We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Commentary

“Walking on the Water”

Excerpt from "Forward Movement" 

"It is cliche to speak of something that is "out of the box." Perhaps we should replace the metaphor with "out of the boat." That’s what Peter did. He got out of the boat and walked across the water toward Jesus. 

"We long for out-of-the-boat thinking—to step out, to be freed of conventional expectations, and to take a risk, like Peter. We forget that doing so is inevitably met by a strong wind resisting us. Like Peter, we are not too far out of the boat before the wind frightens us and we begin to sink. It is as if the forces of nature conspire to keep us in the boat, but there is just no way to Jesus but to get out and take a chance. 

"The story about walking on the water is about faith taming the forces of nature. Faith is what compels Peter to get out of the boat in the first place. Faith is also what Peter relies on when he encounters nature’s resistance. Faith is how Jesus stills the storm. The choice we face is almost always between fear and faith. 

"One is a matter of survival. One is a matter of life. Jesus calls us to come to life.  "

Walking on Water in our Time – The Truman Show 

When we confront our fears in real life they are no longer fears inside our head and we destroy them. However, that is easier said than done! It is usually a lengthy process with fits and starts.  

One of the best examples of this is the 1998 movie, The Truman Show.

The amazing thing is that for much of the movie he is along in dealing with his fears. He doesn’t have an advantage of a counselor in the process.

 

Truman, played by Jim Carrey is caught inside a 24 hour-a-day comedy-melodrama in which he is the star. The idyllic island town where he grew up and lives is an immersive stage set enclosed in a giant dome (shown in part at the top of the page) with a ceiling that creates the illusion of a sky. Wind, rain, night, the moon, the stars, even the sun is a high-tech special effect. With some 5000 cameras placed around the city, Truman’s life is followed 24 hours a day, seven days a week — a nonstop telethon of reality programming for a public hungry for pathos and vicarious emotion. All of humanity watches as he goes through the stages of life and finds himself in realistic situations that are actually scripted and improvised, to give the show some of the dramatic density that separates entertainment from mundane life.

There is a god-like director that controls Truman’s televised world. His name is Christof. His name is also significant. He’s more like anti-Christ however, making it impossible for Truman to know the truth and have a normal life.

Truman falls in love in a library (symbol of the knowledge of good and evil). They kiss on the beach with the pounding surf in the background (foreshadowing what lies ahead). She is a bit player on the show and is quickly written out. She is banished from the show. Truman is told she moved away across the sea. Truman is now determined to leave Seahaven -the illusionary human-made Paradise. What is Paradise without Eve? Without love?

Read more about this movie…

Read more

Lectionary illustrations, Aug 13, 2023

"He said (to Elijah), ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence." – 1 Kings 19:11-12

"Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds… When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,[a] for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” – Matthew 14:22-27

Lectionary, Proper 14, Pentecost 11, Aug. 13

I.Theme –   Confronting our Fears

 "Jesus Walks on Water" – Ivan Aivazovsky (1888)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:


Old Testament – 1 Kings 19:9-18
Psalm – Psalm 85:8-13 Page 708, BCP
Epistle –Romans 10:5-15
Gospel – Matthew 14:22-33

This Sunday’s readings deal with our need for help. This comes in various forms. It may be out of fear; it may be due to bodily danger; it may be a psychological condition.  

Our faith may be tested in extreme. Each of the readings has a different form and setting where this occurs.

In all of this we have to remember Jesus call to us. Then it is that we feel his hand reach out to ours. Then it is that we know that the power to take one step more—and perhaps only one step more—is ours for the asking when we call on Jesus. How do we keep our eyes on Jesus when our failures and trials obscure our sight? How often do we feel as if we cannot take the next step? We feel ourselves sinking, sinking in our self-doubt and despair. It is difficult to remember this when our situation close to us cloud our vision.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah was active in the northern kingdom of Israel in the middle of the ninth century BC. He was an opponent of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who supported the worship of Baal and other Canaanite fertility gods. Today’s passage follows Elijah’s demonstration that Yahweh is in control of the forces of nature (17:1) and is mightier than Baal (18:20-39). Elijah then flees the vengeance of Jezebel (19:1-3). An angel strengthens him on his journey to Horeb (an alternate name for Sinai).

God’s revelation to Elijah echoes God’s revelation to Moses (Exodus 33:17-23). Like Moses, Elijah receives a revelation and a commission from the Lord. Like Moses, Elijah has gone through conflict with royalty and is fleeing for his life. Like Moses he feels inadequate to the task but is sent back into the fray.

God speaks to the prophet Elijah not in earthquake, wind and fire but in a mysterious silence. This may be an internal communication with him. Elijah thinks that he is already at the limit of his experience and energy, but a “sheer silence” draws him in deeper to the requirements that God has for him.

In the Psalm, this national lament seems to have been composed originally for a particular historical situation of affliction and then to have passed into general use. The original context may have been crop failure before the exile; or more probably, it may have been the difficulties faced by those returning from exile in Babylon. Thanks are given for the return (vv. 1-3), and the lord’s continued help is requested (vv. 4-7). The lord’s answer comes (vv. 8-13), perhaps as an oracle uttered by a temple prophet or priest. Verse 11 reassures the people of God’s gracious care. These four qualities—steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace—spring from God and unite to work for the good of God’s people.

The Gospel lesson is the story of Jesus walking on the water. In many of these Gospel stories we know them by the title but there is another secondary story. This is the case with Peter.

The three miracles in this story are: Jesus walking on water, Peter doing the same (and failing ultimately), and the wind ceasing abruptly. Jesus brings comfort from the outside against the elements and faith inside, questioning the disciples own faith and demonstrating by example a deeper faith.

Jesus demonstrates his mastery over wind and sea (which, in the Old Testament, symbolized the powers of chaos and death) and is near to rescue the disciples when they desperately need help. He identifies himself by using the words, “It is I,” which echo God’s own self-description that became the proper name for God in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 43:10-13).

This story has many similarities to the narratives of the resurrection appearances; the disciples are afraid, they don’t recognize Jesus, they take him for a ghost, and finally they are reassured by him. Matthew adds the story of Peter’s attempt to imitate Jesus, illustrating the themes of discipleship and faith.

The cause of the fear for the disciples this time is not the storm, but the man walking. There is something expected about waves surrounding a boat. The fact that a man is on the water is not even the source of the fear. The fear comes the unidentified nature of the one walking.  

The fear and repulsion are here expressed by the perception of Jesus as a ghost, but they are balanced by his comforting words: “Take heart; it is I; do not be afraid.” The disciples by now know Jesus and trust him, even if their faith remains incomplete. Thus, for him to say “It is I” is to bring the fearful awesomeness of the scene under control by relating it to what is familiar. 

Unlike Elijah, Peter wants to think that he is capable of more. Peter asks for and receives a share of Jesus’ power, but when his attention is distracted he begins to give way In the context of fear and apprehension as the disciples see the figure of Christ coming to them on the water, Peter’s brash attempt seems heroic until he realizes that he is caught in the same trap of fear. He suddenly needs a “rescuer” ( Psalm 85) to pick him up and save him for future adventures of faith. Especially in Matthew’s time, the “boat” of the Church, “beaten by the waves” of hostility and persecution, needed reassurance that the Lord was always nearby.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, writes the following about Peter. “Peter had to leave the ship and risk his life on the sea, in order to learn both his own weakness and the almighty power of his Lord. If Peter had not taken the risk, he would never have learned the meaning of faith… The road to faith passes through obedience to the call of Jesus. Unless a definitive step is demanded, the call vanishes in thin air, and if [people] imagine that they can follow Jesus without taking this step, they are deluding themselves like fanatics.”

In some respects, Matthew’s account is the opposite of the Elijah story. What convinces Elijah does not convince the disciples and Peter, and visa versa. The wind and wave are heady proofs of the danger and their vision of Jesus over coming them seem to be the seed bed of their faith

The Romans reading is less about fear but of faith. You may say that Paul is experiencing a psychological fear. Paul confronted the separation already growing between his beloved Jewish people and his chosen Christian community. Paul wrote this before the expulsion of the Christians from the synagogue—long before the bitter persecution of Jews by Christians began.

