St. Peter's by the Sea Episcopal Church Morro Bay, CA

Aflame with the Spirit

6/8/2025

Aflame with the Spirit

I have noticed that Americans love an unlikely origin story. From the rise of working-class men like Carnegie and Rockefeller to become titans of industry, to the legends of the garage inventors who became Apple and the dorm room coders who became Google, the idea of the American Dream is fueled by stories of surprising success. And we also have great stories of resistance, like Rosa Parks refusing to move to the back of the bus. Yet all of these surprising success stories look utterly predictable when compared with the astonishing rise of Christianity in the first and second centuries.

One year, the church is nothing but a couple of laborers, a few fishermen, and a tax collector in the hinterlands of the Roman Empire, and the next, Christian churches are popping up like mushrooms all over the ancient Mediterranean world! How could a few Palestinian peasants accomplish all of this?

The apostles frequently misunderstand Jesus, even deny and betray him – these are not the great founders of a mythical past, but profoundly real, regular human beings; and yet, from those 12, those 70, those few hundred, come you, me and The Episcopal Church; from these humble origins spring the Lutherans, the Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and the Pentecostal Free Will Baptists. This infinitesimally tiny Palestinian sect of Judaism, in a single generation, spreads like wildfire and goes on spreading to become today’s 2.4 billion Christians, the largest group of human beings on planet earth.

How can this possibly have happened? The day of Pentecost!

The amazing day when the disciples gathered with the doors locked for fear of the authorities and suddenly the Holy Spirit swept through the place with a sound like a rushing wind and tongues like fire rested on each of them and “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”

Pentecost is not just a Christian festival – it is one of the principal feasts of Judaism and celebrates the giving of the Torah to the people of God; it is the feast of the revelation of God by those who are called to spread the knowledge of him to all nations. So the city was full of pilgrims.
God the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, filled the disciples, transformed the disciples, and they went from being a group of C-minus students of the Lord hiding out in an upper room to being Christians on fire with the love of God preaching in the streets.

Suddenly, there is no more fumbling, no more confusion. They are aflame with God the Holy Spirit; it is not until this moment, in which they are filled with the presence of God, that they are transformed into the living temple of the Spirit: the church. Suddenly, they are unstoppable.

St. Basil of Caesarea, in his book “On the Holy Spirit,” says that, even though God is surrounding us, filling all things, we cannot see him; even though we have his perfect image in Jesus, walking with us, teaching us, leading us through the darkness, we cannot comprehend him; and so, it takes God the Holy Spirit, filling us with light, surrounding us with the fire of his love, to know God.

“If only,” we might say, “I, too, had been present on that Pentecost morning,” “If only I, too, had received a tongue of flame,” “If only I, too, had been filled with the Holy Spirit, transformed by the Holy Spirit,” “If only I, too, had the same intimacy with God, the same indomitable courage in God, the same astonishing ability to do the works of Christ, to draw all those around me to Christ…” But guess what? If you have been baptized in the baptism of Jesus, you have been baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. You have shared in Pentecost, just as the apostles did. You, too, have become a walking, talking temple of God the Holy Spirit. Baptism is our Pentecost, it is our reception of the fullness of God dwelling within us, animating us, and transforming us. To live the apostolic life, to do Christ’s works of peacemaking, reconciling, healing, and feeding, all we have to do is say “Yes!” to the presence of God within us.

I am sure that many of you, like me, are watching events in this country and this weekend in Los Angeles with disquiet and even with horror and wondering, what can we do? From the human perspective there is very little we can do. We can call our elected representatives, we can write to the White House, we can join in local demonstrations yet as individuals we are relatively powerless. But from the inner perspective the God perspective, we are apostles, called to live the reconciling work of God and filled with the Holy Spirit, empowered to change the world.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” God the Holy Spirit enables us to truly ask in the name of Jesus, to truly reach out and receive the offer of God’s grace… and we ourselves, in him, are capable of his works.

We are capable of his works.

People of God, we promised in our baptismal vows to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to strive for justice and peace among all people. That is our promise and God’s promise is to empower us by the Holy Spirit working in and through us, to do just that.

The early Christians challenged the Roman Empire by refusing to follow pagan ways, by living lives of generosity and peace, not afraid to refuse to worship the Emperor, saying that only Jesus is Lord. For some it meant working quietly in their own neighborhoods, sharing God’s love and proclaiming the gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation, for others it led ultimately to martyrdom. We don’t know where our commitment to the reign of God will take us, but we know where it starts.
It starts with our baptism. It starts when we say yes and enroll in the church, the Body of Christ in the world. It starts today when we commit ourselves once again to following the prompting of the Holy Spirit. It starts today when we invite the Holy Spirit to take us where we need to go both in our inner life of prayer and meditation, and in our outer lives.

It starts when we as the expression of the Body of Christ as St Peters, Morro Bay, ask the Holy Spirit to use us, to empower us, to bring the gospel of Jesus to this town and to this state, when we ask the Holy Spirit to show us how to bring true peace and reconciliation and live lives of resistance to the pagan world which seeks self-aggrandizement and personal power at the expense of the poor and marginalized.

Knowing that Jesus promised to honor our prayers, let us pray:

Holy Spirit who brought power and transformation to the disciples gathered on Pentecost, bring your power and grace to work in this church, emboldening us to be fearless in proclaiming your gospel, in living gospel values in every part of our lives and in standing up for justice and peace. Speak to us and show us how to live our baptismal vows to bring your transformative love to this community and country, and to stand up for those who are being victimized and oppressed. We ask these things in and through your name, Amen.

the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

With thanks to Rev. Bertie Pearson, https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sermon/will-you-day-of-pentecost-c-june-8-2025/

Unitive Consciousness

6/2/2025

UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS John 17. 20-26

“So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

This prayer of Jesus for us feels like a soothing balm in a time where there are so many temptations to think in terms of being separate from, different from, or even in opposition with one another.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that most all our problems stem from the fact that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. In many ways we are prone to falling into the “us” vs “them” trap. But I say that any perception that we are somehow separate from each other is an illusion.

The illusion of separateness fosters division, operating from scarcity and fear, whereas a unifying consciousness fosters unity, operating from compassion, abundance, and love. This unitive consciousness is the nature of God and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a foundational teaching of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes continual reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; the Kingdome of heaven is about us; the Kingdom of heaven is within us; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Kingdom of Heaven is like this or the Kingdom of Heaven like that.

So, how do we understand the Kingdom of Heaven? One of the most important books on my shelf is Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus. In it, she points out that the question of interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven has been a point of debate among Biblical scholars for millennia, and that some might say that the Kingdom of Heaven is out there somewhere – a place where you go when you die. But the problem with that interpretation is that Jesus contradicts it when he teaches that the “Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Bourgeault goes on to say that the other approach is to say that the Kingdom of Heaven is some sort of earthly eutopia where there is peace and justice and everyone lives in harmony. But again, Jesus rejects this. When the disciples try to proclaim him in as the Messiah – the new king of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice, he shrank away from it saying strongly and unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So where is it then?

Taking Jesus at his word, I’ll go with the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Mystics, teachers, and theologians such as Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr and others agree with the contemporary suggestion brought forth in Jim Marion’s book: Putting on the Mind of Christ that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but instead a place you come from. Marion suggests that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is Jesus’ favorite way of describing a state that we would now call nondual consciousness or unitive consciousness. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and Jesus, not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans – and this underpins Jesus’ teaching.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

No separation. This is a complete mutual indwelling: I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. This is the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

So, how do we achieve this state of consciousness that is the Kingdom of Heaven within us? It requires that we are grounded in something larger than ourselves – something that is beyond our ego – that lies within us waiting to be discovered, or for some, rediscovered.

The term contemplative awareness or meditative awareness refers to that state in which our mind, having gone beyond itself, is silent, open, and aware. It is a state in which we can posture our hearts in hospitality to the mystery and love of God. Meditation is the portal through which we can experience this. It is something that we can practice daily, and day by day we begin to more fully realize the expansiveness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. We will begin to realize an overall sense of calm and clarity. We will feel less anxious and triggered by the sometimes-troubling events that surround us because we are tapping into a truth that is much larger, much deeper and eternal than the finite and the superficial

This does not mean we will not experience hardship or crisis in our life. It doesn’t mean that we become immune from feeling frustrated or frightened by troubling and chaotic events unfolding around us. But it does mean that we will have a refuge where we can recover and rejuvenate. We need more than ever to give ourselves the gift of silence and align ourselves with something deeper. That something is contemplative awareness. It is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

In the Eleventh Step in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, as much a profound spiritual path as I have ever experienced, says this: Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer and meditation would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

But meditation is not only for us as individuals. Our sitting practice prepares us to serve the common good with a clear mind and open heart. We respond from a silent center and reduce the noise and chaos rather than add to it. In this way, because we are all interconnected, the unitive consciousness that is the fruit of our meditation practice is a gift to others not only around the corner, but around the world.

If you already have a daily meditation practice, know that you are inter-connected with millions of others. If you want to develop your practice, you can begin by simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day and build your practice over time and know that you are also inter-connected with millions of others in that way.

This is a time for us to cast away any illusion of separateness so that we can help guide a hurting world that is hungry for a sense of community and belonging. All religious traditions and spiritual expressions have a tremendous opportunity to show the world what coming together for the common good of humanity can look like. We need each other. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we can help each other realize the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

As the Psalmist says: “Oh, how good and wonderful it is when people live in unity.”

Brother Dennis

UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS                    John 17. 20-26

“So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

This prayer of Jesus for us feels like a soothing balm in a time where there are so many temptations to think in terms of being separate from, different from, or even in opposition with one another.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that most all our problems stem from the fact that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. In many ways we are prone to falling into the “us” vs “them” trap. But I say that any perception that we are somehow separate from each other is an illusion.

The illusion of separateness fosters division, operating from scarcity and fear, whereas a unifying consciousness fosters unity, operating from compassion, abundance, and love. This unitive consciousness is the nature of God and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a foundational teaching of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes continual reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; the Kingdome of heaven is about us; the Kingdom of heaven is within us; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Kingdom of Heaven is like this or the Kingdom of Heaven like that.

So, how do we understand the Kingdom of Heaven? One of the most important books on my shelf is Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus. In it, she points out that the question of interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven has been a point of debate among Biblical scholars for millennia, and that some might say that the Kingdom of Heaven is out there somewhere – a place where you go when you die. But the problem with that interpretation is that Jesus contradicts it when he teaches that the “Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Bourgeault goes on to say that the other approach is to say that the Kingdom of Heaven is some sort of earthly eutopia where there is peace and justice and everyone lives in harmony. But again, Jesus rejects this. When the disciples try to proclaim him in as the Messiah – the new king of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice, he shrank away from it saying strongly and unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So where is it then?

Taking Jesus at his word, I’ll go with the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Mystics, teachers, and theologians such as Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr and others agree with the contemporary suggestion brought forth in Jim Marion’s book: Putting on the Mind of Christ that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but instead a place you come from. Marion suggests that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is Jesus’ favorite way of describing a state that we would now call nondual consciousness or unitive consciousness. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and Jesus, not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans – and this underpins Jesus’ teaching.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

No separation. This is a complete mutual indwelling: I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. This is the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

So, how do we achieve this state of consciousness that is the Kingdom of Heaven within us? It requires that we are grounded in something larger than ourselves – something that is beyond our ego – that lies within us waiting to be discovered, or for some, rediscovered.

The term contemplative awareness or meditative awareness refers to that state in which our mind, having gone beyond itself, is silent, open, and aware. It is a state in which we can posture our hearts in hospitality to the mystery and love of God. Meditation is the portal through which we can experience this. It is something that we can practice daily, and day by day we begin to more fully realize the expansiveness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. We will begin to realize an overall sense of calm and clarity. We will feel less anxious and triggered by the sometimes-troubling events that surround us because we are tapping into a truth that is much larger, much deeper and eternal than the finite and the superficial

This does not mean we will not experience hardship or crisis in our life. It doesn’t mean that we become immune from feeling frustrated or frightened by troubling and chaotic events unfolding around us. But it does mean that we will have a refuge where we can recover and rejuvenate. We need more than ever to give ourselves the gift of silence and align ourselves with something deeper. That something is contemplative awareness. It is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

In the Eleventh Step in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, as much a profound spiritual path as I have ever experienced, says this: Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer and meditation would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

But meditation is not only for us as individuals. Our sitting practice prepares us to serve the common good with a clear mind and open heart. We respond from a silent center and reduce the noise and chaos rather than add to it. In this way, because we are all interconnected, the unitive consciousness that is the fruit of our meditation practice is a gift to others not only around the corner, but around the world.

If you already have a daily meditation practice, know that you are inter-connected with millions of others. If you want to develop your practice, you can begin by simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day and build your practice over time and know that you are also inter-connected with millions of others in that way.

This is a time for us to cast away any illusion of separateness so that we can help guide a hurting world that is hungry for a sense of community and belonging. All religious traditions and spiritual expressions have a tremendous opportunity to show the world what coming together for the common good of humanity can look like. We need each other. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we can help each other realize the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

As the Psalmist says: “Oh, how good and wonderful it is when people live in unity.”

Brother Dennis
UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS                    John 17. 20-26
UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS                    John 17. 20-26

“So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

This prayer of Jesus for us feels like a soothing balm in a time where there are so many temptations to think in terms of being separate from, different from, or even in opposition with one another.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that most all our problems stem from the fact that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. In many ways we are prone to falling into the “us” vs “them” trap. But I say that any perception that we are somehow separate from each other is an illusion.

The illusion of separateness fosters division, operating from scarcity and fear, whereas a unifying consciousness fosters unity, operating from compassion, abundance, and love. This unitive consciousness is the nature of God and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a foundational teaching of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes continual reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; the Kingdome of heaven is about us; the Kingdom of heaven is within us; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Kingdom of Heaven is like this or the Kingdom of Heaven like that.

So, how do we understand the Kingdom of Heaven? One of the most important books on my shelf is Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus. In it, she points out that the question of interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven has been a point of debate among Biblical scholars for millennia, and that some might say that the Kingdom of Heaven is out there somewhere – a place where you go when you die. But the problem with that interpretation is that Jesus contradicts it when he teaches that the “Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Bourgeault goes on to say that the other approach is to say that the Kingdom of Heaven is some sort of earthly eutopia where there is peace and justice and everyone lives in harmony. But again, Jesus rejects this. When the disciples try to proclaim him in as the Messiah – the new king of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice, he shrank away from it saying strongly and unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So where is it then?

Taking Jesus at his word, I’ll go with the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Mystics, teachers, and theologians such as Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr and others agree with the contemporary suggestion brought forth in Jim Marion’s book: Putting on the Mind of Christ that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but instead a place you come from. Marion suggests that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is Jesus’ favorite way of describing a state that we would now call nondual consciousness or unitive consciousness. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and Jesus, not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans – and this underpins Jesus’ teaching.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

No separation. This is a complete mutual indwelling: I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. This is the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

So, how do we achieve this state of consciousness that is the Kingdom of Heaven within us? It requires that we are grounded in something larger than ourselves – something that is beyond our ego – that lies within us waiting to be discovered, or for some, rediscovered.

The term contemplative awareness or meditative awareness refers to that state in which our mind, having gone beyond itself, is silent, open, and aware. It is a state in which we can posture our hearts in hospitality to the mystery and love of God. Meditation is the portal through which we can experience this. It is something that we can practice daily, and day by day we begin to more fully realize the expansiveness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. We will begin to realize an overall sense of calm and clarity. We will feel less anxious and triggered by the sometimes-troubling events that surround us because we are tapping into a truth that is much larger, much deeper and eternal than the finite and the superficial

This does not mean we will not experience hardship or crisis in our life. It doesn’t mean that we become immune from feeling frustrated or frightened by troubling and chaotic events unfolding around us. But it does mean that we will have a refuge where we can recover and rejuvenate. We need more than ever to give ourselves the gift of silence and align ourselves with something deeper. That something is contemplative awareness. It is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

In the Eleventh Step in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, as much a profound spiritual path as I have ever experienced, says this: Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer and meditation would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

But meditation is not only for us as individuals. Our sitting practice prepares us to serve the common good with a clear mind and open heart. We respond from a silent center and reduce the noise and chaos rather than add to it. In this way, because we are all interconnected, the unitive consciousness that is the fruit of our meditation practice is a gift to others not only around the corner, but around the world.

If you already have a daily meditation practice, know that you are inter-connected with millions of others. If you want to develop your practice, you can begin by simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day and build your practice over time and know that you are also inter-connected with millions of others in that way.

This is a time for us to cast away any illusion of separateness so that we can help guide a hurting world that is hungry for a sense of community and belonging. All religious traditions and spiritual expressions have a tremendous opportunity to show the world what coming together for the common good of humanity can look like. We need each other. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we can help each other realize the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

As the Psalmist says: “Oh, how good and wonderful it is when people live in unity.”

Brother Dennis

“So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

This prayer of Jesus for us feels like a soothing balm in a time where there are so many temptations to think in terms of being separate from, different from, or even in opposition with one another.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that most all our problems stem from the fact that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. In many ways we are prone to falling into the “us” vs “them” trap. But I say that any perception that we are somehow separate from each other is an illusion.

The illusion of separateness fosters division, operating from scarcity and fear, whereas a unifying consciousness fosters unity, operating from compassion, abundance, and love. This unitive consciousness is the nature of God and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a foundational teaching of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes continual reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; the Kingdome of heaven is about us; the Kingdom of heaven is within us; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Kingdom of Heaven is like this or the Kingdom of Heaven like that.

So, how do we understand the Kingdom of Heaven? One of the most important books on my shelf is Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus. In it, she points out that the question of interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven has been a point of debate among Biblical scholars for millennia, and that some might say that the Kingdom of Heaven is out there somewhere – a place where you go when you die. But the problem with that interpretation is that Jesus contradicts it when he teaches that the “Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Bourgeault goes on to say that the other approach is to say that the Kingdom of Heaven is some sort of earthly eutopia where there is peace and justice and everyone lives in harmony. But again, Jesus rejects this. When the disciples try to proclaim him in as the Messiah – the new king of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice, he shrank away from it saying strongly and unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So where is it then?

Taking Jesus at his word, I’ll go with the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Mystics, teachers, and theologians such as Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr and others agree with the contemporary suggestion brought forth in Jim Marion’s book: Putting on the Mind of Christ that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but instead a place you come from. Marion suggests that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is Jesus’ favorite way of describing a state that we would now call nondual consciousness or unitive consciousness. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and Jesus, not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans – and this underpins Jesus’ teaching.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

No separation. This is a complete mutual indwelling: I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. This is the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

So, how do we achieve this state of consciousness that is the Kingdom of Heaven within us? It requires that we are grounded in something larger than ourselves – something that is beyond our ego – that lies within us waiting to be discovered, or for some, rediscovered.

The term contemplative awareness or meditative awareness refers to that state in which our mind, having gone beyond itself, is silent, open, and aware. It is a state in which we can posture our hearts in hospitality to the mystery and love of God. Meditation is the portal through which we can experience this. It is something that we can practice daily, and day by day we begin to more fully realize the expansiveness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. We will begin to realize an overall sense of calm and clarity. We will feel less anxious and triggered by the sometimes-troubling events that surround us because we are tapping into a truth that is much larger, much deeper and eternal than the finite and the superficial

This does not mean we will not experience hardship or crisis in our life. It doesn’t mean that we become immune from feeling frustrated or frightened by troubling and chaotic events unfolding around us. But it does mean that we will have a refuge where we can recover and rejuvenate. We need more than ever to give ourselves the gift of silence and align ourselves with something deeper. That something is contemplative awareness. It is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

In the Eleventh Step in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, as much a profound spiritual path as I have ever experienced, says this: Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer and meditation would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

But meditation is not only for us as individuals. Our sitting practice prepares us to serve the common good with a clear mind and open heart. We respond from a silent center and reduce the noise and chaos rather than add to it. In this way, because we are all interconnected, the unitive consciousness that is the fruit of our meditation practice is a gift to others not only around the corner, but around the world.

If you already have a daily meditation practice, know that you are inter-connected with millions of others. If you want to develop your practice, you can begin by simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day and build your practice over time and know that you are also inter-connected with millions of others in that way.

This is a time for us to cast away any illusion of separateness so that we can help guide a hurting world that is hungry for a sense of community and belonging. All religious traditions and spiritual expressions have a tremendous opportunity to show the world what coming together for the common good of humanity can look like. We need each other. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we can help each other realize the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

As the Psalmist says: “Oh, how good and wonderful it is when people live in unity.”

Brother Dennis
UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS                    John 17. 20-26UNITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS                    John 17. 20-26

“So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

This prayer of Jesus for us feels like a soothing balm in a time where there are so many temptations to think in terms of being separate from, different from, or even in opposition with one another.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that most all our problems stem from the fact that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. In many ways we are prone to falling into the “us” vs “them” trap. But I say that any perception that we are somehow separate from each other is an illusion.

The illusion of separateness fosters division, operating from scarcity and fear, whereas a unifying consciousness fosters unity, operating from compassion, abundance, and love. This unitive consciousness is the nature of God and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a foundational teaching of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes continual reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; the Kingdome of heaven is about us; the Kingdom of heaven is within us; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Kingdom of Heaven is like this or the Kingdom of Heaven like that.

So, how do we understand the Kingdom of Heaven? One of the most important books on my shelf is Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus. In it, she points out that the question of interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven has been a point of debate among Biblical scholars for millennia, and that some might say that the Kingdom of Heaven is out there somewhere – a place where you go when you die. But the problem with that interpretation is that Jesus contradicts it when he teaches that the “Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Bourgeault goes on to say that the other approach is to say that the Kingdom of Heaven is some sort of earthly eutopia where there is peace and justice and everyone lives in harmony. But again, Jesus rejects this. When the disciples try to proclaim him in as the Messiah – the new king of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice, he shrank away from it saying strongly and unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So where is it then?

Taking Jesus at his word, I’ll go with the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Mystics, teachers, and theologians such as Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr and others agree with the contemporary suggestion brought forth in Jim Marion’s book: Putting on the Mind of Christ that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but instead a place you come from. Marion suggests that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is Jesus’ favorite way of describing a state that we would now call nondual consciousness or unitive consciousness. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and Jesus, not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans – and this underpins Jesus’ teaching.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

No separation. This is a complete mutual indwelling: I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. This is the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

So, how do we achieve this state of consciousness that is the Kingdom of Heaven within us? It requires that we are grounded in something larger than ourselves – something that is beyond our ego – that lies within us waiting to be discovered, or for some, rediscovered.

The term contemplative awareness or meditative awareness refers to that state in which our mind, having gone beyond itself, is silent, open, and aware. It is a state in which we can posture our hearts in hospitality to the mystery and love of God. Meditation is the portal through which we can experience this. It is something that we can practice daily, and day by day we begin to more fully realize the expansiveness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. We will begin to realize an overall sense of calm and clarity. We will feel less anxious and triggered by the sometimes-troubling events that surround us because we are tapping into a truth that is much larger, much deeper and eternal than the finite and the superficial

This does not mean we will not experience hardship or crisis in our life. It doesn’t mean that we become immune from feeling frustrated or frightened by troubling and chaotic events unfolding around us. But it does mean that we will have a refuge where we can recover and rejuvenate. We need more than ever to give ourselves the gift of silence and align ourselves with something deeper. That something is contemplative awareness. It is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

In the Eleventh Step in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, as much a profound spiritual path as I have ever experienced, says this: Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer and meditation would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

But meditation is not only for us as individuals. Our sitting practice prepares us to serve the common good with a clear mind and open heart. We respond from a silent center and reduce the noise and chaos rather than add to it. In this way, because we are all interconnected, the unitive consciousness that is the fruit of our meditation practice is a gift to others not only around the corner, but around the world.

If you already have a daily meditation practice, know that you are inter-connected with millions of others. If you want to develop your practice, you can begin by simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day and build your practice over time and know that you are also inter-connected with millions of others in that way.

This is a time for us to cast away any illusion of separateness so that we can help guide a hurting world that is hungry for a sense of community and belonging. All religious traditions and spiritual expressions have a tremendous opportunity to show the world what coming together for the common good of humanity can look like. We need each other. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we can help each other realize the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

As the Psalmist says: “Oh, how good and wonderful it is when people live in unity.”

Brother Dennis

“So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

This prayer of Jesus for us feels like a soothing balm in a time where there are so many temptations to think in terms of being separate from, different from, or even in opposition with one another.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said that most all our problems stem from the fact that we have forgotten that we belong to one another. In many ways we are prone to falling into the “us” vs “them” trap. But I say that any perception that we are somehow separate from each other is an illusion.

The illusion of separateness fosters division, operating from scarcity and fear, whereas a unifying consciousness fosters unity, operating from compassion, abundance, and love. This unitive consciousness is the nature of God and the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a foundational teaching of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes continual reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; the Kingdome of heaven is about us; the Kingdom of heaven is within us; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; the Kingdom of Heaven is like this or the Kingdom of Heaven like that.

So, how do we understand the Kingdom of Heaven? One of the most important books on my shelf is Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus. In it, she points out that the question of interpretation of the Kingdom of Heaven has been a point of debate among Biblical scholars for millennia, and that some might say that the Kingdom of Heaven is out there somewhere – a place where you go when you die. But the problem with that interpretation is that Jesus contradicts it when he teaches that the “Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Bourgeault goes on to say that the other approach is to say that the Kingdom of Heaven is some sort of earthly eutopia where there is peace and justice and everyone lives in harmony. But again, Jesus rejects this. When the disciples try to proclaim him in as the Messiah – the new king of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice, he shrank away from it saying strongly and unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So where is it then?

Taking Jesus at his word, I’ll go with the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Mystics, teachers, and theologians such as Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr and others agree with the contemporary suggestion brought forth in Jim Marion’s book: Putting on the Mind of Christ that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but instead a place you come from. Marion suggests that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is Jesus’ favorite way of describing a state that we would now call nondual consciousness or unitive consciousness. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and Jesus, not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans – and this underpins Jesus’ teaching.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.”

No separation. This is a complete mutual indwelling: I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. This is the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

So, how do we achieve this state of consciousness that is the Kingdom of Heaven within us? It requires that we are grounded in something larger than ourselves – something that is beyond our ego – that lies within us waiting to be discovered, or for some, rediscovered.

The term contemplative awareness or meditative awareness refers to that state in which our mind, having gone beyond itself, is silent, open, and aware. It is a state in which we can posture our hearts in hospitality to the mystery and love of God. Meditation is the portal through which we can experience this. It is something that we can practice daily, and day by day we begin to more fully realize the expansiveness of the Kingdom of Heaven within. We will begin to realize an overall sense of calm and clarity. We will feel less anxious and triggered by the sometimes-troubling events that surround us because we are tapping into a truth that is much larger, much deeper and eternal than the finite and the superficial

This does not mean we will not experience hardship or crisis in our life. It doesn’t mean that we become immune from feeling frustrated or frightened by troubling and chaotic events unfolding around us. But it does mean that we will have a refuge where we can recover and rejuvenate. We need more than ever to give ourselves the gift of silence and align ourselves with something deeper. That something is contemplative awareness. It is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

In the Eleventh Step in the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, as much a profound spiritual path as I have ever experienced, says this: Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer and meditation would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.

But meditation is not only for us as individuals. Our sitting practice prepares us to serve the common good with a clear mind and open heart. We respond from a silent center and reduce the noise and chaos rather than add to it. In this way, because we are all interconnected, the unitive consciousness that is the fruit of our meditation practice is a gift to others not only around the corner, but around the world.

If you already have a daily meditation practice, know that you are inter-connected with millions of others. If you want to develop your practice, you can begin by simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day and build your practice over time and know that you are also inter-connected with millions of others in that way.

This is a time for us to cast away any illusion of separateness so that we can help guide a hurting world that is hungry for a sense of community and belonging. All religious traditions and spiritual expressions have a tremendous opportunity to show the world what coming together for the common good of humanity can look like. We need each other. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we can help each other realize the Kingdom of Heaven within us.

As the Psalmist says: “Oh, how good and wonderful it is when people live in unity.”

Brother Dennis

Do You Want to be Made Well?

5/25/2025

Do You Want to be Made Well? Reading: John 5:1-9 Easter VI
By the Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Morro Bay CA 5-25-25

Jesus said to the man: “Stand up, take your mat, and walk.” At once the man was made well and he took up his mat and began to walk. (John 5)

Do you want to be made well? I think that is a question all of us should answer truthfully. In fact, it is an important question that we should answer before going to the doctor. It is a question that every doctor should ask before treating a patient. It is a question we should contemplate before going into therapy. It is a question we should ponder whenever we experience hurt, anger, or resentment in our heart. It is a question we should resolve before confessing our sins each Sunday during the act of confession. Sometimes, people just want to feel better or just live longer, not really wanting to make the changes that are necessary for wellness.

So, I ask you the question once again. Do you want to be made well? Do you want to be whole? Do you want to be awakened to the fullness of life? Do you want to be connected to the Divine Presence that offers grace upon grace? If so, today’s gospel gives us some insights on how to proceed. Let’s take a closer look.

The story begins in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate. A man who had been ill for 38 years was lying by the pool. The text does not explicitly say what his illness is, but the story implies that he is physically disabled with atrophied limbs. The pool (with five porticoes described in this story) is one of the few biblical sites that has been authentically discovered and verified. This particular pool of water was fed by rainwater. But ancient writings report that a stream ran underneath the pool, occasionally bubbling up and disturbing the waters. The belief was that when the water in the pool was stirred up, healing would occur for those who were fortunate enough to get into the water in time.

Now there were many invalids who would sit by the pool day after day, desiring to be healed of their infirmities. The particular man in today’s story was not mobile enough to get into the pool at prime time. And so year after year, he would sit by the pool, hoping that one day he would get into the pool while the water was stirred up. It was into this context that Jesus asked him: “Do you want to be made well?”

At first glance, you might think that this is a strange question. After all, who wouldn’t want to be made well? Well actually, there are a lot of people who don’t want to be made well. While most people do not want to suffer, they don’t necessarily want to change or do the hard work that is required to move forward. You probably know some of these folks. They might be someone in your own family. Maybe after being ill for 38 years, the man’s hope for recovery diminished, or he was resigned to a life of dependency. Maybe the man in the story lost his desire to make the changes necessary for wellness. Maybe there was a chance that he didn’t want to be restored to fullness, thus having to take on the burden of making a living. Or maybe he just had such a limited vision of what was required to heal such that he missed out on other opportunities available. After all,
one’s attitude, beliefs, and level of participation all influence the process of healing.

Jesus asks the man: “Do you want to be made well?” The actual Greek word “to be made well” can also refer to wholeness, soundness of mind, and health. Do you want to be whole? Do you want to return to health? Do you want to be a sound human being? While the man never directly answers Jesus’ question, he does offer an excuse as to why he is still lying around the pool after 38 years of disability. He believes that the only way to be whole, the only way to be made well, is to get into the pool when the water is stirred up. What a pity!

You know, sometimes it is easy to get stuck, believing that there is only one way to move forward or only one way to be happy. Excuses and false beliefs about health and wholeness often hinder us from actually getting well, especially when it comes to chronic health issues.

Think about all the false beliefs out there that are hindering our health system in our country today. I am disheartened by all the anti-scientific bias and misinformation in the media. It is hard to ignore the headlines regarding the state of public health here in the United States. Measles cases are going up, vaccination rates are going down, whooping cough is making a comeback. 33% of adults and 20% of our children are obese while the rate of depression is over 20%. Loneliness and a lack of social ties is epidemic in both the elderly and our young people. Suicide is on the rise as well as colon cancer among young adults. Thousands of government experts who have been doing medical research have been fired. And amid these crises, our country is undergoing a moment of intense distrust in public health and scientific information. What are we to do? Are we doomed to repeat history? Today’s gospel and other passages of Scripture, offer us some insights on how to
move forward in our own journey toward health and wholeness.

Let me mention three of them.

1. Action Required: First of all, we must actively participate in our own healing process. We can’t just depend on a magic pill, a prescribed medical treatment, or rely on the doctor to “fix us.” After healing the man at the pool, Jesus gives him three commands: “Stand up. Pick up your mat. Walk.” In other words, do something even if you don’t feel like it! Fortunately for the invalid man, he followed orders.

The word translated as stand up in this story has a lot of different meanings and interpretations. This same Greek word can also mean to awaken, to rise up, to collect one’s faculties. It has been used to describe rising from sleep or rising from the dead. It is a powerful word that can shake us from complacency, from habitual behaviors that are unhealthy, and from distorted ways of thinking that hurt us and others.

For instance, many people do not follow instructions from their doctors. Non-adherence to treatment plans occurs with almost 50% of all patients, especially those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. 30% of prescriptions for medication go unfilled while 50% of people do not take their drugs as prescribed. Many folks refuse to do physical therapy once discharged. While we cannot cure all our ills nor can we live forever, there are five things we can do to improve our health: Right eating, adequate sleep, exercise, quiet meditation or prayer, and stress reduction. Do you want to be made well???

2. Thoughts Matter: We need to remember that our body, mind, and soul are interconnected. And if
there is a problem in one area, it is bound to affect the other. I once heard the human body described as a chariot! Our chariot is this body that transports us through life and carries our senses, our thoughts, our emotions, and our soul. Like any other vehicle, this chariot needs to be carefully maintained if it is to carry us through the many years of life. If not, the chariot will eventually break down. And one of the ways our chariots are breaking down has to do with mental health issues caused by useless thoughts, fearful thoughts, and hurtful emotions that deplete our joy and deprive us of abundant life. For our own spiritual healing, it is time for us to take charge of our mind rather than allowing our mind to take charge of us.

The mind is a powerful force. Most people are oblivious to their habitual way of thinking which
unfortunately leads them to do things that go against their own principles and harms their health. This ought not to be so. The words you mutter to yourself and the thoughts that you dwell on have the power to encourage or discourage, to motivate or deflate, to generate joy or generate sadness. Little by little, the conversations that you hold in the privacy of your mind are determining your destiny. Each thought can move you toward or away from your God-given potential. So what are you putting in your mind? Are you spending too much time watching the angry news commentators who focus on everything that is wrong in the world? Or are you thinking about how you can use your time, talent, and treasure to be a healing presence in the world today?

Do you want to be made well? Then put on the mind of Christ, focusing on that which is “true,
honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.” (Phil. 4:8) Our mind is to be used as a tool for problem solving, learning new things, engaging in activities, and delighting in God’s creation. So take care of that chariot of yours, and don’t forget to nurture your mind.

3. Community: Another avenue for healing and wholeness is being part of a community. We are not
called to be alone in this world, trying to struggle through the trials and tribulations of life by ourselves. The man in today’s gospel story had no one to help him into the water and so he laid around for 38 years. It wasn’t until Jesus came along to help, that his situation was turned around. I recently read a story about Oscar Saxelby-Lee, a five-year-old boy in England who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia. While Oscar underwent intense chemotherapy treatment for four weeks, he needed to have a stem cell transplant to survive. A call went out to the Worcester community to try to find an exact donor match, a very difficult task. However, when the call went out, the community came together. More than 3,000 people showed up to be tested in order to become a potential donor. People queued around the block in the pouring rain, and nobody complained. This spirit of generosity and concern was absolutely incredible. Oscar did receive his
stem cell transplant and is now cancer free. The moral of the story? Reach out and touch someone. Every act of concern makes a difference! So thank you, people of St. Peter’s, a community of faith who cares for one another; folks who offer acts of grace to the sick and the homebound. Keep up the good work!

As I end this sermon, there is one more thing I want to say about health and wholeness. The human body is not meant to live forever. There is a time to be born and a time to die; a time to let go. What is most important is not how many years we exist, but rather how we make use of the time and opportunities we have while still alive. “Life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind, and go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” (A Blessing)

Love those whom God Already Loves

5/18/2025

When I first visited St Peters, I was the kind of visitor who sits in the back row and tried to get out before being invited to coffee hour. Jill and I were warmly welcomed by several of you. But there were bumper stickers on some of the cars in the parking lot which made us cautious. This didn’t seem like a church that would be safe place for a gay couple. That was over 25 years ago. A lot has changed since then both here at St. Peters, in the Episcopal Church and in society as a whole.

I am bringing this up because the reading we heard from Acts this morning was an important scripture in helping the Episcopal Church make the change from ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ to full inclusion.

We heard Peter defending his decision to baptize Gentiles. In order that we understand the story, I need to remind you of three things – first that strict Jews had and have strict dietary rules so for example they never eat pork or shrimp; second that the purity laws prevented them from having much to do with Gentiles, and third, that the Jesus movement was initially just within Judaism. Jesus and his disciples were Jews.

So Peter had a dream in which he was presented with many different animals for food but they were all unclean. In his dream a voice told him to eat them, but he replied that he could not. He had never eaten anything unclean. But then the voice told him, `What God has made clean, you must not call profane.' This happened three times before he woke up. Just as he was thinking about the dream, Peter was called to the door for some men who had come from Caesarea. They had been sent by a God-fearing Roman centurion named Cornelius. Cornelius himself had a vision in which he was told to send for Simon Peter.

This presented something of a dilemma because Cornelius was a Gentile so Peter would not normally have gone to his home but the Holy Spirit told him not to hesitate so he and some other believers went to Joppa to meet Cornelius. As Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius and his friends, they began to praise God, speaking in tongues, and Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So they were baptized, and he stayed there with them for several days.

In the sequel that we heard this morning, Peter has to explain to the church leaders in Jerusalem what he thought he was doing. He told them the whole story and said, “If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?"

This is the argument that The Episcopal Church made about fully including LGBTQ people. “If then God gave them the same gift that he gave straight people, who were we to hinder God?” It had become obvious to many, though not to all, that God was blessing the lives and ministry of LGBTQ Episcopalians and that it was time to get out of God’s way. Just as the first Christian leaders thought that Gentiles were unclean, so for centuries Christians thought that gays were unclean.

This last week I have been upset that our government, having denied entry to thousands of people trying to get away from well-documented gang violence, persecution and fear for their lives in their home countries, decided to let in white South Africans. They are the main landowners in South Africa and are privileged in nearly every way. To call them victims of genocide is inaccurate. In my anger and upset, I thought that should I ever meet one of those immigrants I wouldn’t want anything to do with them.

And then I realized that I was making the same mistake. I was calling these people unacceptable, unclean, though they are just as beloved of God as I am.

It is a trap that it is only too easy to fall into in our country right now. We are living in a time when might is right and the wealthy have power and privilege and those who don’t are labeled as gang members and criminals. We are living in a time when it is considered just to take healthcare away from millions of poor people in order to provide more income for the top 1%. In that atmosphere it is easy for us to start thinking of a group of people who are different from us as somehow unclean.
And that was just as true In Jesus time.

Which is why Jesus’ commandment to love one another was so revolutionary, and still is today. In order for the few to remain in power they have to keep the rest of the people at odds with each other, and so they sow hatred and fear.

But the Jesus movement is radically different. The Jesus movement is based on love.

Let us ponder that for a moment.

In 1st Century Palestine the family was everything. You were known as a member of your family and if you were well thought of you brought it honor, if you messed up you brought dishonor. Honor was like money in the bank. Jesus’ disciples had left their families and were to love one another regardless of family or tribe.

That is something much bigger than loving your immediate family or your closest friends. It is much bigger than caring for the people you meet at church and enjoying potlucks together.
It is a radically new way.

Have you ever wondered why the early church were so concerned about widows and orphans? It was because these people were often without immediate family so they had little support and often were hungry and ignored by the local families. But the Jesus movement welcomed them and fed them.

So the love that Jesus commands is a love that extends beyond family and old friends; it is a love that seeks to serve all God’s beloved. It is a love that seeks justice and belonging for everyone, even those who are not Episcopalians, even those who are not Americans, yes even white South Africans!

I struggle with the time involved in being radically loving in this way. I could spend every minute of every day and then some, loving individuals, loving the planet, loving those who are denied justice and peace. That would not be loving myself or my spouse. So I have come to think that the love Jesus commands is an attitude, a being not a doing.

When we ask to be used as clear channels for God’s love then we can trust that God will help us to see the places where we are unloving, the places where we need to make extra effort, and the times that we can rest and love ourselves. And that balance is different for each of us.

But I am sure that just as Peter was asked to go outside his comfort zone, to reach out to people considered unclean that God is asking the people of St Peter’s to open our hearts, to assume an attitude of radical love and be ready to reach across social boundaries to love those whom God already loves and sees as clean.

the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

Lamb of God

5/11/2025

Last week I talked about Jesus Christ and how Jesus and the Christ are totally entwined so you cannot separate them.

This morning, building on the reading from Revelation, I want to focus on Jesus as Lamb. Unlike Jesus Christ, Jesus the Lamb of God is a metaphor. It is a way of thinking about Jesus that draws us deeper into the mysteries of our faith. Most of our conversation about God is based on metaphor and parables - which are a form of metaphor – Although God is right here with us, none of us can know the totality of God. And so we use metaphors to get us wondering, to lead us deeper into the knowledge of God.

We use the metaphor of Jesus as Lamb a lot in our worship. Later this morning, after I break the bread, we will sing together “Jesus, Lamb of God have mercy on us.” I wonder what that means to you? So I am going to ask you once again to find someone else to talk with, even if that means getting up and changing your seat, and for a few minutes share your ideas about Jesus the Lamb.
…
We have several ideas between us. That is good because a spiritual symbol operates on many levels and has many meanings. I have mentioned before that as a teenager I was a strong evangelical believer and I thought we could know the ‘plain truth’ of God. But life and the Holy Spirit have changed me, and now I realize that there is always more than meets the eye and that every time I think I have grasped the meaning of a great spiritual symbol, I am only scraping the surface.

So let’s talk about lambs. I identified at least five levels to the symbol of the Lamb. Let’s dive in together.

Firstly, lambs are delightful little animals who dance around and make us think that Spiring has truly arrived. As such they are symbols of new life and of the resurrection.

We also slaughter them for food, and in the sacrificial system of the Hebrew people they were sacrificed as an offering to God. There were several reasons that someone might make a sacrifice – it might be as a freewill offering, to support prayer or praise, part of the regular rhythm of temple worship, or as an offering for sin or request for atonement.

There is a range of understandings about Jesus’ death on the cross. The idea of Jesus as the lamb of sacrifice, as the offering for human sin, is a strong one which has been reinforced in church teaching over the centuries. By dying ‘for our sins’ Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice so we don’t need to go on slaughtering animals; we are reconciled to God once and for all by Jesus’ sacrifice.

Our fraction anthem, “Jesus, Lamb of God have mercy on us, Jesus bearer of our sins, have mercy on us,” reminds us of this aspect of the Lamb – the sacrifice who reconciles us with God despite human sinfulness.

So there we have two layers of meaning already – Jesus the lamb of resurrection and new life, and Jesus as the sacrifice for the sin of the world – the sacrifice which makes all other sacrifices unnecessary.

Let’s add a third. Passover. On the last night in Egypt before they left, the Hebrew people were told to kill a year-old lamb or a goat and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. When the Angel of Death came saw the blood of the Lamb and know to pass-over the houses of the Hebrews. So the blood of the Passover lamb protected them from death.

In John’s gospel, Jesus dies on Passover, clearly making a connection between Jesus and the Passover Lamb. The apostle Paul also made this connection explicit when he refered to, “Christ our Passover Lamb [who] has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7)

So that’s three layers: resurrection, a sin sacrifice and the Passover lamb.

Now let’s turn to today’s reading from Revelation. John’s having a vision of the court of heaven. A few pages before our reading today, one of the elders told him that the Lion of Judah had conquered, but when he looks the Lion is actually a Lamb (Rev 5. 5-6.) A Lamb who has been killed but is now being worshiped by the heavenly host. And not just the heavenly host but “every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea and all that is in them.” (Rev 5:13)

In todays’ reading the multitudes are still worshiping God and the Lamb. But now John asks why some of them have long white robes. And he is told “"These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

‘Washed in the blood of the Lamb’ is the refrain of many an old hymn. The blood of the Lamb has reconciled these people with God. Blood is the life force in our veins so the blood of the Lamb is not a symbol of his death only but also of his life. When we share the cup of wine together we are sharing in Jesus’ blood – his life force, his death and resurrection.

Perhaps this is already contained in our understanding of the Lamb as resurrection, a sacrifice that removes sin, and whose blood causes death to Passover but I am going to add this as fourth and fifth levels of meaning – the Lamb reconciles us to God and we get to share in his life force, his death and his resurrection.

Yet the image of the Lamb is a shapeshifter – a few chapters ago it was a Lion, then a Lamb and now at the end of today’s reading the image turns on its head again and becomes a shepherd. We read, “for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life.”

So this my friends is the Lamb who is also the Christ who is also Jesus. As the Lion he conquered the powers of darkness, as the Lamb he willingly sacrificed himself for us and in so doing reconciled us with God and as the Shepherd he brings us the water of life.

Isn’t that amazing? It’s like, Wow!

The Lamb of God is no gentle little creature but the powerful and deeply loving life force which pulses in our veins, fills our cells with life and reconciles us with God.

It is not surprising that the heavenly host gather around God and the Lamb in worship and praise. And we get to do that too. We were made to take part in the heavenly chorus of praise and thanksgiving, along with the “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands,” and along with, “every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea and all that is in them.”

People of God, I am convinced that it is this song of praise to God and to the Lamb which is the energy of the Cosmos, and that as we align ourselves with that song, as we participate in that song, day in and day out so we are transformed, and the world is changed. So let us not forget to praise God, and specifically as we gather together in the eucharist this morning let us give thanks to the Lamb and include ourselves in the multitude without number singing the song of praise that echoes through the ages.
the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

Revealed: Jesus the Christ

5/4/2025

During Eastertide this year, we have readings from the book of Revelation. This is a magical mystery tour of the heavenly court as visioned by John when he was on the Greek island of Patmos. I am not going to spend time talking about the book of Revelation because I know that Lenny is going there in her study this week and will do a much more thorough job than I can do in this short homily. But the theme of our readings today is revelation.

We heard about Saul’s amazing experience on the road to Damascus when the living Christ was revealed in blazing light. We heard about Jesus’ appearance at breakfast on the shore. And we heard a little of John’s vision who saw and “heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice.” And in the psalm we read that “Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

All amazing and wonderful revelations of the presence of the Christ.

So let us consider the difference and the sameness of Jesus and the Christ. Often we say Jesus Christ just as might say John Smith, as though Christ is Jesus’ surname. It isn’t. The Christ is the anointed One, the Son of God who is one of the three persons of the Trinity and existed before time. Jesus was human like us, bound to time and place. Yet the understanding passed down by our spiritual ancestors is that Jesus was not only human, Jesus was also God. Jesus the son of
Mary is also Christ, the Son of God.

In the first few centuries after Jesus, the church gave a lot of attention to the question of how Jesus could be both God and human. It caused a lot of friction and part of the resolution is contained in the 4th Century Nicene Creed which most Episcopal churches say every Sunday as a reminder and as a way of honoring our ancestors. In that Creed, we remind ourselves that Jesus Christ is one with God, was born of a human woman, Mary, and after his death and resurrection is seated with God.

So we can think of the Christ as the resurrected and ascended Jesus. And we can think of Jesus as a human manifestation of the Christ. Today’s readings are like a crossover point - they are narratives of the post resurrection Jesus who is also the Christ who gave the disciples breakfast, and of the Christ who is also Jesus who appeared to Saul and who is worshipped night and day by the myriads of angels and creatures and elders and saints.

It may seem a bit like splitting hairs, but I have found it enormously helpful in my own spiritual life to understand something of the Christ part of the Jesus Christ package, and so I want to share that with you. Also, in our baptismal covenant we promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and in our eucharistic prayer today we will pray “in the fullness of time, put all things into subjection under your Christ.” So it’s helpful, I think to understand more about the Christ.

As a teenager I attended an evangelical Bible class and was often urged to love Jesus and reminded what a friend we have in Jesus. But I had difficulty with the idea of an invisible man. I found it a bit unnerving to think that there was this man, however wonderful, who was always hanging around just wanting to be friends. I experienced a kind of stranger-danger with him.

The Christ however is not gendered. The Christ is a cosmic being who is involved in calling everything and everyone to our fullest expression. At the end of time, whatever that may mean, at the end of time the Christ, the Son of God, the creative Word of God, will be the unifying principle, the One who makes all things whole. The One who the Creator God, as we say in our eucharistic prayer, puts all things into subjection under. This is the vision of Christus Rex – Christ the Sovereign – who in Jesus rose victorious o’er the grave.

You notice that Jesus just slipped back in.

For us as Trinitarian Christians, we cannot separate the Christ from Jesus or Jesus from the Christ. They are one and the same, only different.

It would make no sense for us in our baptismal vows to promise to seek and serve Jesus in all persons because Jesus lived in 1 st century Palestine and we live in 21 st century California. The Christ however is not limited by time or bounded by space and the Christ is evident all around us. Based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 “When I was hungry you gave me something to eat, [when] I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, [when] I was a stranger you invited me in” we understand that as we love our neighbor we are loving Jesus Christ and so our promise is to seek and serve Christ in all persons.

So for me, the Christ is present in all creation, the Christ is the manifestation of limitless spiritual possibility. The Christ is the one who gathers us together and who makes us into the Christlike beings we are called to be.

But I know that for many of you, ‘Jesus’ is far more approachable than this cosmic being, ‘Christ’. The good news is we don’t have to choose. If you find it easier to love and serve Jesus that’s fine because Jesus really is the Christ.

What was so astonishing to Saul who became Paul was that in that blinding light he experienced Jesus and knew he was the Christ. He had an experience of Jesus Christ which changed his life and his identity forever.

Just as Simon Peter and the other disciples would never forget the day that Jesus told them to put their nets on the right side of the boat and they came up full of fish. Not only was Jesus on the land but Jesus was in their workplace, the post-resurrection Jesus lived where they lived.

Just as Jesus the Christ does today. Jesus the Christ lives where we live. Not as some ghostly, invisible man, but as a potent life force, as one who turns our weeping into joy, as one who is constantly moving us forward to be united with God.

And we also live where Christ lives. In some way which is mysterious but true, we are invited to join with the myriad angels and elders worshipping God. Even as we deal with all the messiness of being human, we are invited into the heavenly realms to worship around the throne. And we remember this in our eucharistic prayer when on your behalf I say, “Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your name…” and we sing Holy, Holy, Holy together.

In that moment we step out of everyday reality and into the heavenly court which John saw in his vision.

Just as Jesus the Christ is fully human and fully God, who lived a life as a human even while being a cosmic being dancing in the Trinity, so we live fully human lives inspired by the Spirit of God and we also get to worship in the heavenly realms praising God every day with the psalmist who says, “my heart sings to you without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.”

the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

Breathe Forgiveness

4/27/2025

I don’t know what you did in the evening last Sunday. I know some of you had time with family. After a busy morning and a lovely dinner, I took a nap and watched a movie. Back on the first Easter Sunday evening, the disciples got together and locked the door because they were afraid. And suddenly Jesus was there with them, saying, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Whenever Jesus appears after the resurrection, he always greets the disciples the same way, “Peace be with you.” But this is not just any old appearance, this meeting with Jesus is one which will change their lives for ever. He says “Peace be with you,” but then he goes on, “as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” No longer are they just his followers, his disciples, now they are ones who are sent… we call them apostles – those who are sent. God the Father sent Jesus with a special mission, he sent him to assure the world of God’s astonishing and abiding love, to assure us both by his preaching and by his actions (which cost him his life) that the very essence of God is love. Now Jesus is sending the apostles, just as his Father sent him, to let the world know that God is not just justice but that God is also love and peace.

And when he had said, “I send you,” Jesus breathed on them.

We don’t always want to be breathed on by someone else. Especially having experienced Covid. Other people’s breath is not always pleasant. But the breath of a baby, of a lover, even of a puppy, can be a very precious thing. How much more precious the breath of Jesus the Christ.

It was a special breath. The Greek word used for it is only found in two other places in the Bible. In the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures which dates from about three centuries before Jesus, in that ancient text this word is only used in two other places. First, when God breathes into the human he has just created from dust and he becomes a living being (Gen 2:7) and secondly in Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, when Ezekiel is told to prophecy to the breath.

That’s not quite as familiar as God breathing life into the first man, so let’s just remind ourselves about it. Ezekiel was a prophet at the time that Israel was taken into captivity in Babylon. He had a vision in which he saw a valley full of dry bones. God told him to prophesy to the bones. He did and the bones gathered together into people with flesh on them, but they were still dead. Then God told him to prophesy to the breath, “Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” So he did and they came to life.

God interpreted the vision like this, “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Tell them, I, God, will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

So we have just three times that this Greek word is used. In Genesis when the first human is formed from the dust, in Ezekiel when God promises to put his spirit in the people of Israel so they may live, and now when Jesus “breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

One of things we need to bear in mind when thinking about the Bible is that whoever wrote the gospel we call John knew the Hebrew Scriptures much better than we do. So when he used this verb enephseyseo, it wasn’t an accident. He knew it was an unusual word, and he was deliberately reminding us of how God blew into the man of dust and made him live, and blew into the dead bodies in Ezekiel’s vision and made them live.

So Jesus, in breathing on the disciples, was sharing his resurrection life. He was giving them life. And what did he say, “"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

That’s big. “Here’s my resurrection life, and now, forgive.”

Reminds me of the line in the prayer Jesus Taught Us, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

There are some really important connections here. And I am finally getting to the point of this sermon, so listen up!

Forgiveness is what it’s all about. I’ll say that again. It’s all about forgiveness.
Before Easter we talked about repentance and reconciliation and then rounded off the three Rs with resurrection.

But what brings them all together is forgiveness.

We repent and look to God for forgiveness and that forgiveness brings us reconciliation. And now the breath of resurrection life leads immediately to forgiveness. It’s all bound up together.

Forgiveness is letting go of all the grudges and disappointments and failures that we have experienced in ourselves and in other people and indeed, in the universe. Forgiveness is letting go of the need to explain our lives in terms of what went wrong, of the things we didn’t get or the things we got and shouldn’t have. Forgiveness is letting go of all the junk of the past so we are free, completely free to act in new ways and to experience Jesus’ resurrection life flowing through us in the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Forgiveness frees us up. We tend to think of forgiveness as something we offer someone else, “I forgive you for…” when in fact forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. A gift that God has already given us and which we claim as our own.

Holding a grudge really doesn’t hurt the other person. It hurts us. It has been said that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Our failure to forgive hurts us more than the other person.

At the very core of Jesus’ teaching, we find this key to life, this key to closeness with God, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." If I retain the sins of any, they are retained within me where they build up walls of bitterness and fear.

Nailed to the cross Jesus said, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” This is the core of the gospel. We are forgiven. Now we get to claim that forgiveness, forgive ourselves and forgive others.

As a congregation we have stories we tell ourselves about things that happened or didn’t happen that got in our way, that stop us being the church we thought we should be. Forgiveness means forgiving ourselves, forgiving each other, forgiving past clergy, past lay leaders, forgiving circumstances that created problems. The past is gone.

The gift of God is this moment, now. Freed from the claims of the past, free from self-recrimination we are free to move forward, forgiven.

The Love of God wraps us in forgiveness, reassures us that we are the people God has made, the people God has called, the people into whom Jesus has breathed the breath of life. The people blessed by the Holy Spirit.

People of God, we are apostles, sent out into the world to proclaim and live God’s love, forgiveness and new life. Praise God!
the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall