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Grace Notes from Father David March 2009 During my years in California there seemed to be no reason for weather reports. Worse still, Christmas seemed out of place entirely. Having grown up in New England, I never got used to Christmas in 90 degree weather. I always felt short-changed, that our Christmas observance was something of a charade. Having returned to the northern climes I find something wonderful that escaped my notice in California. The climate here lends itself perfectly to the story of Easter. You see, part of the reason for the bleakness of Lent is to help us look forward to the joy Easter, to be filled with anticipation for that glorious event. With the first warm day a week or so ago I was filled with anticipation for the first signs of spring, green grass, jonquils, daffodils and buds on our glorious flowering trees. How wonderful it is that here in Sterling, Winter & Spring, Lent & Easter compliment each other. How wonderful it will be when all manner of flora stretch out new shoots and blossoms in praise of wonderful summer days to come. We too will shoot forth our arms in praise and joy shouting, “He is Risen! Hallelujah!” It is a fond thought, that just maybe, the plants know He is risen too! ~ Father David April 2009 A little boy was asked if he knew what Easter was. He said, “On Good Friday they put Jesus in a tomb. On Easter they roll back the stone and Jesus comes. If he sees his shadow we’ll have 6 more weeks of Lent!” It would be funny if it weren’t increasingly common to find a total lack of confusion or worse, ignorance of the essentials of the Christian Faith. Few Episcopalians know what the word means. Few Pentecostals know when Pentecost is. Few Baptists know that John was not a member of their denomination. But worst of all, fewer and fewer people know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and that He lives! The only reason Christianity has lasted as long as it has is the fact that He lives and that people in every generation have discovered that fact for themselves. It is like the episode wherein a man healed by Jesus was brought before the Pharisees. They wanted him to testify against Jesus. The only thing the man could say was ,”one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." What is your testimony? Have you come to Jesus? Have you allowed him to touch your soul or change your life? Have you looked into the empty tomb? Do you know for yourself that He lives, that He is Risen? The world needs to hear the Good News! Be a good little Easter Bunny this year and bring the greatest gift of all to your world. Give the people you meet your testimony. Declare from the house tops… He is Risen! ~ Father David May 2009 This is such an exciting time of the year. Flowers are up, trees are blooming, the Municipal Band Concerts begin this month, and a new President is in the White House. Hope is in the air. I like 'new.' Elizabeth likes 'new.' There's nothing like a new baby or a new car, making a new friend, going to new places, seeing new sights, tasting new food, reading a new book, seeing a new movie, learning new things, or riding our new lawnmower! Yes, I invoked executive privilege and was the first to mow the lawn. What fun 'new is. Perhaps that's why Jesus is so attractive to so many. Therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. In Him, life is a new ballgame, filled with new possibilities, new adventures and new ideas and even a new outcome. Even the common, everyday things that we encounter take on new meaning and new significance. To understand and appreciate and take advantage of all the newness would take more years than we have, which is probably why we are convinced that along with newness of life comes eternal life. We need eternity to delight in the things of God. Sound good? Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ~ Father David June 2009 The first day of Spring has come and gone and there are certainly many signs of its arrival. Tulips, Daffodils and Jonquils burst forth, now Irises and Peonies. But for the farmer it was not to be. The ground has been so wet that only in the last week have farmers begun to plant their corn and soy beans. The problem is that the designation of the first day of spring is predicated on factors other than the weather. If it were up to the farmers to identify the first day of spring, they would certainly use different criteria. This is to say that what’s good and accurate in theory doesn’t always work out in practice. One of the common problems in the world of religion is the notion that because we believe it’s so, it must be so! Whatever our religion, our belief’s are predicated on limited information and, too often, on inaccurate presuppositions. To place doctrinal theories above practical observation (and common sense?) is what the Pharisees were guilty of. That’s also the hallmark of fundamentalism. The acid test of any religious proposition is does it work! What does it produce? What Peter experienced in his visit to Cornelius created the need to change their beliefs, to alter their doctrines. Would it be that we could be that observant of how principles work out in our lives. Recently, one of our members, who had been absent for a couple of weeks, declared, “I need more communion in my life!” He was able to discern the difficulties encountered when communion is missed, when Church and Worship is absent from his life. Well, ultimately perhaps the moral of the story is that it’s never too late to plant. Is The Lord firmly planted in the soil of your heart? Only you know. No Doctrine can reveal that truth. ~ Father David July / August 2009 It has been said that 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!' That's easier said than done, especially if you're the chef in which case it would be a life-changing decision. But then that's what most of life's more serious difficulties require...a decision. When I was a youngster a person suffering from asthma could continue to suffer or...move to Arizona. An alcoholic or narcotic user can watch their lives go down the tube or...admit their problem and get into a rehab program. Even then the decision must be continual. Mary Tyler Moore speaks of her alcohol problem and how, with the help of her husband, decided to go to the Betty Ford Clinic. She found herself outraged at how she was treated there and with but a few weeks to go, packed her bags and left in a huff. She probably would have died from alcohol abuse except that Betty Ford, herself, called her and begged her to return. Once again, decision time, and she went back, thus probably saving her life. For those who don't think they have any serious problems it's hard to understand why those that do don't decide to do something about it. Why doesn't the one suffering spousal abuse leave? Why don't the homeless get a job? Why don't the angry and bitter people obtain therapy? Why don't smokers quit? I can't speak for everyone, but as an ex-smoker I can safely say that the biggest reason is FEAR. It is, admittedly, irrational but the fear is real. The smoker's fear is that he or she will never have another cigarette. It would be like letting someone walk off with your child forever. You just can't do it. The fear is bigger than you are. That's the nature of spiritual problems. We live in the land of Familiar and are afraid to leave. But, the Bible assures us the perfect love casts out all fear. Where do we find that perfect love? In Jesus, the Christ. If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature. Behold! The old has passed away. If you have a personal relationship with the Savior it is far easier to make the decisions necessary for right living for the Christian knows he's not alone. Jesus promises to be with us always, even unto the end of the age. Will every Christian make the right decisions? No, but they can, because of Jesus. And...for those that do...abundant life is their reward...for eternity even! But even having Jesus in your life required a decision. So if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and into the loving arms of the One who cares for you. ~ Father David September 2009 I can’t believe I went back to California twice this summer. The first trip was to attend the General Convention, the second to marry our daughter Monica and spend time with friends. I really don’t care if I ever see California again. When I first moved there in 1979 I was in awe of all that I saw and experienced and everywhere was the promise that I too, could have a piece of the California dream. I built a new life there and did get a piece of the dream. Oftentimes the adventure was breathtaking, the achievements legion. So why the distaste now? I pondered that question during these two trips. I concluded there were two reasons for my feelings. First, the way of life there causes people to be a bit more self-absorbed than here in the Midwest. It shows in how they drive, in their property and in their public behavior. But more importantly, I realized that all of Southern California is artificial. If you see a tree, it’s because someone put it there. If there’s a pond, it’s because someone dug it out and are pumping in water from the Colorado river. One speaker I heard told of how she had gone out one evening to get some eggs. She couldn’t get back home because while she was gone someone had built a shopping center in the way! We love taking a Sunday drive. Couldn’t even do that in California because if you’ve seen one Shell station you’ve seen them all! Oh well. But it does remind me of the most significant truth of human life. If you’re lucky, you get to make two trips but not back to the same place. The first trip is when you come into this world and you are filled with wonder and curiosity. You spend your life in discovery, achievement, and acquisitions only to find that the thrill of it all disappears with great regularity and your possessions are hardly permanent which is why a second trip to the kingdom of God becomes attractive and meaningful. Jesus put it this way, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there will your heart bee also.” ~ Father David
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