Singing with Mary

 4 Advent

Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Canticle 15 

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Purify our conscience, we pray on this 4th Sunday in Advent, which means that we are asking God to clean up some of our thoughts. We are asking God to help us learn new ways of thinking and speaking and acting, and perhaps even singing.

Truth be told, I’m not always a patient person; and yet waiting is a part of this holy season we call Advent. It is an invitation to take time to prepare ourselves for God's gift to the world, which we call Jesus. As they say, He is the reason for the season! And so we remember a nativity scene in a stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born because, as the story goes, there was no room in the inn for Mary and Joseph.

We also pray that when Christ comes again he will “find in us a mansion prepared for himself.” So Advent is a time about purifying and preparing ourselves, making room for Jesus, not just for the arrival of baby Jesus on Christmas morning, or for Christmas presents and holiday gatherings, but also for when Jesus comes again in power and great glory. We call this holy time in our lives the second Advent.

Yikes, I thought to myself, in what new and old ways can I purify my thoughts and my actions? How can I prepare myself for the birth of Jesus and the second coming of Christ? More importantly, do I have room in my inn or my mansion for either one? And in truth, would I even want Jesus to come and stay with me? Even if it’s just for a little while!

Maybe, I think to myself, I could make room for baby Jesus; for babies can be cute and cuddly, and especially peaceful when they’re sleeping. But the Son of God, coming in power and great glory, threatening to reverse my well-established life? “Nope,” as my grandson Nathaniel is quick to say. Or “No, thank you,” as his older cousin, Elia, responds more politely. 

Imagining myself before the throne of God, I try to justify myself. I tell God that I’ve been a pretty good girl, not naughty but nice. I’ve been a good Christian, a lowly servant, the handmaiden of our Lord, giving my time, talents, and treasure to help others. And yes, I confess, occasionally I’ve had some bad thoughts. I’ve spoken when I should have been silent; and I’ve acted unkindly. But for the most part, I’ve behaved pretty darn well. Just don’t ask any of my family or friends for details! 

Mary is 3 months into her pregnancy when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is older, perhaps even wiser and maybe more polite, and now six months pregnant herself. The scripture story tells us that Mary traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth alone. And yet, according to history, travel was dangerous and ill-advised, especially for women during these times. No wonder Mary went “with haste to this Judean town in the hill country;” for fear must have been her constant companion.

  I also wonder about Mary’s motivations. Why would she risk her life and that of her baby to visit her cousin? Was she desperate for support, perhaps because Joseph was reconsidering his engagement, or her father was threatening to throw her out? Was she afraid that she might be stoned to death for her illicit pregnancy? Or was she simply looking for someone who would share her experience, her hope, and her joy? 

St. Luke writes that there was some singing and loud crying going on, and babies leaping for joy in their wombs. And what's not to adore about all of that? We adore Mary, and the song she sings called The Magnificat, which  echoes two other jubilant songs by women in the Bible. The first song was sung by Miriam after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and the joy of their liberation and salvation overwhelmed her. The second song was sung by Hannah when she learned that she was pregnant with Samuel despite her advanced years. All three songs tell stories of liberation, adoration, and joy. All three songs magnify their souls as they praise God. All three songs proclaim good news.

Frankly, I confess that occasionally I am a little skeptical of the rosy pictures painted in the Bible. Perhaps succumbing to cynicism, historical realities, or my own personal knowledge, I have periodically questioned the Advent story. To wit, our four gospel stories prepare us differently. St. Mark fast forwards to a grown up Jesus, who is about to be baptized by his cousin John, who is older, questionably wiser, and definitely not more polite. 

St. Mark begins his gospel with these words: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; telling the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  This prophet is not only John who is preparing us but also Isaiah.

Now, we all know the story of Jesus and how his earthly life doesn’t end well. And yet St. Mark begins his story with the “good news” of Jesus. John claims from the very beginning that Jesus is more powerful than he, the thong of his sandal he is unworthy to untie. So in St. Mark's gospel, we have an Advent Jesus who is coming in power and great glory. No little baby Jesus here. And so we sing our songs of adoration on Christmas eve, as we fall on our knees and remember Him on that Holy Night.

Unlike St. Mark, St. Matthew begins his gospel story with Jesus as a baby, and with these words: “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” St. Matthew is not looking forward to the second coming of Christ but back into history. He claims that Jesus came from good stock, a man whose ancestry goes all the way back to King David and even to Abraham.There is royal lineage in Jesus. He’s a descendent of Abraham, the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jesus is honored by people of all these faiths.

In St. Matthew’s gospel an angel also appears to Joseph, who is a descendent of Jacob, later renamed Israel. The angel tells Joseph not to disgrace Mary; for she carries a child conceived by the Holy Spirit, who will save his people from their sins. This baby will become our King of kings, says St. Matthew, so make sure you honor him with your gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

John’s gospel, the fourth gospel to be written, is very different from the three synoptic gospels by Saints Mark, Matthew, and Luke. St. John starts his story with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There is no baby, indeed no adult human being, only the incarnate Word of God. There is no singing, no shouting, no leaping for joy by babies. There were no angels, no ancestors, no royalty other than God, only light and darkness. 

St. John claims that all things, all life, all creation came through this incarnate Word named Jesus, and that “without him not one thing came into being.” When asked if he was the Messiah, cousin John responded, “Nope. Rather, he came as a witness to testify to this light, so that all might believe through him.” And so St. John invites us to approach every birth, every new life, every messenger, and even every word as a part of God’s message of Love. On Christmas, we are invited to adore Jesus who brought life and light and joy to our world.

Like St. John, St. Luke is known for theologizing the incarnation story. He begins his gospel with these words. “Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.”

And then St. Luke goes on to tell of the births of both cousin John and baby Jesus. Angels appear, people sing, and babies leap for joy. St. Luke also traces Jesus’ lineage, this time all the way back to Adam. Jesus becomes the new First Man, obedient to God’s will even on the cross. Mary becomes the new first woman, surrendering to God’s will in perfect obedience, so that Jesus might be born into our world. Pure Virgin, mother mild, Mary faithfully carries and bears God’s only Son, the future Messiah of all God’s beloved children. Given a choice to say “Nope”, or “No, thank you”, Mary says “Yes” to God.  And so too does Jesus.

Have you ever done that? I mean have you ever accepted an invitation in which you wanted to say “Nope” or “No, thank you” but changed your mind and said “Yes” instead? Have you ever wondered how something that appears impossible is eventually accomplished? Have there been times in your own life when, after a long period of darkness like COVID, and impatient waiting like we are now, a light has suddenly or perhaps gradually emerged? A new day dawns, and gestation produces new life? Have you ever responded faithfully, obediently, or perhaps even impulsively, when you’ve said “yes” and then later discovered that you were being prepared for things that you never imagined?

“So what about that room in the inn or the mansion in my own soul?” I ask myself again. And what songs will I sing this Christmas? Casting aside my impatience, skepticism, and cynicism, I listen again to the words of the Magnificat. 

I think again about baby Jesus, the Son of God who died on the cross, the Word of God incarnate, and the descendant of Abraham and Adam. Then I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to purify me so that I might praise God with songs of joy. I ask God to scatter my proud thoughts and help me act in the Way of Love. I remember once again that empty rooms can be blessings; indeed they are places for God to plant seeds of new life. And in a reversal of the poverty of my own soul, I discover the riches of God’s grace once again. 

 Do I have room in my heart for baby Jesus this Christmas? Or the Son of God, who will come again in power and great glory? Yes! I say to God. Yes! I sing with Mary. And maybe I’ll even invite Jesus to stay with me for a little while.

Advent Camino Week 1

Advent Pilgrimage on Your Camino

Walking the Way of Love to Bethlehem

November 28, 2021- December 25, 2021

Meditations for Advent from Rev’d Nancy Gossling, Cambridge, MA

Our beings consist of body, mind, and spirit.

We walk-think-pray our Way to Bethlehem and Jerusalem

As we walk our Way through the Bible

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Day 1, November 28, 1 Advent

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Solvitur ambulando is a Latin phrase meaning “it is solved by walking.” According to legend it was first uttered by the Greek philosopher Diogenes, later quoted by St. Augustine.

Walk to identify a problem.

What do you need to solve in your life today? Why are you here?

Offer prayers of supplication and thanksgiving.

Day 2, November 29, Monday

Genesis 3.8:

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Walk in creation and notice something.

What parts of you do you hide from others?

Offer prayers for this fragile earth and thanksgiving for creation.

Day 3, November 30, Tuesday

Exodus 14.29:

But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

Walk and notice the walls in your home, neighborhood, country.

What do they protect? Inhibit?

Offer prayers of thanksgiving for God’s protection and liberation.

Day 4, December 1, 2021

Deuteronomy 10.12:

So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Walk with your fears.

What does God require of you?

Pray for trust in God’s grace and faith in God’s care.

Day 5, December 2, 2021

1 Samuel 17.39:

David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, ‘I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.’ So David removed them.

Notice how others walk, and how you walk. Walk your own walk.

What prevents you from walking?

Offer prayers for mobility and flexibility in body, mind, and spirit.

Day 6, December 3, 2021

2 Samuel 15.30:

But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.

Walk barefoot.

What makes you weep?

Ask God to “wipe away your tears.”

Day 7, December 4, 2021

2 Kings 4.35:

He got down, walked once to and fro in the room, then got up again and bent over him; the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

Walk to and fro, backwards, forwards, and sideways.

How has God or children opened your eyes?

Ask to see with your spiritual eye.

Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2021 The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ― Meister Eckhart.

The standard greeting this week has been, “What are your plans for the holiday?”  For many people, the answer will be the same year after year, that is unless COVID 19, a change in the family, or a desire to try something new interrupts your holiday plans. 

Travel is both internal and external. And while travel this year is up for the holiday, we’re all on a journey, in one way or another, even when we don’t leave home. 

I think our journeys can be described in three ways. The first is the Norman Rockwell picture of tradition, a still life photo of the status quo. Most of us like routines and consistency, and to be in places and with people where we feel comfortable and safe. Traditional routines can provide us with a sense of stability and security especially in chaotic times. It’s nice to know that we can go “home” for Thanksgiving, that the entire family will be there, and no one will get sick from COVID. We know that we’ll eat turkey and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, and it’s OK to wear sweatpants and forget about our troubles, at least for a little while. That’s why they call it “comfort food.”

A second scenario involves people who are “explorers.” These folks don’t feel as if they are truly living unless their lives involve frequent change. “Let’s try something different this year!” is their battle cry. God forbid that we would eat turkey every year or that our lives would become too routine and predictable. How boring! So let’s create new traditions, leave the country, and eat tofu on Thanksgiving day.

A third kind of journey involves having a vision of the future. Tired of the “same old same old”, whether it be food, politics, the latest news, or our family, we imagine a place where material things are unimportant. We imagine a feast of “rich foods and well-aged wines” on a holy mountain. Looking all around us, literally and figuratively, we see Life. It doesn’t matter what we’re eating or drinking, or what we’re wearing. It doesn’t matter whether there are family members with us or not; we know that we’re home.

God is our Holy Host of the eternal Feast. We do not worry nor are we anxious because God knows what we need. “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

And so, we bow our heads and give thanks for this stopping point on our journey: Thanksgiving day.

Matthew 6:25-33

Jesus said, "I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or `What will we drink?' or `What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Truth

Christ the King Sunday, The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling, Church of the Redeemer

Revelation 1:4b-8

John 18: 33-3

        In the closet of a previous rector’s office was the picture of a puppet, whose head was in a guillotine, and the words below it said, “The truth will set you free; but first it will make you miserable.”

COVID 19, holiday gatherings and travel, and the news around our world can stir up a lot of feelings these days. At times like these, we can get emotionally out of whack, lashing out at others with angry and resentful words, overreacting to people rather than responding to them, and stuffing our feelings as well as our faces. Some of us refuse to talk about certain issues, so we just avoid them altogether. Spiritually, we may wonder, where is our God?

Power and control are frequent battles in our political, religious, and socio-economic lives. People seem to be growing more careless with the truth and I often wonder if such deceptions are due to emotional reactivity, the increase in social media, an uncontrollable passion or lack of knowledge, or at worst, intentional lying. In a recent movie, when a child asked a man why he lied to his mother, his response was, “I guess because it was easier than telling the truth.” To which the child responded, “But that’s wrong.”

Truth-telling can make people angry, especially if it threatens their power, their cause, what they believe, or their image of themselves. And speaking the truth, like Jesus did, can get you killed, which makes lying or deadly silence even easier. When only one voice or one party or one person dominates a political, religious, or social system, or holds all the power, what happens to the value of our lives? When we’ve listened to only one perspective, and we don’t know the full truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, we may rush to judgment.

You know the saying that when one finger is pointed at you, then three fingers are pointing back at me. Which reminds me about our mutual responsibility, culpability, and accountability. Are we not counting on each other and ourselves to do what is right? To tell the truth even when it makes us miserable? And what happens to the integrity of our souls if we don’t? What happens when we don’t participate in resisting evil as our baptismal covenant requires? 

The court case in Jerusalem at the time of John’s gospel involved political, religious, and socio-economic consequences. The Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman kings of the Middle East had changed rapidly during this time, with power and control shifting around the region. In the middle were the Jewish and Palestinian people, who were often persecuted in the shifts. 

During the trial of Jesus, the emperor of Rome wanted to protect his power from internal and external threats. He appointed governors, like Pontius Pilate, to prevent revolutions and maintain firm control over people of diverse cultures and religious faith, and threats from other countries. He also had the power to execute people. So, in effect, Pilate was the Chief of Police, the Judge, and the Jury of Jerusalem at the trial of Jesus. Clearly Jesus was considered to be a threat. But to whom and why?

The Jewish people in Palestine at that time had a governing council they called the Sanhedrin. The chief priests of the Sanhedrin ruled over the Jewish people with their religious laws, their centralized worship, their governance, and the power of their positions. They had an enormous staff for Temple sacrifices and a small police force to keep order in the Temple. When pilgrims came to Jerusalem to exchange their money for sacrifices, and to offer their prayers to God, the crowds could become unruly.

During this time in Palestine, the people often chafed at the high taxes of the Roman government and the demands of their own religious leaders; and so when they gathered together in large numbers, they would often protest. Some common people, like Barabbas, became well-known criminals, justifying their Robin Hood practices of robbing the rich to pay the poor. Local prophets, like Jesus, spoke truth from a religious perspective. Both criminals and prophets acted and spoke up, often at their own peril.

During religious festivals, when faithful pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem, tensions would run especially high, and so Rome would send troops to the city to keep potential riots under control. Today our kings and presidents all around the world do likewise. Troops may arrive in our cities and along our borders when racial, religious, or socio-economic tensions erupt. Troops are gathering on the border of Ukraine right now in what is believed to be a power play by Russian leaders. And this week, the governor of Wisconsin called in the National Guard when the highly public trial of Kyle Rittenhouse came to an end in Kenosha.

In his own trial, Jesus told Pilate that he came into the world in order to testify to the truth. Consistently, he pointed to the power of God and the religious laws of their faith. He clarified that his kingdom was not part of Rome or Jerusalem. Rather he claimed that God’s “will is to restore all things, so that the peoples of the earth may be brought together under his most gracious rule, and be a place where God’s truth is revealed and reigns.” 

Jesus had often angered his religious leaders because he challenged their interpretation of Jewish law, their oppressive practices, and their hypocritical behavior. “Truth that is pure and simple is the luxury of the zealot,” wrote Katherine Grieb, New Testament professor at Virginia Seminary (Nov 2015).  And yet, Jesus wasn’t zealous for personal power but rather for God. He wasn’t speaking the truth for self aggrandizement. In fact, he was a faithful member of Israel, only pointing to the truth about God in an effort for religious reformation.

Threatened by Jesus’ growing power among the people, the chief priests sent their Temple police to arrest him. Secretly they solicited Judas to betray him, and publicly they accused Jesus falsely. In an effort to uphold a just Roman legal system, Pilate asked Jesus,“Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 

The great collusion against Jesus began in the dark, where crime rises and people are deceived. On that Mount of Olives, Roman soldiers and Temple police arrived in the middle of the night. Despite Peter’s attempts to defend Jesus, He refused any violence. “My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus said. “If it were, we would fight against you.” 

Jesus was first taken to Annas who was Caiaphas’s father-in-law and the previous high priest. He also privately questioned Jesus, who responded. “Why do you ask me about my teaching? I have spoken the truth and I have spoken it openly.” So Annas passed him along to Caiaphas, who, afraid of losing his own power, or the potential reaction of the Roman government, told their religious leaders, “It is better that this one man die than for him to cause trouble for all of our people.”  

Caiaphas quickly sent Jesus to Pontius Pilate; and three times Pilate refused to participate. ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law. I find no case against him.’ But the religious leaders replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death,’ and so they claimed that Jesus was a threat to the Roman emperor. Washing his hands of the whole affair, Pilate turned the verdict over to the mob.

Pilate is also famous for his question, “What is truth?” At our trials in the United States, we ask people to raise their hands, and “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." So help them God. But as Katherine Grieb graciously reminds us, "the truth is rarely pure and never simple. Our truths are often partial, incomplete and biased. Not one of us sees with the eyes of God.” 

Similarly, Paul Oakley once wrote, “The concept of truth does not sit well in twenty-first-century Western culture. It does not matter whether a statement made by a public figure is factually accurate or not – what matters is that it is repeated loudly and frequently so that people believe it and act on it.” (wordlive@scriptureunion.org.uk, 2018)  Pressured by the mob, Pilate succumbed to their demands to crucify Jesus. There on the cross, between two criminals, hung Jesus, the only One without sin. And over his head were the words, “King of the Jews.” 

The Gospel of John uses the word "truth" more than any other book in the Bible. “For this” Jesus said, “he was born and came into the world, to testify to the truth. If you listen to me,” Jesus said, “you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” and if you know me, you will know God.

Next Sunday we will begin our run-up to Christmas, when we remember that Jesus is our King of kings and Lord of lords. We remember that He came into our world, an innocent baby, full of grace and truth. Today, listen to Him; for He tells the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, so help us God. Amen.

Bedrocks

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling        Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill

My husband Paul and I have a family home on Cape Cod. Looking for something to do one summer while I was in a time of transition, I decided to make a stone walkway at our house. Every day, I would walk down to the beach with cloth bags, pick up heavy stones, and carry them back to the house. Like my thoughts and prayers, I would pick them up and put them down. I walked slowly, methodically, and patiently, not exactly my usual style. Except the time when a snake slithered across my path.

Margaret Silf wrote a book about Celtic spirituality called Sacred Spaces. In one chapter she said, “in Celtic times the standing stones and high crosses were the village’s library, its pulpit, and it's art gallery, watching over the community, focusing the people’s gaze always to something beyond themselves.” Redeemer is like that.Your stone church sits on one of seven small hills, watching over this local community, and clearly visible to all who pass by. Your bell tower stretches high above our heads, pointing to something beyond ourselves.

And yet, as you know from your recent bell tower repair, stones will crumble. Nature can take its toll on the sturdiest of our buildings. And tonight we hear Jesus, pointing to the Temple in Jerusalem, saying, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” Not by nature, however, but rather by human beings. Climate change, as you know, involves both.

This Temple was destroyed twice, once in 586 BC, during the Babylonian occupation, and a second time in 70 AD, when it was destroyed by the Roman government. Temples and towers, walls and pathways, anything that is material is vulnerable to both natural corruption as well as human destruction. 

During this time of personal transition, I also decided to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Known as the Way of St. James, the Camino leads to Santiago, which is the third historic pilgrimage site in our Anglican Communion, with Jerusalem and Rome being the other two sacred places. People make pilgrimages to these cities for various reasons and almost always walk away with some sort of inward and spiritual transformation.

On the Camino, pilgrims are invited to carry a stone with them and put it down somewhere along the Way as a symbolic act. It may be a prayer of thanksgiving or a prayer for healing and reconciliation. It may be a prayer for the release of a burden or guidance for a new direction. In one place on the Camino, there is an Iron Cross sitting on top of a small hill of stones, 15 to 20 feet high. Since the 11th century, pilgrims have been leaving their rocks at the foot of this cross, which symbolize the sins they have committed, and a request for their absolution.

Another benefit to walking, in general, is an opportunity to connect spiritually with God. As I walked through various landscapes, villages, and cities I grew increasingly grateful for God‘s creation and for all God’s people. I became more content with simple things. Amazingly, whether in Spain, or at the beach, in the forest, or on city streets, in a never-ending cycle of prayer, I put things down, like grief, and sorrow, and worry, and fear. And I pick things up like hope, and joy, and faith, and love. I travel more lightly. My baggage lessens; my soul expands; and my heart fills with love.

When we’re open to other pilgrims, wherever we walk, we hear many stories of challenges and blessings. Perhaps you know the story of The Stone Soup. In it, a traveler passes through a village with no food or shelter. When she asks villagers for something to eat, they decline for various reasons. And so, the traveler goes to a river, takes a large stone, and begins to cook it in a pot. When villagers ask her what she is doing, she tells them that she is making stone soup, and how much better it would taste if it had a potato, or some meat, or a vegetable. Soon enough, villagers were bringing one thing or another, and then together they enjoyed this newly created stone soup.

You have made many stone soups here at Church of the Redeemer. The ongoing FUEL program provides healthy lunches for young children in local schools. Your recent initiative for Haitian refugees, recently relocated to Massachusetts, provides warm winter coats and other needed items for pilgrims of all ages. You give blood and socks and money because you know that it is more blessed to give than receive. You know that we are all pilgrims, walking the stony path of Life, which we call the Way of Love.

In Sacred Spaces, Margaret Silf, describes human beings as islands of disconnection; and yet, underneath all of our individual islands there is a bedrock that connects us all. This bedrock is where creation is held together in unity, and it reminds us that there is Something and Someone far greater and more powerful than all of us combined. Underneath this bedrock, underneath Church of the Redeemer, underneath the Temple in Jerusalem, and every church everywhere, there lies a Rock that will never crumble. On this Rock, Jesus told Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

In these times of turmoil and unrest throughout our world, when it seems as if nations are rising against nations, when earthquakes, famines, and fires are frequent and climate change is real, when diseases like COVID 19 are killing people around our world, it is comforting to hear Jesus say, “Do not be troubled.”

We live in fearful and anxious times; and like Covid 19, fear and anxiety are contagious. We are constantly being told to “beware” of this or “to be careful” about that. We fear being led astray by the leaders of our country and the most recent fads in our culture. While apocalyptic visions and warnings may generate fear; so too does the reality of our daily lives. 

Like the disciples in today’s lesson, we too may wonder when the end will come, and how it will happen. Jesus said, “Yes, the end will come; but this is only the beginning of the birth pangs. Do not be troubled.” For God’s power is far greater than any institution or government, far greater than any disease or even death. From the very beginning of time, God created life; and new life emerges each and every day, even when everything seems to be crumbling all around us.  

In my walk around the Chestnut Hill reservoir a few weeks ago, I marveled at Redeemer’s tower which was visible at one point along the path. I thought to myself, “We need places like Redeemer, a stone church that points to a higher power and a greater purpose. We need people like you who make stone soups and offer your prayers and beautiful music. And we need these sacred spaces that help us to focus our gaze on Someone and Something beyond ourselves.

Brother James of SSJE, once wrote, “For a path to be a path, you have to be able to see it, or at least catch glimpses of it, every so often. And for that to happen, somebody needs to have walked it ahead of you. We may not be able to see them, but here and there they have left a sign: a shoe or a boot abandoned in the muck, something they have dropped, a pile of stones, a marker inscribed with an arrow pointing the way - or simply the holiness of their lives.” People of Redeemer, you are signs of God’s presence. You are living stones in a big stone Church pointing to the Way of Love. 

Near our house on the Cape, on the side of the road to the beach, there is a large mound of stones, and at its head is a wooden cross with the words: Here lies Chester. Resurrection into eternal life begins with birth pangs and our burial sites are often marked by stones, with high crosses that point to Life and Love beyond ourselves. 

As Christians, we are a community of love, which has been built upon a bedrock of resurrection faith, with Jesus Christ, as the chief cornerstone. The Church of the Redeemer is a sacred space on this little hill in Newton and a touchstone of Eternity for everyone to see. And while our churches, temples, and towers will occasionally need some repair, surely God’s grace will never crumble.

Mark 13:1-8

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

Battle at the Birdfeeder

The Eve of All Saints            The Rev. Nancy E.Gossling

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis, BCP p.833

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is

hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where

there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where

there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where

there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to

be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is

in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we

are born to eternal life. Amen.

I have to tell you that this passage from the Gospel of Luke is one of my favorite lessons in scripture for a variety of reasons. In it Jesus talks about our worries and God's providential care for all creation. Jesus describes how creation is clothed with the beauty of lilies, better than King Solomon’s finest apparel. Creatures great and small, like you and me, include ravens and all kinds of birds of the air, and yet how much more valuable we are to God than the birds!  After all, we’re made in God’s image. And don’t worry, Jesus says. God knows what you need and God will provide.

            Our son Brian made me a birdfeeder for my birthday a few years ago. My husband Paul and I had just temporarily relocated from our condominium in Cambridge to our generational family home on Cape Cod. At that particular time the cases of COVID 19 were fewer on the Cape but surging throughout our country. Masks were being worn all the time, and places were being shuttered. It was a summer of COVID lockdown, isolations, and worry.

At first, we put the birdfeeder on the back deck of our home. It was a source of great joy for us as we watched birds arriving in numbers during the Spring and early Summer months.There was a great variety, and word got out pretty quickly that we had food to share. Then the squirrels showed up. 

In August, Paul sent this email to our friends: “I thought I would give you a quick overview of how we are spending our time: 1) We fill the bird feeder in the morning 2) We discuss our strategies for getting rid of the grey and red squirrels 3) We run onto the deck screaming at the squirrels to get off the birdfeeder 4) We go to the bird store and discuss ways to stop the squirrels 5) We go to the hardware store to buy patches to repair the holes in our screen door, which the squirrels had chewed through looking for the birdfeeder. 6) We bought a pole, greased it with vaseline and black pepper, but when the squirrels bent the pole in two we returned the feeder to our deck. There our tomato plants were thriving, except there was only one tomato left, and it was half bitten by a squirrel. 7) We run onto the deck screaming at the squirrels once again  8) After we discovered the roof of the birdfeeder had been chewed through we discussed buying our first gun 9) Finally, we called “Squirrels Anonymous” to deal with our addiction. And then, (10) exhausted by our battles at the birdfeeder, we go to bed. 

Now we all have various ways of dealing with this COVID pandemic. Growing tomatoes, feeding the birds, and screaming at squirrels were some of them for us. I also enjoyed connecting with people through FaceBook and created a FaceBook posting that I entitled hashtag “Battle at the Birdfeeder.” I discovered that there were people like me who were “anti-squirrel” advocates. They too had stories of frustration and offered suggestions for remedial work. There were also the “squirrel lovers.” Like St. Francis, they were people who blessed and fed all animals, and they regularly reminded me that I was neither a saint nor a good Christian. Let them eat your tomatoes and bird food, I silently fumed.

There were also moments of levity about those squirrels. One of my favorite jokes came from a parishioner in our diocese who posted this on my FaceBook page. “In  a small town, a band of squirrels had become quite a problem. The Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer, they concluded that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they shouldn’t interfere with God’s divine will.”

“At the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a water-slide on it and let the squirrels drown themselves. The squirrels liked the slide and knew how to swim; and so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week.”

“The Lutheran Church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creatures. So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist Church. Two weeks later the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water slide.”

“The Methodist Church tried a much more unique path by setting out pans of whiskey in an effort to kill the squirrels with alcohol poisoning. They sadly learned, however, how much damage a band of drunk squirrels can do.”

“But the Roman Catholic Church came up with a very creative strategy! They baptized all the squirrels and made them members of the Church. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter.”

“Finally, not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue. They took the first squirrel and circumcised him and they haven’t seen a squirrel ever since.”

As an Episcopalian, after much trial and error, I gave up my battle at the birdfeeder. We’re a big tent, I recalled, and our church welcomes and honors all God’s beloved children. In our baptismal covenant, we ask, “Will you cherish the wondrous works of God, and protect the beauty and integrity of all creation?” Our response remains, “I will with God’s help.” And clearly, I needed help. 

Eventually, life improved on our back deck. The red squirrels didn’t like the spicy bird food we bought and so they left, which made me and the birds very happy. And the grey squirrels repented of their sin of gluttony; they no longer emptied the bird feeder in one sitting. We bought tomatoes at the farmers’ market and let the chipmunks dig into our pots. Eventually, peaceful coexistence reigned at our bird feeder. In fact, I snapped some pictures of both the squirrels and the birds eating at the same time. And at the end of the day, Paul and I went to sleep and rested in peace.

During this COVID time of isolation on the Cape, I began to be grateful for God’s providential care for all creatures, great and small, and for the beauty of all God’s creation. I could begin to see beyond my battle at the birdfeeder to other forms of life: the marsh grasses, the sand dunes, and the vast expanse of the Atlantic ocean. I understood in new ways how we worry about the climate and the changes that we see happening in our environment.

Worry was part of our COVID life that summer and it remains with many of us today. Because worry has been familiar to me for many decades, I will often recall this passage for comfort. I can see the freedom of the birds in the air. I remember how the lilies of the valley are clothed. I pray for God’s providence and protection. And in the midst of our vulnerabilities, and the battles that we all share, I hear Jesus say, “Do not fear. Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” 

In these COVID times we worry about life and death, and yet nature reminds us about death and resurrection. Without speaking a word, it offers us images of the kingdom of heaven. In St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ Fool!” he wrote. “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.”

“God gives it a body as God has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another.”

Which is why the author of Revelation “heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God. ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, and all who fear him, small and great. Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give God the glory.’”

  Tonight is the beginning of what we call Allhallowtide, which encompasses the triduum of All Saints' Eve (Halloween), All Saints' Day (tomorrow) and All Souls' Day, on November 2. Allhallowtide is a "time to remember the dead, including martyrs, saints, and all the faithful departed." And tonight we can remember all creatures great and small: both the birds and the squirrels, both you and me. 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all else shall be given unto you. There’s no trick here. Only a treat for those who believe. Amen.

Luke 12: 22-31

He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?* If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his* kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Revelation 19:1,4-10

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who is seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And from the throne came a voice saying, ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, and all who fear him, small and great.’ Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure’—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’