Episodes
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
"Called to Greatness" - A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, Year B
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Dear Friends,
How many girls do you know have been painted by DaVinci… have been sculpted by Michelangelo...have been serenaded by Bach and Schubert... have been praised by Augustine and Aquinas… have been venerated over the ages by a constant stream of devotions? Or more to the point, can we ever hope to know someone after they’ve become so exalted? This Sunday let's try. Let's see what we can learn from Christ's earliest and closest earthly companion.
In the first chapter of Luke, we meet Mary before all that, long before she becomes swathed in centuries of veneration. We meet her as a kid...a very, very good kid ... but still only a kid. She's scared. She's stunned. But she is not overwhelmed. This is her first encounter with an angel. But it is obviously not her first encounter with God. He is not an abstraction to her. He is a constant presence in her life. Even as a teen, she defines herself as God's servant. Pastor Rick Warren would say: She has “A Purpose Driven Life.” She knows we are here to serve God… even if that means becoming the mother of the Messiah: Let it be with me according to your word.
This gospel gives us a stark look at a resolute Mary. No mushy myth here. This is one tough kid. In the most mind-boggling circumstances, she stands her ground… momentarily confused by the message and the messenger… but confident in the goodness of God, giving herself reflexively to his service. She was called to greatness. And she was equal to the task.
For all our maturity, how many of us have such a clear grasp of life's ultimate reality? We are here to serve God. That is our own personal call to greatness… not greatness as the world sees it, but greatness as God wills it to be… not greatness in response to an angelic visitation, but greatness in answering the constant call of God's grace.
Every day, we get to answer our personal call to greatness in countless ways… in our respect for others, in our kindness, in our generosity, in our forgiveness, in our family responsibilities, in our professional ethics, in our living witness to Christ's love. Doubtless, none of us will be painted by masters. Choirs will not sing our praises. But God will.
He rejoices in the goodness we give back to him. He knows the obstacles we must overcome. He knows the sea of secular cynicism that surrounds us. He knows we can be confused and distracted. That is why scripture gives us the wisdom, the courage, the faith of Mary… the kid who was surprised, but quickly focused… the kid who knew that in all things she was God's servant… and knew that God would see her through.
This gospel also teaches us that God’s gifts are not predictable. They don’t come in neat little packages. Sometimes, right from the first, they are pure joy. But more often they come as trials. They are opportunities wrapped in disappointment. They are confusing… frightening… even overwhelming. That’s the time to trust in Jesus. That’s the time to remember Mary.
In putting these thoughts together, I was reminded of our family friend, Fern Hill, whose young son Timothy was run down and killed delivering newspapers. In her torment, the grieving mother remembered that she was God’s servant… first, last, and always, come what may. She and her husband Jerry went on to found The Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch, which for over forty years has given new life to hundreds and hundreds of abused, abandoned, and troubled children. In crushing pain, Fern answered God’s call to greatness… just as she is answering his call today… protecting, caring, nurturing…witnessing Christ’s love where it is needed most.
When blessings come disguised as challenges… when the call to love is shrouded in pain and distorted by doubts… I pray that we share the serenity of Mary… I pray we embrace her willingness to serve. I pray we join in her song: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
God love you!