In this passage, Paul compares the right relationship to God (“righteousness”) that comes through a strict adherence to the Mosaic law to that which comes by faith. In contrast to a slavish adherence to this law, which is ultimately futile, the righteousness that comes by faith is entirely attainable. It requires no superhuman effort such as ascending into heaven or descending into the abyss. Such feats have already been accomplished by God in Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection.

People need to accept the “word of faith” proclaimed by the apostle. This acceptance is manifested both through inner conviction and outer profession. These signs of faith are rooted in the work of God, affirming that Jesus is God incarnate and that Jesus now lives.

The first of these professions of faith, “Jesus is lord,” was particularly central for the early Church in areas where the people believed in “many gods and many lords” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). It is the earliest and simplest creed of the Church.

Read more

A Poem for the Transfiguration – “Flow Winds of Time”

Flow winds of time
Whilst the night takes a spin
Stars are falling in deep prime
As the darkness comes in
Feelings like river going
All is within dream reach
Night sky is now glowing
In its twinkling glow bleach

Flow on to a daybreak’s light
Reach the awaken call
In dreams blue and height
As the night must fall
Silvery dress of the day
Awaken in its true reality
Every dream’s now on its way
To become once more free

Flow to the sounds I heard
Whispers in the deep dark
Like ravens of a winged bird
Shadowed dancing embark
Life is like merry-go -round
Deep into their whole make
Until the light’s again found
As new cock-crows’ awake

Now is the night in its dancing
Humming a breeze melody
Dreams of bedroom romancing
For a new tomorrow to be

– Peter S. Quinn

2023, Pentecost 10 – The one that is missing!

Note: Due to the Sunday scheduling of the Transfiguration in 2023, Pentecost 10 which would have had the “Feeding of the 5,000” was not heard. Here is a commentary on the lectionary for that week

I.Theme –   God cares for his creation

 "Christ Feeding the 5000" – Eric Feather

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Isaiah 55:1-5
Psalm – Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22 Page 801, BCP
Epistle –Romans 9:1-5
Gospel – Matthew 14:13-21 

Our readings this week continue to show how much God cares for His creation. We read about lives changed forever. We hear about the innocent people suffering but also that God understands. God even shows His love for those who disobey Him and turn away from Him. We see that God wants to bless His people and we see that come about with miracles taking place and people being blessed.

We are an open church – we welcome everyone to share in our community:

– even the Babylonians and Persians in Isaiah

– Jews who question the falling away of the Christ movement in Paul

– Those who wanted to cast away the people in the Gospel for a lack of food

The Psalm demonstrates the actions of the Lord – the Lord “raises,” “gives,” “fulfills,” “hears,” and “watches.”  

This week has the only parable contained in all four Gospels – the feeding of the 5,000. Ironically the emphasis of the event is not so much upon the miraculous nature of the feeding, for the usual reference to the astonishment of the disciples and crowd (12:23, 14:33) is absent, as it is upon the implied revelation of who Jesus is.  

At the beginning of the passage, Jesus had retreated on news of John the Baptist death

"This passage shows so beautifully the humanity and divinity of Jesus." writes Rick Morley

"He could have sent them away. He could have told them all what had happened to John. He could have just cried and yelled and screamed. He could have gotten into the boat, conjured up a good storm and been done with them all. 

But, he was moved with compassion. He always is. He was able to see beyond his own pain, and feel the pain they were bringing."

For the early Church, the eucharistic significance of the feeding of the 5,000 made it a central experience in the narratives of Jesus’ ministry

The key acts are all there :

1. Jesus takes the food which is an offering – we give what we have.  

2. Jesus blesses the food by giving thanks. Our liturgy thanks God on behalf of creation, humanity, and the Church. In our lives we struggle to relearn the natural prayer of our childhood, when we woke each morning with wonder and gratitude in our heart. 

3. Jesus breaks the bread. In church, the breaking of the eucharistic bread may help us recall Christ’s sacrifice and death. In our lives, it is our very selves we are challenged to break—our limits of prejudices, fears, and old attitudes. God calls us to break through to a new awareness of the power of God’s love and of the needs of our brothers and sisters. 

