Creator of the universe you are a loving God who is there for your people in times of trouble and tragedy. May your children be comforted, calmed and secure in the coming storms. This storm is not of your hand but of a planet whose ecosystem needs balance and care. Be with those who will help the people who are in peril and need make it through.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.
It’s a true gift to be in community with a body of believers who are from all across the spectrum of life and experience. Opening the doors wider is better for everyone. Right now the people of the world need to know about a love that never ends. As a person of faith I am committed to being a part of that community that makes connections with people where they are and who they are. Diversity in gift and spirit makes this whole thing work. To God be the glory. May the peace of the Lord be with all people. Thank you St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Chattanooga for being that place.
Fr. Quinn Parman, who is my priest at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee addressed the Charlottesville unrest we have seen over the last couple of days. Some Sundays you have to speak on current events so that we know how best to respond. It was also a reminder that Christ’s people upon their baptism should reject evil like we have seen and to love one another.
This is a link to the sermon he preached this morning. Sermon From Fr. Quinn Parman on Charlottesville
When you have a mountain top experience and you see something change before your eyes it can be a moving spiritual experience. Transformation or transfiguration is something that blows your mind in such a way that you kind of bask in the light that shines from it all.
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament when Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. In many Christian traditions this event is celebrated yearly as a feast day.
Encountering the divine in such a way adds comfort, peace and a desire to rest there. However that is not where life is meant to be lived. You have to take the experience of the mountain to sustain you and keep you through the dark times in the valley below.
No matter your faith there are moments and places that give you comfort and renewal. Celebrate those times when you find yourself transformed a little and may you find comfort to get you through life.
Every person has the capability to be a beautiful flower but they can also be a weed that chokes other flowers. I admit I have the ability to be both a flower and a weed at the same time or alternating between the two. People are very complex like that and require an enormous amount of grace and understanding. Our situations dictate what we are going to be at any given time. God (or ones higher power) has love for both the flower and the weed and that should give comfort to us all. Often times when getting rid of weeds you also get rid of flowers too.
It should also mean that the weeds in ones life have a purpose and are worthy of the love of someone who looks like a rose. No matter what you are at this time weed or flower know that there are others who are just like you and know that you are valued and needed. There are bigger plans for each of us than we realize. One day we will all be flowers although some of us will have a few thorns too.
The seven-week liturgical season of Easter immediately follows the Triduum, climaxing at Pentecost. This last feast recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples after the Ascension of Jesus. Pentecost is also the birthday of the church. At St. Peter’s Episcopal Church this morning we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit that continues to inspire and change the world.
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