Comfort

 4 Easter The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling          John 10:1-10                Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd *

therefore can I lack nothing.

2 He shall feed me in a green pasture *

and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

3 He shall convert my soul *

and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil *

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

5 Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me *

thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

6 But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In times like these, we look for comfort. In a variety of places, people, and powers. One friend gets a chocolate milkshake for lunch every day because of her anxiety around multiple medical tests that have covered the span of many months. Waiting for the results of this or that test, she’s also waiting for the shoe to drop, or the death bell to toll. I’ve learned that there’s no comforting her with my empty words and positive “cheer up” platitudes. Even the “tough love” of bootstraps and “big girl pants” haven’t worked. I resort to silence.

And then there’s the political junkie, either on the far right or the far left, who cannot or will not stop looking at their news feeds or following the latest update on the war or the scandal or the crime. Swallowing the latest outrage, hook line and sinker, they open their mouths only to spew hate, disgust, and judgment. Who is to condemn or even comfort these people without adding our own voices to the steady streams that pass through these valleys of death. There are no waters of comfort, nor green pastures in which to lie down. Only lies, shadows of darkness, fear, and evil.

Distractions can be helpful at times like these, but the Boston sports’ teams haven’t helped. Head coach Mike Vrabel’s infidelity has become a major distraction for Patriots fans, distractions the coach has previously told his team to avoid. The Red Sox team is embarrassingly bad in their opening games and have even become a topic of conversation about immigration in our country. And as for my beloved Celtics, always a welcome distraction for me, the loss at home to the Philadelphia Sixers moved my playoff confidence in them to some shaky anxiety. I offer words of comfort to myself by listening to professionals who assure me that all is not lost and the Celtics will surely win the Eastern Conference title if not possibly the whole shebang. Friday night’s win helped!

I attended the memorial service for a neighbor of mine recently, and will miss the memorial service of a previous church member next week. My neighbor died at the ripe old age of 89 and the church lady was only 88. Given the news and the end-of-life possibilities fresh on my mind and often in my face, I’ve been looking for comfort; and yet my previous “go-to’s” have brought no comfort at all. I was casting widely for good news that even Easter morning didn’t assuage. Violence breaks our peace and there’s no comfort to be found.

So I had lunch with a deeply faithful and trusted colleague. After catching up on personal and professional news, I confessed my struggle. After some silence, he mentioned two pillars of the Christian faith, Richard Rohr and Barbara Brown Taylor. After lunch he sent me links to one of Rohr’s sermons and Brown’s substack. In her substack entitled “Coming Down to Earth” she wrote, “There is a portal right here on earth that opens every single day with a little breeze of solace coming through, a little slant of light shining on some beauty you might otherwise have missed. That’s where I want to meet you in this column.” And in his sermon about salvation and the True Self, Rohr claims, “You can’t get there. You fall there.” The fall is not original sin but an updraft.

I recalled books that each of them had written decades ago, and so I pulled both of them down from my bookshelves: Rohr’s “Falling Upward” and Brown’s “When God is Silent.” Funny how their words ring true both then and now. Some eternal truths never change.Their spiritual wisdom provided me with some comfort. Daily doses of the Spirit can bring “breezes of solace” and “little slants of light.” When I fall upward it’s because of God’s action, not mine.

Brother Curtis, a monk at SSJE and another deeply faithful and trusted colleague, had written a daily meditation that also captured my attention recently. In “Brother, Give us a Word” he wrote, “Suffering visits us, as does joy. Joy is a gift. There’s no need to wait for all to be well to experience the gift of joy. Joy is an elixir which God readily dispenses. If your heart is already broken open by suffering, it is also broken open to know joy.” Now here were words of comfort for me once again.

So, I continue my journey through the valley of the shadow of death, no longer looking for easy remedies. When God seems silent, I’ll wait patiently knowing that God has set a table before me, a feast of well-aged wines and good food in God’s house that has more than enough rooms for all of us. Anointed with vitamin-e oil on my face, I shall trust that my Good Shepherd has his staff ready to steady me and a compass to point me in the right direction. Not only will his “loving-kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life” he will lead me to green pastures and rivers of grace. I don’t have to “do” anything except walk silently with my companion, one step at a time, one day at a time. 

Conversion happens in a variety of ways. Those who have experienced A-fibs of the heart are returned to health with an oblation procedure that offers comfort for those who fear they may lose their lives before they’re ready. Conversion therapies are both supported and criticized by people who struggle with their gender identity. Conversion of the soul is a whole ‘nother thing. The psalmist promises that the Good Shepherd will “convert my soul and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.”

I find comfort in reading the psalms and in the old testament prophets like Isaiah who pleaded with God, “Comfort, comfort my people.” “This phrase marks a significant shift in the book of Isaiah, moving from themes of judgment to themes of consolation and hope. The repetition of "comfort" emphasizes the depth of God's compassion and the certainty of His promise. Historically, this message was directed to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile, a period of great suffering and longing for deliverance. Theologically, it reflects God's enduring covenant with His people, despite their disobedience. This comfort is not just emotional but is rooted in the assurance of God's future actions. The call to comfort is also seen as a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate source of comfort and salvation for humanity, as seen in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 11:28-30).” (Bible Hub)

Today, I will pray and trust God to convert my soul from suffering and fear into faith and joy, as I silently fall upward into God’s presence. 

Dry Bones

 

5 Lent, March 22, 2026               Dry Bones                        The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

In her article entitled “Dry Bones Don’t Resurrect Themselves” Erica MacCreaigh asks the question “Can these bones live?” She asks us, the readers, “Has your life ever been so disrupted that you found yourself asking that question? All of us who have passed through—or still inhabit—the valley of the shadows of abuse, addiction, displacement, divorce, financial catastrophe, chronic illness, terminal illness, mental illness, or death know what cataclysmic disruption looks like. We spend our days in survival mode. If we can find the energy to hope, we look forward to a day when we will be through the worst of it and feel like we can stand up and breathe on our own again.” (Xian Century, March 2026 issue published on March 16, 2026).

Sadly, I can relate. Perhaps you can too, especially if you’re living in parts of our world that are under siege, in one way or another. And then, like ticks on a dog, the challenges attach themselves, piling on, one after another, until you join the chorus of voices crying out, “Enough!” We are sick of being sick! The suffering of people living in war torn countries breaks our bleeding hearts. Stop!

I recall being challenged by a woman in a support group for rape survivors that I was facilitating many years ago. If I hadn’t suffered like they had, how could I relate or even help them, she had asked me. My co-facilitator quickly responded before I could. “Pain is pain.” And we can all relate to pain in one way or another, she claimed.

So pain is pain but there are levels to our suffering. When they march into your life like boots on the ground, or start dropping bad news on you like a fleet of B52 bombers, the pain becomes magnified and seemingly intolerable. Sucked dry, our bodies feel dessicated. Walking is laborious, as if it's a process of dry bone rubbing against dry bone. Endless sleeping is a temptation, until violent dreams invade our peace. And then when we awake, we look for anything that might numb the pain.

What’s a person to do in times like these? Perhaps we turn to our church and find little comfort there. Platitudes ring hollow. Calls for justice echo in the chambers. Empty pews remind us that the bell tolls for all of us, and who needs that reminder in times like these? So we look for signs of hope in creation, little buds of daffodils pushing through the dirt like the picture of Lazarus coming out of the tomb.

Dry bones don’t resurrect themselves, Erica MacCreaigh wrote; and yet on some levels, we do. Resurrection power comes in small numbers like you and me when we offer each other a moment of respite, a collegial conversation, a time for commiseration. We vent and complain about our situation with others. We know we’re not alone. We acknowledge that the pain is real and the end is nowhere in sight.

And yet, this resurrection power is also not human, nor material. It takes a force greater and more powerful than me or you or us together to restore life. It takes a force greater than the most powerful armed forces in the world. It is a Spiritual force, capital “S” Spiritual power, that brings eternal and everlasting life to all of God’s creation. Forever.

Such a Force defies explanation but offers us hope. And so we pray, “Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” (Collect for the Day)

Ezekiel, one of the three great prophets living in the land of Israel, during the time when foreign countries were invading them, knew what it was like to live under oppression and occupation. It was like living in the valley of death, with dry bones all around him. In despair, he dreamed of escape. In despair, he asked God for help. Isolated, he too wondered if their dry bones could ever live.

“When the writer of Ezekiel asks, “Can these bones live?” he is asking about the fate of the Jewish people. He uses dry bones as a metaphor for the anguish of a people who have suffered the horrors of siege warfare and exile. Dry bones represent national hopes crushed, religious faith shattered, social ties severed, economy in collapse, and homes scorched and deserted.” (Erica MacCreaigh, Xian Century)

And God answered, “Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” No, dry bones do not resurrect themselves. But God’s Spirit will.

When Jesus called Lazarus out of that tomb, it wasn’t a matter of resurrection. No, it was a temporary matter of resuscitation. It was like the young man who died from a head injury and met Jesus in heaven. According to him, after 30 minutes of death, he returned to earth as himself. Yes, he had a foretaste of heaven, he claims, but his earthly life was not yet over. Yes, the spirits of the people who physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually cared for him while he was in the hospital were instrumental to his recovery and resuscitation, but not in his resurrection. That power belongs to God alone.

Most, if not all people, will have moments of despair during their lifetimes. Like the psalmist, we will cry to God or anyone who has ears to listen, “Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.” (Psalm 130)  We will pray for relief, for an end to the suffering. We will beg for our flesh to be renewed, adding new layers of healthy skin to our dry, old bones. Like watchmen in the morning, we will “wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130)

So, like Martha, we eventually come to realize, perhaps, that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, the promise of God where true joys can be found. We are assured by St. Paul’s letter to the Romans that “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Even when death and dry bones and suffering and despair invade our lives, we can lift our minds and hearts to the heavens, trusting in the power of God’s Spirit to raise us to new life and peace.

On Ash Wednesday, the day that kicks off our Lenten season, Brother Lucas wrote, “Blessedness isn’t just nice; it’s the stuff of death, and life.” (Lucas Hall, SSJE, Ash Wednesday 2026)  Now as we look forward to Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter, we can remember that our blessedness involves both death and new life. There is pain and suffering before the good news of the Resurrection.

“Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Indeed, we are blessed by God’s Power, and in that, I have hope.

 Ezekiel 37:1-14    Romans 8:6-11    John 11:1-45    Psalm 130

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

Super Bowl Sunday 4 H's

 

Epiphany 5   January 8, 2026                                   The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

History, Hero, Heartbreak, and Hope 

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-12) 

The coach of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel, had reorganized the team, its coaches, and the staff soon after he had been hired as their new head coach. But before he “laid down” a bunch of plays for them to learn, he wanted his team to build some trust among them. He wanted them to learn personal knowledge about each other. Not easily done with highly competitive and, dare I say, young men! Who needs any of this “touchy-feely” stuff when you’re playing in what has become an increasingly violent sport?

So, the trust building began with a few activities, not the tried and true stand in the middle of a circle and fall backwards, trusting that your colleagues will catch you. No, his trust activity was based upon the T.V. show called Survivor. Pairs of teammates had to navigate a course on their field, one of them blindfolded while listening to their seeing teammate guide them through it. Jump here, turn right there, go left, listen to my instructions carefully.

Then Vrabel took trust building to another level. He had his team members share their 4 H’s with their teammates: history, hero, heartbreak, and hope. Standing in front of their teammates and sharing their 4 H’s, they exposed themselves. No shoulder pads, no helmets, no audibles from their quarterback, only them, standing alone and vulnerable in front of a group of men known for their toughness.

 So individually, each person shared their 4 H’s: history, hero, heartbreak, and hope. Now I’m not a 20 something young man playing in a highly competitive sport but I do have some history that I would prefer not to share. As a human being, I have had a checkered past. As a Christian, my faith journey has involved many ups and downs, some detours and doubts. Blind, often needing amazing grace, I had to trust in Someone who could see my way forward and guide me along the right pathways.

And how about those teammates of mine? I’ve been bullied and betrayed, enduring some end-runs and tackles I didn’t see coming, in various professions and relationships. At times of self-preservation and protection, not wanting to be vulnerable, I’ve hidden myself from others. If I truly shared what I thought and felt then I opened myself to all sorts of negative responses. Moral finger-wagging and virtual signaling silenced me. And then, more often than not, I found some deep and abiding friends for life. BFF’s.

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God,” wrote St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. These were his words that came after his years of inciting violence, encouraging murder, and spewing hate-filled speech, indeed even arrogant proclamations about his righteousness. In the name of God no less!

I have often looked for a hero to help me. Turning first to human beings, I became careful about my choices and how much I might reveal. I’ve also come to realize that playing “hero ball” is a failure on my part. Going it alone is not a wise decision. If I don’t find some teammates to share the journey with me, I’m the poorer for it. Knowing that there can be a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit, I try to keep my mind open to various perspectives. If we’re only carbon copies of the other, then who needs the other? Carefully, after a time of retreat and sitting on the bench, I step back onto the playing field.

Heartbreak comes early and often in our human lives. There is no avoiding it, as much as we might try. Having moved frequently as a child because of my father’s occupation, I would be hesitant with friendships. My teammates often changed. And yet, I learned that even when you stay in one place, other people leave. So teammates come and go; they are injured or die, and heartbreaks are common. So too are lasting friendships around the world.

While the Patriots’ teammates had various responses to their history, heroes, and heartbreaks, there were some common and frequent responses. Heroes often included their parents or siblings and the heartbreaks that they mentioned were when their parents died. When asked about hope, more often than not, they cited their desire to play in the Super Bowl.

Coach Vrabel, upon winning the Eastern Conference Title that ensured their place in the Super Bowl, reminded his players that sometimes there are things you can’t see but still can believe. At the beginning of their season, it was inconceivable that this team would play in the Super Bowl. And yet, they could hope and believe that all things are possible. And so it came to pass! Today, win or lose, their hope was realized.

If we lose hope, we lose everything; we’ve lost the game. Maybe even our life. Perhaps too often we overly rely upon human wisdom rather than God. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” History often reveals our mistakes; maybe it shows us a new way forward.

So for me, Super Bowl Sunday is today; and I hope the New England Patriots win! Super Bowl Sunday is also every Sunday; for it is the day of Resurrection. It is when our history and heartbreak were revealed in the death of Jesus on Good Friday; and yet my hero, who is Jesus, revealed a hope three days later. It is a hope that can never be seen now, but only fully realized in the life hereafter. On that day, we all become winners.

When her 84 year old mother was abducted from her home this week, Savannah Guthrie, an NBC co-anchor on the Today Show, wrote on her Instagram, "We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him. Please pray. 'He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.' A verse from the prophet Isaiah for all time and for all of us," Savannah wrote.

Until then, listen to Jesus and follow his guidance; for He once called us his teammates. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Be vulnerable and share your history, heroes, heartbreaks and hope with your teammates. Trust in the Lord, who will guide us eventually into the endzone.

 

1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]               Matthew 5:13-20

 

Epiphany 2026

                                                      The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

 

“Give the King your justice, O God, *and your righteousness to the King's Son” (Psalm 72:1)

“When King Herod heard this, he was frightened.” (Matthew 2:3)

“I couldn’t help feeling a bit smug when, in preparation for this column, I meditated on Herod’s fright over news of a birth. Because (I reasoned) why on earth would a figure with this much power be so very undone by a report from some wandering astrologers that the king of the Jews had been born unless on some level Herod knew that the unadulterated goodness and love embodied by this child would mark the end of reigns such as his own?”

“Do not (I went on to ask myself) all those who wield power abusively carry in their bones the fearful understanding that it is not worldly might that will ultimately overtake them, but that which seems, at first glance, vulnerable and weak? And isn’t this (I concluded triumphantly) what Jesus is all about?”

“Well, no. There are two problems with my line of thinking. First, an argument proceeding from smug triumphalism is already rotten at its core. Second, I don’t think it is primarily fear that Herod feels. Yes, the NRSVue uses the word frightened to describe Herod’s state, but other major translations go with disturbed (NIV) or troubled (KJV, NASB)—choices that make sense because the Greek verbal root used here denotes emotional or physical agitation.” (Mindy Misener , a former teacher of college writing, is a student at Yale Divinity School. Christian Century, January 2026)

I don’t know. What makes rulers want to hold onto their power at all costs? What makes rulers afraid, troubled, and disturbed? And are we splitting hairs between the three descriptive words?

Now King Herod has often been described as the archetype of a bad king, and “the rule of kings demands the necessity of a constant check against the arrogance of such individual power.” (ibid.) “No kings,” some protesters in the United States cry in response to our own president’s actions; but that also begs some other questions: Is he really a king? What exactly constitutes a king’s authority? And are all kings bad?

While our country was founded on a violent revolt against this kind of rule, there are kings throughout the world who also appear to be “good.” Nicolas Maduro, recently arrested and indicted for narco-terrorism and being a “president of questionable authority" was considered a “bad king.” What makes for a bad king? Or ruler? Or president? Or any kind of leader?

Venezuela had most recently been ruled by two presidents (Chavez and Maduro) who had promised their people equality and prosperity. In over twenty five years they had systematically reduced their 3rd most prosperous nation to one of the poorest. Benefiting only themselves with their individual power and a cabal of willing servants, they amassed riches for themselves…. from the drug cartels they enabled and supported. They seemed to have no concern for the thousands, indeed millions, of people who suffered or died from these drugs. No wonder Maduro was wanted for trials around the world.

Silently, publicly, peacefully, and violently people will protest when they feel powerless. The people in Venezuela protested for years, but to no avail. More often than not they were imprisoned or murdered. From the streets in Iran to the streets in Minneapolis, from Venezuela to Oregon people are protesting and people are dying. In reality, the dignities of human beings on both sides of the picket lines are violated. Shame on all of us when we disrespect anyone’s dignity, arrestees and arrestors alike. Chaos and darkness reign in times like these.

 Yes, thoughts of losing one’s power can be frightening, troubling, and disturbing! Who among us wants to be powerless? Unless, as people in twelve step communities will claim, recognizing their powerlessness over substances that can kill them and people who may harm is a good first step. Was this what God had in God’s mind and heart when God became human flesh in the person of Jesus?

I’m not a lawyer and quite frankly I find legal arguments to be exhausting. Mental games confuse me. Give me time and space to talk about spiritual and psychological reasoning and I’m happy to indulge. Which brings me back to the celebration of the Epiphany. It was a moment in time, according to our scripture stories, when the three kings appeared at the manger scene in Bethlehem. Supposedly, their minds and hearts were in alignment with God’s.

Following a star, and traveling west from the east, they did their due diligence by checking in with King Herod in Jerusalem. This “bad king”, however, made promises that strained their credulity. “When you find this new king, let me know so that I can worship him,” King Herod said to the sages. Really? Herod would turn over all the power and benefits that he had rightly and wrongly accrued over the years willingly and without protest because he wanted to worship this new king? Instead he slaughtered innocent children in an effort to kill Jesus.

Wise people pay attention to not only the consequences of  their physical, legal, and mental behaviors but also to the psychological and spiritual messages that are conveyed. Warned in a dream not to return to Jerusalem, the three kings decided not to re-visit King Herod, but took another route home. The journey back east may have taken them longer but they believed that such a “course correction" was a faithful response to a divine message. Similarly, Mary and Joseph headed south to Egypt rather than returning home. Is it time for some people’s course corrections?

Apparently the people of Venezuela, who had fled their own country, were dancing in the streets of Miami when they heard of Maduro’s arrest. One man described the journey as one in which he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. It will take years for the reparation and restoration of his beloved homeland, he claimed, but at least now there was hope.

No one will deny that darkness and chaos has covered their land and their people for years. But, as they say, it is only in the dark of night that one can see the true star gleaming. This true star guides our ways forward while remaining out of the reach of human hands that seek their own power. This north star has a moral compass that does not waver. It points to the promise and power of God that rules over all creation, preserves the dignity of all God’s beloved children, even while sacrificing its own vulnerability. Ruling with both justice and mercy, this king of kings, lord of lords, stood up to all the bad actors and evil in the world, and ultimately endured even his own death.

I guess, triumphalism be damned, the unadulterated goodness and love embodied by this child, and revealed by his life, death, and resurrection can offer hope to a world teetering on the brink of chaos and darkness. Especially when one feels powerless.

Mind the Gap Advent 2025

  The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee O Lord.

What exactly does it mean to save someone when all seems lost? Is it a matter of parental love like parents who try to save their child from the scourges of mental illness and addictions by pouring time and money and repeated heartbreaks into the hope that redemption will finally come? Does it mean still believing in family and friends when they lie and manipulate you in order to feed their own illnesses and desires? Does it mean watching someone crucify your loved one with nails, knives, and guns and still find a way to forgive them?

I don’t know. It’s too late to ask some people; for they have been slaughtered, murdered, and destroyed by the evil deeds of sick people. And for those of us who are still alive to bear witness to the current world-wide violence headlining our news, when exactly are we “too little too late” in our responses? As the world descends into darkness is all hope for our salvation gone?

The prophet Isaiah, speaking to his people in Israel, paints vivid pictures of what destruction looks like. Perhaps there will be more violence in the end he suggests: “Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense." Tongues hanging out, panting from repeated invasions and wars by foreign countries, the Israelites find themselves in marathons not of their own choosing. According to Isaiah, they have weak hands, feeble knees, and fearful hearts. Are they too exhausted to pray at times like these? Too tired of the “same old same old” of violence that never ceases? Too discouraged to light one more candle? 

Who indeed will save us from our insanity?

You know the saying, often referred to as one of the 12 step community refrains: “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Or another favorite of mine is that having expectations is really nurturing premeditated resentments. Indeed anger turned deadly cold leads to resentments that kill. “A refusal to forgive is called a resentment. And the victim of resentment is always the one who carries it. The people we refuse to forgive may neither know nor care about our resentment. To hang on to resentment is to harbor a thief in the heart. By the minute and the hour, resentment steals the joy we could treasure now and remember forever. It pilfers our energy to celebrate life - to face others as messengers of grace rather than ambassadors of doom. We victimize ourselves when we withhold forgiveness. Today, I will remember that forgiveness is a giver and resentment is a taker.” (Today’s Gift, Hazelden Betty Ford, 12/19/25)

So, shall we discard those Advent expectations of hope and joy because nothing has changed and these holy expectations may lead to resentment? Shall we ignore the good news proclaimed over and over again? “"Be strong, do not fear! The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:1-10)

Before we commit once again to God’s promise of salvation we have another question. When exactly will that salvation occur, we demand, as we sing along with the chorus of cynics that surround us? St. Matthew responds in Advent 4’s gospel message. Despite questions of fidelity, Joseph stood by Mary in her distress. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-25) And yet, decades and centuries have passed away since then, and still we repeat this same old good news/gospel story: God’s promise of our salvation. Is this insanity?

My grandchildren have found great delight in watching Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Similarly, I take great delight in watching them as well. Oftentimes the message is one about friendship and what it looks like. Sitting on a bench side by side, friends share bits and pieces of their lives: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Like St. Matthew, they suggest that “God is with us” throughout the good, bad, and the ugly. But wait, is that all there is? Is there a time-line limit to our salvation? Does God’s promise have an expiration date like some of the food in our refrigerators?

If I am to remain faithful to my personal, communal, and universal belief in our salvation by God, then I believe that the promise of God not only means companionship and friendship here and now, but a healing and restoration that looks nothing like the insanity of today’s violence and hate. Rather, the salvation of God includes the beautiful images painted by Isaiah 25 and repeated in the Revelation to John. It imagines our arrival on a mountain where there is a feast of well-aged wines and food for all God’s beloved children. Weapons of destruction have been converted into farming tools; lions lie down with lambs, streets are pure gold. God’s love wins both then and there, here and now, and forever after that. For God’s salvation was assured in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.” (Isaiah 25: 1-10) Even creation rejoices! 

“Mind the gap” the conductor will tell people as they leave the train, finally arriving at their final destination, our “grand central station” in the end. Mind the gap I say to myself when I find myself stuck between Advent and Christmas, between despair and hope, between hate and love. Mind the gap I tell myself, when I realize that God’s promise of salvation is somewhere, not only here and now, but somewhere beyond that rainbow, where my tears and your tears have mingled with the bright sunshine of God’s love. Mind the gap reminds me that my expectation will not lead to resentment because God has forgiven us; and God is in the gap!

Mind the gap I tell myself, until we arrive on God’s holy mountain and realize that God has saved us from ourselves.

It's Time

 Advent 1 2025             It’s Time         The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Aside from the growing darkness outside our windows at this time of year, there has been plenty of growing darkness around our world, in our country, and even within our own souls. What’s a person to do during this season of Advent, when we’re encouraged by the prophet Isaiah to “put on the armor of light”? And when our collect for the day begins with these words, “Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.”

Our darkness, accentuated by Daylight Savings Time, has arrived. This is also the time, the beginning of a new liturgical year, which we call the season of Advent. And “you know what time it is,” St. Paul told the Romans in his letter. “It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.”  Today, we are invited to get out of bed earlier, to assume postures of readiness, alert to something greater that is about to happen, beyond our horizon and even beyond all our human understanding. It’s time to wake up, people!

        I guess our first order of business then is to do some casting out of that darkness. Throw some light into the room and onto our problems. Imagine throwing that darkness into an ocean like a deep-sea fisherman, who is hoping for a catch in the early morning light. Or as if we are floating in a lifeboat in the middle of a storm, and we begin to jettison unnecessary things for our survival. St. Paul names some of them in his letter to the Romans: drunkenness, debauchery, licentiousness, quarreling, and jealousy. Perhaps facing our own death, indeed anything that drags us down into the deep, we decide to cast it all away!

Death threats seem to be common occurrences these days when people don’t like what we’ve said or done, as most politicians, public servants, and public figures can attest. A Manhattan-based psychotherapist claims he has received dozens of hate messages, including death threats, since speaking publicly about seeing patients he describes as experiencing "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Apparently 75% of his clients come to him seeking help for their depression but within 5 minutes of conversation, he said that these clients quickly shifted to confessing their hatred for Donald Trump.  (Jonathan Alpert, author of the forthcoming book "Therapy Nation”)

        Before you judge me about TDS, hear me out! Such hatred and feelings of powerlessness lead people into very dark places, and so these patients came to him seeking his help. And yet this psychiatrist’s point of view was that any kind of obsession, be it with people, products, or politics, can lead us into very dark places. When we become so hyper-focused on certain people and things beyond our control, like any person who has ever fought the demons of addiction and mental illness, these obsessions can drag us down. Indeed, they can lead to death.

Paul and I recently watched the new movie entitled “Nuremberg” based upon the atrocities of World War 2 and the subsequent Nuremberg trials, when German leaders were sentenced to death for their part in the killing of millions of Jews. It was a hard movie to watch; and yet there were a few poignant takeaways. This is what happens when evil is not confronted. This is what happens when hatred is allowed to grow. This is what happens when people “do nothing” or “say nothing” in the face of evil. And yet no country or human being is devoid of these possibilities, argued the leading psychiatrist in the Nuremberg trials. Remember, when you point your finger at others, three of them are pointed back at you.

        Violence isn’t always over there but also close to home. Too often the news from our cities report gun violence, as they did this past week in Washington, D.C. In an article in the Boston Globe on November 15, a young woman was interviewed from her bed in a rehab facility in Charlestown. She and her boyfriend had been walking on the street in Roxbury when a man opened fire on a restaurant, apparently part of a gang war. A stray bullet caught her in the back and as she lay bleeding on the ground Aleyah Fernandez said, “I was just praying to God, please don’t let me die. Things were just going good for me.” (Truman Dickerson Globe Correspondent, Updated November 13, 2025)

        What was appalling to me, as I read this story, was that she said that the people who were around her just stood in a circle and stared. Recording the scene on their cell phones, they said nothing and did nothing to help. Suddenly and unexpectedly, a stranger jumped in and applied pressure to her wound, an action that she claims saved her life. He told the boyfriend to call 911 and waited until the ambulance arrived. They have no idea who this savior was.

        Today, with her boyfriend still by her side, she says that they both have faith that one day she will walk again. Not filled with bitterness and darkness, she remains grateful for her life, the man who helped her, and the love she shares with her boyfriend. She is grateful for the care that she’s receiving at the rehab facility; and she also remains trusting in the goodness of God. Speaking up as a victim of gang and gun violence, she wants to help change her community for the better by being a witness against the man who was arrested for multiple acts of violence and hate.

        As you may know, I love basketball in general and the Celtics team in particular. Over the years I have begun to recognize elite players on other teams. Notably, Damian Lillard is one of the best players on the Portland Trailblazers team, and when he starts “getting in his bag” and the game looks as if they have won, he will point to his watch. It’s “Dame time!” he claims.

        Advent is the season that reminds us that our game has already been won. It is time to prepare for a future event, that is the birth of Jesus and the beginning of our salvation story. And today' s gospel passage from Matthew reminds us that we “must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Indeed, Richard A. Kauffman writes that “we are called to be ready, to be alert. Ready for our own death, to be sure, but also ready and alert to God’s kingdom breaking in anywhere, anytime, even in the here and now.” (Xian Century, November 2025 p29)

        The euphemism for death is often referred to as “the time” when our “number is called.” Now the bench players on the Celtics team have often been called the “stay ready group” so that when their “number is called” they can play well. Staying ready means that every day they’ve “gone to work” preparing themselves to do whatever is needed for the benefit of the team. Sitting on the bench, or playing in the game, we can be ready for Jesus to call our number or God’s presence to break into our world.

        So, Advent is that time when we can point to our watches and say it’s “Jesus time.” It’s time to wake up from our spiritual funk and to shake off the covers of darkness that threaten our well-being. It’s time to cast off those things that drag us down. Advent reminds us to prepare and get ready for the birth of our savior, who is the elite player on our team named Jesus, and the author of our salvation story.

        “Although it’s become a cliche, there is truth in the saying: The darkest night is right before dawn. Christian hope is not naive. It is quite aware of the darkness around us. It doesn’t flinch from or try to escape the darkness - it is not wishful thinking or mere optimism. Nor is Christian hope passive. On the contrary, Christian hope is positive. Christian hope is active. Christian hope is also patient and closely linked to peace.”  (Xian Century, November 2025, Richard Kauffman, p28)

        So let us “put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day,” wrote St. Paul. That armor of light is like our inflatable life jacket, readily available to us either in the air, on land, or at sea, enabling us to live honorably. “Put on the whole armour of God,” wrote St. Paul. “Stand with truth, righteousness, and the gospel of peace. Above all, take the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6: 10-17) 

        Like good “fisher of men” we can cast out our prayers, far and wide, praying for our world, our country, our companions, and even for ourselves. So put away your hate speech. Let go of whatever obsessions cause you to take your “eye off the ball.” Prepare each day as if it is your “game day.” Then “beat your swords into ploughshares, and your spears into pruning-hooks” and take on the mantle of peace and love.

        This Advent let us walk in the light of the Lord! Let us be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. And we can be prepared, ready for Christmas joy to dispel our darkness. It’s time.

        Isaiah 2:1-5    Romans 13:11-14   Matthew 24:36-44

Ruth Cheney Wyman RIP

 

Ruth Cheney Wyman, RIP
August 9, 1925 - June 22, 2025
A Celebration of Life
Bigelow Chapel, Mt. Auburn Cemetery, October 24, 2025
The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

            You may or may not know that Ruth is the name of one of the books in the Bible, specifically found in the Old Testament, and otherwise known as the Hebrew scriptures. Unlike your Ruth’s long history of life, 99 years young, the Ruth in the Bible is a short story. So, knowing that Ruth Cheney Wyman loved both history and telling stories, here are two stories for you this morning: a synopsis of the Biblical Ruth and the salvation story of Jesus, the Christ.

          First of all, Biblical Ruth was a widow and her story is considered “one of the most beautiful pieces of literature in the Bible. In contrast to most other Biblical narratives, the concern of the author seems to be with a private family rather than national or international affairs. The plot revolves around family relationships and the role each member plays in filling the needs of the other members and hence the family as a whole. In particular Biblical Ruth has been interpreted as deriving from the word meaning ‘Friend or Companion.’” (Harper Collins Study Bible, p408)

               Because of today’s celebration of her life, I can thank Ruth Cheney Wyman not only for encouraging me to open my Bible but also to find one of the books in my library by Joan Chittister entitled “The Gift of Years, Growing Older Gracefully.” I also began reading an old magazine from seminary entitled “The Test of Time: The Art of Aging.” Now before you begin to count the gray hairs on my head or the wrinkles on my face, I hasten to inform you that this kind of art and graceful growing older is intended for all ages. Aging is a neverending lifelong process!

          At each age and stage of our lives we can grow. And like any good gardener will tell you (and that’s not me) this graceful growth involves many important things. To name a few, there is the need for good soil, sun and water, occasional pruning, and protection from any kind of destruction. For the plants, flowers, and trees not only to survive but also to flourish we need to be intentional in our care. And as we move through this life, much like the seasons of New England, we are invited to shed some things and take on others. We have choices about how we live: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

As it is written in the book of Ecclesiastes, another book in the Old Testament, there is a time for everything under the sun. “A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. A time to be born and a time to die.” Similarly, the famous monk named St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of creation, offered a riff on this scripture passage in a prayer attributed to him. He claims that it is not only time to practice these virtues but also to be instruments of these values as well.

His prayer invites us to grow gracefully no matter our age. “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; and where there is sadness, joy.” A celebration of life should always include joy! And so we remember Ruth Cheney Wyman joyfully today!

Today’s prelude music entitled “Ode to Joy” has become a “timeless symbol of human unity, freedom, and hope. This poem celebrates universal brotherhood, human solidarity, and the joy inherent in life and nature.” (Wikipedia) Unlike the word ‘happy’, joy reflects a deeper emotion. And what is success in life? Ralph Waldo Emerson claimed that it is to live a life filled with joy, love, and positive impact on others. This kind of living was part of Ruthie’s legacy.

According to rabbinic tradition, the main theme of the Biblical book of Ruth is chesed which is the Hebrew word for loyalty or faithfulness arising from commitment. Commitment means that we will make choices about how we express our loyalty and our faithfulness to God and to others. Ruth was a person of commitment and good choices.

Now as Christians, we believe that Jesus incarnated, that is to say, became human, to reveal the love of God, the chesed of God for us. Jesus made a commitment to remain faithful and loyal to God despite the betrayals and violence he endured. And it was his gift of 33 years that has withstood the test of time. We are inheritors of his sacrificial love for us and the legacy of his faithfulness to God.

The grace of God means that we receive the unmerited and undeserved love of God unconditionally. And Jesus revealed to us the Way of Love in divine and human form, and the grace of God in all its fullness. He showed us that our salvation story begins with the creation of life and continues through pain and suffering even through death. His story becomes our story of God’s neverending and eternal love for all people, all creation, and all creatures great and small. This salvation story offers us both joy and hope.

We have choices as to how we live the one, beautiful and precious life that has been given to us. As St. Francis once prayed, ‘Grant that we may not 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.’

          Growing Old Gracefully is the Gift of Years that is ours to receive no matter our age. It is a Test of Time that involves the Art of Aging. And Ruth Cheney Wyman has given us those legacies as we celebrate her life today. True to her form, my thoughts are with her this hour; and I hope that she is listening! Amen.

 Readings:

“To the Consolations of Philosophy” W.S.Merwin
          Anne Elizabeth Wyman (granddaughter)
“What is Success?” Ralph Waldo Emerson
          Marlowe May Coleman (great granddaughter)
 
Recollections:
          Robert Brooke Coleman (grandson)
          Janet Wyman Coleman (daughter)
 
Hymns and Music: Flutist Tim Macri
          Ode to Joy
 J.S. Bach from ‘Largo’
J.S. Bach  from Partita #3 BWV 1006
 
Morning Has Broken
Simple Gifts
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

Where is Our Hope?

 

October 5, 2025               Proper 22, Year C            The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

 For me, there have been far too many deaths in this past month, people I have known and loved. Additionally, there have been far too many violent deaths, as you may well know if you’re plugged into the news. Of note was the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah. A single bullet took his life on a college campus. Reactions ranged from silence to outrage. His words resonated with some people and were abhorred by others. There was talk of a spiritual revival and moral revulsion. Who was this guy, and what did he actually say?

          As usual, throughout our country and around the world, there continued to be attacks on churches, synagogues, and mosques. While the pure definition of religion varies, the Latin translation means holding things together, or uniting groups of people with common understandings. It seems to me, however, that the wheels of religion are falling off the vehicle; the limbs of Christ’s body are being amputated, and the core of our religious body has become flabby at best.

          In our common lectionary for this Sunday, October 5, 2025, the Old Testament readings from Hebrew scripture, are filled with lamentations, tears, and grief. “How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become! She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.” (Lamentations 1:1-4) Where is the hope?

          Paul and I experienced two very different kinds of hope these past two weeks. The first was in Rome, at St. Peter’s Square, when Pope Leo celebrated Holy Eucharist in front of thousands of people. The crowd was composed of people from all nations, ages, and faiths. When it came time for distributing communion to the masses, thousands of Roman Catholic priests, dressed in green chasubles filed down into the crowds. Then, after the service, Pope Leo drove around the square kissing babies and blessing the people. There was a palpable sense of faith, hope, and love in the crowds. Being there was the highlight of our trip.

          The day after we returned home, we flew to Washington D.C. to attend the memorial service of Paul’s cousin, Colonel Edward Haines Gossling III who had been an army airforce pilot and was being interred in Arlington National Cemetery.The casket was carried on a caisson, pulled by officers on horseback, and followed by a marching band. The chaplain spoke about Ed’s goodness, character, and willingness to serve his country. And he also challenged those of us who were present to continue his example. Surrounded by 400,000 grave markers, he reminded us of our own mortality as well as the opportunity to perhaps live in new or different ways. Ed’s work was done; ours could just begin. Without hesitation, the chaplain spoke faithfully about Jesus. This powerful memorial service, from beginning to end, offered hope. It was another highlight or our trip.

          The second reading of Lamentations also provides some hope. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,’therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:19-26)

          The war between Israel and Hamas has continued despite the on-going efforts of world leaders at establishing a lasting peace. The date two years ago of October 7 remains heavy for the people of Israel. In scripture they remember their history, and the invasion of their country by Iraq (Babylon) centuries ago. Taken into exile in Babylon, not unlike the Ukrainians who have been relocated to Russia, the tears of their people remain fresh. “By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you, O Zion. As for our harps, we hung them up on the trees in the midst of that land. For those who led us away captive asked us for a song and our oppressors called for mirth: Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song upon an alien soil.” (Psalm 137)

 It is tempting to feel outrage and resentment; to seek revenge and the destruction of those who have harmed us or those we love. “O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy the one who pays you back for what you have done to us! Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, and dashes them against the rock!” Such violent language is also part of our common discourse today. It is a natural human reaction.

          And so we keep wondering. Where is our hope? When will this violence end? Like the prophet Habakkuk, we question God. “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you "Violence!"and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous--therefore judgment comes forth perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4)

          Once again the psalmist gives an answer. “Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; do not be jealous of those who do wrong. For they shall soon wither like the grass, and like the green grass fade away. Put your trust in the Lord and do good. Take delight in the Lord, and he shall give you your heart's desire. Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass. He will make your righteousness as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes. Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land. (Psalm 37:1-10)

Where is our hope? In us. Do not fret. Do not be jealous. Refrain from anger; leave rage alone. In God. Trust in the Lord and do good. Take delight in the Lord. Commit your way; be still; and wait patiently for God to arrive. “For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:1-4)

St. Paul advises Timothy not to be ashamed but to guard the good treasure of the gospel good news, that is “our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” We receive freedom from our fear when we have faith, even the size of a mustard seed. We have freedom from despair when we have hope in the goodness, justice, and mercy of God. God is faithful, even when we are not; and so we put our trust in God, whose mercies never end. Therein lies our hope.

Lamentations 1:1-6    Lamentations 3:19-26    Psalm 137    Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4    Psalm 37:1-10

2 Timothy 1:1-14    Luke 17:5-10