we are redeemed.

And that is the Good News.

-- The Rev. Suzanne E. Watson has worked at the Episcopal Church Center in New York for over three year in the areas of strategic planning and collaboration, Center direction, and small church ministries. She has also served in congregations in New Zealand and Carmel, California. She is a graduate of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She was a candidate from St. James' Paso Robles (my parish) and her sponsor was The Rev'd Terry Martin.

Blessed Matthew

Blessed Matthew,
Pray for Us.

Singing the songs of saints of God

Today the Diocese of El Camino Real celebrated a unique group of saints and one in particular. We celebrated the life and ministry of the Rev'd James Shannon McGowan. The Rev'd Mr. McGowan was a missionary priest in the Diocese of California from which the Diocese of El Camino Real was carved in the 1980s.

McGowan organized seven churches along the Central Coast of California. One of the churches he organized is St. Luke's in-the-Field in Jolon (ho-loan). Jolon is a sleepy valley located between the 101 freeway and the Santa Lucia mountain range a stone's throw from Mission San Antonio where the first Christian marriage of record in California was solemnized.

We gathered at St. Luke's to celebrate 125 years of ministry in the Jolon Valley. The celebration was wonderful. The tiny church was comfortably filled with communicants and visitors and it was a time for renewing auld acquaintances as well as making new friends. We may have come as strangers, many of us, but left as friends--united in Our Lord and the English Catholic faith we call Anglicanism.

That "united feeling" made me think of Lambeth 2008. This evening I understand what happened at Lambeth differently. I understand the connectedness the bishops felt there which made many of our bishops step back from what I perceive as full equality of all members of The Episcopal Church. The "connectedness" feeling is profound. I think I will stop criticizing our American bishops so harshly for that "Lambeth feeling."

Our bishop, the Right Rev'd Mary Grey-Reeves was present as Ordinary, Celebrant and Preacher. I still have "issues" with the bishop, but I decided today, again, that I really like her. Once again I saw a deep compassion and love flow from her. I know that she cares deeply about each member and friend of the Diocese of El Camino Real. And, I am even more certain now that we made the correct decision listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit when we extended a call to her to be our chief pastor.

Today's Gospel was the reading about the money changers. "You know, the one where Jesus is having a bad day." Bishop Gray-Reeves said "I was going to say 'bad hair day' but didn't think that was the best expression to use today." Everyone laughed as a venerable assisting priest ran his hand over his nearly hairless head.

The bishop changed directions in her sermon and fit the reason we were assembled today with the nature of the Jolon Valley. Bishop Mary said that those who organized St. Luke's were sowing seeds. "That is what Christians do - we sow seeds. And we don't now where the seeds will end up."

Some seeds fall to earth nearby, grow and produce more seeds that continue to grow nearby. That's what St. Luke's is, the harvest of seeds sown by the pioneers that produced local wheat that produced more local wheat that has kept St. Luke's a living congregation for 125 years. She said that some of those seeds keep turning up from time to time on Sunday or the famous St. Luke's BBQ.

But the winds took some of the seeds to distant places where they produced a harvest and created more seeds that were scattered. We will never know where all the seeds James Shanon McGowan and the organizing members of St. Luke's produced their harvest. The bishop concluded, "but we don't need to know, we were just called to sow the seeds not gather the harvest." She said that, in God's time, God will gather the harvest, and, perhaps, some of those scattered seeds might return to St. Luke's to give us a glimpse of what McGowan's harvest really is.

The service continued and included the blessing and anointing of a young family: Jacob, Elizabeth and daughter Victoria. They are members of St. John's. Elizabeth is "in the family way." The blessing and anointing included a special blessing on the yet-to-be-born child. It was such a powerful moment as +Mary, herself a mother, asked God's blessing on the woman and child and prayed for "an easy and quick labour." That is something I'm positive a male priest would never have thought of! I thought of new life beginning in Jolon 125 years ago, and new life beginning there today. In seventy-five years, perhaps the yet-to-be-born child will be in attendance at the 200th anniversary of St. Luke's as part of the harvest of Mr. McGowan.

At the offertory, we had the amazing coincidence to meet one of the seeds the wind had taken far afield. One of those pioneers was a man named Dutton whose daughter married an Englishman, A. C. Smyth-Pigott, who was in the area for some reason. Smyth-Pigott wrote to his father, vicar of Kingston, St. Mary, England, about the church being constructed in Jolon and the vicar -father had windows made and sent to newly constructed St. Luke's. A few years later, Smyth-Pigott returned with his bride to England. And seeds were scattered there from the Altar of St. Luke's.

It is remarkable that windows from a 600 year old English church should be placed in a new small church in Jolon 125 years ago. But that is not the harvest of scattered seeds.

The refined septuagenarian from the Midlands of England who related this story is a grand-daughter of Smyth-Pigott. She and her husband were visiting family history sites and had no clue about today's celebration until they arrived at St. Luke's last Friday. They extended their visit to include today and they met several cousins they didn't know existed. She even had photos of all those seeds from long ago. Indeed, part of McGowan's scattered seeds returned and in God's perfect time!

Following the Eucharist was a spectacular Basque BBQ of paella a dish which I had never eaten before catered by the 10th Street Cafe in San Miguel (yes, I am plugging the place). I sat with old friends Bart and Tony and enjoyed the wonderful weather and the comfort of old friends. But I made some new friends as well: Hope, an artist from Canada; a restaurateur; and Bob Denny. Bob is a vintner and supplied the wine for the festivities. He owns Hames Valley Percheronsone. One of his daughters, Amy Zuniga, is priest at St. Luke's, Hollister, (web page not updated) and another daughter, Robin, is a missionary in Sudan (pray for Robin, she is in one of the most dangerous places on earth). Bob is on the bishop's committee at Jolon.

While people were sill eating and talking, I walked up the hill to the church yard. It is fenced in the traditional way with a proper gate and arch with its surmounting cross. Accompanied by the songs of birds, I visited each and every marked grave and thanked the pioneers for the seeds they sowed all those years ago and throughout the succeeding years.

As I write this post my "son" is playing my favourite Chopin Nocturne on the piano. What a perfect way to end a wonderful day.

My thanks to the Rev'd Canon Robert Seifert for inviting me to participate in today's celebration, to the Right Rev'd Mary Gray-Reeves for a wonderful sermon and for just being her, and to Carilyn and Vicki who helped with the music.

But, first and foremost, thank you God for planing the missionary zeal in the soul of a middle-aged Irish Anglican priest named James Shannon McGowan. And thank you for the seeds he and others sowed from the Altar of St. Luke's in-the-Field, Jolon.

P.S. My shock for the day was having the bishop tell me she's read this blog. I guess excommunication papers must be delayed in the mail?

PPS I've decided to start a movement to have McGowan included in the Diocesan calendar of commemorations. I think establishing seven churches that are still in existence deserves some recognition.