It’s about 11 o’clock pm Thanksgiving Eve, and finally, all the side dishes are done for dinner tomorrow, but we still have to make the most celebrated items at my family’s Thanksgiving table, pumpkin tassies. In order to spend more time with family rather than in the kitchen, my mum, siblings, and I stay up late the night before and cook practically everything. So what are these coveted pumpkin tassies? They are these miniature pumpkin pies that right before you pop the whole thing into your mouth, you must stop, top it with a huge dollop of whipped cream, and then proceed to eat the entire thing in one bite.
I have been making these tiny pies since I could put on an apron, the recipe is ingrained in me. First, get all the ingredients for the crust: flour, cream cheese, and salt. And mix them together in a bowl, and chill for at least an hour. Oh, and don’t forget to preheat the oven. Next, make the filling. Mix together pumpkin, sugar, spices, evaporated milk, and eggs, until all they are fully incorporated. Now, it’s time to start assembling the little delights. Thus far, it sounds similar to making an actual pumpkin pie, but here’s the difference, instead of a monster nine inch pie plate, we use mini muffin-tins to make little individual pies. Now, take the dough out of the fridge, and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a walnut, roll it into a ball, place it in one of the muffin-tin cups. Spread the dough out to fill the tin cup, and then fill the little crust with the pumpkin filling.
And this is the part where I doubt myself the most, knowing when to take them out of the oven. The recipe says bake them for 20 minutes, but they aren’t always fully baked. So how do I know when the tiny pies are done? My mum taught me the trick that if the tassies have a golden brown crust, and the center looks set, it’s time to pull them out of the oven. But it’s not always clear, I am always unsure and questioning whether or not they need an extra minute, or two? I wish there were a sure sign to show me that those little pumpkin tassies are done.
Those feelings unsureness and questioning I see in the crowd before Jesus in the gospel this evening. Their uneasiness is clear when they ask him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe in you?” Prior to this passage, anyone following Jesus just witnessed him feeding five thousand people, as well as walking on water. What more do they need to believe Jesus is the son of God?!
In order to understand why they asked question this question, let’s look through the lens of the crowd. At that time, most of the crowd was Jewish, and in the Jewish community there was a belief that in heaven there was a storehouse of bread. And from this storehouse, Moses feed the people of Israel. This is why they say in the reading, “Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, and ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’”. No wonder they wanted more concrete evidence. They wanted to be 100% sure that Jesus was truly the son of God, and not just reenacting the same miracle Moses had performed.
So how will Jesus prove that he is the son of God? I imagine Jesus struggling to relate to the crowd at this moment, then suddenly he gets this brilliant idea to turn around the Jewish belief. Jesus makes himself the bread. First, he clears up the idea that the bread was from Moses, and clarifies that it is God who gives them bread. He says, “It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.” And then he refers to himself by saying, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” Finally, to ensure the crowd does not miss the point, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life”
Jesus challenges his followers to think beyond the literal terminology, to understand the meaning of spiritual food. Because we tend to focus on the nitty gritty, we lose sight of the bigger picture. Jesus was sent from God, and we are to feed on his words, and through his teachings we live out the works of God. When we focus on the food that is perishable in this life, we lose sight of what it means to eat the spiritual food that endures forever.
How and when do we feed on this concept of spiritual food? I think we can find the answer to that question in the very first Thanksgiving. Andrew Smith, a food historian, explains there is a difference between the classic Thanksgiving we learn about in school, and the actual first Thanksgiving of 1621. In a letter written by Edward Winslow, a colonist at Plymouth, wrote that the Governor William Bradford declared a holiday to celebrate the treaty between the Native Americans and the colonists after the harvest. It was a celebration of community not food.
This was unheard of at the time! Two groups of people, known to be at odds with each other, were sitting down at a table together and eating together. Yes, they were thankful for the great harvest, and yes they made a grand dinner for themselves to share with the Native Americans. But the dinner was simply a side dish. The more important celebration was bringing two communities together to form one. Where can we see this happen on a regular basis, how about at that altar? When we share communion together.
Although we come from different communities, when we come to this altar, we try to act as one body of Christ. It is reflected in the last line of Deuteronomy, “Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.” We attempt to set aside our differences, try to understand the teachings of Jesus, and live out the mission of God; to love one another as God loves us.
Tonight, we celebrate this community not only with spiritual food, but with literal food, pie. We give thanks for the many blessings we have received in this life, especially for this community coming together to act as the body of Christ. This isn’t always easy, it takes practice.
Like looking for the golden edges on the crust or the filling to be set in those pumpkin tassies. By striving to live out the teachings of Christ, we can live out God’s mission to love one another. And eventually, we will all share in that slice of pie in the sky.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Wooden Airplanes
While working last week, I ventured out of the office and on to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore floor. As I wondered the aisles, there was an older gentleman in the home improvement section looking through some storm drains. I noticed a slight look of concern on his face. His name is Mr. Mitchell and the following is the conversation we had,
Me: Do you need any help or have any questions?
Mr. Mitchell: How much is this piece of piping?
Me: I'm not sure, but I can check with the register and tell you how much it is.
Mr. Mitchell: Great, I LOVE THIS STORE!
Me: Well, BRILLIANT! When did you first come here?
Mr. Mitchell: Today, it's my first time I have ever been here.
Me: Wow, love at first sight.
Mr. Mitchell: Let me explain, let me show you something.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photo-book. Before he opened the book, I assumed he was going to show me pictures of his grandchildren. Nope, he opened the photo-book to show me pictures of wooden rocking airplanes, like the ones little kids can ride. They were identical to the ones someone could purchase out of a catalog.
He flipped the pages and showed me the differences between each plane. Each one was individualized with different paint combinations for the strips and body of the plane, along with a finishing coat of shellac to make it shine. He explained that his doctor told him to get a hobby when he retired, so he started making these planes for children. By the looks of the planes, it was as if he had been making them for years, but in reality he had only been making them for ten months. We chatted a little longer, and then I took him to the register to find out the price of the storm drains.
Mr. Mitchell's passion for those wooden rocking planes was a glimpse into his love and attention to detail for others. Like the photo-book, I hope that all individuals somehow carry around what they love in their back pocket. Whether it be a tattoo or a necklace, these things invite people to have conversations. It gives us the opportunity to share what we love with them, which is a vulnerable position to be in. Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps the more willing we are to share with others, the more others will be able to share with us. Whatever it is we share, whether it be wooden airplanes or pictures of the baked goods we just made, it can positively impact others. If we are willing to share in the first place, think of how many conversations will begin to take off.
Me: Do you need any help or have any questions?
Mr. Mitchell: How much is this piece of piping?
Me: I'm not sure, but I can check with the register and tell you how much it is.
Mr. Mitchell: Great, I LOVE THIS STORE!
Me: Well, BRILLIANT! When did you first come here?
Mr. Mitchell: Today, it's my first time I have ever been here.
Me: Wow, love at first sight.
Mr. Mitchell: Let me explain, let me show you something.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a photo-book. Before he opened the book, I assumed he was going to show me pictures of his grandchildren. Nope, he opened the photo-book to show me pictures of wooden rocking airplanes, like the ones little kids can ride. They were identical to the ones someone could purchase out of a catalog.
He flipped the pages and showed me the differences between each plane. Each one was individualized with different paint combinations for the strips and body of the plane, along with a finishing coat of shellac to make it shine. He explained that his doctor told him to get a hobby when he retired, so he started making these planes for children. By the looks of the planes, it was as if he had been making them for years, but in reality he had only been making them for ten months. We chatted a little longer, and then I took him to the register to find out the price of the storm drains.
Mr. Mitchell's passion for those wooden rocking planes was a glimpse into his love and attention to detail for others. Like the photo-book, I hope that all individuals somehow carry around what they love in their back pocket. Whether it be a tattoo or a necklace, these things invite people to have conversations. It gives us the opportunity to share what we love with them, which is a vulnerable position to be in. Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps the more willing we are to share with others, the more others will be able to share with us. Whatever it is we share, whether it be wooden airplanes or pictures of the baked goods we just made, it can positively impact others. If we are willing to share in the first place, think of how many conversations will begin to take off.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Love, It's What We Should Do!
This was my sermon for All Saints Day. We remember and celebrate the love of those who have gone before us.
“You’re good” were the words always whispered into my ear when I saw Father John Thomas. Sometimes he would pull me aside real close, and utter them in a really loud fake whisper, “you’re good” and then simply walk away. Sometimes he walked up to me with an angry look across his face, and as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong, he would whisper those same words “you’re good”, and then walk away. You could saying this was sort of his trade mark, but more importantly it was one of his many expressions of God’s love for all people.
Father John was ordained a priest in 1961. During his 50 years as a priest, he was also involved with a Christian camp for kids in Conneaut, Ohio called Sheldon Calvary Camp. The camp is operated by Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, but is a camp for all children. For 18 years he was the director and executive director of the camp, but for over five decades he was involved with the camp in one way or another. He lived and breathed Calvary Camp, and Calvary Camp was another way Father John expressed God’s love for all people.
I knew Father John when he was a retired priest at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, I was merely a middle-schooler starting confirmation class. As a part of the class, every student had to sit with the different members of the clergy, and ask them questions about confirmation. Looking back on it know, I have no idea why I was so nervous to talk to Father John, but after that little chat everything was different. When I ran into him, he was sure to walk up to me and whisper in my ear, “You’re good”. Father John passed away in January of 2012, but to truly give you an idea of how many lives Father John touched, I have to explain his funeral.
St. Paul’s in Pittsburgh is about 5 times the size of Church of the Holy Spirit. At Father John’s viewing, I have never seen the church more packed. A line down the center aisle and out the door of the church was formed by people from past congregations, camp counselors, kids from camp, friends of friends, and of course family.
And there is no doubt in my mind that every single one of those individuals was somehow, someway told by Father John that they were GOOD. Father John didn’t really ever have to SAY those words out loud to make his point. His love for others simply reflected in how he treated everyone, and he never had to say a word to show that you were loved.
Father John is a saint. In the gospel reading today the word saint is written with a lower case s, not a capital S. I can see the question that could possibly be popping into your mind, at least it popped into mine, what is the difference between a saint, with a lower case s, and a Saint with a capital S? Nothing, really. Okay, that’s not totally true, but there is some degree of truth in that statement. In the Episcopal Church, the capital S means that the person has been recognized with a Holy Day that we can celebrate during the year. And the second question that popped into my mind was how does someone become recognized as a saint in the first place?
The process starts at the local level by individuals venerating or recognizing a particular person and that recognition spreads across the country all the way up to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. But we can find exactly what to do in the gospel this morning. The gospel reading is referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, which is the equivalent to the Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew, only from Luke’s perspective.
Here is the setting, a large crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus speak and to be healed. And of course, any time Jesus was giving a sermon it was instructing people on how to live out God’s love for all. To understand his sermon, let’s break down into three parts; the blessings, the woes, and then a call to love.
The first part is where Jesus is begins his sermon with the blessings, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” Jesus is essentially connecting to the people who have come to listen to him speak. These individuals were poor and they were hungry, but that’s only surface level, let’s go a little deeper.
In order to do so, we have to look at the next part of the sermon the woes. He says, “But woe to you who rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.” When I first read this, I said to myself, wow, isn’t that a little harsh? Woe to people who are rich and who are able to eat? But this is where we have to go beneath the surface.
I interpreted these passages of blessings and woes as Jesus putting things into perspective for the people. What was currently the center of their lives? Was it money, food, or other idols? And if that was so was that what the followers of Jesus should be centering their lives around? Jesus was saying that everyone should be centering our lives on God’s love for all.
This leads us into the final part of the sermon, the call to love, even in the midst of difficulties. These are the instructions on how to be a saint. The final line of the sermon sums it up perfectly, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” We know this, it’s the golden rule.
Easier said than done right, and Jesus recognizes this difficulty. The words prior to that line were, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” And he continues, “and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.” Does this remind anyone of anything? My mind immediately flashed to a scene in a little play called Les Miserables. Quick synopsis, the play is about an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, trying to turn his life around.
In the scene Jean Valjean has been given shelter from the cold, fed, and clothed by the local priest in town. But in the middle of the night, Jean Valjean decides that he must flee and start his new life elsewhere. But before he flees, he steals some silver plates and cups to sell for money. Unfortunately for him, he is caught by the police. But before they take him to jail, the police take him back to the church and present him before the priest. The police try to convict him of the crime by asking the priest if the silver was stolen from the church.
At this point, it isn’t looking good for Jean Valjean, but then priest hands Jean Valjean two more silver candle sticks saying that the silver was a gift and he had forgotten to take these candle sticks. The priest essentially turns the other cheek, and shows God’s love by giving Jean Valjean the candle sticks, even though he stole from the priest. Jean Valjean goes on to turn his life around entirely, and the rest of the play he lives out God’s love in his own way. The priest and Jean Valjean are also saints with a lower case s.
Unlike the priest and Jean Valjean, our actions do not have to be acted out in a play or be super outlandish. All we have to do is live out the words, “do to others as you would have them do to you”, and we are living out God’s instructions on how to be saints.
Any act of love reflects God’s love for all. It’s easy to see in acts like making a batch of cookies, a smile, saying thank you, or perhaps a simple conversation, yes this shows love for others. But what’s more important is to show love in even the difficult situations. Like when we have been hurt, or something has been taken from us. We are challenged to show God’s love anyway.
Today, we celebrate All Saints’ Day in order to remember individuals who lived out God’s love for others, and have gone before us. But let’s not forget the saints that are still living amongst us, each and every one of you. You’re a saint, and in memory of a favorite saint of mine YOU’RE GOOD. Amen.
“You’re good” were the words always whispered into my ear when I saw Father John Thomas. Sometimes he would pull me aside real close, and utter them in a really loud fake whisper, “you’re good” and then simply walk away. Sometimes he walked up to me with an angry look across his face, and as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong, he would whisper those same words “you’re good”, and then walk away. You could saying this was sort of his trade mark, but more importantly it was one of his many expressions of God’s love for all people.
Father John was ordained a priest in 1961. During his 50 years as a priest, he was also involved with a Christian camp for kids in Conneaut, Ohio called Sheldon Calvary Camp. The camp is operated by Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, but is a camp for all children. For 18 years he was the director and executive director of the camp, but for over five decades he was involved with the camp in one way or another. He lived and breathed Calvary Camp, and Calvary Camp was another way Father John expressed God’s love for all people.
I knew Father John when he was a retired priest at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, I was merely a middle-schooler starting confirmation class. As a part of the class, every student had to sit with the different members of the clergy, and ask them questions about confirmation. Looking back on it know, I have no idea why I was so nervous to talk to Father John, but after that little chat everything was different. When I ran into him, he was sure to walk up to me and whisper in my ear, “You’re good”. Father John passed away in January of 2012, but to truly give you an idea of how many lives Father John touched, I have to explain his funeral.
St. Paul’s in Pittsburgh is about 5 times the size of Church of the Holy Spirit. At Father John’s viewing, I have never seen the church more packed. A line down the center aisle and out the door of the church was formed by people from past congregations, camp counselors, kids from camp, friends of friends, and of course family.
And there is no doubt in my mind that every single one of those individuals was somehow, someway told by Father John that they were GOOD. Father John didn’t really ever have to SAY those words out loud to make his point. His love for others simply reflected in how he treated everyone, and he never had to say a word to show that you were loved.
Father John is a saint. In the gospel reading today the word saint is written with a lower case s, not a capital S. I can see the question that could possibly be popping into your mind, at least it popped into mine, what is the difference between a saint, with a lower case s, and a Saint with a capital S? Nothing, really. Okay, that’s not totally true, but there is some degree of truth in that statement. In the Episcopal Church, the capital S means that the person has been recognized with a Holy Day that we can celebrate during the year. And the second question that popped into my mind was how does someone become recognized as a saint in the first place?
The process starts at the local level by individuals venerating or recognizing a particular person and that recognition spreads across the country all the way up to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. But we can find exactly what to do in the gospel this morning. The gospel reading is referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, which is the equivalent to the Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew, only from Luke’s perspective.
Here is the setting, a large crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus speak and to be healed. And of course, any time Jesus was giving a sermon it was instructing people on how to live out God’s love for all. To understand his sermon, let’s break down into three parts; the blessings, the woes, and then a call to love.
The first part is where Jesus is begins his sermon with the blessings, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” Jesus is essentially connecting to the people who have come to listen to him speak. These individuals were poor and they were hungry, but that’s only surface level, let’s go a little deeper.
In order to do so, we have to look at the next part of the sermon the woes. He says, “But woe to you who rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.” When I first read this, I said to myself, wow, isn’t that a little harsh? Woe to people who are rich and who are able to eat? But this is where we have to go beneath the surface.
I interpreted these passages of blessings and woes as Jesus putting things into perspective for the people. What was currently the center of their lives? Was it money, food, or other idols? And if that was so was that what the followers of Jesus should be centering their lives around? Jesus was saying that everyone should be centering our lives on God’s love for all.
This leads us into the final part of the sermon, the call to love, even in the midst of difficulties. These are the instructions on how to be a saint. The final line of the sermon sums it up perfectly, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” We know this, it’s the golden rule.
Easier said than done right, and Jesus recognizes this difficulty. The words prior to that line were, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” And he continues, “and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.” Does this remind anyone of anything? My mind immediately flashed to a scene in a little play called Les Miserables. Quick synopsis, the play is about an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, trying to turn his life around.
In the scene Jean Valjean has been given shelter from the cold, fed, and clothed by the local priest in town. But in the middle of the night, Jean Valjean decides that he must flee and start his new life elsewhere. But before he flees, he steals some silver plates and cups to sell for money. Unfortunately for him, he is caught by the police. But before they take him to jail, the police take him back to the church and present him before the priest. The police try to convict him of the crime by asking the priest if the silver was stolen from the church.
At this point, it isn’t looking good for Jean Valjean, but then priest hands Jean Valjean two more silver candle sticks saying that the silver was a gift and he had forgotten to take these candle sticks. The priest essentially turns the other cheek, and shows God’s love by giving Jean Valjean the candle sticks, even though he stole from the priest. Jean Valjean goes on to turn his life around entirely, and the rest of the play he lives out God’s love in his own way. The priest and Jean Valjean are also saints with a lower case s.
Unlike the priest and Jean Valjean, our actions do not have to be acted out in a play or be super outlandish. All we have to do is live out the words, “do to others as you would have them do to you”, and we are living out God’s instructions on how to be saints.
Any act of love reflects God’s love for all. It’s easy to see in acts like making a batch of cookies, a smile, saying thank you, or perhaps a simple conversation, yes this shows love for others. But what’s more important is to show love in even the difficult situations. Like when we have been hurt, or something has been taken from us. We are challenged to show God’s love anyway.
Today, we celebrate All Saints’ Day in order to remember individuals who lived out God’s love for others, and have gone before us. But let’s not forget the saints that are still living amongst us, each and every one of you. You’re a saint, and in memory of a favorite saint of mine YOU’RE GOOD. Amen.
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