4. He shares with all as we extend his ministry to the world.

This is the truth in which Paul exults when he proclaims that nothing, not our fears, not our sins, not the crushing powers of this world or any other can keep us apart from the love of God shown us in Jesus our lord. Our lives are broken, but we are loved forever. 

Read more

The Transfiguration with Desmond Tutu

The Transfiguration is a transformation and emphasizes that the mission of  Jesus in the way of the cross. We celebrate this event on Aug. 6

“Transfiguration” by Carl Bloch (1872)

From Luke – “Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

In his book, God Has A Dream: A Vision of Home for Our Time, Desmond Tutu tells about a transfiguration experience that he will never forget. It occurred when apartheid was still in full swing. Tutu and other church leaders were preparing for a meeting with the prime minister of South Africa to discuss the troubles that were destroying their nation. They met at a theological college that had closed down because of the white government’s racist policies. During a break from the proceedings, Tutu walked into the college’s garden for some quiet time. In the midst of the garden was a huge wooden cross. As Tutu looked at the barren cross, he realized that it was winter, a time when the grass was pale and dry, a time when almost no one could imagine that in a few short weeks it would be lush, green, and beautiful again. In a few short weeks, the grass and all the surrounding world would be transfigured.  

As the archbishop sat there and pondered that, he obtained a new insight into the power of transfiguration, of God’s ability to transform our world. Tutu concluded that transfiguration means that no one and no situation is “untransfigurable.” The time will eventually come when the whole world will be released from its current bondage and brought to share in the glorious liberty that God intends

Lectionary, Aug. 6, 2023, Transfiguration

I. Theme – How we can be empowered by our relationship with God?

“ The Transfiguration ” – Fra Angelico (1440-1442)

“About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.” –Luke 9:28:29

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm – Psalm 99
Epistle – 2 Peter 1:13-21
Gospel – Luke 9:28-36

Today’s readings help us see how we can be empowered by our relationship to God. The Gospels speak about experiences with God and Jesus. In Exodus, we witness the physical transformation of Moses after spending time in God’s presence. In the gospel, Jesus is transformed, his glory revealed and his mission affirmed by a voice from heaven. Ultimately the disciples will need transformation also.

The season after the Epiphany concludes with one of the most powerful epiphanies of all – the Transfiguration. This story comes at the center of Luke’s story, between Jesus’ baptism and his resurrection.

Luke’s account of the transfiguration points back to Old Testament parallels and forward to Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. As is such it brings in a new dimension of Jesus and a new relationship that the disciples would have with him. Their experience so far has been of Jesus the teacher, the healer, the miracle-worker. Now they are seeing a new vision of Jesus, a new understanding of him as the Christ – as one who would venture to Jerusalem , be killed but then resurrected .

They are still not on board. Peter, however, still wants to avoid the difficulty of the journey to Jerusalem and its ultimate consequences. The mission of Jesus is not about worshipping at shrines or even the practice of religion. The mission of Jesus is about death and resurrection.

The disciples found the journey in the beginning was easier—they left everything to follow him, and to follow meant to learn his teachings and to live his ways. But now the journey will become much harder

Even faithful Christians wonder if God is absent at times, or busy somewhere else. Massive evil, brutal violence and rampant greed seem to smother any slight glimmers of spirituality. Luke’s audience may have had similar concerns, so he stresses for them the necessity of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and eventual passion there. The transfiguration offers the disciples an experience of hope and confidence that will sustain them while they wait for Jesus to return.

As Christ laid down his life for us, so we are called to give of our life to him, to give up being first, to give up our wants and desires to serve others. And like Christ, we will be called to give all for the sake of God’s love of the world. How do we live this transfiguration in our lives? How do we share what our faith means to us? It is more than a conversation that can be controversial. This is our very lives. Do we let it shine, or do we hold it back? Do we still misunderstand? How will you live out your faith differently this Lenten season?

Read more

A Union Soldier’s take on Solomon’s Prayer (Old Testament reading this week 1 Kings 3:5-12)

An unknown civil war soldier wrote this eloquent testimony:

"I asked for strength that I might achieve;

"I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

"I asked for health that I might do greater things;

"I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

"I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise.

"I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

"I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I had asked for, but everything that I had hoped for.

"Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered; I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

"So the Bible says that It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this."

Lectionary, Pentecost 9, Proper 12, July 30, 2023

I.Theme –   God works through us in difficult times

 "The Parable of the Mustard Seed" – James Patterson

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – 1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm – Psalm 119:129-136 Page 774, BCP
Epistle –Romans 8:26-39
Gospel – Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 

Our readings this week reflect God’s love for His people. They show how God works through our difficult times and will often bless us through them. He works through and within our times of weakness and works for the good of all who love Him. Secondarily, the readings cover the topics of good and evil and discerning between them.

The Old Testament reading recounts Solomon’s prayer – “Solomon’s prayer – “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” It is the perfect prayer modest, recalling past blessings and confessing our ignorance. The value of discernment is praised, the capacity to see issues, recognize temptations, and know what is right and wrong, based on divine truths.

This leads naturally into the Psalm, which immediately counters any notion that you have to be a king (or a Solomon, for that matter) to discern what is right: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” Anyone who pays attention can discern the decrees of God, for it is God who is our teacher. The Word of God is a means of grace. Through the Word–which is both law and gospel–the Lord of Israel encounters the people of God..

Paul in Romans examines in detail how certain can we be that God will complete the execution of his plan of salvation. This is Christian life lived in the Spirit. Nearly every sentence is a new way of stating the promise that God has not abandoned "us," and is working on our behalf. The Spirit meets with her own intercessions and prayers – aiding our inability to pray. What is even more amazing is that God still loves us even after countless incidents of outrageous human behavior, pride and disloyalty. The Spirit helps us to resist the powers that would defeat us and separate us from God

Today’s gospel, Matthew concludes a long series of parables about the reign of God. There are 5 parables in these verses. These parables encourage us to live the kingdom into being in every aspect of our lives. It addresses basic questions: "What is it ? How do we find it? What’s it like? What do I have to do to enter it?" In telling these parables, Jesus did not make the characters angels or kings, but a woman, a merchant, fishermen. And he did not use difficult or out-of-reach tasks, but everyday peasant-class things like baking bread and fishing. The kingdom is here but it’s modest. It’s hidden. It’s quiet. In fact, those who discover the kingdom sometimes tend to stumble upon it almost by accident. The kingdom is a great treasure but it may not reveal itself immediately

Summing them up, Jesus praises those who have listened carefully and understood. This praise of the wise in today’s gospel seems to justify this choice of first reading Solomon’s request for wisdom.
 

II. Summary

Old Testament –  1 Kings 3:5-12

The Hebrew Scriptures tell of a long-repeated cycle of virtue and decline, punishment, repentance, and forgiveness. The cycle applies to the people, to their priests and their kings.

This is the story of a high point in the life of Judah’s third king, Solomon. This reading deals with a spiritual high point in the life of King Solomon, but other chapters predictably tell of his sins.

Solomon prays to God for one gift: the gift of wisdom.  “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” 

God, pleased with Solomon’s values, grants him not only wisdom but riches and long life as well.

God’s response – “God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.”

A happy ending, if the story ended there, but it does not. 

Solomon’s reign did not end in the wisdom it began. The foreign wives he married led him into permitting idolatry, sanctioned by the royal household. To build the temple, he laid heavy burdens of taxation on God’s people. The resentment his policies fostered during his life erupted shortly after his death in the schism that divided God’s people into two kingdoms forever. Only two tribes remained loyal to Solomon’s son after Solomon’s death.

Lessons

1. Imperfect People Need To Pray. “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places,” (v.3). The “high places” were locations where idolatry was practiced. This is evidence of his imperfection. Good intentions were not fully carried out, thus he was imperfect in his efforts

It may be argued, in fact, the more we struggle; the less perfect we are, the more we need to speak to God and ask for His help and make good commitments to Him. Here is a man with enough love for the Lord to respond to God and make requests in prayer, at least at this point in his life

2. We need to be modest in our prayers. A basic wish, nothing extravagant. Solomon had enough love for the Lord to know what he needed. He needed to receive wisdom from the highest source He wasn’t perfect before God, but humble before God to ask for something valuable, not temporal. We need this humble sense of our weakness and need. And we need to take those weaknesses and needs to the Lord in sincere prayer. While we are not assigned the leadership of a nation, the navigation of our personal lives requires wisdom and discretion.

3. Always Acknowledge Past Blessings Received In Your Family. In Solomon’s prayer, he acknowledged past blessings received: “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you.

First, he speaks of himself using the very same term he used for David: both he and his father are "your (God’s) servant" (verses 6a, 7a). Next, Solomon calls himself "only a little child" lacking knowledge, perhaps even commonsense. In light of 1 Kings 11:42 and 14:21, these last details are not to be taken flat-footedly

4. Always Confess Your Ignorance (v.7). The new king said, “I do not know how to go out or come in.” It was like someone today saying, “I don’t know if I’m going or coming.” Such humble confessions of ignorance ought to be stated to God, when we ask for His help. We ought to be willing to say to the Father: “I don’t know what to do, but I know You do. Help me learn and grow and do right.”

5. The Value Of Discernment. “…that I may discern between good and evil,” (v.9). No matter where you are in history, geography, culture, or position – you need this skill: Discernment. It is the capacity to see issues, recognize temptations, and know what is right and wrong, based on divine truth.

6. Governing Others Requires Discernment. “…for who is able to govern this your great people?” (v.9). Our influence on others is directly related to our capacity to see what is right and wrong. While we are not charged to lead a nation, we are charged to let our lights shine and exert a good influence on others. That serious charge cannot be well done if we are unclear about right and wrong. 

Psalm –  Psalm 119:129-136 Page 774, BCP

Psalm 119 is the longest reading of the psalter made up of 176 verses are divided into 22 stanzas. Each stanza is precisely eight verses long. Each verse is made up of a letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

In general, the psalm is a wisdom psalm, but has elements of aspects of both praise and lament. Its main point is praise of the Law (Torah), and throughout the psalm there are repeated synonyms for the Law – “decrees”, “word”, and “commandments.”

It can be divided into 3 parts:

1. Verses 129-131 Wisdom-like statements about God’s Word: "Your decrees are wonderful. . ."

The Word of God is a means of grace. Through the Word–which is both law and gospel–the Lord of Israel encounters the people of God. The word is "wonderful”. In other words, just as God’s might acts of deliverance can be means through which God shows grace to suffering people, so also the Word itself is such a means that mediates God’s wonders to his people. The psalm then compares God’s word to light that gives guidance (the image here is one in which a scroll is unrolled and light shines upward and outward).

2 Verses 132-135 Petitions: "Turn to me… Keep my steps steady… Redeem me from oppression" 

This builds on the promises of verses 129-131, by essentially asking that the Lord make real for the psalmist that which has been promised in the word. The psalmist prays for relationship guidance rescue and blessing

3. Verse 136 Wisdom-like statement: "My eyes [cry] because your law is not kept." 

Far from being a self-righteous statement, this closing verse should be understood in a communal and personal way. The psalmist sheds tears both because his or her own community does not keep the word, but also because he or she is aware that personally, he or she fails to keep the commandments

The psalm, which immediately counters any notion that you have to be a king (or a Solomon, for that matter) to discern what is right: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” Anyone who pays attention can discern the decrees of God, for it is God who is our teacher.  

Epistle –  Romans 8:26-39 

Paul has written of the new way of being we attain in baptism: we are freed of compounding sin leading to the finality of death and begin living in and with the Spirit, thanks to God’s gift of love. In this new life, we will live in complete accord with God, but now we still fail to live up to his (and our) expectations. We need help – help which the Spirit provides. In our present condition we have hope of attaining perfect union with God.

He now examines in detail how certain can we be that God will complete the execution of his plan of salvation. This is Christian life lived in the Spirit. Nearly every sentence is a new way of stating the promise that God has not abandoned "us," and is working on our behalf.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. “

The "all things" in verse 28 is not referring to all the accidents and tragedies of life. That is how this statement is sometimes misused, and if someone falls and breaks a leg, there must be some good purpose for it.

The "all things" of this statement has reference in the context to all the things God has done for us; things such as the incarnation of His Son, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, His ascension and His role as our intercessor and His intention to come again

This reading has two powerful sections that continue to speak to the human condition and the life in Christ.

The first is the notion of the weakness of our prayer. Often our weakness makes it ineffective and a collection of intelligible thoughts. Thus the Spirit meets with her own intercessions and prayers – aiding our inability to pray.  

What is even more amazing is that God still loves us even after countless incidents of outrageous human behavior, pride and disloyalty. God knew beforehand that there would be a people with hearts receptive to the gospel of redemption. Based upon this foreknowledge God appointed beforehand what would be the ultimate destiny of this group. This group is made up of people who are willing to answer God’s call in Jesus Christ and come to Him

What, he asks, “are we to say about these things” (v. 31). God is so “for us” (v. 31) that he gave us his very Son, so he will surely follow through with the rest of his plan. God has passed a favorable sentence on us (“justifies”, v. 33) so who is there to accuse us of anything?

One of the things God appointed beforehand for this group is that each of them "become conformed to the image of His Son" (vs. 29). Paul Earnheart once noted a "progression" of salvation in these verses which I think is very helpful. First, there was man in the mind of God; then man is created. Also, man was recreated in God’s mind; then man is recreated by the power of the gospel. Finally, man was glorified in the mind of God; and man’s ultimate destiny is glory in eternity.

God gave up Son for our behalf -> God justifies -> Christ intercedes for us

The second is Paul’s recognition that the forces of this world (angels, rulers, things present, things to come, powers, heights, depths…) are powerless when confronted by this same Spirit, who not only helps us to pray, but helps us to resist the powers that would defeat us and separate us from God.

We have Christ, in his place of power and authority (“at the right hand of God”, v. 34) pleading for us. No hardship can separate the true Christian from Christ’s love for us (v. 35). Psalm 44:22 foretold the sufferings of Christians (v. 36); in them we are winning a resounding victory (“more than conquerors”, v. 37). Whether dead or alive at the Last Day, nothing – whether spiritual powers (“angels … rulers … powers”, v. 38) or astrological powers (commonly believed to control human destiny, “height, nor depth”, v. 39) or anything else – can separate us from God’s love – and defeat God’s purpose for us.

Gospel –  Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

5 parables in 10 verses – a record!

These parables encourage us to live the kingdom into being in every aspect of our lives. It addresses basic questions: "What is it ? How do we find it? What’s it like? What do I have to do to enter it?"

You can get it initially in your head but you have to get it inside you in what you feel and something you known” And you see God is in the here and now; in the process view, dynamically present in every moment of existence, prompting us to be the seed, leaven the bread, buy the field, buy the pearl, sort the fish.

In telling these parables, Jesus did not make the characters angels or kings, but a woman, a merchant, fishermen. And he did not use difficult or out-of-reach tasks, but everyday peasant-class things like baking bread and fishing. The middle and landed classes are included in the purchase of the field and the pearl. The message is clear: we’re the ones who can make it happen. We’re the ones who can realize, even if only for fleeting moments, the kingdom of God on Earth.

We also know that this new thing we are experiencing is not one among many. It is not one value that pops up in the midst of other, equal values. It is a value that places all other values in relation to itself while it takes on primary importance, as with the treasure in the field or the pearl. It infects everything we do, as with leaven. It lives hospitably with other creatures, as with the mustard tree. It discerns right from wrong, as with the fish of every kind.

The kingdom is here but it’s modest. It’s hidden. It’s quiet. In fact, those who discover the kingdom sometimes tend to stumble upon it almost by accident. The kingdom is a great treasure but it may not reveal itself immediately

Unlike the sower parable of two weeks ago, none of this Sunday’s material appears in any of the other Gospels. Matthew places these parables after Jesus has left the crowds and gone into the house (13:36); they are for the disciples’ ears only. 

Each begins in a similar manner: “The kingdom of Heaven is like.…”

The first two parables deal with the on-coming Reign of Heaven, and Jesus models it small A small mustard seed, and a small ration of meal – both grow into comparatively larger things. From small things grows the Kingdom of God, and this is the lesson that Jesus wishes to teach here. The search is for a meaning beyond the small – a mustard seed, yeast

1. Mustard Seed – The Mustard Seed originated with Jesus because the proverbially small mustard seed is a surprising metaphor for the kingdom. in Matthew and Luke, the shrub (plant) has actually become a tree, probably under the influence of Ezekiel 17:22-23 — the great cedar representing Israel. In the hands of Jesus, the Mustard Seed is a parody of the noble cedar

God’s Kingdom will grow from small beginnings to significant size. Like yeast, Jesus’ message will pervade the lives of many, transforming them

2. Parable of leaven

Jesus uses this story as an object lesson to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. A woman takes yeast (leaven) and mixes it into dough. Eventually, the whole of the dough is leavened. 

In the Parable of the Leaven, we learn several things about the working of the kingdom in our present age. Each of these lessons stems from the nature of yeast.

First, the kingdom of God may have small beginnings, but it will increase. Yeast is microscopic in size, and only a little is kneaded into the dough. Yet, given time, the yeast will spread through all the dough. In the same way, Jesus’ domain started with twelve men in an obscure corner of Galilee, but it has spread throughout the world. The gospel makes progress.

Second, the kingdom of God exerts its influence from within, not from without. Yeast makes dough rise from within. God first changes the heart of a person, and that internal change has external manifestations. The gospel influence in a culture works the same way: Christians within a culture act as agents of change, slowly transforming that culture from within.

Third, the effect of the kingdom of God will be comprehensive. Just as yeast works until the dough has completely risen, the ultimate benefit of the kingdom of God will be worldwide . “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

Fourth, although the kingdom of God works invisibly, its effect is evident to all. Yeast does its job slowly, secretly and silently, but no one can deny its effect on bread. The same is true of the work of grace in our hearts.

The nature of yeast is to grow and to change whatever it contacts. When we accept Christ, His grace grows in our hearts and changes us from the inside out. As the gospel transforms lives, it exerts a pervasive influence in the world at large.

The second set of parables show a positive aspect to avarice. The one who discovers the treasure, doesn’t own the field in which it is discovered. So he, like the merchant who finds the pearl, sells all to obtain the treasure/pearl. This is about investing in the future kingdom, and the good that it will bring. Here the message is addressed to an individual (merchant, and the purchaser of the field). At some point, Jesus says, each of us will need to take the risk.

3. Hidden Treasure – The third image that Jesus gives us is that finding the kingdom of Heaven is like finding a treasure hidden in a field, for the sake of which one will sell everything. Treasure was often hidden in fields.

We note that this parable presupposes that the kingdom is hidden, that it is not yet revealed to everyone but it is close at hand. This fits well with the thrust of the rest of the chapter. The Kingdom of God is breaking forth and not everyone either sees it or is able to live within it yet . It is completely hidden and meaningless until God Himself reveals the meaning. He had found the righteousness of God which came to him by faith, quite apart from works and human worthiness. In his curiosity merely to see Jesus, Jesus found him.

4. Pearl of Great Price – Unlike the previous parable though we are challenged to ask the question: why does a merchant purchase a pearl? Merchants purchase items to resell them. So we have a spin on the hidden treasure. The hidden treasure is for the pleasure of the finder. The pearl’s pleasure is in its sale. We might say that the pearl becomes symbolically connected with the Gospel itself and the discipleship of giving away the grace received

Finally, the last parable about the net has some similarity to last Sunday’s parable about the darnel. Here again, both good and bad are the result of the Christian community’s effort. The reign (the catch of “everything”) will be useful, and at the end of time it will all be sorted out. The final statement about the scribe bringing out both old and new describes the Gospel as a continuation and fulfillment of the Torah.

5. Net –  Perhaps like the wheat and the weeds we are being reminded once again that in the end the wicked and the righteous will be separated out. . On the Sea of Galilee, a “net” (v. 47) gathered all fish, only some of which were edible. At the end of the age, God will come to judge people, declaring the good to be his and discarding the others. Our job is to work and proclaiming the Gospel that we are encircling and bringing in such a bounty. Are we strong enough to live as saints and sinners, as sinners and saints, shoulder to shoulder with a diverse community ? This parable challenges us to be a church in mission 

III. Articles for this week in WorkingPreacher:

First Reading – 1 Kings 3:5-12

Psalm – Psalm 119:129-136 

Epistle  – Romans 8:26-39 

Gospel  – Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52