Transformed to Love as God Loves

Proper12/Pentecost10B, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Moses Lake by Annette Fricke

Sara Miles is the author of these sentences, “There’s always someone inappropriate at Jesus’ table.  Sometimes it’s you and me.”  Although these two sentences have the flavor of the sacrament of the Eucharist and most certainly to the behavior of Judas whose reputation as a follower of Jesus was definitely considered by most to be below the standard of the other disciples, at the same time, we ought to consider our observations of ourselves and others at most any gathering.  We also are among the guilty of inappropriate behavior.  One of the most inappropriate of our behaviors is when we attribute whatever happens to us as “good” is because we were the ones who accomplished it.  We could, in fact, properly be described as sometimes Christians and sometimes even atheistic.  We all have our virtues as well as our vices.  But we sometimes forget that these virtuous actions performed by us are gifts of God and are in fact performed by God.  It begs the question, doesn’t it, as to how we measure our lives?

Most of us look at accomplishments and achievements as our yardstick. Our lives are full of them from the very beginning of childhood.  Our mothers kept track of our first words, our first steps, our first time at feeding ourselves and tying our shoes.  This of course, was before Velcro came along.  But most important of all, mothers concentrate on when we become potty-trained because this is a sure sign of independence. A few years back, there was a local TV special on all high achievers of the local high school seniors.  If you followed the questioning of the interviewer and each student’s responses, your conclusion might easily be that we are rewarded in life for our accomplishments and our achievements.  But at the end of the interview, there was one more question, “How many of you have had a job?”  Out of a group of around twenty, only two raised their hands.  My co-worker at the time remarked that she really disliked the whole interview about the success of what she saw as the elite intellectuals.  In her mind, the only reason, or at least the main reason that these students were such high achievers academically is because their parents had the money and resources to make it happen.  She was truly jealous of what she saw as young people who have it better in life and she, by contrast, is stuck with the “short stick.”  In the experience of interviews, many know that the interviewer has the power to ask particular questions and can shape any conclusions made, sometimes by challenging the responses.  Few people, with the opportunity for an interview will argue with the interviewer knowing it is being shot live.

But the bottom line is, our education system, as well as different work settings throughout life is based on competition and performance.  Not only does it perpetuate the feeling of “I did it” but it also separates the poor from the wealthy.  Many of us have worked under the principle that if you work hard, you will go far in life.  Yet, “life lived under the performance principle makes us slaves to insecurity and anxiety, constantly comparing ourselves to others, struggling to reach a level of achievement which always eludes us. Life seen as “gift,” as grace, can set us free.  Once you know you are loved unconditionally by God, there is such freedom (Br. Geoffrey Tristam).”

One of the thoughts someone is bound to think as a result of this story of the feeding of the 5,000 is a parent loudly proclaiming, “That’s my boy!  Isn’t he smart?  I taught him that.  That’s my boy.” My boy is the one who had the loaves and fish and he shared them with everyone!  Isn’t that great?  The rationale is that the parents know best and try to instill those values in their children.  But, eventually, the children will find out that there are other ideas in the world.  If the truth be told, we constantly live in the midst of cultural values and what the voice of Christianity tells us.  And then we are bombarded by a number of interpretations of various passages in the Bible, hoping to glean from them some semblance, some shred of meaning for our existence.  We are children of God as taught from the very beginning of creation and yet we continue to struggle with just what that means in our daily lives.

Some have surmised that life is like a Monopoly game.  It does have some strategy, such as buying up as much property as possible in the beginning of the game.  But, it also is a game of pure luck.  The perception that it is so much like life itself is likely the reason that as a game, it has lasted so long.  There are times when we simply can’t achieve all we desire and life ends up not what we hoped. 

Oftentimes, our eyes are open so much to what goes on around us that we fail to see God’s hand in any of it.  We attribute everything to ours or someone else’s effort even though we sense that there are other factors involved.  For those of us who have ever struggled with occupations and providing for a family, we know that feeling of fear and insecurity.  We see the tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes and realize that even what seems the most secure around us can disappear so quickly.  Our lives are truly dependent on God.  God is our source as well as our sustenance.  It is God who brings us what we need from heaven.  God is the one who is able to calm our anxieties and fears in a way that simply clinging to the false securities of this world cannot.

The reason that Jesus was so popular is because people attributed to him what they were unable to do themselves.  He had many followers because this is one who put them at ease, who calmed their fears and anxieties about life.  And yet, there is evidence in this gospel text that Jesus was not who the people thought he should be.  They wanted them to be their king.  Yet in God’s wisdom, that was a temporary fix.  God surpasses the temporary, the fleeting moments of life, by continuing to give us what we need and satisfies our deepest desires. In addition to calming our fears and anxieties, we want and need unconditional love and that is the overall abiding function of God in our lives. It is this love that is able to transform us into sharing that love with everyone.

