Folks,
The lessons set forth in the Lectionary for this coming Sunday include a very odd family story of Jacob and his wives (he was given two sisters, Leah and Racnel) in marriage by Laban in return for working for Laban. It seems that while both were comely girls, and Jacob was following the practice of the time to "earn" as wages a wife (all of that is odd enough) Jacob seemed to have a thing for the younger Rachel. We appreciate what Working Preacher (written this time by a female minister and professor of Theology at Lutheran Seminary of Chicago, Esther Menn) wrote: "This very human tale of intense love has its complications. Jacob’s singular passion for Rachel strands her older sister in the loveless marriage that Laban has orchestrated to provide for his eldest daughter (Genesis 29:26). God favors Leah as the unloved wife by giving her many children (Genesis 29:31; cf., Deuteronomy 21:15), but still the tragedy continues. Leah names her sons to express her unfulfilled desire of gaining her husband’s affection through childbearing (Genesis 29:32-24; 30:20). Only with her fourth son, Judah, whose name is based on a Hebrew root meaning “to praise” or ”to thank,” does Leah cease her striving to please her husband and give thanks to God instead (Genesis 30:35). Rachel, for her part, envies her elder sister’s fertility, as she herself desperately tries to conceive (30:1). Through their unrelenting jealousy and competition, the two sisters and their servant women raise up a large family capable of fulfilling God’s promise to Jacob that his descendants would be as abundant as the dust or topsoil, covering the ground in every direction for purpose of blessing all the families of the earth (Genesis 28:14)." While the above part of what Rev Menn wrote stands out, she also notes the dismissive treatment of the servant women Bilhah and Zilpah in the story, saying "These women have an important role in the emergence of the people of Israel, giving birth to four of Jacob’s thirteen named children (Genesis 30:3-13), which include the twelve sons who stand for the twelve tribes as well as his daughter Dinah. The almost invisible presence of Zilpah and Bilhah in a passage that includes discussion of appropriate wages (Genesis 29:15) encourages reflection on the precarious status of minimum wage earners, surrogate and birth mothers, domestic workers, and others who perform vital but largely underappreciated work in our society." As a character in an old west mining town novel, who was madame of the local brothel, kept noting, "Oh the humanity!" While there is an alternate lesson for this Sunday from 2 Kings - the almost adulatory description of "How Solomon got his Wisdom", though we would hasten to add it would be a great thing if all sought wisdom especially in the quiet of their hearts! Note that it seems like the Lectionary committee were aware of the oddity of this Genesis lesson when they put in this alternative. The gospel lesson from Matthew for this Sunday delivers many parables which seem generally to focus on the recognition of values (ie, good and evil).. Each mini-parable is worth a bit of meditation. And the Pauline epistle to the Romans is a real jewel with some of my favourite quotes, including especially that "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God," This led to my name for a ranch where I used to live (and delighted in) as I called it "Best of All Things Ranch" (it was an easy leap of course to name the ranch where I currently live the "Best of All Ranch Things" - ie, Bart Ranch). I beg the reader's indulgence for my noting how, despite the hard work of this place, with many summer days ranging from the 50s in early morning up to 100 degrees plus - borrowing from the words of an old hymn Tony(!) and I have worked hard to make this place a blessing for each other, just as we all should pray that God "make us a blessing for someone today"! But Paul, ever mindful that Spirit is the anchor of what we think "real", starts this passage with a truly beautiful depiction of the Spirit of prayer, saying: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." and concluding with "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through God who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God " I really couldn't have said it better myself ! (Hence all the quotes!) May we all listen to the intercessions of the Spirit with sighs too deep for words! Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events In the spirit of the foregoing meditation, we invite all to join us at St Matthew Church in San Ardo, where at the 9:30am Sunday Morning Prayer service, we hope to learn a bit better how to pray - by listening! As for special events, and in keeping with the focus we found on women in the OT lesson, we thought it would be good to inform women of the following: Episcopal Church Women’s Annual Mary Lou Thompson Retreat “The Way of the Earth: How Celtic and Indigenous Spirituality Can Inform our Understanding and Appreciation of our Fragile Earth” September 22-24, 2023St Francis Retreat Center 549 Mission Vineyard Rd., San Juan BauJsta, CA. For more info and to make a reservation contact Donna Seelbach at dsdonnaseelbach2@gmail.com Other Events Our friends at St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande tell us of the following Bible Study via a Book Study: Jesus: A Biography from a Believer An introduction to Bible study, using the life of Christ as our text, continues Sunday, at 9:00am, at St. Barnabas. Books are available in the Church Office. We will meet at the church between services from 9:00 – 10:00 am. This in-person class will begin with a review of the rudiments of Biblical scholarship and will continue with the study of historian Paul Johnson's book, Jesus: A Biography from a Believer. Books will be available from the parish office at no charge. From the Deanery A reminder that there will be a meeting of the San Luis Obispo Deanery at St Barnabas Church in Arroyo Grande this Sunday at 2pm.
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Dear Friends,
The Lectionary Page for this Sunday appoints lessons from Romans, another excellent emphasis on the spirit vs the flesh, and a gospel lesson from Matthew which sound like a standard depiction via parable of the separation of people and even things to heaven and hell. Also for this Sunday the Lectionary actually suggests three different Old Testament lessons = see http://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp11_RCL.html though I usually focus on the first, and this Sunday is no exception (sometimes there can be too many choices!) Thus the OT for this Sunday is from Genesis 28, which depicts a fascinating portrayal of Jacob and his dream with the ladder to heaven. In this passage the population of Jacob's heirs is likened to the "dust of the earth". ie, the same general meaning as when likened to the number of the stars in the skies. (Tony! and I love to take walks at night here at the ranch where we can see those stars and understand the simile, and often when entranced by those stars and thinking on the death or just absence of friends, I like to think of that starry sky as a great iconostasis (the walls of icons of saints omnipresent in the Russian Orthodox churches of my youth) with each star a friend absent yet somehow still with me) But there is another point in this lesson not to be missed: Note that Jacob is sleeping outdoors and when he wakes up he realises that the Lord was with him there, saying “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Whether we sense it when singing "How Great Thou Art" with full volume or just quietly meditating on the night sky, may we all realise "How awesome is this place"! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events As mentioned last week (when we had Sunday worship on line while we were in Santa Barbara) we are still trying to ascertain the best time for services at St Matts. Because of the record heat most everywhere, this Sunday we will experiment by meeting for Morning Prayer at 8am at the chapel in San Ardo. Several have said earlier is better, and it is a great way to start the Sabbath Day. Note that we have yet to hear from our fellow missions St Luke in Jolon and St Mark in King City, but expect they will meet for worship at their usual times. We do know that St Luke parish will be enjoying their Vespers / Potluck event on Wed, July 26 (per Daphne Denny) but check with Daphne to be certain (Vespers 6pm with potluck after). We suspect former vicar Deacon Rob Seifert may be the chef that night! A Very Special Event from the Diocese Re-Homing our Diocese in Beloved Community Join us on Sept 16, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Paul/San Pablo, Salinas, for an exciting workshop focusing on the history of our relationship with the people who have lived in this land since long before Europeans came. The Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, Vice-President of The Episcopal Church House of Deputies, and member of the Shackan First Nation, will lead a day of reflection that will bring together conversations about Christian Nationalism with those about our diocesan history with the indigenous peoples of California. In addition to a greater understanding of the past, participants will gain insights into how we can be authentic allies to the tribal people in our communities. Registration is now open on the diocesan website. The registration fee of $25 includes lunch. Scholarships are available by contacting the Social Justice Committee. From the Deanery David Ottesen tells us that on Sunday, July 30, there will be a Zoom meeting of the San Luis Obispo Deanery and all are welcome. Contact David at ottesen2@icloud.com for full details, including the Zoom link, or go to the in person meeting at St Barnabas Church 301 Trinity Ave, Arroyo Grande. Note that on that same day at 3pm St Barnabas will have the first of a four part series on "Science and Faith" starting at 3pm. Don't forget that most events within the Deanery can be found at the Deanery's pages, go to https://sloepiscopalians.org/index.html Other Events We just finished listening in with the Earthcare group at St Benedict Church in Los Osos and they are formulating plans for the upcoming "Season of Creation - be sure to look for their schedule of events at www.stbenslososos.org/calendar/ Fun Events - Lest we think spiritual events are strictly "serious" - they can be FUN! Star Parties A couple of our congregations such as Good Shepherd in Salinas have held special "Star Parties" with a chance to observe the heavens without resorting to Jacob's Ladder (see the meditation above on the OT lesson for this Sunday). Now we hear from our friends at the Sunburst Community near Lompoc that they will have a "Star Party" on August 12, with interactive display and presentations and a chance to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower after dark. Note that children are especially welcome. For full details to to www.sunburst.org/stars Our friends at St Paul Cathedral in San Diego tell us they are have a "Comic-Con" event this Sunday along with their morning worship at 10:30am involving costume (of a favourite comic character) and more - see the details by going to www.StPaulCathedral.org And since San Diego occurs this month, they announce the following events; Voices of Our City Choir: Pride in Partnership, A Festive Happy Hour Uniting Our Community Wednesday, July 26, 6 pm, Guild Room Join us for a joy-filled evening of gratitude for the St. Paul's Cathedral community. Mix and mingle with the Voices' team and Choir over delicious hors d'oeuvres from Bekkers Catering. Voices of Our City offers a safe, creative community for our unsheltered neighbors on St. Paul's special campus — together we are changing lives. This unique, inspiring experience is FREE, but space is limited. RSVP by July 24th by clicking here: voicesofourcity.org/pride-in-partnership Folks,
The lessons appointed for this Sunday include the story of Jacob and his older brother Esau, who sold his birthright for food (a lot to think about there), a lesson from the gospel of Matthew, which tells the parable of the seeds sown on differing grounds (parables always give us a lot to think about) and from Romans, where Paul again emphasises the Spirit. Note that all of these lessons would lead naturally to "contemplation" at least (thinking about a particular subject matter - eg what does the story of Esau and Jacob really mean) as well as what I call "meditation", but Paul really puts the horse before the cart by his emphasis that the Spirit must be there before good can come forth - "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. " So the Spirit must be there first. For me this seems to suggest the meditative practice many follow, which begins not so much thinking about a particular subject, but rather clearing out the mind so that it is open to where the Spirit leads. It is curious that just today I heard from a good friend who practices meditation daily that when she was attending a very "conservative" church she was told that anyone who practised meditation was going to be "damned". To me such condemnation seems quite unnatural, since (as mentioned above) the mind naturally questions - one of the great strengths of human evolution, for all our foibles, since it enables us to see the many aspects of particular ideas and practices (eg the Esau Jacob story may have value in explaining attitudes of early tribes such as those of Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) along with future antipathies and sympathies, along with familial reconciliations in the nuclear family and beyond. And science has shown us one of our main foibles is the bias of approaching thoughts with preconceived ideas of our own - hence the value of clearing the mind at first in meditation. May we be open to the Spirit's leading in our minds and in our lives! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matt Church in San Ardo Events As mentioned above, since we are travelling our Morning Prayer service will use a novel, electronic approach for the first time, by use of a "Face Time" call on Sunday morning. Please contact me for full details. Our friend Roy Morris will be leading Morning Prayer this Sunday at 10am at our fellow mission St Luke Church in Jolon. Other Events As we have been doing we wanted to pick out a special event and the following seems noteworthy: Our "Big Sibling" parish, St James Church in Paso Robles, tells us that on Sunday, July 23 (St James Day) Bp Lucinda will be visiting the parish, and they will have a picnic after 10am services with baptisms and confirmations. Further in the future, St James will have an Oktoberfest on Oct 7th at 4pm at the Harris Stage Lines (for which see https://harrisstagelines.com/ and note that besides the beer and food, there will be rides in an authentic old western stage coach (we recently saw it in "downtown" San Miguel parked at the old livery stable - later automobile garage - there). Special Note: We have just received word that Rev Linda McConnell, rector of Good Shepherd Church near Salinas, will be retiring from that post. She has done a fabulous job there, and we look forward to hearing more from this "poet-priest". Folks,
As I get older I sometimes think back on the past (though it seems that life is throwing so much so quickly at us in the present) - perhaps because there is now so much more of it? The balance of thinking of past vs present things is one of interest for future musings, though I hope to keep an eye things that are most important for future as well. One such thing, a constant, is the importance of love. This weeks lessons include very interesting lessons from Romans on the evil that is indeed close at hand in ourselves and others (Paul seems ready to be done with this "mortal coil") while in Matthew Jesus speaks of love indirectly, commending his easier yoke and lighter burden, and noting the wisdom of simplicity in the minds of infants. One instance of such simple wisdom was a recollection from when my "kid sister" Brandy was a little girl, and I would sometimes tease her (guess what: older siblings often do such things). While "evil" might be too strong a word, yet her response when I claimed I did it was to say "You don't love me that way!" So in this Sunday lesson from Genesis (even though it starts with what sounds like a call for ethnic purity) we see some very wise counsel when Abraham's servant(s) seek a wife for his son to choose one who quickly gives water to drink when asked for it, and goes on to do so for his camels etc. In other words, she was ready to be loving in a very direct way, and Isaac and loving Rebekah became a couple. The lesson is replete with cultural matters from the Middle East, including the ring on Rebekah's nose and the servant's entourage arrival in the Negeb (Negev) desert on camels, and especially the custom of acceding to a marriage without having met the prospective husband. But the heart of the lesson is Rebekah's readiness to love. May we all be as ready to love one another - even those have yet to meet! Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events St Matthew Church in San Ardo will be continuing with our weekly Morning Prayer at 11am at the chapel, corner of Railroad St and Jolon Rd in San Ardo, with fellowship afterwards. Note that the hour of service will be an item of discussion so please read your future St Matthew News for precise service time for Sunday worship. Also this Sunday, our fellow South County mission, St Lukes, Jolon, will be led in Morning Prayer by our firend SuRay (Susan Raycraft) with fellowship afterwards. Our friends at St Lukes Church in Atascadero will have morning worship at 10am followed by a meeting of the "Vestry of the Whole Congregation ". Note that St Lukes service is available via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82458139930 Meeting ID: 824 5813 9930 One tap mobile +16694449171,,82458139930# US +16699006833,,82458139930# US (San Jose) There are many other events - please go to Deanery parish websites at www.cloepiscopalians.org to see them. Also note that tomorrow at 4pm St Paul Cathedral in San Diego will have a the visiting choir of St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church, Poway performing Evensong - a meditative musical worship we recommend! And two items rom the Broader Episcopal Church (via the newsletter of St Paul Cathedral in San Diego: From Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to the LGBTQ+ community I want you to know that one of the most profound convictions in my heart, based on Holy Scripture, what I read in Scripture and hear in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, is that all of us—every human child of God—is made in the image of God with infinite value and worth, and that is not decreed by any government. It is decreed by almighty God. In Genesis chapter 1, God made human beings in God’s image and likeness. I believ that is true for all of us... Click here to keep reading. and Next Sunday (July 16th) is Pride Sunday! Our Guest preacher will be The Rev. Dr. Charlie Bell: Fr Charlie Bell is a priest and a doctor. He practices as an academic psychiatrist at King’s College, London, and The Maudsley Hospital in South London and is a Fellow in Medicine at Girton College in the University of Cambridge. He is also the current curate of St John the Divine, Kennington, in the Diocese of Southwark in South London and an Associate Tutor and Research Fellow at St Augustine’s College of Theology, a seminary in southern England. He has written about both medicine and theology, and the intersection between the two, and is the author of Queer Holiness: the gift of LGBTQI people to the church, a recent book that calls for a sea change in the way we talk with and about LGBTQI people in the church, with a particular view to the situation in the Church of England. His most recent book is on death, dying, despair and Christian doctrine, and he also has two forthcoming books on the concept of ‘unity’ in the Anglican communion and the contribution of queer people to the life of the church. Folks,
We are travelling so this will have to be brief. The lessons for this coming Sunday include from Jeremish a sort of confrontation between that prophet and another, Hananiah, in which we see that prophecy doesn't always come true as Jeremiah says "may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied", from Matthew indicating that those who do good will not lose their reward, and from Romans, a further teaching on sin. All these lessons seem fairly straightforward, and are to help us as we apply them in our own lives, but especially the Romans less. Remember last week that Paul asked it he should sin a lot (as Lorenz Hart's lyric from "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" goes I've sinned a lot; I'm mean a lot But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I from the musical Pal Joey and note that when Ella Fitzgerald sang it she added an exclamation mark after "I mean a lot!") in order to show that God's grace would save him anyway. But that second line of this stanza is the one of great value - to be "like sweet seventeen a lot", since such innocence makes us attractive to others, thus enabling community, and as well to ourselves when we are a "community" within ourselves. Our love to all, Bart (and Tony!) and for all of us at St Matts! Events St Matthew Church in San Ardo will continue meeting for Morning Prayer with an occasional Eucharist service at 11am thru the summer as this hour of service seems to be working well. Please join us. Other events We read of the ongoing music program at Good Shepherd parish in Salinas (Corral de Tierra) where member Art Schoenstadt has been participating in their music program for 50 years - congrats to him and the congregation for enabling music to feeding members' souls with music. Music is truly good for us all, whether from "musical theater: as in the lyric above, the august sounds of Monteverdi's compositions of church music, or the wonderful program of Taize music led by Cindy Castle at St Luke parish via Zoom online this Sunday at 7pm. The details are as follows: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87454433792?pwd=M01rNThaRUpBVmJxVW9DcHJnY2FWdz09 Meeting ID: 874 5443 3792 Passcode: 783520 |
WILLIAM BARTOSH
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