Our Bible readings this Eastertide seem to be full of love – and why not indeed, at such a season?  Maybe it’s divine providence or maybe it’s something to do with the greeting cards industry, but today happens to be Mothers’ Day, as I expect some of you may have noticed.  Mothers’ Day, or Mothering Sunday as it used to be called, is really an ancient tradition.  It even had pagan origins.  In the 16^th century it became the custom to set aside one Sunday in Lent when the faithful made a kind of pilgrimage back to their mother church – usually a cathedral.  Servants, who had no holiday entitlements then of course, were given this one day off to rejoin their families.  InEngland, Mothers’ Day is still in the middle of Lent.  But in a way I think this is a much more appropriate time of year.  New life is all around us, and new life is surely the very essence of motherhood.

Mothers’ Day is a popular celebration.  It has become commercialized, and so it’s easy to forget what we really should be celebrating if we are to give this festival a Christian meaning.  I am sure you will agree that on Mothers’ Day we celebrate motherhood as an expression of love.  A special kind of love.

So, what is so special about motherly love?  Is the love between mother and child different from other kinds of love?  If so, in what way is it different?  Jesus commands us to love one another and he reminds us to honour our father and mother, but he does not tell us to love our mother differently from the way we love somebody else.  The Gospel stories do give us occasional glimpses of the way Jesus and his mother relate to each other, at the wedding inCana, for example; it certainly looks like a special relationship.  The stories about Mary the mother of Jesus are an important element in our Christian faith, and it is clear that in the person of Mary motherhood is elevated to sanctity.  Even at our everyday, humdrum human level, is there not still something sacred about motherhood?

One aspect of the relationship between mother and child is absolutely undeniable: it is a physical one.  Only a woman can carry and give birth to a child.  The relationship is therefore literally visceral.  The bond between mother and child is primitive and instinctive.  I suspect that it’s also permanent, that bond of blood; it never quite goes away.  But as the child grows and develops, the mother-child relationship also develops and adapts.  Sometimes, sadly, it goes wrong.  Some people I know are estranged from their mothers.  But for most of us, our relationship with our mother will always be special.

In that famous passage from Corinthians where Paul describes love, the men who drafted the King James Bible used the word ‘charity’.  A very unhelpful word nowadays.  I think that they used that word to try and draw a distinction between the instinctive love of a mother, the sexual love between partners, and the love Jesus commands us to have for each other which  surely must comprehend, include and embrace those other kinds of love.  But now, ‘love’ is the only word we have for all that.

Paul tells us that love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.

That is part of Paul’s description of love.  But what does Jesus mean by ‘love’?  It’s no use combing the Gospels for a definition; our Saviour is too wise to hem us in with a form of words.  Oh, no: Jesus doesn’t tell us what love is.  He shows us what love is.  By the life he leads, by the example he sets, by the agony of his death and by the glory of his resurrection he shows love in its fullest extent and in its deepest meaning. 

Have you ever noticed how rare it is in the Gospels for Jesus to actually order his followers to do something?  Mostly he suggests how we might behave, usually by telling us a story, a parable.  I can think of two examples of Jesus issuing a commandment.  He commands us to do what we are about to do here this morning as we approach his table: “Do this in remembrance of me,” he said.  And the other commandment is in John’s Gospel: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

“God is love,” says Desmond Tutu, and how right he was.  “Same old thing.” That’s pretty well all any preacher needs to say.  So may the love of God in Christ guide and illuminate our love for each other as we celebrate Mothers’ Day this year.

The 9:00 Sunday Class:  We are in the midst of a series on “Angels, Holy Visions, and the Saints Among Us.”  Come and learn about and with the following “saints:”

May 13 – St. Hildegard, introduced by Karen Pound

May 20 – Friedrich Nietzsche, introduced by Helen Moody

May 27 – Julian of Norwich, introduced by Joni Thompson

The Mission Council will meet this coming Sunday, May 13, after worship.  All members and friends ofSan Gabriel’s are invited to attend and provide wisdom and suggestions about our ministries.

The Duke City Sleep Out to benefit our neighbors with no homes was a rousing success!  Thanks to Karen Pound for organizing it all, to Steve Hayden, Carol Richmond, and Jan Everett who joined her in the tents overnight; and to Tim McIntire,  Tad Pound, Joni Thompson, and Irene Urvanejo who showed up to help.  Photos are posted on the web site gallery – enjoy! – and give thanks that Team San Gabriel raised over $1,000 to assist our homeless sisters and brothers. 

            Karen reports that you can still donate to the cause by going to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sangabriel/2012DCSO

May God bless you for your generous and caring hearts.

ANNUAL SAN GABRIEL’S

POTLUCK

AT THE McINTIRE HOME:  Friday, May 18, 6:00 p.m.  Y’all come and enjoy each other’s wonderfulness!  All family and friends are invited, too.  Tim will grill chicken; if you choose, bring a salad, dessert, or beverage to share.  Directions are on top of the copier at the church or Google 17 Camino Redondo, Placitas.

Pentecost is May 27.  Can you read a language other than English?  If so, are you willing to help proclaim the lessons of Holy Scripture on Pentecost?  Let Rhonda+ know.  And, remember to wear RED, the liturgical color of the Holy Spirit, that day!

Calling all singers!  Vicar  Rhonda is on the planning committee for the Interfaith Worship Service that is part of the yearly PRIDE celebration, and an interfaith choir is being formed.  Please consider joining; you will representSan Gabriel’s and be a tangible sign of our love and support for our GLBT friends.

            The service is on Sunday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. atSt. PaulLutheranChurch,1100 Indian School Rd. NE.  The choir rehearsals are on June 7, 14, and 21 at 7:00 p.m. atAlbuquerqueCenterfor Spiritual Living – www.abqcsl.org . 

            The theme of the service is “Love Links Us Together:  honoring all paths to God, all expressions of love, all faiths, all families, all communities.”

            There is a flyer on the bulletin board in the fellowship area, or talk with Rhonda+ for more details.

How can you and I help those who do not have enough food?  The non-perishable food you bring for the Roadrunner Food Bank barrel go directly to our neighbors in Corrales; the microwaveable food you place in the basket in the worship area helps the 78 men at Albuquerque Opportunity Center who are transitioning out of homelessness.  

            Because of the generosity of YOUR yearly pledges, San Gabriel’s gives $250/month to buy microwaveable foods for AOC.  Without it, the men would not have daily bag lunches or supper when they return in the evenings.  Please consider supplementing our $250 by bringing microwaveable foods on Sundays.

A Weekly Prayerful “Sit” occurs each Friday at San Gabriel’s at 11:00 a.m.  The group gathers in silent contemplation, then engages in a lively discussion of a passage from Holy Scripture from the previous Sunday’s lectionary, and closes with Noonday Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.  All are invited to participate in this time of prayer, learning, and worship.

Bishop’s School Summer Offerings:  Courses on Anglican Theology and an Introduction to the New Testament (including a look at some of the Gnostic Gospels) will be offered for credit or audit.  Full details are on the bulletin board in the fellowship area or write to

school@dioceserg.org

Let’s work backward in the readings today, because the one I want to focus on is the first one we heard, but in essence, they all do have the same theme running through them. 

In the gospel, we are told that Jesus is the vine and God is the vinegrower.  God prunes the branches that bear fruit so they can bear even more.  When we bear fruit, we are Jesus’s disciples.

In the sweet epistle of First John – which we have been reading from for several weeks now – we are reminded again to love God and to love one another.

The psalm tells us to praise, remember, turn to, live for, and serve God in order that we can make known God’s saving deeds.

And, then, we have the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  I love this story.

This Philip in the book of Acts  is not the apostle we read about in the Gospels.  This is Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven deacons whose appointment is recorded in the sixth chapter of Acts.

The early Christian community elected the deacons because the apostles needed more time for prayer and sharing the good news of Jesus’s resurrection.  The deacons took on the responsibilities of caring for those in need, serving at table, and managing the business affairs of the community.  But, those deacons couldn’t help but find time for a little proclaiming of the good news themselves.

The proof of their preaching comes a chapter later when one of the deacons, Stephen, is stoned to death for preaching about Jesus.  And, we are told that, after that, a “severe persecution began against the church inJerusalem.”

As a result, the apostles and deacons are dispersed throughout the land.  In the next chapter, we hear of Philip’s preaching and healing and convincing a whole community that the power of God is greater than the power of sorcery.  Then comes the story of Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch.

As an aside, we don’t hear of Philip again until thirteen chapters later, when the apostle Paul visits Philip’s home inCaesarea, and we are told that Philip has four unmarried daughters who have the gift of prophecy.  Interesting, but no further details are mentioned.

Now back to Chapter 8.  An angel tells Philip to “get up and go” to Gazaon a wilderness road.  Though any wilderness road in that time was dangerous, Philip doesn’t hesitate for a second.  On the road, he sees the Ethiopian, a court official appointed by the queen of his country, riding in a chariot and (?) reading passages from the prophet Isaiah.  (Jeanne would have loved it!)

The Spirit tells Philip to go join the chariot.  Working his way through what must have been some threatening guards, Philip asks the Ethiopian, “Do you understand what you are reading?” and then proceeds to explain the Scriptures and tell of Jesus’s resurrection.  

They come to some water, the Ethiopian asks to be baptized and is, and then the Spirit of the Lord snatches Philip away.  He vanishes from the Ethiopian’s side and finds himself in an entirely different place, continuing to proclaim the good news.

I remember the first time I preached on this story.  It was years ago when I was serving at the Cathedral downtown.  We were in a bit of a staff crunch, with one priest away on family business and another gravely ill, and I was doing my best to hold things together.  At that time, the Cathedral was still sort of old-fashioned; not many volunteers had been entrusted with ministries; instead, the clergy did pretty much everything.

So, after several weeks of preaching and presiding at all three services on Sunday, presiding at all the funerals (which averaged at least two per week, preparing and leading the Sunday Adult Forum and two week-day Bible studies, making hospital visits, and trying to meet personally with the 20+ homeless or destitute people who came in the Cathedral’s doors daily looking for help, I was . . . tired . . . but, trying so hard to be the perfect priest, not admitting it.

One day, the receptionist buzzed my office and said, “There’s a man here who would like to see a priest,” which was our signal that one of our down-and-out visitors was looking for help.  That man could have been having a deep spiritual crisis, or he could have needed a bus ticket home or a meal voucher at the café down the street or a prescription filled.  Maybe he just needed a cup of coffee and a pat on the back.

I said into the telephone, “I can’t.  Tell him there’s no one here who can talk with him.”

Then, as I began preparing the next Sunday’s sermon, the lectionary gave me the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. 

I preached that week about how I had said “no” to seeing that visitor and how I wished I could be more like “get up and go” Philip.  And, of course, there were people who were kind and told me I was just exhausted – and, in fact, in another month, we were back to a full clergy staff, and that time passed.

The story of Philip has come around several more times in the lectionary since then.  Every time, I learn something new.  Over the years, I’ve learned more about healthy boundaries and self care and trying not to take on more than I can handle.

Yet, there is still a part of me that wishes I could “get up and go” like Philip – because, as you know, the Spirit does call a lot.

Here, though, is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned because of this story.  It may sound absolutely simple and perfectly evident, but to a Type A/Myers-Briggs J/perfectionist person like I am, it took a while to learn.  I am called to get up and go, but I am also called to empower you to get up and go and help with spreading the good news.  I don’t have to do it all myself.

Pam Houston, in her newest book “Contents May Have Shifted,” writes, “When the shamans in the Brazilian rainforests drink ayahuasca, the plants and animals talk to them, and they go back to the village to sing the songs that tell the story of what the animals have told them.  Then the weaver women weave their songs into patterns in the fabric, and the singers know how to read the cloth, so they return to the jungle with the cloth and sing the animal’s own songs back to them.”  (W. W. Norton and Co., NY, 2012, p. 73) 

The whole community – the whole creation – proclaims the good news.  Karen, Carol, Jan and Steve proclaimed the good news on behalf of the rest of us at the Duke City Sleep Out on Friday.  Father Paul proclaims the good news with his beautiful healing prayers.  The array of teachers in the 9:00 class proclaim the good news.  In countless ways, we weave our stories into the fabric ofSan Gabriel’s and then sing those stories back to the people beyond our doors.

Philip also teaches about honoring the beautiful mystery of the “other.”  For Philip, the Ethiopian and his entourage must have seemed like they were from outer space, but Philip did not hesitate to engage.

Pam Houston writes of a time she visitedTibet.  In a temple, she saw statues of Green Tara and White Tara – two of the very few girl-gods in Buddhism. Tarasprung from a teardrop that fell out of the Buddha of Compassion’s eye.  (p. 98)

My involvement with All Families Matter and Rising Sun Ministries and the planning committee for the Interfaith Worship Service that will be a part of this year’s PRIDE celebration have given me beautiful times with our gay, lesbian, bi- and transgendered  friends.  I cannot fully know what their lives are like because a part of me is “other” than they are.  I cannot fully empathize with the injustice they have experienced, but I can be a tear of compassion that springs from God’s eye.  Being their ally proclaims good news for me, and, I pray, for them, too.

The interfaith work I do with our Jewish sisters and brothers and Buddists and those who practice a spirituality that includes no god at all are not the Christians I am used to – and certainly not the Episcopalians I am used to.  They could well be riding in a chariot fromEthiopia.  Yet, when we gather, we recognize together that we are all branches on one vine, and, somehow, our “otherness” enhances the flow of good news.

Perhaps those ministries of mine can be a model for you, and yours can be a model for me, just like Philip has been a model of ministry throughout the years.

Later, inTibet, Pam Houston’s guide takes her through some of the small villages of that country.  She writes, “Herds of dazzling dark-eyed kids run up to us and stick out their tongues.”  She finds herself . . . well . . . grossed out.

Her guide explains, “There was one bad king ofTibet. He had horns and a black tongue.  So when children approach elders they touch their head to show they don’t have horns, and they stick out their tongue to show it isn’t black.”  (p. 103)

Philip explained the prophet Isaiah to the Ethiopian.  At one time or another, we all need an explanation or two; and other times, we know something someone else doesn’t – and the discussion of that something can make all the difference in the course of salvation history.

I love the story of Philip.  I love it because I know I still have much to learn from his example of proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

Especially the getting snatched away to another location, when he vaporizes out of the Ethiopian’s sight.  Trust me, if the Spirit decides my “getting up and going” should include some quantum-physics-tesseracting-snatching- through-space-and-time, I’m so totally gone!

                        Amen.

The Duke City Sleep Out to benefit our neighbors with no homes is TOMORROW EVENING, May 4!  Join Steve Hayden, Karen Pound, Carol Richmond and the Vicar atBalloonFiestaPark at 6:00 p.m.  The requested donation from each attendee is $25, and there will be food, live bands, games, and a movie at sunset – let’s make it aSan Gabriel party!  Then, we’ll tuck in Steve, Carol, and Karen, who will spend the night with volunteers from throughout the community to show solidarity with those who sleep outside every night. 

            If you cannot attend, you can still donate to the cause.  Go to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sangabriel/2012DCSO

            May God bless you for your generous and caring hearts!

Eucharist with Anointing and Prayers for Healing:  Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 p.m. with Father Paul.  This will be the final healing service before summer break, so come and avail yourself of its gentle peace.

Thanks to Irene Urvanejo for taking on the ministry of Sunday Hospitality Coordinator.  Are YOU called to help provide goodies?  The sign-up sheet is on the coffee/tea table in the fellowship area, or talk with Irene.

ANNUAL SAN GABRIEL’S

POTLUCK

AT THE McINTIRE HOME:  Friday, May 18, 6:00 p.m.  Y’all come and enjoy each other’s wonderfulness!  Tim will grill chicken; if you choose, bring a salad, dessert, or beverage to share.  Directions are on top of the copier at the church or Google 17 Camino Redondo, Placitas.

Pentecost is May 27.  Can you read a language other than English?  If so, are you willing to help proclaim the lessons of Holy Scripture on Pentecost?  Let Rhonda+ know.  And, remember to wear RED, the liturgical color of the Holy Spirit, that day!

Calling all singers!  Vicar  Rhonda is on the planning committee for the Interfaith Worship Service that is part of the yearly PRIDE celebration, and an interfaith choir is being formed.  Please consider joining; you will representSan Gabriel’s and be a tangible sign of our love and support for our GLBT friends.

            The service is on Sunday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. atSt. PaulLutheranChurch,1100 Indian School Rd. NE.  The choir rehearsals are on June 7, 14, and 21 at 7:00 p.m. atAlbuquerqueCenterfor Spiritual Living – www.abqcsl.org . 

            The theme of the service is “Love Links Us Together:  honoring all paths to God, all expressions of love, all faiths, all families, all communities.”

            There is a flyer on the bulletin board in the fellowship area, or talk with Rhonda+ for more details.

How can you and I help those who do not have enough food?  The non-perishable food you bring for the Roadrunner Food Bank barrel go directly to our neighbors in Corrales; the microwaveable food you place in the basket in the worship area helps the 78 men at Albuquerque Opportunity Center who are transitioning out of homelessness.  

            Because of the generosity of YOUR yearly pledges, San Gabriel’s gives $250/month to buy microwaveable foods for AOC.  Without it, the men would not have daily bag lunches or supper when they return in the evenings.  Please consider supplementing our $250 by bringing microwaveable foods on Sundays.

A Weekly Prayerful “Sit” occurs each Friday at San Gabriel’s at 11:00 a.m.  The group gathers in silent contemplation, then engages in a lively discussion of a passage from Holy Scripture (Genesis 3 this week), and closes with Noonday Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.  All are invited to participate in this time of prayer, learning, and worship.

Bishop’s School Summer Offerings:  Courses on Anglican Theology and an Introduction to the New Testament (including a look at some of the Gnostic Gospels) will be offered for credit or audit.  Full details are on the bulletin board in the fellowship area or write to

school@dioceserg.org

The 9:00 Sunday Class:  We are in the midst of a series on “Angels, Holy Visions, and the Saints Among Us.”  Participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences of  Holy Presence; and on May 6, we will learn more about the mystic, Meister Eckhart.

Brother Geoffrey Tristram of the Society of St. John the Evangelist recently wrote, “God longs for each of us to become the unique person that God made us to be, and to reflect the glory of God out into the world.”

I’m thinking Marge lived into that statement every day of her earthly life.

We come together in this beautiful cathedral to celebrate two great glories today.  The first is the glory of our Savior’s resurrection, which is the promise of salvation and eternal life, and which God’s church heartily celebrates, not only on Easter but always.

          The second glory, of course, is the glory of Marge, and how her beautiful life reflected Easter joy and hope and goodness and love.

In a sort of looping-around, circular kind of way, I’ve realized this week how much, for me, thoughts of Marge and of all that is good about God’s church are intertwined.  At its best, the church reflects the glory of God, and Marge’s life reflected the glory of God.  The term “MotherChurch” has become personified in my imagination, looking a lot like one Margery M. Dixon.

Here’s the framework for my thinking this:

Almost twenty years ago, a prominent Lutheran theologian, Martin E. Marty, said to a group of seminarians, “There are only three things that people really want and need from their church:  excellent and meaningful preaching, loving pastoral care, and a sense of community – you know, ‘a place where everybody knows your name.”

In my mind, those three things sound an awful lot like Marge, who knew how to cut through the fluff and get right to the essence of things.

Like excellent and meaningful preaching.  Each one of you – especially Wesley and Martha and Jennifer and Amy — could probably come up with all sorts of stories about Marge’s meaningful preaching (!), and I encourage all of you here today  to do just that as you remember her in the years ahead.  What gems did Marge impart to you?

For me, Marge’s preaching embodied those words attributed to St. Francis:  “Preach the Gospel always; if necessary, use words.”  Marge’s life was a sermon, full of richness and deep wisdom.

I attended an event a dozen or so years ago – perhaps it was for All Faiths Receiving Home? – where Marge was being honored for her philanthropic leadership.  In front of hundreds of people that evening, she stood at the microphone, looking elegant, and said with humble conviction, “My only job has been to help all of you be successful.”

She would not allow the evening to be about her; she turned it around to be a time of honoring all the other volunteers.  Marge had a gift for building up others to be their own unique and glorious selves.

That is the way she lived her life, and that is precisely the kind of excellent preaching modeled by Jesus, the greatest servant leader of all time.

Then, there’s that important component Martin Marty calls pastoral care.  Again, I suspect each of you can remember times when Marge said just the thing you needed to hear or showed up at just the right time when you or a member of your family were in crisis.  She was golden at reading a situation and figuring out just how much gentleness needed to be balanced with firmness – and what measure of good humor was called for in the midst of it all.

When I was a brand new priest here at the Cathedral, Marge was in one of her iterations as Directress of the Altar Guild.  My husband Tim, wanting to be a good clergy spouse, asked to serve as an Altar Guild member, even though, as far as anyone could tell, he would be the first man to do so.

Early on, he showed up for a Saturday morning “Big Clean” and took it upon himself to climb the ladder and shine the Christus Rex – that beautiful piece that hangs above the altar. 

Well, some of the long-time Altar Guild members got sort of nervous.  They weren’t at all sure Tim knew what he was doing or that he was using the right cleaning solutions and materials, and so they scurried to Directress Marge with their concerns.

She listened to them, strolled over to the foot of the ladder, and said, “Tim, do you know what you are doing up there?” 

“Yeah,” was his reply. 

Marge strolled back to the worriers, told them everything was fine, and encouraged them to get back to their own tasks.

          Now, that’s glorious pastoral care – being present, evaluating the situation, using only enough words to help, not judging, moving ahead.

And, “a place where everybody knows your name.”  Is there anyone here who hasn’t felt the glory of a Marge Dixon welcome?  Just one of her greetings could make you feel like you were the most special person in the universe.

Think of things like the Dixon Christmas open houses or, for those of you who remember, the LOGOS program here at the Cathedral.   Marge knew every child who participated in LOGOS, and she would greet them by name not only on Wednesday evenings but on Sunday mornings.  You actually could see the little seven-year-olds and the older kids, too, puff up in their own glory when Marge would call out their names.   She deemed them important, and they knew it.

Excellent preaching, loving pastoral care, and “knowing everyone’s name.”  God’s church as a whole – in fact, every organization I can think of, and you and I –  would do well to follow the model of Margery Dixon’s life.

Marge was created by God to be uniquely Marge,

who loved her family

and cherished her friends

and her home and her flowers and turtles

and the many causes she embraced to help others,

and her church.

          Marge reflected the glory of God out into the world.

          Marge’s life was – and is — an Easter life.

On that first Easter, our Savior Jesus rose from the dead in glory.  Soon, the church will celebrate his glorious ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father.

Blessedly, God’s creation is full of people whose lives reflect the glory of God, and today, we especially remember that glory as it was reflected uniquely by Marge.   And, in doing so, we can’t help but remember that that glory also shone through George and through the two of them as a couple.

Marge and George have both entered into the glory of eternal life.

Here’s how I choose to imagine their ascending into that glory:

Marge is in one of her classy, tailored yet feminine dresses that highlights her recent teensy-tiny waist;

her jewelry is the perfect complement;

her lipstick is on just-so.

George is in a suit, accessorized with the perfect bow tie. 

The glory of God shines all around them, and, the glory of God is reflected through them both.  Their smiles and the twinkles in their eyes are full of a radiance that is surely the very best of God’s creation. 

Are you picturing them, too?  Can you see how happy they are?

Amen.

Br.Geoffrey’s comment on “Glory” was posted on the web site “Brother, Give Us A Word” on April 21, 2012.

Kathleen Norris tells about a graveside service in Yellowstone National Park. “We have come to bury a friend, a man in his thirties struck down by lymphoma. We are young, middle-aged, and old, and our faces, our bloodlines, reveal ancestry that is Anglo, American Indian, Mexican, and Afro-American. George was a veteran of the Vietnam War and the color guard from Ellsworth Airforce Base, all spit and polish and short hair, stands at attention, ready to give the seven-gun salute. George was also a ‘Mountain Man,’ attending several rendezvous every summer with his wife, a writer, and a few long-haired, bearded men have come wearing buckskins, carrying black powder rifles with hand-carved stocks trimmed in silver. There are many artists and writers from the Black Hills and nearby Rapid City, as well as neighboring ranch families. Aging hippies in sandals next to aging, bowlegged cowboys who show their respect for George by wearing their best blue jeans and taking off their hats when the prayers begin.

The pastor from the local Lutheran church has been asked by the family to conduct a simple graveside service for George, who never went to church if he could help it. Closing his little worship book, the minister invites us to recite aloud the twenty-third Psalm. We are literary types and laborers, Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. We are Protestant, Roman Catholic, atheist, agnostic, pagan, and God-knows-what. But we refuse the sheets of paper the minister offers. We can recite the Psalm from memory, and it the King James Version that we know.”(from The Psalms by Kathleen Norris)

Psalm 23 is a lovely song of comfort, but I’m not convinced it is about death. I think it is a very simple introduction to life. It calls us to live in God and shows us what this looks like. This is a God who leads, restores, comforts, prepares, anoints and offers us a place to dwell. This isn’t a passive Psalm nor does it speak about a passive God. It invites us into a relationship of deep trust.

Most of us can’t get past the first line…”The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

Do you ever stop to consider how powerful “wanting” is in our culture these days? “Consumer spending now accounts for nearly 70% of our gross domestic product (GDP), which is significantly higher than most other industrialized nations (European countries average closer to 50%) as well as what it was during our parents’ era (when it was closer to 60%). More than ever before, our economy is powered by our collective nights out to dinner, trips to the grocery store, and occasional shopping sprees. And to make all that work, we are encouraged at every turn to want. To want more stuff, to want nicer stuff, to want lots of stuff. (David Lose blog workingpreacher.org)

“We live, with an imagination dominated by a pervasive sense of scarcity, far more aware of what we don’t have — and therefore should go out and buy — than what we do. No wonder so many people are unhappy. We are consumed by what we lack instead of grateful for our abundance. We are driven to get “more” instead of content to celebrate “enough.” And we measure ourselves against our deficits instead of glorying in our gifts and blessings.” (David Lose blog)

The lovely words “I shall not want” tell us what it means to be God’s. We have everything we need. Yet everywhere we turn, we hear another message. “Are you really content with that 2 year old iPad? It doesn’t even take pictures. It is not nearly as cool as the new iPad. If you don’t get the newest version, you will be left in the dust. Do you really want to be left behind? All day long we are bombarded with advertising to remind us what we don’t have. “It’s easy to be seduced into thinking that happiness comes from getting everything we want, instead of recognizing and wanting what we already have.” Have you ever thought about how easily churches slip into this mindset? David Lose asks, “When did you spend the bulk of a church council meeting celebrating all that you’ve accomplished, all that you’ve been given, and all the blessings with which you have been entrusted instead of worrying about the budget and the need to find more Sunday School teachers?” I’m not presuming that San Gabriel spends a lot of time talking about what you don’t have…that certainly isn’t how I’ve experienced you. But so many churches do. How would it change things if we began our meetings by simply naming what we do have? Where do we see God’s provision? How would it change our individual days if we simply named every example of God’s goodness? Would we still want so much?

The Psalm invites us to shift our focus to God rather than the culture that tells us we really do want that new car or the latest electronic or to see the movie in 3D. Here is what God does: offers us rest and restores our souls. Take a moment and pay attention…what are you really hungry for: 3D glasses or a soul that is restored?

This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The obvious implication is that we are sheep. Many of us are not pleased to be associated with sheep. I wonder if the greatest difference between sheep and us is that sheep don’t struggle with the idea that they are supposed to follow the shepherd. If we know that the shepherd only wants to care for us, protect us, and give us what is best, why do we wander off? I have heard many sermons describe how dumb sheep are. I beg to differ (this is coming from a city kid who knows nothing about farm animals). If God cares for us and restores us and we choose to ignore that, I think we make sheep look very smart! I saw a cartoon once where two sheep were talking and one said, “All we like people have gone astray.”

One of the great misconceptions is that following God means a life of ease and free from pain. The books about the prosperity gospel reinforce this belief. This Psalm doesn’t promise either prosperity or pain free living. Saying we shall not want is not saying we’ll be rich, but it says we will be cared for. It almost promises the opposite of pain free living…”Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil…” We will walk through dark valleys. The promise is that we will not walk them alone.

When Texas media mogul Bob Buford’s son Ross drowned in the Rio Grande River, he hired helicopters, boats, and trackers with dogs (everything money could buy). Buford walked along a bluff 200 feet above the river “as frightened as he’d ever felt”. “Here’s something you can’t dream your way out of,” he told himself. “Here’s something you can’t think your way out of. Here’s something you can’t buy your way out of. Here’s something you can’t work your way out of…This is something you can only trust your way out of.” (from his book The Second Half)

This Psalm is rich with promises of God’s goodness in all things. God will set a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Nan Merrill paraphrases it to say “You prepare a table before me in the presence of all my fears.” (Psalms for Praying) I’ve been trying to imagine that table this week. I keep seeing myself sitting down at a table set for several and then I wonder which enemies and fears show up. I wonder how the table is different when God sets the table for us to dine with those that we fear, those that we distrust, and those that despise. When we look one another in the eye with God in our midst, what happens?

This is a Psalm of healing and it’s not really a Psalm about us. It’s a Psalm about the one to whom we belong. It’s a song about the one whose love and care is astounding. It’s a pronouncement of what dwelling in God looks like or as Eugene Peterson says it, “Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.” (The Message Psalm 23:6)

At the end of the day, at the end of a year, at the end of our lives, what can possibly be more deeply fulfilling than dwelling in God? We are surrounded by God’s goodness and mercy. All we have to do is lean into it and we will find ourselves at home in God.

-John 21:19

May we be faithful witnesses to the resurrection each day of our lives as we love and serve all of God’s creation.

The Duke City Sleep Out to benefit our neighbors with no homes is coming on May 4-5, and Steve Hayden and Karen Pound are forming “Team San Gabriel.”  You can sleep outside overnight at theBalloonFiestaPark with Steve and Karen and a host of other volunteers from the greater community, come Friday evening to enjoy live bands and games, and/or donate to the cause.  For more details, talk with Karen or Steve or go to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sangabriel/2012DCSO

Friday evening will be a family-friendly carnival, so let’s make it aSan Gabrielparty!  Requested donation:  $25.

THANKS to Irene Urvanejo for taking on the ministry of Sunday Hospitality Coordinator!  And, thanks to Beau McCormick and Karen Pound, who have managed it for the benefit of the rest of us in the past!  The people ofSan Gabriel’s truly have hearts for ministry – alleluia!

Pentecost is May 27.  Can you read a language other than English?  If so, are you willing to help proclaim the lessons of Holy Scripture on Pentecost?  Let Rhonda+ know.

How can you and I help those who do not have enough food?  The non-perishable food you bring for the Roadrunner Food Bank barrel go directly to our neighbors in Corrales; the microwaveable food you place in the basket in the worship area helps the 78 men at Albuquerque Opportunity Center who are transitioning out of homelessness.  

            Because of the generosity of YOUR yearly pledges, San Gabriel’s gives $250/month to buy microwaveable foods for AOC.  Without it, the men would not have daily bag lunches or supper when they return in the evenings.  Please consider supplementing our $250 by bringing microwaveable food on Sundays.

A Weekly Prayerful “Sit” occurs each Friday at San Gabriel’s at 11:00 a.m.  The group gathers in silent contemplation, then engages in a lively discussion of a passage from Holy Scripture (Genesis 2 and 3 for the next two weeks), and closes with Noonday Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.  All are invited to participate in this gentle time of learning and worship.

Eucharist with Anointing and Prayers for Healing:  Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 p.m. with Father Paul.  This will be the final healing service before summer break, so come and avail yourself of its gentle peace.

More for your May calendars:

-Sunday, May 13, after worship            Mission Council

            At this meeting, the Council will vote to finalize our new Mission Statement.  All members are invited to attend and offer input.

Bishop’s School Summer Offerings:  Courses on Anglican Theology and an Introduction to the New Testament (including a look at some of the Gnostic Gospels) will be offered for credit or audit.  Full details are on the bulletin board in the fellowship area or write to

school@dioceserg.org

The 9:00 Sunday Class:  We are in the midst of a series on “Angels, Holy Visions, and the Saints Among Us.”  Participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences of  Holy Presence; and class members will describe how they have been inspired by John Milton (April 29) and Meister Eckhart (May 6).

Copious thanks to ALL who made Lent, Holy Week and Easter at San Gabriel’s meaningful, moving, and full of the grace and love of our Risen Savior!

Bishop Vono’s Easter message can be found on the Diocesan web site:  www.dioceserg.org  or at

http://youtu.be/cYJiXMezQok

The Duke City Sleep Out to benefit our neighbors with no homes is coming on May 4-5, and Steve Hayden and Karen Pound are forming “Team San Gabriel!”  You can sleep out overnight at theBalloonFiestaPark with them, come Friday evening to enjoy live bands and games, and/or donate to the cause.  For more details, talk with Karen or Steve or go to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sangabriel/2012DCSO

The report of our February 4^th RE-VISIONING Retreat is posted on the web site; click on “Who we are” at the top of the home page.  Please take a moment to read over the report and give the Vicar your feedback.

The 9:00 Sunday Class:  On April 15, we will begin a new series on “Angels, Holy Visions, and the Saints Among Us.”  Come and share your own stories of being touched by the holy and learn from the stories of others.

The Blessing of Same-Gender Relationships will likely be approved by our church’s General Convention this summer, and Bishop Vono will then give permission for the clergy of this Diocese to preside at those liturgies.  To learn more, join Fr. Brian Taylor onWednesday, April 25, at 7:00 at St. Michael & All Angels.

As always, there are hungry people who need our help:  The non-perishable food you bring for the Roadrunner Food Bank barrel goes directly to our neighbors in Corrales; the microwaveable food you place in the basket in the worship area helps the 78 men at Albuquerque Opportunity Center who are transitioning out of homelessness.  Thank you for your continued support of our sisters and brothers who are in need.

A Weekly Prayerful “Sit” occurs each Friday at San Gabriel’s at 11:00 a.m.  The group gathers in silent contemplation, then engages in a lively discussion of a passage from Holy Scripture, and closes with Noonday Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.  All are invited to participate in this gentle time of learning and worship.

Annual Meeting Minutes

March 11, 2012

Opening Prayer – Led by Joe Hall

Meeting began at 11:06 A.M.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving was offered by the

 Vicar’s Warden – Joe Hall –

          Lord we are thankful for:

          Clergy, lay ministers, Mission Council,

          Fr. Brian and St. Michaels

          Our Bishop

For the non-profit groups who utilize our facility

          Fr. Paul’s healing services

          Living Water team

          All who assist in the many lay ministries

          The 9:00 AM learning time

          All the donations for the AOC and for Roadrunner food bank

          For the confirmations, baptisms, and reaffirmations

          For all the services we have been able to provide to various

                   organizations to further our outreach ministry

          Friday Prayer Sits

          Those who distribute our word to the community

 through email and the website

          For the meals we have been able to assist in serving

 atSt Martin’s and AOC

We ask for God’s assistance in our looking forward

 to this new year.

A Review of San Gabriel’s Founding Principles –

          Was presented by Vicar Rhonda

          A brief discussion followed about our latest “core value:”  hoping to never own property or a building, but be perpetual renters, as a new model of being church.

2012 Budget Presentation –

Steve Hayden presented an overview of 2012 with a total budget of $74,490 income and expenses – which is an increase over 2011 of $72,123

We use a zero based budget – partially to work towards being able to offer a complete vicar’s compensation package.

Outreach budget for 2012 is $6,650.

San Gabrielhas investments held in CD’s in addition to the working budget.

A message of encouragement from Fr. Brain was read which included approval of the 2012 budget by the vestry of St Michaels.

A Covenant adopted by the Mission Council was presented and explained by Vicar Rhonda.

Copies are available and will be posted on the web site.

A Presentation of our Mission-Statement-In-Progress and Request for Input from the Congregation –

Vicar Rhonda presented the existingMissionstatement which is very wordy.  New wording might include:

Open & Affirming

Outreach before in-reach

Healing

Share Christian faith

Proclaim God’s love (by our lives)

We are asking for all to offer further input to this working mission statement to refine and define the statement.

Honoring of Outgoing Council Members

          There are six members of the council that are leaving.

Vicar Rhonda offered words that help define each.

          Tad Pound – Faithfulness

Karen Pound – Service 

Tad and Karen along with 10 others helped found

 this mission.

          Richard Waldera  – Steadfastness

Carol DeCamp – Gentleness

          Charlie Smith – Wisdom

          Joyce Smith – Hospitality

Announcement of Current Council Members

          A decision has been made not to invite any new members to the join the council for the present time.  In anticipation of our moving to Parish status, we acknowledge we will then need to then elect a vestry.

Seven Council members now are:

Joe Hall (will continue as our Warden),

Steve Hayden (will continue as Treasurer),

Karyn Ogonowski (Scribe),

Shawn Hall, Marsha Baumeister, Stephanie Padilla,

and Alice Page are members.

All members of the congregation are always invited to come and listen and offer input.

Closing Prayer was given by Steve Hayden.

Meeting ended at 12:02 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Karyn Ogonowski, Council Scribe

The women faithfully followed Jesus, they sat vigil with him at the foot of the cross, they bravely came to anoint his body in the tomb.  But, after the angel spoke the good news,  the women ran away . . . for terror and amazement had seized them . . . they were afraid.

The women made choices.  Sometimes they were brave; other times they were overcome with doubt and fear.  Today’s Gospel lesson leaves us in their amazement, although we know from other passages that the women ultimately do tell the male disciples what they have seen, and the resurrected Jesus appears to them all multiple times before ascending to heaven.

But, this morning, let’s just deal with the passage we read from Mark’s Gospel.  The women bravely go, without a traditional male escort, to the tomb.  But, even though the angel gives them astoundingly good news, the women leave in fear.

What would your choice have been?  Continued bravery or allowing yourself to succumb to the terror of change and the unknown?  In many ways, the choices the women make model for us the rollercoaster of life and death.

Nothing can diminish the power of God and God’s grace, but God did create us humans with free will.  That means we have choices to make.  Bravery or fear?  Life or death?

Every day, we make choices.  Do we love or hate?  Do we choose to be friends and not enemies, to forgive and not hold grudges, to heal and help and hold and not to injure, wound and scar ourselves and others?

The season of Lent has provided us with opportunities for deep introspection.  I hope you found time for reflection on how you’ve gotten to be where you are and who you are.  What choices made by you and by others have shaped and formed your life? 

Easter now calls us to make peace with those choosings, whatever they might have been.  Easter calls us to the present moment, where we have the opportunity to choose life, not death.

Barbara Clementine Harris was the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion, which is remarkable in many ways, not the least of which was that she wasn’t at all sure she even wanted to be a priest.  She says that it felt right, sometimes . . . but that there were also many days when she felt nervous and afraid about the whole thing.   After all, she was the executive head of PR for Sun Oil Company, and that, in itself, was a huge achievement for an African American woman in the 1970s.

One night, she asked God, “Are you crazy?” and somewhere, deep in her soul, she heard a “yes” and somehow interpreted that as a go-ahead.  She was ordained to the priesthood in 1980 and consecrated a bishop inMassachusettsin 1989.

Leading up to her consecration, she received death threats and obscene messages and telephone calls.  There were many who detested the idea that an African American woman would be a leader in the church.  She was urged to wear a bullet proof vest the day of her consecration, but she refused.

When the liturgy began, an angry man grabbed one of the microphones and screamed, “This is a farce!  You are not a priest, not a bishop, and no sacraments you perform will be legitimate!”

As he continued to rant, an elderly black woman got out of her seat.  She was well-dressed and wore a beautiful hat.  “That’s Barbara’s mother,” someone whispered.

She walked over to Barbara, hugged her, and said, “Don’t worry, my child.  It will be alright.  I am your mother, and I know.”  As soon as the two women hugged, the man stopped shouting and returned to his own seat.

Barbara Harris made choices.  Her mother made a choice.  And, because of their choices, the face of this church we love is changed for the better.  (Stories about Bishop Harris taken from a book review of her biography, “The Miter Fits Just Fine” by Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones.)

Jesus’s resurrection changed everything for the better.  His resurrection is life and victory over the past and wonder and glorious joy.  In the resurrection, fear and terror are overcome . . . and, truly, only one choice remains:  life in its fullness.   (Ideas about the resurrection in this sermon have been formed from writings by Br. James Koester, Society ofSt.John the Evangelist.)

Today is Easter when we celebrate the promise that new life is not only a possibility, it is a reality.

In her poem “Mornings at Blackwater,” Mary Oliver writes:

What I want to say is

that the past is the past,

and the present is what your life is,

and you are capable

of choosing what that will be,

darling citizen.

An often-told story from the Sufi tradition goes like this:

A woman sat outside the temple watching a tide of people pass.  They were like a river of need.  They were destitute and wounded.

During the woman’s prayers, she cried out to God, “How can a loving creator see so much suffering, and not do something to help them?”

And, God said, “I did do something.  I made you.”

My darling sisters and brothers in God, today is Easter.

Banish fear and embarrassment and frustration and insecurity and boredom from the choices you consider.

Rise up!  Choose strength and service and holiness and joy.

The good news of salvation –

the fulfillment of the promise of the resurrection

– for you and for the rest of the world

– will be shaped by the choices you make.

Amen