You can watch a video of our service at the link below. The sermon starts about 18 minutes in. Would love to hear any comments!
Category Archives: My Main Blog
Most blog posts are found here
Bonhoeffer Movie
Last Sunday I discouraged our folks from watching the new movie (Bonhoeffer) which is allegedly based on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life and death. I also responded recently to a Facebook post praising the film.
There are a lot of inaccuracies in the movie, enough to really confuse the real Bonhoeffer from the movie version, in some ways you could consider dangerous. This article by Mac Loftin from The Christian Century, a real Bonhoeffer expert, explains far better than I could.
So if you go to the movie, enjoy, just don’t be fooled by its many inaccuracies of Bonhoeffer’s enormous moral struggle.
Post election message to the Parish
I thought I would post on here the article I wrote to the parish in our weekly e-news Epistle. Following this article is a link to our YouTube channel where you can watch sermons. I pray all this may be a blessing to someone out there!
From the Rector’s Desk
A long and contentious election season is now behind us. I know this newsletter finds some of you perhaps despondent, angry and / or confused, and finds others perhaps delighted, excited, and / or relieved. It is the same whenever our nation goes to the polls to select our President and other leaders.
I do think the disunity in our nation takes a toll on all of us. We as beloved disciples of Jesus can lead to a better way. I want to suggest a few things:
Take care of yourself. If you need some time, take some time.
Be gracious winners and losers. You may be tempted to gloat or tempted to lash out. Consider this in conversations and in social media posts. Be gentle. Be loving. Be like Jesus!
As beloved of God, we have so many more things in common with one another than we have that separates us from one another. Jesus said, “a house divided cannot stand”, and while I don’t think he was talking about presidential elections, I do think he was talking about the body of Christ.
There is a reason Jesus’ last commandment to his disciples was to “love one another as I have loved you”. I think he said it, right there at the end of his earthly life, because he knew first of all loving one another that way is imperative to bringing the Reign of God near, and secondly because he knew it would be hard. Remembering how important Jesus thought these sometimes challenging and even courageous acts of love will be, our mandate as his disciples is clear.
In closing I will share with you the blessing former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry always uses, the first part is identical to the one I use myself, the second part lines up perfectly with his Way of Love theology:
Go forth into the world in peace
Be strong and of good courage
Hold fast to that which is good
Render to no one evil for evil
Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you now and always
Fr. David
The St. Simon’s on the Sound YouTube channel can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/c/StSimonsontheSoundEpiscopalChurch
To find previous sermon (full services in fact) recordings, click the “Live” button, the sermons are listed from newest to oldest.
The sermon from November 10th starts at about 17:40 into the video for that day.
19 or 1?
It’s been a weird day. I think I have written about this before. I didn’t really know why I felt out of sorts, a bit lost and unfocused all day today. Then it hit me. My beloved, Jennifer, posted a link on Facebook to an amazing post she made a few years ago, outlining our experience with “that storm” during and after the landfall of “she who shall not be named”. Jennifer captures everything so well, although she does downplay the enormous work she did in establishing and running our onsite medical clinic at Camp Coast Care and her subsequent work as the leader of the Children’s Health Fund medical and mental health teams post-Katrina, both of which impacted the lives of thousands of people, including lots of kids, after the storm.
Today I noticed she had posted on Facebook a link (https://www.facebook.com/TennisRN) to those thoughts she had written several years ago. So yes, I chased that rabbit down the hole, reliving, remembering, hearing it and smelling it and seeing it. I found myself weeping uncontrollably, once again. Does it get better?
Some of the tears are of course for those who lost so much, about a church that was never the same, about people who lost loved ones and people who, like us, are forever scarred. Other tears are for what could have been, what changed so much in our lives, for good and for ill, for our children and how it impacts them to this day, and for the legion of people who loved us and came to our aid, sacrificing so much for those in great need.
I also wept thinking of the example of Christ like love and compassion we were enveloped in. I am forever grateful. 19 years. On days like today, it is so fresh and so horrid and yet all that is wrapped in two words – love and gratitude. We were so blessed by so many of you. Thank you.
Bible Study on Luke starts September 10th
The Rector’s Bible study this fall will focus on the gospel of Luke. We meet on Tuesdays starting September 10th, at 10:30 and 6:00, usually in the Parish Hall.
The classes are also available live on Zoom and recordings on a special web site. I would love for any readers to join us in person or via Zoom. To do so, send me an email ([email protected]) with your email address, or comment on this post (be sure to leave your email address in the comment).
I will then sign you up for weekly emails with the Zoom links and a link to previously recorded classes. Previous classes recorded include 1st Peter, Knowing God through Scripture, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Romans, and Revelation.
I would love to have some former parishioners and any readers of this blog join the classes. The recordings are usually posted within a few days so you can use them to stay current in case you miss some sessions.
Hope to “see” you in class in September!