A View From The Earth

  Photo by Melyna Valle on Unsplash Holy God, may we remember those who have gone before us, that you say they are Blessed in ways in which the world may scorn, we pray that we may do your will and be counted as a saint, blessed be in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. One of the movies my family has watched over and over is The Princess Bride.  In one of the scenes, a kidnapper of the princess repeatedly mutters: Inconceivable . Inconceivable. Another man responds:  "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." That’s my common thought when I see t-shirts and wall icons and decals on the back of vehicles proudly stating, I am Blessed.  We are indeed fortunate if we have a warm place to sleep, we have food to eat, and our family is not under a threat of violence, but Jesus doesn’t promise us that security. And we should be thankful. However, being blessed is not some sort of litmus test to tell us and others t

  Photo by Conner Baker on Unsplash Good and Gracious God, may we remember to love you with all of our heart, soul, and mind, may we also remember to love our neighbors as ourselves, in the name of the creator, redeemer, and comforter. Amen. My daughter, Glyn, has a favorite prayer from the Scottish tradition. It seems an appropriate way to start today .  From ghoulies and ghosties. And long-leggedy beasties. And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us! Amen. Next weekend combines All Hallow’s Eve, which we call Halloween, and the feast of All Saint’s Day on Sunday. They both are Christian holidays. Let me repeat that. They are both Christian holidays.   Regardless of that social media post you saw or that story your well-meaning neighbor shared about paganism, the All Hallows Eve Vigil  and All Hallows Day were placed into the Christian tradition in the 7th Century by Pope Boniface IV.  Hallow means ‘holy,’ so we are celebrating the holy people who have gone before us

Gulls along the Mississippi in Muscatine, Iowa The River Flows Never Ceasing The river flows never ceasing Fifty degrees, sun in the sky By the river, ring billed gulls on the shore A lone fisherman in a boat Checking to see what is biting  The mighty river flows by Pulling the water downhill Towards the Gulf of Mexico This river has been moving For millions of years How many have come before? Settlers moving west Hunters moving east How many have stood on it's shore? With water at their feet Creatures of all types Some never to be seen again The river flows never ceasing A mallard laments that The summer is ending And the snow and ice Will be here soon The river flows never ceasing Through summer heat And winter cold The gulls stand in a line waiting They know the mystery The river flows never ceasing

  Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Dear God, thank you for all that you do for us as your people, provide for those who are suffering, especially those who are having to deal with the coronavirus, we pray for those in the hospital, give skill to their caregivers, we also pray for those who have died, may you comfort their family and friends in their grief.  In your name, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It’s only a few days until the election, and that gives me hope. I for one, am always grateful when the last ad airs on whatever video platform you use:  network, cable, internet video, or social media. A steady diet of half-truths, nasty attacks, and bitter language does not unite us.  It’s a cycle of outrage that splits us into for and against camps on the issue of your choice. That sets the stage for today’s Gospel.  Jesus has been hammering the point, again and again, that being employed in the Temple should not be a for-profit position. It is

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash Good and Gracious God, we pray that we will accept the invitation that you extend to us, doing your will, and loving you and our neighbor.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. With a teacher for a spouse and years of serving as a school board member, we receive a lot of invitations.  I’m not certain about Muscatine, but parties for graduations arrive in stacks starting in April and continue through July.  But June through August are the height of the wedding season, so those envelopes show up too.  It’s not uncommon to have six or seven commitments in one day. Uffda! If that’s what was going on in today’s Gospel, we could probably understand a note being penned that offered regrets to the King, Sending along a nice gift or buying something from the wedding registry at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond also would have lessened the blow. Another possible interpretation is that accepting the invitation was a matter of cons

  Photo by Lasseter Winery on Unsplash O God, be with us today as we look to you as our cornerstone upon which we build our faith. May we always look to you in all that we do. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen The imagery of a vineyard was such a familiar idea in the Bible, but for many people who live in the city, it's a totally unfamiliar process. Our culture makes wine or raisins or juice available year round, so sweat and toil become a type of codeswitching. Codeswitching is a anthropology term. It helps describe the process of navigating through the language, the customs, and acceptable behaviors of a region or location. Baseball caps or dew-rags are preferred in different neighborhoods, and yelling 'Roll Tide' on a Saturday will not generate nearly the excitement here in Iowa as cheering for the Cyclones, Hawkeyes or Panthers. The codeswitching language we see today talks about the spread of the Kingdom of God, but it also

  Photo by Amanda Jones on Unsplash This is the sermon that was offered up during Eucharist on September 27, 2020 outside on the lawn at Trinity Episcopal Church in Muscatine, Iowa. The Eucharist service was also streamed to Facebook. Services were affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all people in person were physically distant and wore face coverings. The scripture readings were Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32, Psalm 25:1-8, Philippians 2:1-13, and Matthew 21:23-32. Almighty God, Let us go into the vineyard, whatever time of day it might be, and work for you, to do your will.  May we go when you call us, but even if we don’t go then, let us go when we are able so your will is done. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. My parents were card-players.  Avid card players.  They hosted card clubs, attended daytime card groups after they retired, and I’m pretty sure that each one of my children knew that they had a Grandma who was a card shark who would play f