From Silence+Something To Say

It was an honor to preach at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando today for Fr. David Bumstead, their wonderful Rector and my friend. 

My theme for the sermon was taken from The Gospel lesson for Proper 9, on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20. 

….cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

We’re talking about a partnership where God’s grace and your well-directed efforts by grace collide to live in the Kingdom now. It is all about Aliveness.

Above all, it is about waking up to the always available Presence of the crucified and risen Christ, alive and at large throughout the world, Who invites us to be his followers wherever we are.

P.S. Music theme in closing: Fanfare for King of Glory. RCL+

So grateful to Fr. Bumstead for this opportunity. 

With you on the Journey, 

Rob+

“By choosing integrity, I become more whole, but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means becoming more real by acknowledging the whole of who I am.” – Parker Palmer

Living with integrity, whether you are in your twenties or seventies, is no minor or insignificant task. We have to be honest with ourselves about the difficulty of living in our own identities and integrity.

I have benefited greatly from the work of Pete and Geri Scazzero over the years and their work on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.  In many ways it is about living with greater integrity, moving from our false divided self to our true and wholehearted self.

Integrity largely has to do with purifying our intentions and being honest about our motives. It is hard work. Most often we don’t pay attention to that inner task until we have had some kind of fall or failure in our outer tasks.

Pete has identified the following four critical areas of choosing and living with integrity: 

Integrity with God

Integrity with Yourself

Integrity in Your Marriage/Singleness

Integrity in Your Leadership/Job

In this first of four podcasts I share my reflections on the choice to deepen our Integrity with God. This is the human condition, of course; our inner and outer worlds will never be in perfect harmony.

Our job is to abide, dwell, to remain—to be rooted in Christ.

We are called to slow down for loving union with God. It leads to greater integrity and less divided living. Hope you enjoy – with you on the Journey, 

Rob+

 

 

 

“By choosing integrity, I become more whole, but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means becoming more real by acknowledging the whole of who I am.” – Parker Palmer

Living with integrity, whether you are in your twenties or seventies, is no minor or insignificant task. We have to be honest with ourselves about the difficulty of living in our own identities and integrity.

I have benefited greatly from the work of Pete and Geri Scazzero over the years and their work on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.  In many ways it is about living with greater integrity, moving from our false divided self to our true and wholehearted self.

Integrity largely has to do with purifying our intentions and being honest about our motives. It is hard work. Most often we don’t pay attention to that inner task until we have had some kind of fall or failure in our outer tasks.

Pete has identified the following four critical areas of choosing and living with integrity: 

Integrity with God

Integrity with Yourself

Integrity in Your Marriage/Singleness

Integrity in Your Leadership/Job

In this first of four podcasts I share my reflections on the choice to deepen our Integrity with God. This is the human condition, of course; our inner and outer worlds will never be in perfect harmony.

Our job is to abide, dwell, to remain—to be rooted in Christ.

We are called to slow down for loving union with God. It leads to greater integrity and less divided living. Hope you enjoy – with you on the Journey, 

Rob+

 

 

 

I enjoyed being supply priest for Fr. Tom Phillips this past Sunday, 2nd Sunday of Easter, at Church of the Incarnation, located at Canterbury Retreat Center, the Diocese of Central Fl. Tom has a strong commitment to preaching and teaching, and this engaging faith community definitely engages and animates the preaching task! Had fun with this one. Hope you will listen, and that you find a word from the Risen Lord! With you on the Journey of Flourishing Life in Christ, Rob+

I enjoyed being supply priest for Fr. Tom Phillips this past Sunday, 2nd Sunday of Easter, at Church of the Incarnation, located at Canterbury Retreat Center, the Diocese of Central Fl. Tom has a strong commitment to preaching and teaching, and this engaging faith community definitely engages and animates the preaching task! Had fun with this one. Hope you will listen, and that you find a word from the Risen Lord! With you on the Journey of Flourishing Life in Christ, Rob+

I had the gift of preaching yesterday at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando on behalf of their fine Rector, Fr. David Bumsted+. Deeply grateful for his ministry.

The Parable of the Prodigal Sons, also called The Parable of the Father’s Love, offers tantalizing opportunities to connect the parable to our daily lives, to our families, and to our experience of God.

The challenge of this parable is to keep listening, to listen to it again, and to be open to the possibility it may say something new to us. Stepping into a parable — even a much-beloved parable — is like stepping into a river; you cannot step into the same river twice, as Heraclitus of Ephesus reminds us.

One of the hardest things we face in life and the spiritual journey is to stop being the prodigal son without turning into the elder brother. It Is a challenge we all must face.

The Good News Jesus reveals in the parable centers on the extravagant love of a father who culturally humiliates himself to show mercy to both of his lost sons who share the tragic flaw of having no idea who their father is. It is an invitation to the joy of being home with God.

As St. Augustine said: “We have heard the fact, let us seek the mystery.”

With you on the Journey to a more Flourishing Life,

Rob+

I had the gift of preaching yesterday at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando on behalf of their fine Rector, Fr. David Bumsted+. Deeply grateful for his ministry.

The Parable of the Prodigal Sons, also called The Parable of the Father’s Love, offers tantalizing opportunities to connect the parable to our daily lives, to our families, and to our experience of God.

The challenge of this parable is to keep listening, to listen to it again, and to be open to the possibility it may say something new to us. Stepping into a parable — even a much-beloved parable — is like stepping into a river; you cannot step into the same river twice, as Heraclitus of Ephesus reminds us.

One of the hardest things we face in life and the spiritual journey is to stop being the prodigal son without turning into the elder brother. It Is a challenge we all must face.

The Good News Jesus reveals in the parable centers on the extravagant love of a father who culturally humiliates himself to show mercy to both of his lost sons who share the tragic flaw of having no idea who their father is. It is an invitation to the joy of being home with God.

As St. Augustine said: “We have heard the fact, let us seek the mystery.”

With you on the Journey to a more Flourishing Life,

Rob+

Remember: “You Are Dust and To Dust You Shall Return” Genesis 3:19

Keep death before your eyes – Saint Benedict, The Rules: Chapter 4:47

On the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, we are invited to have our foreheads crossed with ashes as a reminder that we are creatures of dust. We are fragile, fallible, fallen human beings. Therefore, from the moment we emerge from our mother’s womb, we begin the process of dying.

The finality of death is meant to challenge us to decision, the decision to be fully present here now, following Jesus, and so beginning eternal life. For eternity rightly understood is not the perpetuation of time, on and on. In contrast, eternity is the overcoming of time by the now that does not pass away.  Eternity is in session. 

As Trevor Hudson writes: “We are God’s beloved, and nothing—not even death—can separate us from God’s love through Jesus Christ. Our dust is charged with God’s own life-sustaining and death-defeating breath. We are beloved dust.”

I invite you to receive Lent as a gift. It is an extended time apart for the purpose of being with God and giving God our full and undivided attention. As Emilie Griffin puts it, “a generous commitment to our friendship with God.” The emphasis is on the words extended and generous friendship.

This homily was given on Ash Wednesday 2017. And so I offer this pastoral and spiritual direction again, for my own life and for others.

*Look for a new podcast soon. In addition, I will be posting new sermons that I will be preaching on two Lenten Sundays this month in different parishes.

With you on the Journey – Seeking a Flourishing Life,

Rob+

Remember: “You Are Dust and To Dust You Shall Return” Genesis 3:19

Keep death before your eyes – Saint Benedict, The Rules: Chapter 4:47

On the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, we are invited to have our foreheads crossed with ashes as a reminder that we are creatures of dust. We are fragile, fallible, fallen human beings. Therefore, from the moment we emerge from our mother’s womb, we begin the process of dying.

The finality of death is meant to challenge us to decision, the decision to be fully present here now, following Jesus, and so beginning eternal life. For eternity rightly understood is not the perpetuation of time, on and on. In contrast, eternity is the overcoming of time by the now that does not pass away.  Eternity is in session. 

As Trevor Hudson writes: “We are God’s beloved, and nothing—not even death—can separate us from God’s love through Jesus Christ. Our dust is charged with God’s own life-sustaining and death-defeating breath. We are beloved dust.”

I invite you to receive Lent as a gift. It is an extended time apart for the purpose of being with God and giving God our full and undivided attention. As Emilie Griffin puts it, “a generous commitment to our friendship with God.” The emphasis is on the words extended and generous friendship.

This homily was given on Ash Wednesday 2017. And so I offer this pastoral and spiritual direction again, for my own life and for others.

*Look for a new podcast soon. In addition, I will be posting new sermons that I will be preaching on two Lenten Sundays this month in different parishes.

With you on the Journey – Seeking a Flourishing Life,

Rob+

It is never easy to preach and share at the funeral of a good friend and former parishioner. At the same time, it is in some ways a gift from the heart to honor someone whose life was so radiant with God’s grace and love. I had many requests for my homily and so I share it in thanksgiving to God for the joy and love, and radiant life she shared with all of us. Special thanks to Fr. Stu Shelby who graciously honored Ucola’s request for me to serve at her funeral.

We live in the shelter of each other, 

Rob+