I just posted a picture on Facebook of my two boys on their first day of the new school year at Saint John’s. It was posted twice, once on my Facebook page and then on the church’s page. Some of you “liked” the picture and one added a beautiful benediction which I really appreciate. For as much as I like to talk about people who lived two thousand years ago, I also need to keep an eye on today. And, like it or not, this internet thing doesn’t seem to be going away.
Over the summer, a media consultant met with Saint John’s School to improve our internet presence – specifically with social media. This consultant has a connection to Saint John’s and we greatly appreciate her advice. She said we need to post something on our Facebook page once a day, every day. We heard it as a challenge; she meant it as a command. We are starting a YouTube Club that will video short (less than 30 second) clips of students talking about the virtues of Saint John’s which we will then post on Facebook, our website, our YouTube channel and our school app. Yes, Saint John’s School now even has a smart phone app. The number one source of information for people thinking about private school is found on-line. The number two source is word of mouth. And that source is now on-line, too. Did you know that Saint John’s Church has a Yelp review? If you are not familiar with Yelp, it is an on-line, word-of-mouth, website where anyone can review restaurants, repair shops, dentists, and even churches. Whether or not the reviews are accurate, they are there for everyone to see. Saint John’s currently has two reviews, one positive and one negative from years ago, a complaint against the school. Interestingly, those complaints have been addressed and fixed; they had to do with bullying and the math and science curriculum. But the complaint (Sigh!) is still there, like many things on the Internet. Most folks who visit the church have already read about us on-line. Many have looked at our pictures, reviewed our activities, read our mission statement, my Reflections, and heard a sermon or two. And, some have read our reviews. Do you remember the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand? Word-of-mouth brought that huge number of people to Jesus. In the age before the internet, it was neighbors telling neighbors. Perhaps you are not called to invite everyone you meet to Saint John’s. But, maybe you are called to write a review. If you do, you’ll help the mission and ministry of Saint John’s by being a light to others who are searching for a church home. If you feel called to this interesting ministry, look up “St. John’s Episcopal Church” on yelp.com, or simply click here http://www.yelp.com/biz/st-johns-episcopal-church-chula-vista. Another reviewing site is at google.com. Type Saint John’s Episcopal Church Chula Vista, and then click on the “be the first to review” and type away. -Fr. Marshall It’s Little League World Series season again. Five years ago, the Chula Vista team beat Taiwan for the title. Last year the Eastlake All Stars made it all the way to the title game against Japan. The local successes in 2009 and 2013 have piqued my interest in following the series. I am amazed at the talent and the pace of the game; and, since they are kids, anything can happen. There is no such thing as a routine ground ball or a pop-up that is easily caught. This year, America is caught up with Mo'ne Davis, a pitching phenomenon and the first girl to win a game, at this level, as a pitcher. She can throw 70 mph and can hit, too.
Watching Little League baseball is refreshing. There are no contract disputes or free agency; it’s simply pure baseball. It’s hard to imagine anything better on a warm summer night. Inevitably, however, the values of the world edge their way in. Expectations and big-money-ball take over and thoughts about professional play are raised. Admittedly, I’m caught up in it, too. I have thoughts of Mo'ne Davis playing college baseball on formerly men’s only teams and perhaps making it to the majors. How cool would that be? In an interview, she was asked about her future in sports. She dreams of playing basketball for UConn and then entering the WNBA. Personally, I hope she plays for Stanford. At the same time, however, I wonder why can’t we – me in particular – just let her be 13 years old and enjoy the incredible moments of playing baseball. An MLB expert, who I like to follow because he’s quite good at talking about rising talent in the minor leagues, weighed in on the Little League World Series. He said very few Little League champions make it to professional baseball. The reason is because of growth. These kids are great now but the question is whether or not they will continue to grow. Most don’t, said the expert. They are usually tall for their age at this level but some won’t grow much. Others have interest in other sports, get distracted by other things, or just don’t want to work hard enough to continue to improve. Most champions level off and never play under spot lights again. That is just how it works. While I was thinking about this growth principle in sports, I came home to find out that Elijah has grown one full inch since May and Ethan has grown 1.5 inches. Now that’s growth! Will either of them play in a Little League World Series? Probably not. But, I hope they will continue to grow in maturity, in their studies, and in their faith. Unlike the fleeting moments of high-level competitive sports, we are called to grow into the full stature of Christ. Even if you just met Jesus yesterday, and you are in your eighth decade on this earth and confined to a wheelchair, you can grow spiritually! A less extreme example is this: as our knees age, and our backs get weary and tired, we can still grow in faith. I’ve witnessed people with debilitating degenerative diseases grow tremendously in faith as their bodies withered away. Very few people will get called up into the major leagues, but at some point everyone will be called to life with our Maker. The question is whether we will continue to grow in faith and in Spirit or, like many older Little League champions, find other interests that will distract us from growth. -Fr. Marshall Our cat, Pancake, has a chronic nose infection. He is a very friendly cat who gets lost a lot. Pancake sees people walking by, joins them and minutes later become disoriented because he can’t smell his way back. So Pancake gets in-house detention. That does not fit well with his penchant for traveling so he frequently sneaks out.
We have a neighbor who becomes annoyed when Pancake sits on our front lawn or on the curb so she picks him up and delivers him to our door. The last time she appeared irritated that we can’t control our cat. During dinner one night, my cell phone rang. The message was, “Hi, it’s Kerry from the County Animal Shelter. We have Pancake, give us a call.” The shelter closes at 5:30 and it was 6 pm but I took off to see if I could find someone at the shelter. I found out that Pancake was doing fine and a neighbor had turned him in but he had to stay in kitty-jail until a clerk was there the next day. That’s when hate flooded in. When the employee said “neighbor” I had images of our neighbor saying to herself, “I’m going to teach this family a lesson by taking Pancake to the shelter.” The more I thought, the more infuriated I got. By the time I got home, I was mad at the world and wanted revenge. But the calming Spirit of the Lord intervened. I decided to talk to another neighbor who has lived in the complex since it was built, knows everyone, is on the homeowners board, is an animal lover, a Navy widow, and very sweet and kind. I knocked on her door and asked if our CC&Rs have restrictions on unleashed cats? She replied they didn’t and asked why. I said I thought our neighbor (she knew which one I was referring to) had taken Pancake to the shelter. She thought about the allegation for a moment and said, “That doesn’t sound like her. Her cat, her only companion, was struck by a car right out front and she’s been concerned ever since. I don’t think she’d take your cat.” I decided to pray and sleep on it. The next morning, I woke up still annoyed but looking forward to Pancake’s return. When Christi picked up our beloved cat from kitty-jail she asked the clerk where Pancake was picked up and by whom. The rescuers were from a street pretty far from ours. They were relieved that Pancake had a chip. A couple of days before Ethan had found Pancake on that same street and brought him home. It suddenly made sense: the family saw Pancake on their patio, obviously lost. Then he disappeared but returned a couple of days later. They concluded he was a stray in need of help. And that’s when guilt flooded in. I had hated my neighbor because I assumed she had messed with a member of my family. I said many prayers that day asking for forgiveness and blessings for my neighbor, who I had misjudged. Since then, we’ve built a catio – a simple cage-like thing around our fenced in backyard that does not allow Pancake to escape but lets him enjoy being outdoors. Hate is a powerful emotion. God tells us that “vengeance is mine” and not ours (Deut 35:32). God understands all things. Luckily, for me especially, he is faithful, forgiving, and guides us through hate into understanding. -Fr. Marshall God sends me people who have been injured by institutional religion. Every time I meet with someone who has been hurt by a church or worship community it breaks my heart. Yet, in the course of our conversations, I’ve seen the crucified and risen Christ walking with those wounded by religion. After all, Jesus was killed by institutionalized religion.
Through many pastoral encounters, I have realized three things. First, it is possible to have a connection with God without being a part of a church. Second, institutionalized religion can hurt individuals and interrupt their connections with God. Third, participating in a loving, supportive church will improve one’s relationship with God. I think most people would find it utterly absurd and incredibly ironic that the very institution that claims Christ as its head would create rules that exclude and withhold the two fundamental sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion from certain individuals. The way I see it, Jesus told us to go and baptize and to share his body in communion bread. The key words for me are “go” and “share,” which are not modified to make us the evaluators of those to whom we offer baptism. He did not make rules concerning who can receive his body based on marital status or even those who have failed at marriage. For me, “go” and “share” to “all nations” is a clear command to the Church to do these things without reservation. “Do this in remembrance of me” did not have a caveat about the worthiness of the receiver. If it did, then I could not receive, because, after all, I am not worthy. Yet, history shows the institutionalization of His Body sometimes becomes subject to human failings, like rules that exclude and hurt. So what do we do? How do we help those who have been hurt by other churches—or, for that matter, by our own? The answer, I think, is in hospitality. I talk a lot about Jesus’ love for us and his command to love God and our neighbors. What I perhaps need to talk more about is his emphasis on hospitality. Jesus did not say, “No” to anyone who came to him. Instead, he listened and showed compassion. He said, “I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to even these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.” (Mt 10:42) Children, back in Jesus’ day, were not considered worthy of hospitality; yet Jesus applauds people who do as little as offer water to a child. Jesus attended a dinner at which a woman washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, an act of extraordinary hospitality. (Luke 7) And, as we heard this past Sunday, Jesus instructed his disciples to feed the crowd of more than 5,000. One can have a relationship with God without the Church but, nevertheless, the Church can help in strengthening that relationship and it starts with hospitality, with being kind, welcoming, offering, and supporting, not condemning, condescending, and judging. God sends me people who have been harmed by religion. This means God also sends them to Saint John’s – to you. We are a hospitable house of worship for all people. At least we strive to be. And what a refreshing place this is in our world. We can be just like a cold cup of water on a hot day. |