           

Terror vs. Tenacity

Proper7B, June 24, 2018, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, by Annette Fricke

            A boat is built to go out into the water, not remain in the harbor.

Imagine, if you will, a nice sunny day at the beginning of summer and our friends say to us, “Hey!  Let’s pack a lunch and take the boat out on the lake.”  We say, “It looks great now, but they are predicting a storm.  We don’t think that is such a good idea.  If we go out, we need to stick pretty close to the shore.  That way, we will have a better chance of getting back in to safety if we get caught in the storm.”  One of our friends speaks in his most persuasive manner, half teasing and says, “Are you afraid of a little bit of lightning and thunder?  It’s no big deal. It’s not like you haven’t seen that before.  Besides, what can go wrong?  The Coast Guard station is not that far away.  That is what the Coast Guard does, you know—search and rescue.”  We say, “That is true, but must we go, knowing there is a real possibility of capsizing, so they just happen to need to rescue us?  Have you ever thought that it could be so bad that even the Coast Guard would not be able to save us?  What if their boat can’t get to us?  What would we do then?”  Another of our friends says, “There is not a cloud in sight.  What if the forecast is wrong?  That means we have wasted a perfectly good opportunity to go out and have some fun in this beautiful sunshine.”  The words, “What could go wrong?” repeat in your head over and over and all you can thing of is the song about the Edmund Fitzgerald and the sinking of the Titanic—the Titanic, the ship that was impossible to sink really did sink.  But then, there are no icebergs in this lake and it is not the same lake where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. It was not Lake Superior and we were not going to Cleveland. But the ship was only 17 miles from port.  Even sticking close to shore was not safe.  Jesus decides to go with us but falls asleep inside the cabin.  It’s a motor boat.  Neither Jesus nor anyone else is going to take a nap at the stern of the boat and inhale the fumes from the motor.  Things go very wrong and the boat is tossed up and down and takes on water.  Not only are people getting sea sick, but we are taking on water, lots of water.  Peter himself is bailing with a coffee can, not being able to find anything bigger to get the water out.  The rain is coming down in big sheets and despite others joining to bail, it isn’t enough.  It becomes overwhelming.  Peter asks Andrew to wake Jesus up and tell him that we’re in trouble.  Jesus is dead tired and wants to go back to sleep.  It’s like he is unaware of the thunder, lightning, and rain all around.  Peter gets angry and shouts at Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

            Despite our knowledge that Matthew, Mark and Luke are mostly historical in nature, this version of Jesus falling asleep in the boat seems indicative of not only what goes on in our personal lives, but what happens within the church as well.  Often things don’t go as planned and we flounder and sometimes even lose our faith.  This gospel is about faith and our relationship to it.  It is about keeping Jesus on board.  Jesus is exhausted and asks the disciples in this gospel over and over about their faith and the lack of it.  Without faith, we walk blindly through the storms of life, groping at the air with no guidance, no anchor, adrift and wandering in a sea of darkness.  Jesus says just two things to us, “Why are you afraid?” and “Have you still no faith?”  These two are intertwined.

            Fear is our enemy and it paralyzes us into a state where we are unable to move forward.  As a church, the worst thing we can do is fear the future.  The future will come no matter what, but we can choose to bring Jesus with us or leave him at the shore.  The choice is ours.  Jesus wants to go to the other shore across the lake because that is where the unchurched live. That is where the stranger, the unloved and forgotten live.  That is where the unemployed and the uneducated live. That is the mission of the church now just as it was in the early church. The church has always been about discipleship and inclusion.  Throughout the centuries, the church has come up with many ways to share the message of Jesus, some of which we should definitely not be proud.  Yet Jesus continues to call us into the boat to go out regardless of the weather and preach the good news of God’s saving grace, to preach that God is always with us and it is probably not God who is asleep.

Maybe we should rewrite the story.  Jesus came one night for Vestry and he took the Warden by the hand and said, “Let’s all go for a boat ride.”  We climbed into the boat, started the engine and off we went.  Nobody fell asleep and Jesus was at the helm.  He chose some people to be mechanics, others to navigate, others to make and serve food.  He appointed some to maintain the body of the boat and paint it. He comforted the sick with his gentle hand.  After that, he discovered those who could sing and play music. We visited different neighborhoods along the way, people we didn’t know, people not like us. We didn’t return till after dark. Nobody asked where we were going because we knew that Jesus was at the helm and Jesus would get us where we were needed, to serve others as he served us.

A boat is built to go out into the water, not remain in the harbor.
*Apologies--if it's a lake, it should probably be the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, not the US Coast Guard.  Here is the YouTube music video I was referring to for those who do no know the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFkyDB2InTs

           

Hold each other, Keep each other Safe

TrinitySundayB, May 27, 2018 St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, by Annette Fricke

Have you ever thought about what it was like when you were born?  Were you born in a hospital or at home? Have you ever watched the series, “Call the Midwife?”  It is true that what they pull out are not real babies, but imitations.  Seriously though, just what happened?  One thing is for sure.  We really didn’t have anything to do with our own births.  There is one episode of “Call the Midwife” I have in mind when I read the gospel appointed for today.  It is from Season 6, Episode 9.  A fairly new midwife listens to the woman who is ready to give birth, about the concern she has that it isn’t her boyfriend’s baby.  She is worried that he won’t love the baby because the baby isn’t his.  The baby is a still born and both parents are in deep agony and sorrow.  They are both grieved to their cores.  The baby is placed in the medical bag after the midwife attempts to resuscitate to no avail.  The father, in a loving gesture, asks the midwife to put a hot water bottle in the bag with the baby saying, “Don’t seem right, sending me baby out into the cold!”  The mother is still stunned and all she can do is cry.

Just before the midwife arrives back at Nonnatus House, her home base, she hears the faint sound of a baby’s cry and soon realizes it’s the baby she delivered in the medical bag.  She runs into the nunnery yelling, “Help! “and gathers the other nurses who take his temperature, check his heart and his lungs. The midwife goes over and over in her mind fretting over what detail she missed or did not do right. Sister Monica Joan joins her at the dining table.  She is there expounding on God’s work in all this but the midwife states firmly and clearly that she does not believe in God.  At the end of the episode, the narrator states, “There are always wounds that weep.  There is imperfection everywhere.”

In the same way that the people in this story are representative of humanity and the interactions among different people, Nicodemus also represents humanity – this is the world in which we live.  Those who believe in Jesus, those who don’t, and those somewhere in between. We live in various degrees of darkness. We only see Nicodemus in a couple of other places in the gospel of John.  He is much like the midwife who goes about her life practicing her trade, yet in the midst of believers all around. Both seem to be unaware of just who Jesus is or perhaps unable to accept the evidence before them. The priest offered Baptism for the baby twice and the couple said, “No.”  However, the second time, they still said “no” to baptism but the mother said, “…We don’t want him christened or nothin’; not yet. But we would like him blessed, because if you bless him, you bless the three of us.” 

In my studies, it is emphasized that we need to accept people where they are, without imposing our values or ideas. Isn’t this what we see when we read about Jesus?  Isn’t that what Jesus is all about?  There is no St. Nicodemus.  He is not a major player in the scheme of what was going on with Jesus. He was just a Jewish man, a Pharisee who was curious about Jesus, enough to notice that Jesus is not an ordinary man.  Jesus is something special.  He listens to Jesus and figures that Jesus is from God and that God is with him.  Jesus tells him in very clear terms that he must be born from above.  But what does that mean? Jesus is from Mary but Jesus is also from God above.  It is this Jesus who tells us about the working of the Spirit.  Last Sunday, we shared with each other after Eucharist what it is to be called.  We compared the reading of the call of Samuel to that of ourselves.  In that reading, we noticed that Samuel was quite young when called by God.  Again, God accepts us where we are.  We do not have to be an important person in society for God to notice us and use us.  Doesn’t matter if we are Republican or Democrat, wealthy or poor, White, Black, or Hispanic. 

But in accepting us where we are, God expects us to be born again, born from above.  That means we listen for that call from God, whether it be personal or in a group setting and we run with it, we consult with other people, we help other people discern what that call might mean.  We are all individuals, but we are meant for community and to follow where God leads our community, the community or St. Martin’s.  It means offering to help others as well as leading. 

It is critical that we recognize the subject of birth. Birth status was the single, all-important factor in determining a person’s honor rating. Ascribed honor, the honor derived from one’s status at birth, was simply a given. It usually stayed with a person for life. To be born over again, born for a second time, would change one’s ascribed honor status in a very fundamental way. A newly ascribed honor status would come from a new birth. We are all equally God’s children and therefore to each other, we are brothers and sisters. To be born “from above” is to be of the realm or kingdom of God and to belong to that realm, to become a veritable child of God. This, of course, is to acquire an honor status of the very highest sort. Thus, whatever honor status a person might have in Israelite society, being born “from above” would re-create that person at a whole new level.[1]

With this in mind, “Hold each other, keep each other safe; for there is imperfection everywhere.  There are always wounds that weep.  The hands of the Almighty are so often to be found at the ends of our own arms.[2]  God never fails to go with us every step of the way.

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[1] Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh

[2] “Call the Midwife” Season 6, Episode 9

Be Fruitful—Every Day

5EasterB, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, April 29, 2018 by Annette Fricke

May is a month of flowers and flowering fruit trees.  Most people know the phrase, “April showers bring May flowers” and for the most part, for those living in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a truism. Although today’s gospel imagery probably has grapes in mind as opposed to apples, apple trees are more familiar to those who have lived in this state for any length of time.  Washington is a leading producer of apples in the nation and in order to keep that production going, there needs to be people who are invested in keeping that reputation as the years go by.  About three years ago, on the front page of the Spokesman-Review was an article about apples.  This story was about a researcher whose goal was to search for “lost” varieties of apples.  What did he mean by “lost”?  Apparently, some apple trees left from orchards of earlier settlements were still alive, not noticed due to present location.  For example, one lost variety was found inside a state park. It is estimated that there are around seventeen thousand of these lost varieties of apples that originated in the hands of early European immigrants.  Even a nursery that once existed near present day Oakesdale, WA through historical records, has been identified as a source of these lost apple trees. These so called “heirloom varieties” are now being recovered and will continue to feed the already 100 million boxes per year of apples grown in Washington State. [1]

What do apples and grapes have in common?  They are both fruit.  As fruit, both grow at the tip of the branches and contain seeds (never mind that what we actually see on the market now are sometimes seedless grapes), in Jesus’ time, grapes were not seedless.  It was the seeds that produced apple trees until it was discovered by cultivators of this fruit, that one could also graft different varieties onto the same apple tree.  Thus, we get out the Gurney seed catalog, whose nursery is located in Yankton, South Dakota and discover that we can order an apple tree with five different varieties. Though each fruit, if left long enough can rot and die, each still has the potential to live through the seeds it produces. 

The bottom line is this: Jesus calls us to not only abide in him, but to produce fruit and it is not just here, but in several other Biblical passages that we are asked to bear fruit, as early as Genesis where God tells us to “be fruitful and multiply.  For a long time, many Christian denominations tied the two together as if multiplying and being fruitful were one and the same.  It seems that became its form of evangelism rather than reaching out to others to invite them to believe in Jesus Christ.  This cannot be done if we say nothing to others outside the faith and outside this worship service.  We are not alone as individuals to affect this task.  We are each the fruit and branches attached to the vine, equally.  There are no distinctions here between clergy or laity or various positions in the Church.  We all bear the name, “Christian” and are called to walk as Jesus’ body here on earth.  Jesus is the vine.  Jesus supports us at all times, having the everlasting support of God.  Like the tap root of an apple tree that will help stabilize a hillside, keeping it from sliding downward, God holds us firmly, through every storm of life.

First and foremost, we are a community of believers.  Whatever we are able to contribute to the whole of the community and reach out as a community, this is our vocation.  Our ministry here is as Christians who are to bear fruit, just as all Christians are called to bear fruit.  When we are at work, we can interact with many varieties of Christians, supporting them in their faith.  We also can converse with those who are still exploring Christianity and the Bible.  We don’t need to be profound in our speech or know all the answers.  It is OK if we might not know how to answer certain questions.  Remember that Jesus is the vine who supports us in all that we do and loves us more than anyone here in this world. But most of all, remember that many others believe as you do.

Sometimes we may see the artificial barrier of age.  Remember, there are no boundaries and we are all equal in God’s eyes.  We shouldn’t allow a difference in age to discourage us from sharing our faith with others.  Others need to know that God loves and cares for them in a way that surpasses all their other relationships, especially that relationship some have with their phone.  Real relationships face-to-face are of ultimate importance in sharing the love of God.  There is no substitute for that.  We can teach others how to connect one-to-one rather than through the social media, by way of electronic devices.

And, finally, the image that John paints for us is one of anonymity.  If we were to look at the grapes or apples while they are still attached to the branches of a live plant or tree, we will notice that they look pretty much the same.  In a box also, the grapes and apples are of a relatively uniform size and color, if, of course, they are of the same variety.  All the grapes get thrown into the same vat and all the apples into boxes and more boxes.  They are essentially without distinction.  We are as well.  God does not make exceptions for what we have or don’t have, our personalities, talents, or gifts.  We are to use all that we are given so that we produce fruit for God.  The mark of the body of Christ is that it bears fruit, that we love as God has loved and continues to love us.  It doesn’t matter who we are in the world, but only that we love.  Any branch is able to love if it remains with Jesus. We are all God’s children, united in God’s love for us.  We need to see beyond being a tree and see ourselves as part of a forest of believers because that is who we are.  We are an orchard of apple trees.  We are a vineyard.  We are God’s vineyard rooted in God’s love.  Jesus says to us, “Be fruitful—every day.”

           

[1] http://www.appleblossom.org/about/legend-of-the-apple.html

What was the true cause of death for Robin Williams?

Good morning folks!  We are here at WYYY, the station that digs deep into the news to figure out the answer as to why it happened.  Today, the subject of it is Robin Williams and why he died.  We decided to interview the well-known Master of Several Trades, Annette Fricke because she has done some amazing research on the subject.  Equipped with computers at work, home, and the internet she put the pieces together so we would all know just exactly how the story of Robin Williams all fits together.

First of all, Robin had a lonely childhood. He grew up in a wealthy household with a black maid, but “his rich parents had little time for him.”  He said that he “was supposed to be seen but not heard.” “His closest friend was his pet, a hunting dog called Duke. He was so desperate for a companion he spent hours trying to teach Duke to play hide-and-seek.”[1]

In the 1970’s, Robin began snorting cocaine and did not stop until after attending the party where his friend, Jim Belushi died in 1982.[2]  He claimed that Cocaine did not speed him up but slowed him down.  It also made him paranoid and impotent.[3]  Other diagnoses he had were Depression, Bipolar, Bipolar Mixed.[4],[5]  It appears that he was dually diagnosed, probably depressed as a child.  He did have years of sobriety and at least two stays at Hazelton, one in Minnesota and one in Oregon.  Robin also attended AA meetings.[6]  He claims that his humor is what helped him.  He was happy when he made people laugh.[7]

Medically, Robin had symptoms of Parkinson’s in 2011.  He had also developed Lewy Body Dementia which is similar to Parkinson’s and not usually diagnosed until after death. The two diseases are characterized by different early symptoms, but they reflect the same underlying biological changes in the brain, and, over time, patients with both diagnoses will develop very similar cognitive, physical, sleep, and behavioral symptoms, according to LBDA.[8],[9]

“The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts (several hundred milligrams or more) intensify the user's high but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. These users may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. In rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or sometime thereafter. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.”[10]

“Long-term effects of cocaine use include addiction, irritability and mood disturbances, restlessness, paranoia, and auditory hallucinations.”[11]

Alcohol effects: cirrhosis of liver, crosses blood brain barrier, affects directly the neuron receptors and neurotransmitters, increases blood pressure which can lead to stroke or vascular dementia. “Volatile (rapid changes in blood pressure as what happens in binge-drinking) has also been linked to Parkinson’s Disease in those who consume alcohol as compared to those who are abstinent.”[12]

It can also lead to vitamin deficiency which can bring severe damage to the brain resulting in “memory loss, emotional disturbance, gait problems, and ataxia.”[13]

In addition, “long term alcohol abuse effects include damage to the brain, high blood pressure, heart muscle damage, and nerve damage, pancreatitis, bleeding in the esophagus, erectile dysfunction in men, fetal alcohol syndrome in the offspring of alcoholic women, insomnia, depression and increased cancer risks.”[14]

The combination of both cocaine and alcohol: “Research has revealed a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol. Taken in combination, the two drugs are converted by the body to cocaethylene, which has a longer duration of action in the brain and is more toxic than either drug alone. While more research needs to be done, it is noteworthy that the mixture of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug combination that results in drug-related death.”[15]

There you have it.  Cause of death: asphyxiation by hanging/suicide.[16]  It is likely that the alcohol caused the Parkinson’s, but cocaine could also be the culprit. Adults who abuse cocaine might increase their risk of developing Parkinson's disease.[17]

Join me once again next week when we explore the death of John Belushi.

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[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2723387/A-genius-manic-said-cocaine-helped-calm-CHRISTOPHER-STEVENS-Robin-Williams.html

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robin-williams-dealt-with-years-of-substance-abuse-with-humor/

[3] http://people.com/celebrity/robin-williams-enters-rehab-for-alcohol/

[4] https://www.commdiginews.com/health-science/health/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-bipolar-disorder-23789/

[5] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/robin-williams-depression-alone-rarely-causes-suicide/

[6] http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-robin-williams-dead-death-rehab-alcohol-cocaine-20140811-story.html, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robin-williams-death-his-cocaine-724802

[7] Ibid., https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robin-williams-dealt-with-years-of-substance-abuse-with-humor/

[8] http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/11/12/robin-williams-diagnosis-what-is-lewy-body-dementia.html

[9] http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/11/11/robin-williams-had-parkinsons-tremor-likely-suffered-from-hallucinations.html

[10] https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/cocaine

[11] Ibid, https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/cocaine

[12] http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/2845/1/Alcohol-Abuse-Effects---5-Physical-Effects-Of-Alcohol-Abuse.html

[13] http://brainblogger.com/2008/09/12/physiological-effects-of-alcohol-consumption

[14] Ibid.,http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/2845/1/Alcohol-Abuse-Effects---5-Physical-Effects-Of-Alcohol-Abuse.html

[15] Ibid., https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/cocaine 

[16] http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Celebs/williams,%20robin_report.pdf

[17] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051214084800.htm

I know that My Redeemer Lives

02242018 Memorial Service for Della Louise Conwell, Moses Lake UMC, by Annette Fricke

            May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our rock and our redeemer.  In the book of Job, we read in the nineteenth chapter, “O that my words were written down!  O that they were inscribed in a book!  O that they were engraved on a rock forever!” The still unknown writer of this book is certain that there is wisdom to be shared here.  It is a book that has withstood the test of time, that still has meaning and wisdom today.  All over the world, it remains a source of inspiration for many who find themselves amongst the naysayers, those who think ill of others in various situations.  Friends, even those who are well-meaning, can sometimes rub us the wrong way.  What I have read is the climax of Job’s story, but there’s more.  Allow me to recount the essence of the rest of the book.  The story of Job is that of a non-Jewish man in the Old Testament, before Jesus.  Job, despite not being a part of the Jewish faith, believes in God.  His character has much to teach us, much to teach about loss and ways to deal with it.  Most of what his friends have to say to him are less than appreciated by Job.  His first friend, Eliphaz concludes after consoling Job and reminding him of how well he consoled others insists that Job must have sinned and that is why he is suffering.  Most people today would probably not say something like that to someone’s face although some form of that is sometimes something kept to themselves or talked about behind a person’s back.  Job’s response is to defend himself.  Anyone with integrity would do likewise—at least from Job’s perspective.  The next friend, Bildad demands that Job repent of his sin.  Job sinks more and more into a depressive state and is angry beyond measure.  Job seeks God’s defense.  If that is all he has for friends, only God can defend him.  Zophar, Job’s third friend comes up with a logical conclusion.  If Job is guilty and therefore must repent of his sin, he deserves punishment.  End of story.  There is nothing more to be said.  It is a simple formula that has been handed down through the ages.  Why, Job, doesn’t this work for you?  Why do you question it and why can’t you go along with the wisdom of the generations that came before us?  Job again plays the integrity card saying, “I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock.”  Job has an enormous understanding of God, yet feels the sting of the words his friends have spoken to him.

            Even though Job is probably a fictitious figure in an outdated understanding of sickness and loss, there’s much about Job we can learn.  If you are family or a good friend of Della, you will feel the sting of grief to the degree that you loved her in this life.  Hold onto that.  It will not help to remember any of the negative thoughts you may have had in past interactions or relationships with her.  Let go of those thoughts and leave those where they belong, in the past.  You, who are the children, cherish those happy memories of childhood interactions that maybe only you remember.  Bill, savor the memories of the early days of courtship.  In the days ahead, you, like Job will choose your own way.  Consider carefully how you will deal with this loss.  Will I lash out at others?  That’s a possibility.  Will I be kind to others and accepting of their expressions of condolence?”  I hope you can do that.  To others, do what you can to be supportive, even if it is as little as holding hands and saying nothing.  Your presence is important and a simple, “My condolences,” may also be sufficient.  From this day forward, without Della in your life, go on with your lives, giving thanks for the positive moments that you shared, remembering the good.  Also, among yourselves, do not judge others in their grieving process, because this process is different for everyone.  This loss may affect many.

            But more to the point, “If mortals die, will they live again?”  Job’s answer is a resounding, “Yes.”  Job’s faith is strongly convinced that God, the creator and sustainer of the universe will surely come to his rescue.  Job is sure that there will come a time when his sins, though many, in the end will not count and God will cover his iniquity.  Even though the days and days may go by when in our losses we seem to experience the absence of God, especially when someone we know and love has died, whether or not we are seeking God, God eventually will come to us face to face and most profoundly when we die.  How is it that God could create all that exists and then simply abandon us?  God will never abandon us despite our perceptions of God’s absence.  Job’s author writes strong words of confidence, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh, I shall see God.”  Pay attention to the important point of that sentence because therein lies the hope and promise to all of God’s children of which you are one.  “I know that my Redeemer lives.”  That will mean more to you the more you allow yourself to believe that it is true.  The more you believe it, the more comfort it will bring you from his day forward in your daily life.  Eternal life is not based on morality, because we have all said and done things of which we ought to be ashamed.  No matter what, God is God of the living.  That is a message that is repeated over and over in the New Testament.  Your confidence, your comfort, and your peace to whatever degree your belief is, is this, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”  There is a place for us beyond this life, for you and for Della.  Your Redeemer lives and so will you.

Journey through the Wilderness

1LentB, February 18, 2018 for St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Moses Lake, WA by Annette Fricke

40 days is a long time.  It is not 4 weeks or 28 days.  Nor is it a month.  It is more than a month.  Lent is actually 40 days excluding Sundays. It is no accident that the first Sunday in Lent begins with the story of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness. Biblically speaking, 40 days does not mean 40 days either.  It means a long time.

Life can feel like 40 days in the wilderness when the journey ahead seems insurmountable.  I have two friends that come to mind when I think of a long time in the wilderness.  One is the sister of a classmate who continues to battle cancer who now is getting surgery for her kidneys.  The other is someone I have never met in person who has decided to change occupational leanings towards Psychology rather than Theology.  I also remember in my prayers the list of people we intentionally pray for each Sunday. We are all wilderness survivors. As I came back from Ritzville to exchange the county vehicle for my own this past Friday, the wind was as strong and cold as it was yesterday.  The tumbleweeds were actively being tossed by the wind every which way onto and out of the fields.  The wind had a way of making them come alive. As I raced from the bottom towards the top of a hill, I saw what looked like the biggest tumbleweed I had ever seen right smack in the middle of the road as though guarding the top of the hill and making it impassable.  It was certainly too big to catch below the undercarriage. My imagination took me far beyond those old western movies, old abandoned towns filled with dust, tumbleweeds, and broken dreams. I think about the hardships that the first settlers faced coming to the land here, then they were real dust bowls, not the fields and irrigation as we see now producing food for many. And I bet the rattlesnakes, coyotes, and wolves were more plentiful.

Before Jesus entered the wilderness with the wild beasts all about, he was baptized and the Spirit descended onto him, like a dove.  It is reminiscent of the story of Noah and the dove, the dove who brings a message of waters receding so that the ark can be put out of commission and never have to be used again to keep him and his family safe.  With Noah and his family, God is somehow looking for a new way to save people, people who are committed to keeping God’s ways.  It won’t be saving us from flooding, or for that matter from fire, or mudslides-- or wind throwing the dust and tumbleweeds around.  God will save us from our self-destructive selves, the selves that think unloving thoughts, the selves that act like wild beasts rather than people enlightened by God’s saving grace.  Some of those beasts meddle in other countries’ governmental business.  Other beasts become so frustrated with their own lives that they take the lives of others. Still, God will strengthen us when we are weak and unable to go it alone.  God knows us, that we struggle every day to live grace-filled lives and to be a blessing to other people, people who struggle as we do. God can help us find solutions to our broken world and broken individual lives.

Notice though, how Mark almost makes it seem that Jesus does not struggle.  He is in the wilderness being temped as we are and yet the focus is that he is with wild beasts and yet the angels wait on him.  It is a picture of harmony, of restoration, similar to when the flood is over and a voice comes from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased.”  The Spirit is there and it is the Spirit who sends Jesus out into life on earth with confidence that God will accomplish God’s mission of salvation through him.

As we go through the discipline of Lent, however we choose to do that, we can choose to take a break from the “I wants” and the “I needs” and consider how God has blessed us in this life, how God goes with us and sends angels to help us along our way. God can help us to prioritize our lives and resist the temptation to allow distractions to cloud the way of Jesus.  God can help us step out of our selves to help our neighbors just as Jesus did.  We will continue to have our trials and our troubles, but God can help us through them and strengthen our faith.  God can renew us as we remember the waters of baptism and allow God’s Spirit to take ahold of us, that Spirit who promises us life in God, a life where our renewal comes by daily repentance and forgiveness; where our renewal comes when we gather for Eucharist or the coffee hour where we conversate about our week, without fear of judgement.

God does not leave us in the wilderness to fend for ourselves although at times it may feel that way. God helps us to fend off the wild beasts and the tumbleweeds of this life because compared to the life that God gives each of us for the common good, they are nothing at all.  They are nothing because God is here right now, making things right and restoring us to wholeness.  Jesus has accomplished this on the cross, for us, for everybody.  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” God accepts us as we are. God tells us, “You are my sons and my daughters, I am well pleased with you.” This is our proper focus in life. This is good news.  Go and share it with the whole world.

Dare to become a Good Apple

4EpiphanyB, January 28, 2018, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, by Annette Fricke

            True or False.  “Does one bad apple” spoil “the whole bunch?”  Who thinks it’s true?  Who thinks it’s false?  It is, in fact, true. “As they ripen,” apples “produce a gaseous hormone called ethylene, which is a ripening agent. When apples are stored together, “the ethylene each apple emits prods the others around it to ripen further” and to the point of spoiling. “(Fun tip: Want to quickly ripen an avocado? Stick it in a paper bag with an apple overnight.)” But, you might ask, does that “apply to people” as well?[1]  Again, the answer is “true” at least according to the Pharisees.  Certainly, you have heard of bad company wearing off onto those who keep it?  You might have had parents who did not want you to mingle with bad company and therefore restricted you from certain so-called “friends” of yours outside of school hours.

            Jesus comes to us at the beginning of Mark’s gospel as one who teaches with authority, not as the scribes.  He brings a new teaching with authority.  In the same paragraph, he also casts out an unclean spirit. Jesus has authority in both word and deed.  Notice how the teaching is elevated above the healing.  Notice also the comparison to the scribes.  What set them apart?  Unlike most of the people, 90 percent “of the population ,they could “read and write.”  Therefore, “their interpretation of the law was considered absolute.”[2]  Jesus challenged their authority like nobody else before him.  Jesus is clearly identified as the Holy One of God, arriving at the synagogue which is a holy place on the Sabbath, a holy day and encounters something that should not be there according to the law, an unclean spirit in a human being. During this time period, Jesus is also out of place because he did not even have permission granted by the leader of the synagogue to teach.  He was out of bounds both by teaching and casting out an unclean spirit. Jesus was also out of place.  Jesus did not wait for an invitation, but asserted himself, inappropriately.  According to the Jewish law, it was not proper to touch an unclean person, because by touching that person, you become unclean yourself.  That is why the priest and the Levite in the Good Samaritan story pass by rather than stopping to help the beaten and robbed man. That is how far the teaching authority had gone astray among the Jews of Jesus’ day.

            What does this text mean for us today?  It says that Jesus was not afraid of offending anyone, he just went ahead and did the right thing.  He was willing to step out of the crowd mentality.  Very few did that in Nazi Germany, because their form of Christianity taught them to respect governmental authority. Many who did were killed. Some people today are questioning the women’s marches and asking why they are doing that.  With the recent news about Larry Nassar, the Olympic Gymnastics doctor, it is definitely one of the issues or reasons the women are still marching across our country.  The president of MSU is resigning.   A man in a position of authority has mis-used his position to abuse others. There are several victims. Abuse is not going to stop on its own. There are things we can do. We can be whistle-blowers. We can demand justice be done. We can go with our child or grandchild to their doctor and dentist appointments and talk to them about inappropriate behavior. We can make a report to Child Protective Services. In my own occupation, it is becoming more and more important that we always ask the question about whether or not our clients have suffered trauma. Not all people who have experienced trauma will have PTSD, but treatment can be given if appropriate. It cannot continue to be ignored.  Jesus says that we are to reach out to the outcast of society.  Our congregation should be reassessing at least yearly how to help those who are unable to help themselves.  We will probably make a few mistakes along the way and we need to be careful to check our interpretation of scripture with others and with other writers who have researched the historical context.  There are many who have studied the Bible in the past and have helped to elucidate the scriptures.  We should remain humble in our interpretations, knowing that in the future, someone may see these scripture passages a bit differently from what we do now.  We are limited in our understanding; we are not Jesus.

            Remember the saying that one bad apple will spoil the whole bunch?  It depends on how long you let it go.  Before doing the job of spoiling, it will help mature the other apples.  One apple can also be a help to the others.  To paraphrase Donny Osmond, “One bad apple [doesn’t] spoil the whole bunch.”

            It’s a choice each and every day; we can either guide each other towards life and maturity, to work together to do God’s work here on earth or be the rotten apple that stirs the pot leading to decay.

            It’s a choice and with God’s help, we can make the right decisions.

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[1] http://mentalfloss.com/article/31666/does-one-bad-apple-really-spoil-whole-bunch

[2] 2017, Living Liturgy, Year B 2018, Order of St Benedict, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN