All Shall Be Well

December 24th, 2023

Scripture

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

--John 3:16-21

All Shall Be Well

I love music. Advent is a season, in particular, in which I listen to a lot of music, in person, online, and in the car. I enjoy it, and also find it useful in my spiritual preparation for Christmas. I listen to Advent carol services, hymns and anthems, then as Advent winds down, Handel’s Messiah, and usually some more contemporary music, too.

This year, a particular contemporary song has been speaking to me: Sandra McCracken’s “All is Well” from 2019. It’s a beautiful, tender song, with a simple, almost childlike refrain: “All is well. All is well. God with us, Emmanuel.”

Part of what keeps drawing me to the song is its echo of that famous line from Julian of Norwich: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

2023 is the 650th anniversary of the divine visions of Mother Julian that inspired her to write “Revelations of Divine Love,” the earliest known surviving work in English written by a woman. It is a profound and prayerful meditation that has pointed countless people towards Christ.

In our troubled times, to say that all is well or even that all shall be well invites incredulity and even scorn. So much is wrong in our world today: wars, disease, injustice, hatred, division, poverty. But as our Advent season ends and the 12 days of Christmas begin, we proclaim as people of faith that all shall be well.

We say this not out of naivete, or denial, but because we believe that God is with us, Emmanuel. “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).

Because God was born for us and is with us in Jesus Christ, we have no need to fear. For we not only have a Savior who knows our human suffering, who comforts us in our sorrows, but a Savior who, when he comes again, will set all things right, on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, was raised, and ascended into heaven that the world might be saved through him. Even sin and death have been vanquished by God’s gracious love.

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” For God is with us, Emmanuel.

Merry Christmas.

The Right Reverend Poulson Reed

Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Tenets of Grace

December 23rd, 2023

Scripture

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once 16 the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

--Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. It is the third in a series of parables speaking of the return of the Son of Man and how disciples should live as they await his coming. Jesus tells of a man of great wealth who entrusts bags of gold to three servants, giving to each “according to his ability.” The first two double the money, while the third, in fear, hides his master’s money by burying it in the ground.

When the man returns, he praises the first two servants for their handling of his money, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” To the third, the one who hides away his master’s resources in fear of him, the man takes away the money and pronounces judgement, “throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This parable seems to reward those who do good work with the resources that the master has given them. Investing is risky, though, and the return on investment is beyond the control of the investor. What is rewarded is not the return gained from the investing of money, but rather the servants’ willingness to risk what they have been given because they trust their master. Their reward is to enter fully into the joy of the master.

Jesus tells these startling judgement parables to jar us out of our complacency, to wake us up to God’s grace and to trust in the goodness of God. We have been given all that we have and all that we are as pure gift.  First, our very lives are a gift from God.  We were created not to hold on to our lives in fear, but to share ourselves as a gift.  It is in self-forgetting love that we live fully as humans created in the image of God. As we share our lives for the good of others, we take on the image of Christ, who poured out his life in pure love for our salvation.

Second, the source of true joy comes from sharing God’s grace.  The paradox of grace is this: if we treat God’s grace as a possession, a limited resource to be held onto tightly, it slips through our fingers. But, if we risk sharing God’s grace with others, we step into the unending, overflowing wellspring of grace. The joy of experiencing the continuous flow of grace into our lives—and out of it to others—is beyond any temporary happiness the world offers.

Reflection:

·      Consider your life as the beautiful handiwork of God, given as pure gift. Write a prayer of thanksgiving to God for this gift.

·      What does your day look like today? How might you intentionally schedule an occasion to share God’s love with someone?

The Rev. Canon Betsy Randall

Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Confounding Our Expectations

December 21st, 2023

Scripture

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

--Matthew 25:1-13

Reflection

My team of Ministry Partners and I have been dwelling with this text all of November and December. Sometimes we have been dwelling against it. It is such an enigmatic parable. Why can’t the bridesmaids simply share their oil? Why is the groom so delayed? What kind of wedding is this that starts at midnight? Why were the bridesmaids who had to get more oil not let in? If the importance of the parable is to stay awake, didn’t the wise bridesmaids fall asleep, just like the so-called foolish ones? In our tradition that has placed so much emphasis on inclusion and welcome, this parable excludes and leaves half the bridesmaids out in the cold. Yet, as we returned to the parable week by week, we came to accept, however reluctantly, its premises.

There is a light I must keep, and no one else can keep it for me.

It is not my light. It is by and for Christ. We receive this light freely, but the keeping of it matters. Keeping it filled and keeping the wick trimmed is something we must do, and we can only keep our own light.

When I was ordained, a friend gave me a first century Judean oil lamp, a little more than two inches in diameter, simple clay, with a small reservoir and a small hole for the wick—the smallness of it is its most striking feature. It would fit in the palm of your hand. You would need to fill it and to trim the wick, several times a day. It would give just enough light for you.

The nature of waiting for Christ is that we will always be surprised. No one knows the day or the hour, not even the Son. Lots of people have their ideas; there are false messiahs everywhere. Jesus is clear, don’t listen to them. The how and the when are hidden from us. It will come like a thief in the night, or a long-delayed bridegroom. Confounding our expectations is always a theme of our sacred stories.

Keeping hope is the one job we have. The foolish neglect this and let theirs burn out and run dry. The wise are vigilant about this one task. How are your hope reserves? How do you feed them? Is your oil flask full? It’s not too late, not yet. but the time is nigh. Will your light be burning to greet the groom?

The Rev. Canon Steve Carlsen

Canon for Congregational Vitality

Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Devoted to the Moment

December 20th, 2023

                                 Matthew 24:45-51

‘Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, “My master is delayed”, and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him into pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Reflection

This is an example of a text that gives Advent a very bad reputation. Reading it is like taking someone you have a crush on to a slasher movie and expecting them to fall in love with you. Hey, let me introduce you to Jesus. The RSV translation softened the text by substituting “punish” for “cut to pieces.” Still, it is no wonder why people watch Hallmark movies in October.

Our worries and concerns impact the way we read the scriptures, and the worries and concerns of those who wrote them impacted what they wrote. Knowing something about the context within which the scriptures were written is essential to understanding them. Early Christians expected Jesus to return immediately. When he did not return immediately, their anxiety increased like ours does when our plane’s departure is continuously delayed. As time passed, people eventually lost their focus and their discipline. They became lazy and self-absorbed.

Matthew is using a time-tested parental threat. “Just wait until your father gets home.” Fear is not a great long-term motivator. However, I do not believe that Matthew is leading with a threat. There is a deeper foundation to Matthew’s story. He is trying to get his readers to focus on their vocation. We should pay attention to the fact that the slave is supposed to be concerned that everyone gets what they need. They are not concerned about their own welfare or whether or not they are going to get into heaven. They are called to be devoted to others.

Many years ago, I heard a fictitious story about a dysfunctional monastery. It was full of strife. A guest monk came and told them that the Lord was coming. The monks set about many tasks. The building was cleaned and repaired. As a result, relationships were healed. The monks waited and wondered. When it came time for their guest to depart, he told them that the Lord had already come.

There is another dimension to Matthew’s story that is worthy of contemplation. If we remember that Matthew is intimately connected with the story of Israel, it is possible to hear an echo of Joseph’s saga here. Sold as a slave by his brothers, he finds himself living in Egypt where he ascends to become Pharoah’s chief of staff. When famine descended upon the land, Joseph was in a position to make sure the people were given what they needed. At the end of the story, when Joseph is reunited with his family, he tells them that God had sent him before them. His attitude allowed the family to be reconciled rather than be torn apart by a vengeful spirit.

Joseph’s saga overlays Matthew’s story and the season of Advent. Regardless of what time we live in, whether it be a time of prosperity or adversity, we live with hopefulness not only for a time that will come, but in the time that is. Like Joseph and John the Baptist, we prepare the way for God’s reconciling work. Advent reminds us of our vocation. It encourages us to be disciplined and prepared. It teaches us to value the moment in which we are living because all moments belong to God.

The Rev. Dr. Mark Story

Rector, St. Mary’s Edmond, Oklahoma City

The Great Unknowing

December 19th, 2023

Scripture

32‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

36 ‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

--Matthew 24:32-44

Reflection

There’s so much we don’t know about God. Yet, given enough time in church settings, Christians develop a sense of God ownership. What begins as curious exploration into the relationship between the person and God, seems to phase into an absolute truth regarding God.  Lines are drawn. Doctrines are created. Denominations rise. Divisions multiply. The body of Christ slowly dismembers itself, detaching and moving further away from each of its parts in the name of wholesome wholeness. It is out of our desire to be right, that the actual knowledge we hold—the axiom of ‘God is love’—is lost in a maelstrom of we-versus-them theology.

Recently, a woman told me about her experience in prison. More specifically, the times in which baptisms were offered to the populace. Due to time constraints and security, many of these baptisms occurred in large numbers; multiple ministers from varying denominations would take turns baptizing inmates who identified with their denominational structures. As each minister went to the podium, and then to the baptismal font, she remembered feeling a sense of confusion and hurt. Small statements were made by each minister, subtly dismissing their previous counterpart’s theology through thinly veiled statements or corrections. In all of this, she felt lost. When she was released from prison, she didn’t want to attend church. She said, “Why would I go to a place that was so worried about what the other people were doing that they might forget about me?”

I didn’t know what to say…

Our constant pledge to spread the good news of Christ by word and example can be sullied by our inability to articulate what and who we are in Christ. Rather, we utilize the practice of proclaiming what and who we aren’t, all too often. It is in this mode that none of us can be ready to receive the arrival of Christ, being too preoccupied with our constrained perceptions of him. If we would let our sense of knowing be scaled back, just a bit, perhaps an anticipatory and curious unknowing could reassert itself, allowing us the grace to be accepted when Christ comes. Perhaps the body of Christ can be drawn back toward itself with a small amount of humility in that same unknowing.

Being ready doesn’t mean being right; it means remaining open to the myriad mysteries that have been revealed to us by the resurrected Christ and open to the possibilities of those which have yet to be revealed by his coming again. My hope during this and every Advent, is to embrace the knowledge and love of God that I feel, while also waiting in joyful anticipation for the Christ who comes again to reveal the remaining truth that passes all understanding.

The Rev. Sean A. Ekberg, Rector

Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, OKC

fear...or Love?

December 18th, 2023

Scripture

“So when you see the desolating sacrilege, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 17 the one on the housetop must not go down to take things from the house; 18 the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. 19 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’[a] or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs[b] and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.

--Matthew 24:15-31

fear… or Love

The Church Season of Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare our hearts and minds for the Coming, both of the Christ Child, and of Christ again, in power and great glory. The “Christ Child” part we understand fairly well, but that part about Christ coming again in power and great glory has always been difficult for followers of Jesus. It is often accompanied in our scriptures by frightening imagery and militaristic metaphors.

It is very human for us to resort to these images and metaphors. Our experience in this world leads many to believe that might makes right and the only way to overcome evil is by the same method evil uses. The message of fear is a powerful tool and is always tempting to use. Similarly, amassing great support to “fight for right” brings a headiness we associate with power and glory.

The lyrics from “Poor Jerusalem” in Jesus Christ Superstar give us instructive pause. Jesus has just completed his ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem, and Simon Peter is extolling the huge crowd of perhaps fifty thousand all singing and shouting Hosannas to Jesus, implying they’re ready to take their place by Jesus’ side in the overthrow of Rome. Peter sings over and over “yours is the power and the glory, for ever and ever and ever.” Jesus responds with these words:

Neither you Simon, nor the fifty thousand, nor the Romans, nor the Jews, nor Judas, nor the twelve, nor the Priests, nor the scribes, nor doomed Jerusalem itself understand what power is, understand what glory is, understand at all…understand at all.

Suppose, for our Advent consideration, we set aside this human obsession with the threatening fearful God. Suppose we spend Advent, the Season of Coming, immersing ourselves in the consistent message of Jesus, found in his teaching and action in this world, about the One whom Jesus refers to as Father. Perhaps we would recall stories like the ones we call “The Prodigal Son” and “The Good Samaritan”. Maybe we would recall the person caught in the act of adultery, the feeding of the five thousand, or the healing of the centurion’s servant and the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter. We would definitely want to reread Jesus’ teaching of the greatest commandment about loving God and loving your neighbor. These teachings of Jesus show that our true relationship to God, and to everyone, is rooted in Love, not fear.

Then, of course, there is the most powerful image we have of God’s true nature. When faced with the horrific treatment of Jesus leading to his death by crucifixion, God did not respond with the world’s understanding of power and glory. The eternal response of God was Resurrection — which brought forgiveness, restoration, and joy. Why would we ever consider that the coming again of Christ in power and great glory would be anything else?

This Advent, you are invited to prepare your heart and mind for the Coming of Christ in the Power and Glory of Love. You see, whether Christ comes as a child or comes again at the end of time, Christ always comes in Love. May this season of Coming continue to bless you with God’s eternal Love.

The Rev. William D. Holly

Interim Priest, Saint Dunstan’s, Tulsa

A Profound Act of Deference

December 17th, 2023

Scripture

 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. 33 You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

39 “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 I do not accept glory from humans. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

--John 5:30-47

Reflection

If we go back a bit prior to where today’s passage starts, Jesus had just healed a man on *gasp* the sabbath.  Told him to get up and walk and he did just that.  What follows next could just as easily take place today as it did in 1st century Jerusalem.  Instead of celebrating the profound and miraculous healing of this gentleman, everyone reaches for the nearest measuring stick and starts arguing about authority.  Can you imagine the social media posts and subsequent comment sections? 

Why are we so obsessed with authority then?  My guess is it’s about power, whether we claim it for ourselves, or for our group, or just to keep it away from those we don’t like.

As we are now well into the season of Advent, I find myself turning to the one who, in this passage, receives a mere passing mention: John. Why? Because I think John understood authority.  Namely, he knew that his ministry wasn’t his own, there was no question for him about where true authority resides.  His whole ministry was built upon the profound act of deference, as all real prophets can attest.  That humility and willingness to defer any earthly power and prestige makes him the perfect companion during this Advent season of waiting. 

What would it look like if, like John, all our endeavors and efforts were driven by the desire not for our own authority, clout, prestige, influence, or power, but rather pointing out and celebrating the wondrous deeds done on our behalf, namely the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ?  What if we only worried about His authority?  How would this change your day-to-day life?  Your relationships?  Your work or vocation?  The season of Advent is a strange time in which we inhabit the awkward space between a promise made and one not yet fulfilled.  Because of this gray area, isn’t it easy to just yield to the holiday fervor and distraction?  We begrudgingly (or not) defer to the crashing waves of sales, parties, plans, and everything else.  Rather, let us be like John—that burning and shining lamp—and illumine the path and the work of Jesus, in Whom all authority on Earth and Heaven rests, who was, who is, and will come again. 

Light the way friends, and tell His story.

Fr. Jeff Huston

Chaplain, St. Augustine Canterbury Association

Oklahoma State University

Welcoming the End

December 16th, 2023

Scripture

“As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

‘Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.”

--Matthew 24:1-14

Welcoming the End

It’s the end of the world as we know it, but do we feel fine?  We hardly expect to encounter these kinds of images as we enter into Advent, but it begs the question: “What images do we expect?” As a Christian understanding of Christmas does not involve reindeer, old men shimmying down chimneys, or chestnuts roasting on an open fire, what should we expect to find as we approach the season?

As we move through this season of expectation what can we expect?  Jesus tells us to expect the end of the world. Jesus wants us to be prepared that everything we know must change with his arrival. Our edifices and monuments must crumble as we calculate the cost of his coming. Is it a price we are willing to pay?  What comes after the permanent evaporates?

Committing ourselves to the Way of Christ requires nothing less than our surrender to a world order that is new and is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is an order that is based on the two great commandments that we put nothing before God and we give ourselves sacrificially to one another in love.  In Advent. we are called to pause and consider not only the mystery that is coming at Christmas, but also the present reality.  This reality we are called to contemplate makes clear that the Kingdom of God coming on earth will result in heartache, headaches, and heartburn. 

Advent is seldom seen for what it is: a time to clear out the coffers of our hearts so that Christ can enter in. The apocalyptic edge to Advent needs to be understood for what it truly is: a reckoning; a remaking; a renewing.  For Christ to enter into our world, things must change.  Change is seldom easy and absent of conflict or hardship. Sometimes accepting Christ upends everything. Multiple times in scripture, Jesus acknowledges his presence is confounding.  Our Baptismal Liturgy illustrates perfectly that life has to change drastically upon entering into the Christian life.  Ergo (I couldn’t resist), it is very much the end of the world as we know it.  

But thanks be to God for it. 

For in accepting Christ, I can love my neighbor with the might of my love, augmented by his love.  I can extend life-changing grace to others because of what has been poured into my life.  Just the consequences of accepting Jesus are cataclysmic, surely are the effects upon the lives of others.  When done well, the world ending love of Jesus for us, ends the worlds of others and suddenly we find ourselves dwelling in the reality of God’s kingdom-come on earth; a fulfillment of that for which we pray.  Our own monuments of ego, ambition, self-importance, and arrogance are swept aside, and the eternal breaks through. 

But only, if we are willing to let our world end.  “E’en so, come quickly Lord Jesus.”  

The Rev Tyler Richards

Can You Hear Me?

December 15th, 2023

Scripture

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

--Matthew 23:27-39   (NIV)

Reflection

We are all probably full of anticipation this time of year. We’re anticipating joyful visits with out-of-town friends and family.  We anticipate indulging in the decadent food and drink of the season, and we can’t wait to sing Advent and Christmas hymns at the coming weeks’ church services.  But I’m guessing that none of us were anticipating being yelled at today by Jesus! Why is Jesus talking to us so sternly about our hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and our overall inability to recognize what’s really important?

The simple answer is that Jesus has to make sure we are listening and paying attention to what it means to be followers of God.  It’s the same situation where you see your child about to dart into a busy street, or when you realize the driver of the car you’re in doesn’t see the stop sign ahead.  “Stop! Stop!” you yell sharply and loudly.  Your message is too important to be quiet and polite about.

So it is with Jesus, who has to make it clear to anyone within earshot that, although the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees may be in leadership positions within the community, their example is not the one to be followed by anyone who seeks a serious relationship with God.  The scribes and Pharisees weren’t as concerned about the greater calling of God’s love - justice, mercy, and faithfulness for all - as they were about making sure they remained in power and influence over society. Worse, they were also leading others to model their bad behavior.

When I think of it that way…maybe I want to be yelled at by Jesus.  I’m comforted to know that he cares so much about me that he is willing to be born, to live, to instruct, to die, to be resurrected, and even to yell for my sake. I would hope that anyone who loves me would point out the error of my ways, especially if they see me focusing on trivial, earthly things and ignoring the most important, heavenly things that are right before my eyes. 

It is through this honesty that I can improve my relationship with God and be blessed as one who comes in the name of the Lord.

The Rev. Lisa Chronister, Deacon

St. John’s Episcopal Church, OKC

The Burden of Expectation

December 14th, 2023

Scripture

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ 19 How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it, 21 and whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who dwells in it, 22 and whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside also may become clean.

--Matthew 23:13-26

Reflection

In the film Anchorman, a comedic rivalry unfolds between the Channel 4 news team, led by Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy, and their Channel 9 adversaries, resulting in a West-Side Story-esque brawl. The absurdity escalates as additional rival news teams join the fracas, complete with a trident-wielding weatherman. Nursing his wounds and reflecting on the chaos, Burgundy remarks, "Boy, that escalated quickly.”

Similarly, the Gospel reading from Matthew might evoke that same sentiment. Without context, Jesus' intense critique of the Pharisees and scribes appears to have escalated quickly, as well. However, tracing back through the preceding days after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we witness Jesus navigating challenges from various groups seeking to discredit him. Today's reading serves as the climax of Jesus' response to their deceptive questioning, emphasizing their hypocrisy and lack of mercy.

The scribes and Pharisees, once revered as religious authorities, are unmasked for their outward piety concealing inner corruption. They meticulously adhere to the letter of the law while neglecting its spirit, burdening others with oppressive rules and failing to live up to their own standards.

Jesus' words of woe reverberate through time, challenging us to examine our own hearts and behaviors. How often do we, like the scribes and Pharisees, focus on outward appearances rather than internal transformation? Do we burden others with our expectations, forgetting the love and compassion central to Jesus' teachings?

Advent invites us to ponder whether our actions reflect genuine faith or a desire for recognition. This Advent, let us embrace authenticity, cleansing our hearts of hypocrisy. As we await Christ's return, may we become conduits of God's love, sharing his light with the world. By doing so, we fulfill the spirit of Advent, preparing for the transformative presence of Christ to redeem not just the world but also our own hearts.

The Rev. Dion Crider

Priest Associate

Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, OKC

Lift Up the Lowly

December 13th, 2023

Scripture

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

--Matthew 23:1-12

Christmas Eve at the Dollar Store

There are mostly younger adults of parental age, many of them men, hurrying through the untidy aisles.   Anxiety and desperation mark their faces.  They grab a rubber ball, a pair of shoes, a cheap looking “Barbie” style doll, or a teddy bear.   They try to figure how far that paycheck or small Christmas bonus will stretch.   There is only an hour left to secure a Christmas for the kids.  The store will soon close and the ride from the friend at work will be gone.   The wife’s younger brother can’t pay back that loan.  It is what it is.  People wearing the Victory Church sweaters are on the sidewalk telling everyone that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Does Advent offer any present or future hope for these desperate parents and their children?   Does it offer a happier day for the tired store clerks serving them?   Mother Mary has a song about that hope, recorded elsewhere in the Gospels: Luke 1:46-55: “God has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things”.  It’s not a surprise that her son is teaching that the greatest among us must be servants; that if we exalt ourselves we will be humbled, but if we humble ourselves we will be raised up.

How does that work out for a follower of Jesus at the dollar store on Christmas Eve at about 4 pm?  Maybe a follower of Jesus will offer a smile to anxious shoppers and tired store clerks.  Maybe a student of Rabbi Jesus will hand over a dollar bill to a customer trying to count dimes and nickels at the register.  Perhaps a child of our Father in Heaven will offer his place in line to a customer holding large items and asking somebody on their cell phone to please wait a few more minutes.   The greatest among you will be your servant.   It’s alright to be humble in daily life.   God our Father will lift us back up. 

The Rev. James Blagg, Rector

St. John’s Durant

The G.O.A.T.

December 12th, 2023

Scripture

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit[b] calls him Lord, saying,

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
    until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?

45 “If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

--Matthew 22:34-45

The GOAT

As Advent begins Churches become a bit more well-attended because college football season is coming to an end. By the time this is read, we will be well into the preparation for bowl season and the Heisman Trophy winner will have just been announced.  Pundits and critics will have discussed who will be the best players of the season and the conversation will inevitably turn to who is the GOAT, the greatest of all time.

While football wasn’t on the table back in the time of Jesus’s ministry here on earth, there were scholars who talked over and over again about the scriptures and how they might be interpreted. These discussions resulted in the expansion of the Ten Commandments to more than 600. The Pharisees knew this, and they wanted to put Jesus in his place. So, they asked the question ‘What is the greatest commandment?”, or, as we might put it, the GOAT.

Nearing the end of his time on earth, Jesus took the opportunity to instruct his people about the importance of those original ten and answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said all the rest were subject to the test of these two. The question he asked the Pharisees next was so complex and complete that these learned gentlemen never questioned him again. Discussion ended.

You shall LOVE God, and you shall LOVE your neighbor as you LOVE yourself. The greatest commandment requires us to love, no matter the circumstance.

Love, love, love, love.
Christians, this is your call:
Love your neighbor as yourself,

For God loves us all.

This is the GOAT. Enough said!

The Rev. Deacon Kay Boman-Harvey

All Saints’ Episcopal Church; Miami, OK

Caricature and Curiosity

December 11th, 2023

Scripture

The same day some Sadducees came to him saying there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question: 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died childless, leaving the widow to his brother. 26 The second did the same, so also the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last of all, the woman herself died. 28 In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For all of them had married her.”

29 Jesus answered them, “You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels of God in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead but of the living.” 33 And when the crowds heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.

--Matthew 22:23-33

Caricature and Curiosity

Too often when we have prolonged exposure to a worldview that differs from ours, especially one we find irritating, we start to caricature both the opposing view and our own.  We usually compare the best parts of what we think with the worst parts of what an opposing group thinks.  In so doing, we become cartoonishly virtuous while the other guys become cartoonishly nonsensical or villainous. 

This is sort of what happens in this encounter between the Sadducees and Jesus.  The Sadducees were traditionalists, and they knew their scriptures very, very well, particularly the Torah.  They talked about it a lot, and their interpretations of it were always very keen to stay close to the text itself.  They didn’t want a lot of what they saw as extraneous stuff added in. 

There’s virtue in this: they’re trying to be faithful to an authority that all Jewish people, including Jesus, relied on.  Moreover, the questions the Sadducees brought to the Torah were often immensely practical.  “Okay, let’s say this happens.  What does faithfulness look like then?”

You can see how they play up their strengths in their question to Jesus.  They quote Deuteronomy 25:5, demonstrating their faithfulness to what Moses taught about the death of a spouse.  So far, so good.  They then apply that text to a practical situation: multiple brothers die, so multiple brothers marry the woman. 

But then they go wrong.  They set everything up on their terms, and then use that to make fun of the resurrection group around Jesus.  You can hear them snickering.  “This’ll show him!”  They turn resurrection into a caricature rather than exhibit any genuine curiosity. 

What if they had simply said something like, “It’s important to us that our lives be based on the Torah.  We don’t understand how you get to the resurrection of the dead from the Torah.  How did you get there, and why is it important to you?”  That’s a very different conversation. 

But that’s not the one Matthew gives us.  Jesus’ response is combative.  “You are wrong” is a hot take.  “You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God” is a very hot take.  Jesus challenges the authority the Sadducees claim—the Torah as it is written—and adds something a bit more mysterious: the power of God.  It’s as though he says, “On your own terms, your position is weak.  And let’s not forget who gave us the Torah to begin with.” 

To top it all off, he quotes the bible back to them, reminding them how God names Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:13-15.  “I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.”  There’s a hint here of something hard to describe, something not in the text itself (I am no Sadducee!) but which later generations of Christians might call the communion of saints. 

Both Jesus and the Sadducees respected Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  But when Jesus responds as he does—He is God not of the dead, but of the living—he seems to suggest that the resurrection faction actually has more respect for these patriarchs than the Sadducees do.  For Jesus and his followers, the patriarchs and matriarchs are living not because there is some ‘back room’ to the universe where we’ll have to sort out (again) who is married to whom after we die.  No, the resurrection just means that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still living simply because that is Who God is.  God is eternal; God is our creator; and God’s power is such that death cannot prevent Him from relating to us as He sees fit.  Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel—all these patriarchs and matriarchs are still living because they are still God’s.  To be raised is to continue to be God’s person.  When Christians affirm the resurrection of the dead, that’s all we’re saying.  We are affirming something about God, not about us. 

That’s worth being curious about.  As we contemplate the coming of Christ this Advent season, maybe the mystery of God incarnate will provoke our own curiosity about those around us and help heal some of our Sadducee ways.

The Rev. Daniel P. Strandlund, Rector

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church

High Point, NC

Birth Pains

December 10th, 2023

Luke 1:57-68

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” 62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us
    in the house of his child David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71     that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors
    and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74     that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness
    in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

Reflection

This is a conclusion of the story of the birth of John the Baptist. John’s parents were old, like Abraham and Sarah, beyond childbirth years. When the angel approaches Zachariah, John’s father, in the temple, Zachariah wants to know how he can trust what the angel is saying. Instead of working a miracle, God places a punishment, the inability to speak, as a sign promised to Zachariah and Elizabeth is to be trusted. I try to imagine how Zachariah would explain his sudden inability to speak to people, instead using only hand gestures and facial expressions of excitement and fear to communicate that God has promised his son would be the forerunner of the Messiah.

Think about what the arrival of the Messiah meant. It meant that God had not forgotten them. In a world that was groaning for deliverance, like a midwife, God is there to help with the birth pains.

Right now, there is so much to be worried about. From senseless acts of gun violence, wars, economic worries, poverty, and political divisions. There is an adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Zachariah’s song, which we often pray at Evening Prayer, is both a spiritual and political revolution. But it is also a reminder that God is always with us. Amid the despair, we can see hope. It does not deny the reality of suffering, but it reminds us that suffering is not all there is.

Where do you need God to be a midwife in your life? What is happening in your life that you need to remember God always keeps His promises?

Father Everett Lees

Vicar, Christ Church—Tulsa

Make Some Change

December 9th, 2023

Scripture

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, “Whose head is this and whose title?” 21 They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed, and they left him and went away.

--Matthew 22:15-22

Reflection

In this passage from Matthew, we see the Pharisees and the Herodians trying to entrap Jesus. They ask him about paying taxes to Rome. If Jesus opposes the taxes, he will certainly find himself in conflict with the local Roman officials. As is usually the case, Jesus’ response is surprising and baffling to his opponents.

At this point in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is teaching in the temple. According to Jewish law, engraved images were frowned upon, especially in the temple. Jesus’ simple request to see the coin used to pay the tax, immediately highlights the hypocrisy of his opponents. These leaders are carrying coins, engraved with Caeser’s image on one side and his title “Tiberius Caesar, August Son of the Divine Augustus”, on the other side, inside the temple. Jesus could have won and ended the argument right here. However, he does not stop there. Simply beating his opponents is not Jesus’ mission.

Jesus has bigger plans. Throughout the gospels, Jesus’ ministry/mission is restoring people and creation to proper relationship with God and each other. In this passage from Matthew, Jesus uses this encounter with the Pharisees and Herodians to further his mission. The answer to Jesus’ question regarding the coin, “whose head is this and whose title,” implies ownership. These coins have Caesar’s image and title thus they must belong to Caesar. Therefore, according to Jesus, give the things that are Caesar’s to Caesar.

In the second part of Jesus’ reply, he furthers his mission of restoring people to God and each other: “Give . . . to God the things that are God’s.” What “coins” in your life have God’s image and title engraved upon them? What does that image look like? What title(s) have been given? Who or what belongs to God? During this Advent, how might you see and understand God’s images and titles in your life in a manner that helps you make change for Christmas?

The Rev. Canon Ashley Freeman

Canon to the Ordinary

Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast

The Ultimate Celebration

December 8th, 2023

Matthew 22:1-14

22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Reflection

When I read the parable of the Wedding Feast in the context of the season of Advent I am struck by two things and what they point to.  How much God wants to share the feast, and how we can let other things get in the way of joyfully accepting that invitation.  Both of those things seem to be pointing to preparation to me. 

Here is God sparing no expense and overcoming any obstacle to both ensure that the feast is prepared and that the wedding hall is filled.  Nothing will stand in the way of the ultimate celebration.  Where there is work to be done, God sees that it is done, and where there are obstacles to overcome God overcomes them.  God’s preparation is perfect.

Those first guests, however, seem to find any excuse to not prepare for the feast that is to come.  There are other priorities to see to, and other tasks that seem more important.  They are unwilling to do what they need to do to prepare themselves to enter into the joyful festivities that are being prepared for them.  Their preparation was lacking.

I find comfort in the idea that God is preparing for me, preparing for us, even to this day.  God hasn’t given up preparing for the amazing newness and fullness that are in store for each of us on the other side of Advent.  Just as in the parable, God is sparing no expense and overcoming any obstacle so that our feast might bountiful and flooded with joy.

Our opportunity then is to match that preparation in our lives during this season.  There are so many calls for our time and focus as we rush towards the end of the year.  Do we have everything in line at work, what about our celebrations with family and friends that are to come, have we accomplished everything we’ve set out to do this year?  It is all too easy to turn our preparation for Jesus into an afterthought or an, “I’ll get to that”.  Hopefully we can look to God’s perfect preparation and therein be intentional with our own preparation.

If we are to be prepared for Christ with our whole heart, soul and mind perhaps we can intentionally spend time and effort this season in preparation.  We can prioritize our readiness of heart by readying our bodies with good rest, nutrition, and exercise.  We can prioritize our soul with daily prayer, acts of service, and worship.  We can prioritize our minds with regular bible study, engagement with justice in the world, and seeking others to share God’s love with.  I pray that this Advent we all might take our own preparation for Jesus as fully and completely as God is preparing for each of us.

In God’s Love,

The Rev. Bryan Beard

Vicar, Church of the Holy Cross—Owasso, OK

Raking the Leaves

December 7th, 2023

Scripture

33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way. 37 Then he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
    and it is amazing in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

--Matthew 21:33-46

Reflection

The pesky thing about fall is all the leaves. It’s also the most beautiful thing. But without fail, each fall while I’m cleaning up my yard I step in a hole in the grass or trip over the stone boarder of my garden because I can’t see through the leaves.  I stub my toe, or I twist my ankle, and once I even fell to the ground.

Our reading today is a prophetic warning from Jesus.  In the context of his life, it is directed toward the Pharisees who have created so many rules around the Law of Moses that just about everyone is bound to stumble at some point. Perfection is hard for humans to attain.

At the heart of the parable is the rejection of the landowner’s messengers, and even his son (whom the tenants murder).  This series of rejections is ultimately a rejection of the landowner! The tenants want the land to themselves. They have forgotten who owns it.

The Pharisees get the parable right away (at least on the surface)… if the tenants have forgotten who owns the land and they’ve killed the son, then they are wretches who deserve death! (Notice it’s the pharisees who assume the landowner will be retributive). But they don’t yet see the deeper layer - that Jesus’ story is a warning to them!

Quoting Psalm 118, Jesus says, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”  Jesus, the Son, Emmanuel, God with Us, has become the chief cornerstone. It is marvelous in our eyes! Yet they missed it … the pharisees trip over it instead. They twist their ankle… they fall to the ground.  They don’t see it yet, but when they realize the truth of this in fullness, it will “break them to pieces” and “crush” them (vs 44). 

They sought so hard to do good, to be good… but their stubbornness and self-righteousness blinds them to the grace Jesus is trying to get them to see. They stumble over him again and again.  Yet, in the end, Jesus doesn’t crush them or put them to death, but forgives them. 

The judgment of humanity is thankfully in the hands of the same God who loves us since before we took our first breath.  This is not to say that God’s judgment isn’t hard or pain free. Realizing the truth of love, when one has rejected it over and over, promises to be quite hard actually! But God’s love and mercy are essential. 

Reading this parable during the season of Advent, we are invited to ponder all the ways we are blind to how God is showing up for us in Christ Jesus.  What blinders keep us from receiving the gifts of Christ. Is it self-interest or self-righteousness? Is it a misconception of God’s character? Is it an expectation for how we want God to show up that keeps us from seeing how God actually shows up? 

Perhaps as we rake the leaves this fall and early winter we will slow down and pay a little more attention to where God is right in front of us, yet so easily missed. Don’t let the cornerstone be a stumbling block… instead embrace all that Christ is trying to show you.

Fr. Tim Baer, Vicar of Grace Church in Yukon

Mary's Advent

December 6th, 2024

Scripture

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same, and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and even after you saw it you did not change your minds and believe him.

--Matthew 21:23-32

Reflection

Let us remember Mary who, by this time, had been waiting for almost nine months. By now, Mary was probably quite large and ready to have the baby. Still, I believe she was enjoying this time of expectant waiting. She could feel her son kicking and moving. She knew what to do help settle him. She spent time talking and singing to this unborn child while she worked through her days.  He could hear her and was getting to know her. During this waiting time, she was bonding and caring for the life growing within her. She knew it was not yet time, but that it would arrive soon enough. Like all expectant mothers, she was taking the time to prepare for the birth of her son.

I believe that Mary was intimately present in her experience during this time. Obviously, things were about to change, but she worked to treasure the ‘before time’, the waiting time. Advent calls us to do the same. Be aware of the anticipation and excitement we have as we await Jesus’ birth. Slow down and focus on what is truly important. Think of Mary and how she waited with expectation for the birth of her child and how we do the same, more than two thousand years later. Live into this Advent time of waiting and expectancy. Be aware of what Advent brings out in us. Treasure this time of waiting and prepare yourself for what is to come so that we will all be ready when the baby arrives.

Rev. Ann Murray

Deacon

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Norman, Oklahoma

A Profound Rest

December 5th, 2023

Scripture

12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’
    but you are making it a den of robbers.”

14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did and heard the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise for yourself’?”

17 He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

18 In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

--Matthew 21: 12-22

Reflection

Here is an excerpt from T.L. Osborn which is one of many from his diary notes through decades of mass healing evangelism gatherings he led all over the world.  I chose this passage because it relates to Jesus’ healing ministry from Matthew here.

From Our Witness (2011), February, 1960, Lucknow, India: Two men who were blind found their way to the crusade together. Both were healed. Then a girl was healed of blindness and could see everything. A 70-year old woman, who had been nearly blind for seven years, was healed and could see clearly. How thankful we are to have come again to India. There were at least 20 blind people healed tonight. Fourteen years ago we left India because we were incapable of convincing Hindus and Muslims that Jesus is the Son of God, risen from the dead and alive today. Now we have come in the power of the Holy Ghost and God is confirming His gospel with mighty signs and wonders.

In this context of Osborn’s witness, I share here a memorable personal experience of Advent.

I attended a Sunday worship service in December of 2017 at International Gospel Center in Tulsa. I have known Pastor Chyanna Mull-Anthony there for many years. The multi-cultural congregation is the headquarters of The T.L. Osborn Ministries. I have come to know T.L.’s daughter Ladonna, who still conducts such healing missions every year.

The service started with many songs of praise, and I was soon aware of a pervasive presence of the Holy Spirit, more so than other times I had worshipped there. Chyanna said she was not going to preach because of such presence of the Holy Spirit there that day, asking people to continue to move with the anointing in the assembly. I prayed and sang and began to see the room filled with angels, and with tongues of fire over many people’s heads, seen in the Spirit. I saw T.L. and Daisy Osborn standing behind their daughter. I have known the “communion of the saints before,” but never like this, and never angels like this. In tears I went to Ladonna and told her of the presence of her parents.

Worshiping there, I often come into a profound rest of mind and body, and simply sit and receive. Gregory of Sinai calls it the “calm variety” of exultation. I could only sit in awe at the Lord’s Presence that day.  In 1981 I heard Abbot David Geraets tell of such a thick glory he experienced in worship in South America. Canon Andrew White offers vivid, multiple witnesses to the Shekinah glory, and healing miracles in Iraq.

These are some of the “thrilling voices” who have sounded to me and to whom I have harkened in the Holy Spirit’s continuing inbreaking in the Advent of the Kingdom.  

The Rev. Clyde Glandon

Retired Clergy, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

All in a Huffy?

December 4th, 2023

Scripture

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
    humble and mounted on a donkey,
        and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Reflection

I wanted a Huffy bicycle. The pink one with the puffy white seat that looked like a fluffy pillow. Low handlebars with black grips. Pedals with cleat-like prongs that would dig into my tennis shoes so my feet wouldn’t slip off when I popped a wheelie on the curb at the end of my driveway.  Fat tires with thick tread waiting to take a deep, sweet slide in the pea-sized gravel at the corner of Westridge Street and Wagon Wheel.

I wanted a Huffy.  I got a Schwinn.  Purple.  Purple glitter banana seat.  Tall handle bars with white grips and streamers.  Plain, non-cleat pedals.  Small, low-tread tires.  And a stupid orange flag atop a long pole stuck in the gear of the back wheel.  In true only-child’ response, I was mortified but was not about to let my parents know my absolute, utter disappointment.

Jesus, the Son of God, Redeemer of the World, should have been riding a triumphant warhorse, a Clydesdale or Friesian or Percheron into Jerusalem.  Custom-made leather saddle dyed deep red and buffed to a mirror shine.  Exquisitely-tasseled bridle.  The luscious mane and tail brushed and braided with micro-strands of gold and silver threads.

Jesus rides a donkey.  A lowly animal barely half the height and a quarter of the weight of a war charger.  And this animal isn’t even his own; it’s a borrowed beast left outside to tend to its own colt.  And, as the King of Heaven enters the city, no great leaders, no powerful politicians, no innovators of the community cluster the streets to see this mythical man who heals and raises the dead and breaks the barrier between the natural and miraculous.  No, only the lowly greet him and wave his entrance into his final destination.

I tore up the streets of my neighborhood with that purple Schwinn, scraped many toes when my feet slipped off the pedals, popped too many tires when speeding down the hill in order to slam on the brakes and slide sideways through the gravel.  That little bike was my best friend taking me to the creek to fish for crawdads and offering me freedom to get to school by myself by not having to ride the dreaded school bus.  I washed off the mud, oiled the chain and gears, and learned how to use Turtle Wax so that it looked new and spit-polished.

When I engage with the world, may I remember the adage, “Never judge a book by its cover.”  May I not take myself too seriously.  May I offer to myself as much grace as I extend to others when the package is rumpled or the message delivery isn’t as polished as a Poet Laureate.   And may I remember, above all, that the Incarnate God brought Heaven here and engaged with the world for love and hope and grace and wholeness.  May I, too, engage with my own world with passion and abandon and joy for the message itself…

And not how the message is packaged.

The Rev. Janie Koch, Vicar
All Saints Episcopal Church
McAlester, OK