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DON'T BE TRASH/TRASHY - REFLECTIONS ON MARK 9:38-50 - JESSE HEATH, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/29/2021

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This past Sunday, the Gospel reading was from Mark 9:38-50. I have a somewhat traumatic relationship with the doctrine of eternal punishment. In the tradition in which I grew up, it was typical to use this passage (and a few others) to preach on hell. Hell was always depicted as a place for sinners and backsliders. Pastors and revival preachers would sweat profusely as they warned us not to be caught without a relationship with Jesus Christ. This passage especially was used to warn believers not to be caught living in sin.
 
As Fr. Joseph said in his sermon on hell Sunday morning, it is true that Jesus’ warning of hell (Gehenna) is not for the unbeliever. It is a warning for the inner circle who put a roadblock before anyone coming to Jesus.
 
I encourage believers who threaten others with hell using this passage to stop and look at the context. First, when the English Bible uses the word hell, what is meant? The original Greek word used is γέεννα (Gehenna). This is a Greek translation of the Hebrew גֵּי הִנֹּם, (gey Hinnom). Gehenna was a boundary between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:8; 18:16). Prophets such as Jeremiah began associating this place to God’s wrath because King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:3), King Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:6), and others met at this location to offer false pagan worship, specifically by worshipping Ba’al (2 Kings 23:4) and sacrificing children to Molech (2 Kings 23:10). As such, Jeremiah foretells a time in which Gehenna would be a place where the slaughtered (inferring a battle) would be buried (Jeremiah 7:30-34; 19:3, 7; 19:11; 31:40). 
 
As part of his reforms, King Josiah defiled the site by dumping the pagan vessels used for worshipping Ba’al and scattering bones of the dead across the site. This was done so it could not be used for ritual sacrifices of children (2 Kings 23:10). Afterwards, the inhabitants of Jerusalem began using Gehenna as a dumping ground in which they would burn their trash. So, in the Jewish mind, Gehenna was a former pagan site associated with painful memories which they used to dump their trash.
 
Second, let us look at the previous passage from last week’s reading alongside this week’s passage. To whom is Jesus speaking? Mark 9:31-33 tells us that Jesus had left the public crowd and taken his disciples to a house in Capernaum. The disciples started arguing about who among them was the best disciple, the greatest. Who will get the spotlight? Jesus used a child in verse 36 as an example, not of humility, but of whom the disciples are to embrace, those who are following Christ. Then, in Mark 9:38-50, the disciples again are worried about others getting the spotlight. Someone, not in their circle, had begun casting out demons in the name of Jesus. How dare they?
 
Jesus’ response is to chide the disciples. Starting in verse 42, Jesus says, ““If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me…,” it would be better for you to drown (v. 42) or maim yourself (v. 43-45). Then, in case there was any confusion, Jesus clarifies that salt is only good if it maintains its purpose and character (v. 49-50). In his sermon on the mount, Jesus explained that his followers, his Church, are like salt and if they lost their saltiness, they would be discarded (Matthew 5:13).  Jesus exhorts the disciples, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).
 
Jesus is warning his Church. “Stop trying to hinder people from coming unto me. Stop causing strife. Don’t make me throw you into the garbage.”

~ Jesse L. Heath, M.A.T.S., M.Div., Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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REFLECTION ON JOHN 3:28-29, DR. NOEL JACOBS, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/24/2021

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John 3:28-29
You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.  And so that joy of mine has been made full.”

Meditation
John is speaking about Jesus after being told someone else is baptizing people the way he does and people are beginning to follow that guy ‘instead.’  And John knows exactly who they are talking about.  The focus of their gossip- perhaps to urge jealousy? - gives him joy instead.  How awesome is it to hear that the very purpose you have served is going according to plan because God, and not man, is in charge?   John is humble, prepared, thankful for this opportunity to have been a part of the journey of redemption for this world.

Humility, recognition of the bigger picture and the part we each play in this grand story, is sometimes hard to practice.  We live inside our own heads, with our own desire for significance, meaning, connection.  Stresses, frustrations, perceived losses, can overwhelm us and make us feel small and unimportant.  When I read John’s words and understand his message, I am strengthened, remembering that my job is his job.  I am called to do my work in the world around me – through the people I meet – to help prepare them to know Jesus. And that is not small.  It is huge.  But I must make myself less to do it right. Knowing how much Jesus loves me, I have clarity knowing there is no more important job, and no better reason to remain humble and excited about what is to come.


Prayer
Healer and Redeemer, our very lives can be the message of hope, love and redemption that lead people to You.  Give us the deep understanding of John for our lifelong mission, and remind us in your gentle way that our humility is necessary for this work. Amen.



Submitted by Noel Jacobs, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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MEDITATION ON JOHN 2:18-19, DR. NOEL JACOBS, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/22/2021

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John 2: 18-19
The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 

MEDITATION
I had to have surgery was when I was about 14.  The doctors told me what they were going to do, including using anesthesia to put me to sleep.  Because they had to review risks and benefits of the surgery, I heard what my mom heard, that there is a risk of death with any use of general anesthesia and abdominal surgery.  That was all I heard, not the odds ratios, not the fact that surgery was unavoidable.  Then my mom spoke up.  “Honey, you need to trust me.  I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t trust them and if I thought there was any chance you might die because of this.  I have faith you’re going to be just fine.  I want you to have that faith, too.”  I was not ready to trust, but I knew I needed the surgery, so I fearfully prayed, and prayed, and prayed right up until the moment the IV medication put me to sleep.

In this day and age, and I would add especially just inside the doorstep of 2021, it may feel like we have all been told to distrust any information we’re given, especially something outrageous, from a source not yet well known to us.  To Jews listening to Jesus make a claim like this (just after he has overturned the money changing tables and angrily driven out the merchants out of the Temple with a whip), it would reasonable to assume they thought him crazy.  Foreshadowing his own death and resurrection, they believed him at that time to be talking about rebuilding the Temple that, after total destruction and 46 years of reconstruction, was still not finished.  Granted, understanding he was talking about coming back from the dead would have seemed even more outlandish, but they were clearly not ready to believe either idea. 

How do we handle it when we are asked to put faith in God, or even in someone flesh and blood close to us who has our complete love and trust, and the promise is beyond our wildest imagining? How easy is it to step out when we don’t see the ground beneath us but imagine, instead, the worst outcomes?


PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for believing in us and our abilities to spread your Love in this world, even when we don’t trust in your ability to take care of us.  Help us with our belief when it fails; this world teaches us to distrust, but we know You are the one we can, and should, always trust. Amen.


Submitted by Noel Jacobs, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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REFLECTIONS ON JOHN 8:1-11, DEBRA KRAUSSE, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/20/2021

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John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him,” Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again, he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So, he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin anymore.” 

Meditation
All of us have had a special teacher we loved because he or she made learning interesting. We have taken the lesson and thought about it later. Jesus does this for us. He not only teaches the people who come to him but also teaches a very specific lesson to the Scribes and Pharisees. Let us look at learning differently from now on.

Prayer
God, you love me as your own child. May I bend my life and will toward you so that I might accept your teaching and guidance. I am so grateful for your support in my life, now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me. I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today. Amen

~Submitted by Debra Krausse, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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REFLECTIONS ON JOHN 8:1-11, DEBRA KRAUSSE, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/17/2021

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John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him,” Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again, he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So, he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin anymore.” 

Meditation
All of us have had a special teacher we loved because he or she made learning interesting. We have taken the lesson and thought about it later. Jesus does this for us. He not only teaches the people who come to him but also teaches a very specific lesson to the Scribes and Pharisees. Let us look at learning differently from now on.

Prayer
God, you love me as your own child. May I bend my life and will toward you so that I might accept your teaching and guidance. I am so grateful for your support in my life, now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me. I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today. Amen

~Submitted by Debra Krausse, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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REFLECTIONS ON JOHN 6:16-27 - AYLA YEAKLEY, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/15/2021

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, John 6:16-27
Jesus Walks on Water: Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

The Bread from Heaven: On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Meditation
Many people, over two thousand years later, still seek Jesus because of what he offers. Christianity is the only religion that believes in grace over karma. Christians all over the world continue to focus on eternal life with Jesus rather than perishable Earthly things, whether those things are bread, money, the latest technology, or the colorful toy from a commercial. Christianity compels people because of the purposeful way of life that comes with it.

We follow a loving God, yet, no matter how fulfilling a life we strive to create, it can be so difficult. We are meant to seek Jesus because we “ate the loaves and were filled.” We are not meant to seek Him because of signs and wonders. This is very hard for me, as I am autistic, and think very logically. I have a hard time comprehending abstract things like spirituality.

My autism is a gift. It makes me a creative deep thinker, but it does hinder me sometimes when it comes to religion. On top of that, I’ve suffered painful orthopedic issues all my life that lead me to question God’s goodness, when He can let me be in such agony. How can there be Heaven, where even my stiff spine and persistent anxiety can’t hurt me?

Of course, that’s definitely not to say you shouldn’t think things through. Sometimes difficult questions can strengthen faith, if they are answered well. Believing in something that has no evidence to support it is like running across the highway blindfolded just because someone told you to. It is dangerous, and can lead to harmful, destructive beliefs. Sometimes, seeing really is believing.  Though it is okay to look for evidence to remind us of the reality of Christ, it shouldn’t ever be the reason we worship and believe.

We shouldn’t pray because we saw a documentary about how evolutionary human psychology wouldn’t allow that many of one species to be martyrs for a cause unless it was true. We shouldn’t pray because our basic human understanding can process Christianity to some small extent; that’s not a good enough reason. We can’t even tell God’s seven days of creation from our short week based on the movement of the sun.  Our reason for loving Jesus should be even more than evidence, signs, and Jesus’s promises to us. It should be because we feel whole when we think of His love for us. We should be filled.

Prayer
Dear God, please help us to seek You, not for the sake of understanding, but because we love and trust You. Guide us through our doubts and show us Your glorious presence. Remind us of all you’ve done for us to deserve our praise and discipleship. Help us to believe in You, and the land of Heaven, no matter how hard it may become to believe in a place without sorrow or pain.
 

~Submitted by Ayla Yeakley, Saint Augustine of  Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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REFLECTION ON JOHN 5:5-6 - TESSA YEAKLEY, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/13/2021

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John 5: 5-6 (NKJV)
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Meditation
Jesus did such a wonderful thing for this man. Imagine lying on a mat for thirty-eight years and watching countless others find restoration in the refreshing pool of Bethesda while you inch your way to the fountain in vain. I wonder how many times it would take before I, too, gave up trying to make it there by my own power. This man needed mercy, and he waited decades for it.

The question Jesus asked is important though. Do you want to be made well? When we are unwell for a long time, we develop ways of coping with our infirmities because we have no choice. The hard part is unlearning those coping mechanisms when they no longer serve us. For some, that’s the most frightening step of healing. Jesus asked this man to consider whether he was ready. Then, He spoke these healing words.
“Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

I hear Jesus say, don’t leave the mat for the next person to stumble upon. Rise, clean up the mess, and move into your abundant life.

I don’t know about any of you, but I have unhealthy survival instincts I picked up and carried with me even after I encountered the mercy of Christ. Thanks be to God that He has the patience to help me unlearn them.
 
Prayer
Merciful Lord, help us to outgrow any unhealthy habits that hold us back. Let us lift our eyes to you as we move into the love and light of a new day. Amen.


Submitted by Tessa Yeakley, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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ABLUTIONS  - DR. GIL HAAS, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/10/2021

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Ablutions are the ceremonial cleansing of the paten (a plate about the size of a saucer), the chalice, and the celebrant’s fingers with water and/or wine following Eucharist.  The method of the ablutions is guided by one’s theology.  Those Episcopalians who view Eucharist as a re-enactment of the Last Supper might not have a problem with flushing consecrated bread and wine down the sewer.  However, this view seems to reject the notion of the Real Presence of Christ at Eucharist.  At the other end of the spectrum are those Episcopalians who hold that at Eucharist, the bread and wine are transubstantiated into Christ’s Body and Blood.  To these persons, the consecrated host must only be consumed or reserved.  Most Episcopalians are somewhere in between these extremes. Some believe that the consecrated host can be strewn upon the ground (giving back to “nature”) or poured down the piscina (a sink which drains directly to the ground).  However, high church persons believe that the purpose of the piscina is to dispose of water used to cleanse the holy vessels and not to dispose of the consecrated wine itself.  Episcopal canon only requires reverent consumption of the consecrated elements.  

~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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HUMAN AND DIVINE - A SERMON ON MARK 7:24-37 - FR. TONY MOON, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/8/2021

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​Mark 7:24-37
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 05, 2021
 
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
In this morning’s Gospel reading, we hear two distinct miracle stories—stories of Jesus healing a woman’s daughter of a demon-possessed spirit, and a story of Jesus healing a man who could not hear or speak plainly.
 
This first story is often perceived as portraying Jesus as definitely more human than divine. This passage leaves us feeling uncomfortable.[1] Jesus appears to be both inhospitable and biased against people from other cultures—after all, Jesus just implied that this woman was a gentile dog while suggesting that he is there to serve only the Jewish people. Jesus says, “Let the children be fed first.” Why does this text put Jesus in such a bad light? His mistreatment of the Syrophoenician woman cannot easily be explained away. Was Jesus being a Jewish exceptionalist—seeing himself as only there to serve Jewish people? Or was he just tired, another all-too-human quality? 
 
In essence, as Jesus states, ‘it is not fair to take what is intended for his people and throw it to the gentiles,’ this woman’s humble reply extends Jesus’ riddle rather than opposing it. She answers “even the dogs must eat the children’s crumbs” or “Give me any small portion.”
 
This exchange is often misunderstood as this woman correcting a naïve and biased Jesus. It is misunderstood that she teaches Jesus that he is not in the world only to serve and save the Jewish people, but he is here for everyone.
 
Since we know that Jesus really is human and really is divine, and since we know that Jesus is in unity with God, is God—since we know that Jesus is without sin, and even though we know that Jesus grew up in a culture riddled with biases and prejudices, we also know that Jesus was in that culture but he was not of that culture—in other words, he lived in his culture but was not a product of it. As a divine being, he would not have been subject to this sin of xenophobic pride.
 
Instead, it appears that this is a story about Jesus’ teaching.[2] This is a theological bait and switch, in which Jesus mimics the racism of his contemporaries, and then pulls the rug out from under them by healing this Syrophoenician woman’s daughter.[3] Jesus was teaching his student, this woman, to mount a victorious argument against the foil of his own reluctance. As a master teacher, he serves this woman as a “devil’s advocate” as it were, and is not disappointed to be defeated in this argument by her. As a result, we become aware of the problem with Jewish-Gentile relations and the important step Jesus took to overcome it. As a result, the healing of Jewish-Gentile relations begins first, and then this woman’s daughter was healed in an instant. The little girl is found lying on her bed when her mother arrived home.
 
Rather than a reckless show of xenophobia, quite the contrary, Jesus was calling others to transcend cultural pride and to treat others with compassion and caring.
Compassion and caring are also shown on a personal level in this second healing story, when Jesus removes the man with impaired hearing and speech, and leads him away from a crowd of onlookers, shielding this man from embarrassment. It’s easy for me to imagine the thing that sticks out most in this story for most of us is that Jesus uses his spit to heal this man’s infirmities. But, know that there are other references in the Gospels of Jesus doing this, and come to find out, it has been a practice in various cultures through the ages. This is actually considered one of the most intimate acts of healing. Jesus, of course, did not dismiss this man because of his physical affliction, but healed him. Our reading from the Book of James cautions us not to make distinctions, judging others based on their looks, level of wealth, health or abilities. Jesus not only does not judge, but elevates the person.
 
In addition to this physical act of putting his fingers in his ears and mouth, Jesus looks to heaven, indicating that he is asking God’s favor on this man, he speaks the word for the man’s ears to be opened, and we are told, “immediately his ears were opened, his tongue released and he spoke plainly.” Jesus is not simply giving this man something at the physical level, but is opening him up spiritually, as well.
 
On the surface, we read two stories about Jesus healing two people: A child possessed, and a man unable to hear or speak. Digging deeper, we understand that there is a correction of a culture, and that there is teaching in these stories about treating others—all others—regardless of wealth or physical appearance, with kindness and compassion. And these are not just stories for those characters immediately involved in the story; they are not just stories for the first hearers. They are stories for us all, Christ followers through the ages, to glean and learn from. They set examples for us, examples for molding our thinking and our behavior into that which imitates Christ. This is not just a mental or psychological re-forming of our natural human tendencies, but we must know and remember that the Holy Spirit dwells within us and enables us to love as Jesus loves.[4] When we invite the Holy Spirit to take part in our reforming, the Holy Spirit responds.
 
Jesus did not engage the other by only looking at their surface appearance. He always looked deeper. Jesus was always willing to see beyond the leprosy, beyond the deafness, beyond the hemorrhaging or paralysis, beyond the sinfulness or criminality—Jesus was willing to see even beyond death. Jesus looked within a person to see a person’s faith, and to see what was to be healed. Today’s lesson from the Book of James and the healing stories of our Gospel call us to see what Jesus sees—the interior of others, their infirmity, their limitations and struggles, as well as their heart for God. Seeing as Jesus sees, moves us from exterior to interior, from solely seeing looks and nationality, health, wealth, or poverty.
 
If your retort sounds like, “Well, yeah… but he’s JESUS! I can’t be like that!” Let’s remember that Jesus was both human and divine. And, guess what? As sons and daughters of our Lord, so are we! We all embody both human and divine since we have been created in the image and likeness of God. The divinity that resides within us can be remembered when we recall the words of Jesuit, Teilhard de Chardin, “We are not simply human beings having a spiritual experience, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” If Jesus, no less, can mistakenly be depicted as more human than divine, maybe we can mistakenly be seen in that same way, too! Amen.

~Fr. Tony Moon, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

[1] Epperly, B. (2021). The adventurous lectionary.

[2] Paul, Ian (August 31, 2021.) Psephizo: Scholarship serving ministry. Did the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 teach Jesus not to be racist?

[3] Epperly, B. (2021). The adventurous lectionary

[4] Schwager, D. (September, 2021). He has done all things well.
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MICHAELMAS - FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS - DR. GIL HAAS, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

9/6/2021

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At this time of year, the church’s songs and readings are filled with angelic references since  Angels are honored on Michaelmas (which Episcopalians call the “Feast of St. Michael and All Angels”) on September 29th.  Michaelmas falls near the equinox, and it is associated in the northern hemisphere with harvest’s end.  The Michaelmas school  term in British schools is fall’s first school term.  A traditional Michaelmas meal included a “stubble-goose” (cooked when crops were only stubble) and a spongy bannock cake.  Folklore prohibited picking blackberries after Michaelmas since on this day Satan allegedly was banished from Heaven, fell into a blackberry bush, and cursed the brambles.  Beer brewed on this day is thought to be inferior.  St. Thomas Aquinas ranked the angelic hierarchy into nine orders: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.  There are four archangels mentioned in the Bible: Michael (angel who defeated Satan), Gabriel (Daniel’s protector in the lion’s den and announcer of the conceptions of John the Baptist to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary), Raphael (healer), and Uriel (revealer of Ezra’s prophecies).  The feast day of personal guardian angels is celebrated by Roman Catholics on October 2.

​~ Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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