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
"Paying the Price" - A Reflection for the Third Sunday in Advent, Year B
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Dear Friends, To all who would listen and to those who would not, John came to testify to the light. The Messiah is coming. Repent. Make straight the way of the Lord. Back then, say that often enough… around the wrong people… and you could get yourself into a whole lot of trouble. And he did. Say that around the wrong people today, and you can still get into a lot of trouble. And they are: In Pakistan and Iran, proclaiming Christ is a capital crime. In Nigeria and Kenya, it invites rape and murder. In Syria and Iraq, it means fleeing the country by the tens of thousands. And yet they cling to Christ. They proclaim him from burning churches and with dying breaths. Picture it. These are not martyrs' tales from a far away, heroic age. This is what is happening right now, today ...to our brothers and sisters in Christ. And the world shrugs. Clearly, proclaiming Christ still comes with a price. And it is not isolated to far-off lands. We pay a price today in an increasingly conformist, secular America. And the price is going up. Start with the growing pall of intimidation that stifles even the most timid reference to faith. Add in the wrinkled brows and raised eyebrows that greet the slightest mention of Jesus. All capped with that look that says you are obviously a redneck rube for daring to violate the most sacred tenet of secular orthodoxy: None of that Jesus stuff, thank you very much. It's not polite and it's definitely not politically correct. This mini-martyrdom of disapproval awaits all those brave enough to take John at his word and proclaim the coming of Christ. The Evangelist, John, set this gospel down during a time of both growing persecution and troubling doubt. The Christian communities were being banished from the synagogues by those who rejected Jesus. Many had lived day to day in anticipation of Christ’s triumphant return. They waited and wondered… and increasingly they worried. Rejection and anxiety put the faithful in double jeopardy. Years passed and they struggled on, often isolated and alienated from friends and family… while official intolerance evolved into state-sanctioned extermination. Where was Jesus? When was he coming? Or had they been following a fairy-tale to futility and destruction? In the face of this turmoil, the Evangelist deliberately takes up his pen to set the record straight. That is why, of all the gospels, John’s is the one that places Christ with the Father at Creation… that verse by verse, chapter by chapter documents the case for the divinity of Jesus… that proclaims him anew as more than a Messiah… as nothing less than the living God. John’s gospel is an eye-witness account of the ministry of Jesus. It is no mere ode to a martyred holy man. It is not the collected wisdom of some great philosopher. It is nothing less than a proclamation that Jesus was, is and always will be one with Yahweh. Without any doubt, he is coming again… but on his schedule, not on ours. The ridicule we receive, the persecutions we endure are all part of the cross we carry to glory… all part of the price we pay. To proclaim Christ does not require a mass reprogramming for us all to become street-corner evangelists. As the hymn tells us: They will know we are Christians by our love. That is how we proclaim Jesus… by our love. And to get up for the game, we gather together… every Sunday as the Body of Christ… to draw strength from our worship, to refocus our purpose, to build the confidence we need to take Christ with us back into the world… and fearlessly witness his love. It is within the walls of our church that we gather this strength. But it is outside the walls, in the world, where we must spend our strength for God’s glory. He did not put us here to get along by going along. To live in Christ's love and proclaim him, always means paying the price. Sometimes the price is greater… exile, imprisonment, martyrdom. Sometimes it is smaller… disapproval, exclusion, ridicule. But whatever the price… it is, literally, the bargain of a lifetime. God love you!
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Dear Friends,
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
“The Joy of Waiting” - A Reflection for the First Sunday in Advent, Year B
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
From the Archives:
Dear Friends,
Friday Jan 04, 2019
Una Fiesta de las Epifanías
Friday Jan 04, 2019
Friday Jan 04, 2019
¿Dónde está el rey de los judíos que ha nacido? Pues vimos salir su estrella y hemos venido a adorarlo… Y la estrella que habían visto salir iba delante de ellos, hasta que por fin se detuvo sobre el lugar donde estaba el niño. Cuando los sabios vieron la estrella, se alegraron mucho. (Mateo 2: 2,10).
Queridos amigos:
Estos primeros versos del segundo capítulo de Mateo se encuentran entre los relatos más llenos de acción que hay en los sesenta y seis libros de la Biblia. A un guionista de Hollywood le sería difícil igualar la intriga, el triunfo y la tragedia. Como predicador, estoy sumergido en la riqueza simbólica de este evangelio. Un solo sermón no le hace justicia. Pero vamos a intentarlo...
El diccionario nos dice que una "epifanía" es: una manifestación o revelación divina con el sentido de comprender la esencia de algo. Este evangelio para la fiesta de la Epifanía es literalmente una fiesta de ellas. Está lleno de ideas sobre el significado de la venida de Cristo y la transformación que promete.
Comienza con la visión de los magos. Ellos habían dedicado sus vidas a estudiar los cielos. Y luego, de repente, observaron una luz brillante que nunca habían visto. Aun con todo su conocimiento astronómico, quedaron desconcertados. Dejaron todo y se dispusieron a seguir adonde los llevara esta extraña estrella. Milla tras milla, sobre montañas y desiertos, se guiaron fielmente en este único y celestial indicador que los llevó al recién nacido Jesús.
El viaje de los Magos nos plantea algunas preguntas desafiantes: ¿Qué estrella sigues? ¿Te Conduce a Jesús? ¿O tratas de conseguir y mantener más cosas ... llenando el agujero en tu alma con cosas ... un cheque más grande, una casa más grande, boletos de temporada, la mejor mesa, un i-Phone 10, los zapatos deportivos más modernos? Claro que es bueno tenerlos. Pero vaya a tantos funerales como yo he asistido y todo eso se reduce a algo insignificante. Los magos lo entendieron bien la primera vez. Sigue la estrella hacia Jesús ... su amor, su camino ... es todo lo que perdura.
Los cuatro evangelios tienen ejemplos del Mesías del Pueblo Elegido reuniéndose con todo tipo de gente, creados por Dios. Significativamente, desde el nacimiento de Jesús, Dios movilizó los cielos para llegar hasta Persia. Hoy seguimos los pasos de los magos. Nuestra casa está más lejos de Belén que la casa de los magos en Persia. Pero su llamado es igual de fuerte. Su estrella es igual de brillante.
Seguimos a Cristo desde todas las culturas y a través de milenios. Las puertas del cielo se han abierto para nosotros. No importa cuán humilde sea nuestra condición, estamos ante el trono de Dios, no menos noble que los reyes, ni menos amados que los profetas, ni menos autorizados que Abraham, Isaac y Jacob. Los magos no llegaron con las manos vacías. Y tampoco nosotros deberíamos hacerlo.
Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, la segunda persona de la Santísima Trinidad, no necesita nuestro oro, incienso y mirra. Toda la creación hace su voluntad. Pero él quiere que devolvamos algo por nuestro propio bien ... para demostrar nuestra gratitud, para que arriesguemos el pellejo por él.
Nuestros dones, nuestros diezmos, nuestra caridad, nuestro servicio ... todas nuestras buenas obras ... no compran el amor de Dios. El amor de Dios lo hemos tenido desde antes de la Creación. Nuestros dones no compran la redención. Son dones absolutos. Los magos no sobornaron a la estrella para guiarlos a Jesús. Ellos no le pagaron a la Virgen María ni a San José para poder ver a su hijo. Sin reclamos ni condiciones, humildemente, ellos pusieron sus dones a los pies del rey recién nacido con admiración, adoración, gratitud ... y nosotros también deberíamos hacerlo.
Y luego está Herodes. El mundo lo ha visto siempre de la misma manera. En su alma egocéntrica, la Epifanía solo tiene valor si tiene que ver con él. Es su oportunidad para eliminar a un rival potencial, sin importarle el costo. Engaño, decepción, asesinato en masa—cosas que afligen a otras personas—para él, son solo la forma de hacer negocios de un tirano.
Hoy en día, asesinos y tiranos ... tanto extranjeros como nacionales ... no están en peligro de extinción. Estamos horrorizados por sus actos. Pero para ser honesto ... ¿no tenemos todos unos pequeños toques de Herodes en nosotros? Frecuentemente nos decimos a nosotros mismos que somos los árbitros del bien y del mal. Lo que vemos como bueno para nosotros, obviamente debe ser el bien. No actuamos en la escala de Herodes, pero sí dejamos que nuestros egos nos arrastren como bueyes halados por aros en las narices.
La Epifanía es un buen momento para alterar ese curso. Es hora de recordar que solo Jesús es el camino, la verdad y la luz. Es hora de reconocer que nuestra estrella es la gracia de Dios y que todavía nos conduce a Cristo.
Aquí, en la Diócesis Episcopal de Carolina del Norte, contamos con la ayuda de un sistema de GPS espiritual que fue instalado por primera vez por el Obispo Primado Michael Curry para ayudarnos a encontrar nuestro camino hacia Jesús. Se llama EL CAMINO DEL AMOR y establece una secuencia de prácticas que nos ponen al día con Cristo y nos llevan a él de una manera liberadora y vivificante.
Como los magos actuales, nos dirigimos hacia la estrella del amor de Cristo por el mundo. Lo reconocemos, porque arde más fuerte que cualquier otro. Luego evocamos la fe para seguir adonde nos lleva la estrella de su amor.
Pero no viajamos ciegamente en la fe. Aprendemos continuamente todo lo que podemos de Jesús y sus enseñanzas, nos dedicamos cada día a leer y reflexionar sobre las Escrituras ... aprendiendo a verlo y saludarlo en todas las personas con las que nos encontramos cada día.
Comprometidos e informados, oramos para mantener el camino ... ofreciendo nuestras actividades diarias, nuestros logros, nuestras tristezas a El. A veces nuestra oración es formal, otras veces es un breve y silencioso momento de petición, de dedicación, de gratitud. Y así, oramos siempre, a veces con palabras ... muchas veces con acción, siempre con amor.
Los magos no viajaron solos. Ellos hicieron juntos el camino buscando a Jesús. Y así lo debemos hacer ...reuniéndonos semanalmente en comunidad para adorar ... agradecer, alabar y acercándonos más a Dios ... uniendo fuerzas el uno con el otro para el viaje.
No venimos desde el Este cargando tesoros, pero hemos sido bendecidos con los dones otorgados por Dios de tiempo, talento y tesoro ... conociendo que son nuestros dones para compartir. Y así, como el Padre nos ha bendecido, podemos bendecir a otros con los dones de nuestro servicio, nuestro apoyo, nuestra generosidad, nuestra amabilidad y consideración.
EL CAMINO DEL AMOR es lo que llamamos la rama episcopal del Movimiento de Jesús. Movimiento ... acción ... progreso ... dinamismo, estos son atributos comunes que describen el acercamiento a nuestra fe. Somos discípulos, no espectadores. Todos los días respondemos al llamado de Cristo para ir y dar el testimonio de su amor al mundo.
Nuestro viaje con Jesús no es una carrera corta. Es un maratón de por vida, donde podemos encontrarnos con obstáculos, donde tropezamos y perdemos nuestro camino. Por eso, tan importante como caminar, es descansar, para recuperar nuestra fortaleza y reorientarnos. Es todo parte del plan que tiene Dios para nosotros.
Y para cada uno de nosotros, ese plan se está desarrollando cada nuevo día ... otra alegría, otra tristeza ... otro logro, otra decepción ... otro descubrimiento, otra Epifanía ... en la búsqueda de amor, libertad y vida abundante en Cristo.
Jesús te está esperando. En alegre alabanza y adoración, sigamos juntos su estrella. Vamos a celebrar esta Epifanía en EL CAMINO DEL AMOR ... otro año más cerca de Cristo.
Dios nos ama a todos. No hay exceptions!
Sunday Sep 02, 2018
"Form And Function" A Reflection For 15th Sunday After Pentecost, Year B
Sunday Sep 02, 2018
Sunday Sep 02, 2018
Dear Friends,
There is a basic law of aesthetic beauty that form should follow function. But when form becomes paramount, when it overshadows function, the results can be pretty ugly. That's a warning at the core of this week's gospel.
To read more or hear an audio podcast or watch a video podcast, click here.
Saturday Aug 25, 2018
"Discovering Jesus" - A Reflection for The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B
Saturday Aug 25, 2018
Saturday Aug 25, 2018
Dear Friends,
If the current data is to be believed, we are all on our way to having the attention span of hummingbirds. That may be one reason why this is the fifth consecutive Sunday that we are working our way through the sixth chapter of John. True, this is by far John's longest chapter. But does it really deserve almost 10% of the liturgical year just to discover Jesus as The Bread of Life? Apparently, it does.
To read more or hear an audio podcast or watch a video podcast, click here.
Sunday Aug 19, 2018
Sunday Aug 19, 2018
Dear Friends,
Musing on the growth of human knowledge, Socrates said: "The more we know, the more we know that we do not know." In recent years, that's been proven over and over… by the mysterious Black Holes and the exploding Nova's of an ever-expanding universe. And now, Socrates is being proven right once again… in studies of the very smallest elements of the universe… we are learning that we have so much more to learn.
To read more or hear an audio podcast or watch a video podcast, click here.
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
"The Table of Plenty" A Reflection for The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Dear Friends,
For the last four weeks our gospels, taken from the Sixth Chapter of John, have been introducing us to Christ as the Bread of Life. With each iteration of the message, his invitations become more imperative.
To read more or hear an audio podcast or watch a video podcast, click here.
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
"The Jesus Diet" A Reflection for The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year B
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Dear Friends,
There are basically two kinds of diets: the ones that work and the ones that don't. Diets that don't work are called fad diets. They promise fast results with little effort. A plague of them show up every spring promising to make you a slim sensation by summer. Results, if any, are almost always temporary… and pretty soon you're right back where you started from...
To read more or hear an audio podcast or watch a video podcast, click here.