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I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."
Psalm 122:1
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1
"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And he shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5
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Rector's Study
HAVE NO FEAR
By the time you read this edition of "The Lion's Tale," we will be well into the "ordinary time" after Epiphany. The themes of Holy Scripture read during our times together in worship on Sundays will continue to focus on the manifestation of the Son of God, the "epiphanies" that call us to recognize Jesus as our Savior and Lord. We will be in the ordinary liturgical color, green. Our liturgy will follow normal patterns. We will about our common Christian life rather routinely, and we might allow the familiarity to cause us to become rather inattentive to the miraculous nature of what Christ is doing in our midst.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is providing all that we need for our life as his Body. This he is doing through the enlightening of our mind through the proclamation of his Word. This he is doing through his abiding Presence, manifest in the Blessed Sacrament. This he is doing in the faith and hope we share in our interconnectedness established and maintained in that greatest unseen gift which is Love. What a miracle, that Christ provides all that we need to be Church he calls us to be!
Do we believe this? Or are we continually dissatisfied with our unmet expectations and unrealistic desires? "Take heart," says the Lord.
Recently, at daily celebrations of Holy Eucharist, the Gospel stories of the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus' walking on the sea have been read. I was particularly struck by the works of Mark 6:51-52 that record the disciples' response to the latter miracle:
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"And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about
the loaves, but their hearts were hardened."
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Those who knew Jesus most intimately, those who loved him and gave their lives to following him, were terrified and astonished when he appeared to them in a way that was not in keeping with their expectations (most folks do walk only on solid ground!), because they hadn't understood about the loaves.
I want to understand about the loaves, so I can heed the words of Christ: "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." Don't you? I don't want to be afraid. I want to be courageously faithful. I want to trust the Lord to care of us, to care of his Church, to provide what we need here at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, including buildings, programs, monetary resources... Could I have such faith if I understand about the loaves? The Gospel of Mark suggests so.
The truth about the loaves is this. All we have to do is share what we actually have. The disciples only had five loaves and two fish. Sharing that little bit was enough. Jesus provided the rest, and it was abundant.
Friends, we needn't be anxious. We have enough to share. Christ promises to use what we have, to multiply it sufficiently, that all who are called to faith in him within this parish church will have their real needs met. Expectations may be unfulfilled, unrealistic desires might be frustrated, but God will provide for our needs.
Have no fear.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Timothy P. Perkins  , SSC
Previous Issues:
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
Summer 2006
June 2006
Lent 2006
Advent 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
Summer 2004
Easter 2004
Lent 2004
February 2004
Epiphany 2004
Advent 2003
Easter 2003
Lent 2003
February 2003
Epiphany 2003
October 2002
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