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Father Raymond's Weekly Column
August 15, 2010
SCHOOL SUPPLIES NEEDED BY BETHEL
The drive to collect donations of school supplies for children from kindergarten through the 12th grade is one at Bethel Community Storehouse. These include pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, color pencils, color crayons, etc. Please bring donations of any and all school supplies to the church, and we’ll deliver them for you.
THE GIFT OF FOOD ALWAYS APPROPRIATE
Many are in need of food these days, and they’re helped by Bethel Community Storehouse. Please pick up a few extra cans the next time you’re at the grocery, and drop them off at Holy Cross. We’ll take care of delivering them for you.
QUARTERLY GIVING STATEMENTS ARE IN YOUR MAILBOXES
Please stop by the church to pick up your quarterly giving statements to save us a stamp. If you don't have a mailbox, I'll put yours in the metal holder on my office door. Please review your statement. This summer Holy Cross is running about $2,000 a month behind in projected giving. We're assuming this is because attendance is down because of vacations. Please take a look and catch up with your giving if you're behind. Also consider adding a little to help out during these lean months.
WELCOMING OUR BISHOP-ELECT
Holy Cross had the honor of worshipping with our Bishop-Elect on Sunday. The Rev. Dr. Michael Vono surprised the Parish with his appearance at our 10 a.m. service. We were honored to present him with a prayer shawl, and to pray for him in this time of his transition. Please keep Father Michael in your prayers the coming weeks as he strives to prepare for his consecration on October 22.
JESUS AS A DIVISIVE FORCE
The Gospel Sunday (Luke 12:49-56) has Jesus saying: "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Sometimes the reality is we must be at odds – particularly with those we love, those with whom we are in relationship. It’s only by moving away from our comfort zones that we actually grow. In psychology, it’s called “individuation” or “self actualization”.
These terms are all about division, of coming to understand that we are not our parents, we are not our siblings, we are not our friends. We all have to grow into our own selves, and that truly means standing against others.
Jesus was teaching against the status quo. He was urging his followers to go against culture. His message of caring for each other and loving God was not something that was done in Roman culture. It was new, and he was cautioning his followers that the road ahead will not be easy.
It’s not that easy today, to care for each other. To be able to see the God in those around us – even when they’re being arduous. Life is full of challenges, and so is the Gospel. Love is not an easy road, but it’s the only way we can build the Kingdom of God and walk into a future that we cannot even begin to imagine.
Blessings
Father Raymond+
An Introduction to the Sermons
This is an archive of what I have written before I preach on Sundays at Holy Cross. These written words are not the sermons I give during the services, but the preparation I make to hear the Scriptures spoken during the Liturgy of the Word. I preach twice each Sunday and the sermons I deliver at 8 a.m. will differ from the sermon at 10 a.m. There will be similarities, but they come from the confluence of the lessons and the presence of those in our sanctuary. I’ve decided to share these words at the urging of many in the Parish. Please accept them as your priest’s meditations on the Scriptures of the week.These are PDF files, so you will need Adobe Reader to access them.click to download it here.
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