Tag Archives: forgiveness

Advent Reflections: make straight the way

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Advent reflection: this week during Advent we encounter John the Baptist, proclaiming the coming of the Lord as he courageously stands in the wilderness, clothed in camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. Make straight the paths for the coming of the Lord. In the reflection offered below from Stan Purdum’s Advent study book, we consider the paths of our lives, the obstacles, roundabouts, and narrow ways of those paths; and, finally, reflect on how we might begin to uncover our obstacles to God and smooth the way for the coming of the Lord. Continue reading →

“You have been chosen and now you must choose!”

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6th Sunday after the Epiphany (Mark 1:40-45)  2/12/2012

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The leper said to Jesus, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” (Mark 1:40) “If you choose…” Every day we are all confronted with decisions that must be made; in the course of our lives we discover new opportunities that cause us to make choices. Two weeks ago today I had the opportunity to spend the morning education hour with the J2A Youth group, helping them prepare for their approaching confirmation at the Cathedral. Our discussion was based upon a lesson that was entitled, “Decisions, Decisions.” As young adults in the church, they are already becoming familiar with the idea that their decisions are more informed by their own choices than with the choices of their parents or their guardians. And they, like the rest of us, have some choices to make. The Sacrament of Confirmation, according to the Prayer Book, is a mature commitment to Christ; a choice to affirm and renew the vows taken at one’s Baptism. The lesson prepared and challenged these young folks to consider how they might react when confronted with choices, especially choices made under difficult circumstances.  Every Christian has choices to make and many of the choices we are confronted with are not easy choices; and they are not always choices that are obvious or popular to the society in which we live. Continue reading →

“Forgive each other, love each other, and don’t be a grinch!”

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7th Sunday after the Epiphany (Matthew 5:38-48)  02/20/2011

Throughout the past several days I have been following the events unfolding in Egypt with great fascination. The protests of the people who gathered in Tahrir Square were first coordinated through the social media channels of the Internet but then continued with and without the assistance of technology. Although it appears that the Egyptian government successfully shut the Internet down for a time, people who had previously never known each other continued to come together to unite behind a common cause – the hope of a new and better government that fairly represented the voice of the people and could provide all Egyptian people the promise of a better tomorrow.[i] But the region of the Middle East has a lot of history; and this new chapter of life does not come without uncertainties and the anxieties of tomorrow’s realities. The people of Egypt have questions: questions about their new government and their future. The people of the Middle East region have questions: questions about Arab/Israeli relations and the impact that the Egyptian demonstrations will have on neighboring countries. And the people of the world have questions: questions about the stability of the region and how the future will impact global relations. All of these questions are wrapped around one important center point: how will we decide to live together in community? This is an important question, no matter where you reside: How will we – we, the Egyptian people; we, the people of the Middle East; we, the people of the world; we, the people of this parish; how will we live together in community? Continue reading →

“Redeemed through Christ, be strengthened in your Advent pilgrimage”

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Proper 29C  (Col 1:11-20 and Luke 23:33-43)  11/21/2010

This morning we gather on the last Sunday of the church year. And as the church year comes to an end, we hear what we might call the end of the story of Christ’s public ministry – his imminent death on the cross. But like many things that come to an end, whether the church year or the public ministry of Christ, the “end” often does not mark the final word to be said but merely serves to point toward a new beginning. This last Sunday of the church year is celebrated on our calendar as the day of Christ the King. As the story of Jesus comes to a close, we remember that Christ came into the world, a world that was and is broken and fallen and in need of help. A world that is yearning for all that Christ has to offer (a world waiting for the gifts of the Only Son of God), but a world that abandons Jesus all the same. And if our abandonment was the end of the story we would surely be the worse for it, but Christ is King; Christ is the Victor over sin and over death itself, and Christ is our King and Savior. Today we come to the end and stop for a moment to reflect on the saving work of Christ because through Christ we are forgiven and redeemed. But what does that mean to us as we live out our lives…that we are “forgiven and redeemed?” Continue reading →

“Reflection of the Daily Office: humility, gratitude & love”

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Daily Office for 10/07/2010:  Gospel – Luke 7:36-50

This morning we join Jesus dining at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. In the midst of the invited guests, a “woman of the city” (a sinner) enters into the home of Simon and displays great affection toward Jesus – washing his feet with her tears, kissing his feet and anointing his feet with ointment. Simon and his invited guests watch the woman’s display of hospitality with a critical eye, knowing she is a sinner; and they question Jesus’ ability to perceive her true character due to his acceptance of her hospitality. Simon and his dinner guests soon learn that the difficulty in perceiving God’s will rests with them.

Jesus tells a short parable story to highlight the truth of forgiveness: the one who experiences forgiveness of many sins is also filled with much love. The first step in the woman’s journey toward Jesus is recognizing that she has sinned. This is also the first step in our journey – recognizing that many of our actions are centered in what is best for us; our priorities are developed with an internal focus rather than the outward love of others. We can discover great benefits from simply recognizing this condition and opening ourselves, in prayer, to how we might approach our lives differently. Even if we do not begin with actions, but only in reflection, we soon discover that honest reflection leads us to hear Christ’s Gospel with open ears. Hearing the truth of the Gospel and reflecting on our lives leads us to humility, gratitude, and love.

“Is repentance enough? Forgiveness vs. Justice”

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Fourth Sunday in Lent Year C  (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32)  03-14-2010

At the beginning of this season of Lent, we gathered on Ash Wednesday and prayed for the observance of a holy Lent, “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” And throughout Lent we have started each service with the Penitential order, to remind ourselves that our repentance shapes our Lenten journey and brings us closer to God. We invest much hope that our repentance brings forgiveness for our wrong doings, but if we have been wronged, is repentance enough for us…or do we need something more? Do we desire some compensation for the wrongful acts that have been committed in order for justice to be served? This morning, we are asked to reflect on repentance and forgiveness…and how these charitable acts challenge our understanding of justice. Continue reading →