Saint Brigids Flower

Psalm 103:8-16 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Jas. 5.11 slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. Psalm 103

was believed to have been written by the great King David, in his later years, when he had a greater understanding of God’s loving kindness, forgiveness and a clear sense of the frailty of life. Some call this Psalm God’s benefit package as David writes of the blessings of God for those who love and honor God. I chose this psalm today because of the dandelion, known in folklore as a clock. It was said superstitiously that if you blew on a dandelion that had gone to seed, the number of seeds left were the years you had left to live. David talks about the flower blooming in the grass,in verse 15, here today and gone tomorrow. If we would consider these words would we live our lives any differently? Since I have come to have an intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe, urgency exists in my soul. Each day I can choose to live with direction and purpose, or to wander aimlessly. It amazes me when people say they are always‘busy’, often too busy. Busy with what though? God didn’t create us to be busy. Theologian Thomas Merton wrote that “Below the anxiety of the world is the silence of God” . To be aware of God’s presence and hear His voice means it is important to step aside periodically from the activity of life to be quiet, listen and look. Be still and listen to the divine teacher for a moment. Not use busyness to avoid the gentle urgings God has placed on your soul. Even though some days or seasons can wear on us all, stop, breathe and acknowledge the Creator of the Universe and his amazing creation. We can learn a lot about ourselves and how our relationship with God could and should be by observing the natural world around us. The humble dandelion, introduced to America by the passengers of the Mayflower in 1620, was used as part of their regular diet and to beautify their gardens. This plant has a long tap root. Simple weeding will not get a dandelion to release it’s grip from the soil. We can take learn from this plant that it is wise to root ourselves in God’s Word. When we are so rooted and grounded we cannot be moved from knowing we are in God’s loving care when things disrupt our lives. Because of the deep root, the leaves are full of vitamins and minerals. They nourish the bodies of those who pick and eat them, so also we, filled with the knowledge of the Son of God may extend love and grace to those around us. The dandelion flower turns to bask in the light of the sun, its hue reflecting the life giving light. Our faces also display God’s likeness when we are focused solely on pleasing Him. It is called Saint Brigids flower. Saint Brigid, born a slave in Ireland, became the most famous female leader of the early Celtic church. She established monasteries and a center for art and learning. She was known for her kindness and generosity to the poor. The dandelion, her flower, was knick named the little flame of God, as was she. In the appointed time, a dandelion will let go of it’s seed, which can be carried on the wind, as the breeze wills. Apostle Peter writes,” Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly with a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” Our God given gifts and graces are imperishable seed and may be released to catch the wind of the Spirit. Like Brigid, we all have something to share, no gift is too great or small, to be used in building the kingdom of heaven. Suzanne Collins, in the young adult fiction novel Mockingjay writes “What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” It can be good again, new every morning. Jesus, the incarnate Word, sought silence and solitude during His life and ministry for refreshment and direction. Not to get away from people - but as a means of staying close to his Father, and to be a more effective servant . In John’s gospel Jesus says to Phillip, Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Jesus reflects his Father, called to reflect Christ in all we say and do during our brief lives on earth we too can be the little flames of God. James Russell Lowell wrote “To The Dandelion” about a century ago. Was he really writing about the dandelion or did he have some other message in mind? You decide. “How like a prodigal doth nature seem, when thou, for all thy gold so common art! Thou teaches me to deem more sacredly of every human heart, since each reflects in joy its scanty gleam of heaven, and could some wondrous secret show, did we but pay the love we owe, and with a child’s undoubting wisdom look on all these living pages of God’s book.” The dandelion photograph used in this post is not mine. It was taken from the following webiste: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Dandelion.html which includes all kinds of specific information about the dandelion medicinally and as a food source, as well as some funny anecdotal stories about gathering them.

Songs of Mercy

Many people remember a Russian couple, the Rosenbergs, who were tried in court for treason against the United States. The trial was a long and bitter one. As the final sentence was pronounced, the lawyer for the Rosenbergs cried out, "Your Honor, what my clients ask for is justice!"
Judge Kaufman replied, "What the court has given them is what they ask, justice! What they really want is mercy. But mercy is something this court has no right to give them."
The One who has the right to give mercy is God.
Mercy is so important that God instructs us to bind it around our necks and write it upon the tablet of our hearts (Prov. 3:3). In Matthew 23:23, Jesus says that mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law, and that it takes precedence over many other things."The word mercy has the same root as the ancient Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; which in ancient times was used extensively as a soothing agent for bruises and minor wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting the injured part. The Greek words for 'Lord, have mercy,' are 'Kyrie, eleison' that is to say, 'Lord, soothe me, comfort me, take away my pain, show me your steadfast love.' In Hebrew the translation for mercy is similar and also means steadfast love. Thus mercy does not refer so much to justice or acquittal in our Western interpretation but to the infinite loving-kindness of God, and his compassion for his suffering children.
One of the most beautiful stories of God's mercy is the prodigal son. A son, after leaving home with his inheiritance, wastes all of it on high living. After hitting rock bottom, he ends up living with pigs and remembers his father. Humbled and willing to be a common servant in his fathers house he returns home. To his surprise, his father has been watching out for him to come back and runs to meet him, embracing him. He is clothed with his father’s best robe to wear to the feast his father prepares to celebrate his return. That is God's mercy.

The prodigal was going to his dad to ask for mercy, he had already been given what he deserved and squandered it. Like him our only cry should be "Lord, be merciful." Several years ago a song based on what I have heard is a true story became quite popular. "Three teenagers boarded a bus in New Jersey. Seated on the bus was a quiet, poorly dressed man who sat alone and silent. When the bus made its first stop, everybody got off except this one man, who remained alone and aloof. When the kids came back on the bus, one of them said something nice to him and he smiled shyly. At the next bus stop, as everybody got off, the last teenager turned and said to the man, "Come on. Get off with us. At least stretch your legs." So he got off. The teenagers invited him to have lunch with them. One of the teenager said, "We are going to Florida for a weekend in the sun. It is nice in Florida, they say." He said, "Yes it is." "Have you been there?" "Oh, yes," he said, "I used to live there." One said, "Well do you still have a home and family?" He hesitated. "I-I don't know he said, finally. "What do you mean, you don't know?" the teenager persisted. Caught up by their warmth and sincerity, he shared this story with them: "Many years ago, I was sentenced to Federal prison. I had a beautiful wife and wonderful children. I said to her, 'Honey, don't write to me. I won't write to you. The kids should not know their dad is in prison. If you want to, go ahead and find another man - somebody who will be a good father to those boys.' "I do not know if she kept her part of the bargain. I kept mine. Last week when I knew for sure I was getting out, I wrote a letter to our old address; its just outside of Jacksonville. I said to her, 'If you are still living there and get this letter, if you haven't found any one else, and if there is a chance of you taking me back - here is how you can let me know. I will be on the bus as it comes through town. I want you to take a piece of white cloth and hang it in the old oak tree right outside of town." When they got back on the bus and were getting a few miles from Jacksonville, all the teenagers moved to the man's side of the bus and pressed their faces against the windows. Just as they came to the outskirts of Jacksonville there was the old oak tree. The teenagers let out a yell and they jumped out of their seats. They hugged each other and danced in the center of the aisle. All they said was, "Look at it! Look at it!" Not a single white cloth was tied to the tree. Instead there was a white bed sheet, a white dress, a little boy's white trousers, and white pillow cases! The whole tree was covered with dozens of pieces of white cloth!
What an illustration of God's mercy - how God treats you and me - undeserving as we are! If you recall the song they changed the white cloth to yellow ribbons.
Like the man the story was about, we do not deserve God's mercy and His tender loving kindness, but He offers it to us anyway.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the author of the The Cost of Discipleship and twentieth century martyr wrote that, “ If anyone, Jesus knew that mercy is not always extended to the merciful among the children of men. Jesus went about doing good, mercy directed his every act during his ministry. Blind received their sight, tormented received their sanity, lepers were cleansed, deaf would hear, dumb would talk, dead would walk. As a result Jesus had more enemies than anyone else. He invoked more feelings opposite of mercy than most people ever did. And so did his apostles after him, and his prophets before him. In order that they might be merciful, they cast away the most priceless treasure of human life, their personal dignity and honor for their Lord's own mercy, to which alone they owed their very lives.
We cannot pray for mercy to be extended to us without being willing to give mercy to others and that is the point of Jesus's parable about the two debtors (Matt. 18:23-35 23 The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24One owed him ten thousand talents, but was not able to pay, his master commanded that he, his wife, children and possesions be sold, so that the payment was made. 26 The servant begged for patience, moving the master of that servant with compassion. The King released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he grabbed him around the neck, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 The fellow servant fell down, begging,‘have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’[b] 30 But he would not, threw him into prison until the debt was paid. 31 When the other servants saw what had been done, they were upset, telling their master all that had happened. 32 Then his master, called him in saying,‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you, if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”[c]
As humans we usually want justice for everyone else but ourselves. Human justice can be quite brutal. Mercy offers more than judgment- it is connected to grace, forgiving and hope.Mercy offers another chance and a fresh start. Which reflects heaven the best. The mercy we ask for is the mercy we must give to others. Lord, have mercy and help us to be merciful.

Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan? There was a man who was mugged – thrown to the side of the road. Two guys walked by and said, “I can’t get involved. I’m sorry about what has happened – but I just can’t get involved. I have other things to take care of. I’m too busy to help anyone right now.” A third man comes along – he was busy too – yet he took action. He picked up the man – took him to the Holiday Inn – left his American Express Gold Card to pay for the bill – said, “I’ll return later to see how things are going. When I come back – I’ll pay for it all!” This man showed mercy, and yet he was considered among the lowest of his society, a Samaritan. Those who are to show mercy are not to do so begrudgingly with a negative or sour countenance, but must do so “cheerfully.” The purpose of the gift of showing mercy is not to make the afflicted feel sad or to cause them to think they owe some type of debt; but rather, to raise their spirits, to bring joy to the heart and a smile to the face. “This spares the feelings and soothes the sorrows of the afflicted.” Calvin writes: “For as nothing gives more solace to the sick or to any one otherwise distressed, than to see men cheerful and prompt in assisting them; so to observe sadness in the countenance of those by whom assistance is given makes them to feel themselves despised.”

.Dr. Kevin Kikta, wrote recently about his experience as one of two emergency room doctors who were on duty at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, MO on Sunday, May 22, 2011. Maybe you remember that fateful day for the city of Joplin.
He relates: You never know that it will be the most important day of your life until the day is over. The day started like any other day for me: waking up, eating, going to the gym, showering, and going to my 4:00 pm ER shift. As I drove to the hospital I mentally prepared for my shift as I always do, but nothing could ever have prepared me for what was going to happen on this shift. Things were normal for the first hour and half. At approximately 5:30 pm we received a warning that a tornado had been spotted. Although I work in Joplin and went to medical school in Oklahoma, I ‘m from New Jersey, and I have never seen or been in a tornado. I learned that a “code gray” was being called. We were to start bringing patients to safer spots within the ED and hospital. We didn’t have time. The hospital took a direct hit from a category EF5 tornado.The whole process took about 45 seconds, but seemed like eternity. Tragedy has a way of revealing human mercy. As I worked in the ruined hospital, surrounded by devastation and suffering, I realized I was not alone. The people of the community of Joplin were absolutely incredible. Within minutes of the horrific event, local residents showed up in pickups and sport utility vehicles, all offering to help transport the wounded to other facilities, including Freeman, the trauma center literally across the street. Ironically, it had sustained only minimal damage and was functioning (although I’m sure overwhelmed). I carried on, grateful for the help of the community. Later there were groups of individuals who traveled to Joplin to assist in the clean up and rebuilding of that area.
Later that month my husband and I met a man named Mark, who was collecting supplies, cash, and to join a group of men from the Erie area to help with Joplin’s tornado relief. He had no family or friends in the State of Missouri but was moved when he saw the devastation on his television screen. Using his vacation time, some of his savings and whatever cash he could gather in donations and supplies for the twelve hundred mile round trip, he left his family for two weeks, to do whatever he could to help. Blessed are the merciful, Jesus says, for they will be shown mercy. Mark knows he is blessed and is a blessing to others. Every time we love others deeply, we feel their pain deeply. However, joy is hidden in the pain. When we share the pain we also will share the joy.

If our measure is fairness, if all we think about is who is getting their just desserts, we will lose touch with the grace that is everywhere and the God who pours forgiveness and generosity on us. When life is reduced to “you get what you deserve,” hearts contract and compassion and kindness dry up. Knowing that we are receivers of mercy and goodness beyond measure is what opens our hearts and hands to each other. Had it not been for a lovely young lady, Robert Robinson would not have known fully the depths of the mercy he had written about. In 1757, At the age of twenty-three, Robert Robinson, who had come to know Christ’s salvation through George Whitfield’s ministry in England, wrote the hymn Come, Thou Fount.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

But Robert wandered far from those streams like the Prodigal Son, until one day as he was traveling by stagecoach. He found himself sitting beside a young woman engrossed in reading her book. When she ran across a verse she thought was beautiful, she asked him what he thought of it.

Prone to wander— Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love.
Bursting into tears, Robinson said, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." Although greatly surprised, she reassured him that the "streams of mercy" mentioned in his song still flowed. Mr. Robinson was deeply touched and was able to turn his "wandering heart" back to the Lord.

God's streams of mercy still flow in the jagged places and unlikely meetings with friends and strangers in our own lives. In the tragedies and experiences that hit us and block all else, God is somehow still near and giving as we live out our lives before a God who will feed us in times of famine or feast and provide in sickness and in health. In 2011, songs of mercy are still sung. Matt Mahler, contemporary Christian artist, is one of many who sings about God’s mercy on the radio. He sings, “If you're scared that you don't matter
If you're lost and need to be found, If you're looking for a Savior, All you gotta do is turn around”. Today Jesus is saying that at the bottom of everything is a boundless generosity from our Heavenly Father. No matter what we face, every one of us here has hit the lottery jackpot as receivers of astonishing grace and streams of mercy. Our God lifts us up from the daily grind of and shows us the realm of the possible, even miraculous, when we turn around and receive His gift then pass it on to others. Let us in Jesus’ name, sing the songs of mercy we have found.

The least churched generation visits our church

Students attending universities today represent our nation's least churched generation. Typical of their young adult stage, most are not morning persons. Will their Sunday morning experience in our church, with our congregation, be worth getting out of their beds? College student visitors, like any other new person coming to our church, will decide as consumers the value of their worship and fellowship experience. Whether or not they return rests on their experience with us as a christian community. The questions they will be asking are the same questions they ask about their businesses and banks,: “Was this worth my time? Do the people care about me? Am I valued here?”

In a recent UMNS commentary, the Rev. Sheila Fiorella suggests that any guest to our church, whether a university student or someone recently relocated into our community recognize excellence, and return to places where they experience it. She suggests that each of us try the following exercise: "look at the following list and think about or jot down your first thought about each place: McDonald’s, your bank, your church, your coffee shop. Next evaluate your responses. Which reflect your feelings from your first encounter? Which describe your thoughts either now or at the end of your experience with that place? What does this tell you about the impressions we develop? These impressions help us decide to return or to go someplace else." Let us all be mindful that our visitors are not merely consumers but people, who like ourselves, matter to God.

The Rabbi's Gift, a story by Scott Peck, was retold by our Pastor Lisa recently during a service. The gist of the story was that by assuming the specialness of every person, a culture of respect is built which generates energy, creativity, and magnetism - something people can sense and feel, and to which they are drawn. Treating every person with courtesy and interest, convey's the understanding that everyone is valued. By being respectful to each other and our guests, we develop a community of faith in which everyone wants to give their best to others, and expects to receive the best from others in return. It is the type of community everyone deserves, and it is up to us to make it happen.

Friendships For the Journey

Friendships For the Journey


Everybody has been in a life situation were they have found themselves lost or
heading in the wrong direction. What would it take to be convinced that turning around is
wise? More importantly, what would it take to actually be motivated enough to
do it? For An 81 year old Australian man by the name of Eric Steward it was his love of driving that sent him down the wrong path. He was staying with friends when he popped out to buy some milk.Taking a left when he should have gone right on the motorway, he ended up driving for nine hours in the wrong direction. He was finally pointed in the right direction by police authorities after stopping to refuel. In the mean time his wife had already contacted the police back at his home.The article did not make it clear why he did not turn around except that he was so determined, so focused, that he just kept going on the right road in the wrong direction.

Just like Eric Steward, strong willed, goal oriented Paul, in this week’s passage from Acts, was traveling full speed on the Damascus road in the wrong direction until God intervened. Paul had been using the earthly logic of Pharaisaic law concluding that the new followers of Christ posed a threat and needed to be stopped. He was carrying out this plan until Christ showed Paul the divine plan of his Father in heaven. Paul’s decision to go with God’s plan turned what once was Saul into Paul, a friend of God.


It was a divine set up, the Holy Spirit introduced Paul to Ananias in a vision, urging him to go, meet and minister to him. God called, Annaias responded with prayers for healing and then baptism, assisting in the spiritual birth of the brand new disciple. Most of us do not remember when we were baptized, as we were, unlike Paul,infants. During baptism God in Christ promises to be our God forever. Parents, godparents and the church, the communion of saints, promise to support us as we grow in the faith.When we are struggling to do what is right, facing temptation, making hard decisions, remembering who we are and whose we are will help with attitude and the
direction of our steps. “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call
you servants any longer”, Jesus says,” because a servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends”. Isn't it amazing to consider that Christ thinks of all of his disciples as friends? We are his friends!


There are those who have stepped into our lives who have been influential, impactful or learning-oriented, like the people that Paul stayed with while regaining his strength, the very people he had originally intended to harm. Paul learned about his destructive past behavior and the impact it had had on the followers o the Way, the truth about Jesus, and then proclaimed that Christ truly was the son of God in the synagogues. Ananias and the other disciples in Damascus were no longer strangers, but brothers, and friends in the faith to Paul. The beauty of their friendship or any true grace filled relationship is that it brings to light what is hidden from view in a way that transforms. Receiving correction from those we trust, while not enjoyable, is necessary for growth in faithfulness and maturity in Christ. Proverbs reminds us that the wounds of a friend are faithful. The people who care about you the most have your best interest at heart.

Our true friends are ones we have granted the honor of transparency and truthfulness. It is before our friends that we lower the facade that we often present to others. We do not need to appear fully confident, competent and discerning of God's ways in the presence of our friends because they call us to consistency of character.We are able to share good news with a true friend without fear that they will think we are being prideful or arrogant. Our friends can listen to our doubts , fears and sadness without making us feel diminished as a person. Friends know that we are imperfect yet they remain loving loyal and steadfast in their relationship with us. It is a true experience of Christian grace.After Paul left Damascus he meditated alone for some months and then sought out Peter, chief of the disciples, to learn more about how Jesus had lived. Then Barnabas accepted and mentored Paul for nearly a decade. Later in Acts 18 life shaping friendships were recorded that developed between Paul and Priscilla, Aquilla, and Apollos. They were peers, sharing the work of the day, whether making tents or preaching the gospel. Paul also reached out in intentional friendship to those younger than he, such as,Timothy, Silas and Epaphroditus and Titus. Especially with Titus, Paul joins in ministry with, then comes to loves him, to be fed by him, depend on him and enjoy him. What a twenty first
century model for us to follow and grow into our ability to be friends and not merely colleagues or members with those at different stages of life than we.

Are we reaching back across generations to share the riches God has given us if we, like Paul, are in the second half of our lives? How can we all nurture friendships that allow us to see each day as holy and an opportunity to participate in something bigger than ourselves? Paul wound up becoming one of the greatest missionaries of all time and undertook three missionary journeys, gaining converts, and setting up churches.As a result of Paul's work, Christianity became a worldwide religion. It is important to remember that "The lasting mark of Paul’s conversion or ours for that matter is not one date circled in red on the calendar, but the whole story of one’s life."says Heidi A. Peterson, The Christian Century, 2001. Religion Online. The process of becoming Christian is not a one-day event,but rather an ongoing process. Paul had found and maintained true friends along the journey; friends that shaped, molded and supported his ministry. May we also find friends for the journey who call us to accountability and rich full lives in service to God and the great adventure of life in the Kingdom of God.

A New Year Covenant Prayer

The Covenant Prayer From John Wesley's Covenant Service , 1780,

"I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

While many superstitiously eat black eyed peas for prosperity or noodles for long life in the New year, devout Methodists have been prone to invoke the Holy Spirit with a Covenant Prayer and service. John Wesley issued a pamphlet in 1780, entitled: The Directions for Renewing our Covenant with God. The Covenant prayer included in this pamphlet appeared in most Methodist writings in Britain but was excluded from the Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, published in 1784 by Wesley for his followers in the new United States. As a result, the Covenant Prayer became a common part of the service in the Methodist churches of the British Commonwealth but the covenant service is little known in the States. This is unfortunate because the covenant prayer and service are considered to be one of the most distinctive contributions of Methodism, and used from time to time throughout the holy catholic church. Ignoring the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer and Service is tantamount to ignoring olive oil and garlic in they're role in southern Italian cuisine. The Covenant Prayer and Service add a special flavour to our spiritual identity as a denomination.

My personal interest in the covenant Prayer? Our bishop was due to come for a Covenant Renewal service but as we have had almost three feet of snow in the last seventy two hours and many were traveling, it was deemed best to cancel. I would have missed the service regardless as my employment obligations conflicted with the timing, but nonetheless I have prayed the prayer, meant it and am still scratching my head as to what exactly I am being called to do besides what I am already doing. It's a clear as mud, or as the name of this blog, a smokey quartz crystal. Blessings to you this brand new year.

Les was more than I: A treasure in a jar of clay

Les had been homeless, on welfare, and a longtime alcoholic, suffering from mental health issues, who nonetheless loved God. The lines and scars of years of rough lifestyle were worn on his face like a man twice his age. When my husband and I found him he was filthy, emaciated, and using a six-pack as a pillow. We convinced him to let us take him to the hospital for what we thought was detox, only to find out after a few days that glioblastoma, a fast growing malignant brain tumor would claim his life in about six weeks. During his stay at hospice, he was visited by a number of people, grateful for his persistent witness of the gospel, a witness that had radically changed their lives. In spite of his brokenness, others had been able to see the treasure he held in his frail jar of clay,(2 Corinthians 4:7 ) and claim it for their own as well. He had seen their potential holiness and glory and invited them to accept the gift. Among them, a Grove City College dean of students, a professor at Penn State Behrend, a Psychologist in Erie, and a formerly homeless women, now self-sufficient. Even though he struggled, the impact he had on others for the Kingdom of Heaven put many of us in the pews to shame.

Les wanted a simple life, to be loved and accepted just as he was. His family was often so focused on his addiction and fear of being enablers that they missed the treasure he held and his potential. They could not merely love, be respectful and have mercy, without conditions. C.S. Lewis writes that "It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.
There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal…
Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your sense. If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ - the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.”


Are there others not received into our lives as humans to be loved and accepted (just as Christ has accepted us) because we do not regard them as worthy or worthwhile? We know that we are loved and embraced as God’s children, Can that acceptance and honor be extended to others in the Christian community, as expressions of the image of God, regardless of how we feel about them personally? If someone has come under the cross, they are truly holy and are to be treated as such His sake. Les was my only and baby brother, a brother in Christ, whose treasure in an earthen vessel others found.


C.S. Lewis,The Weight of Glory (New York, NY: Harper One, 2001),

Leslie Charles Zagarella
Leslie Charles Zagarella, 45, of Ontario Street, died Tuesday, July 13, 2004, at Edinboro Manor.
He was born Dec. 11, 1958, in Brooklyn, N.Y., son of Peter and Rayma Evans Zagarella of Fort Myers, Fla.
He was a guitarist and singer who traveled across the country with country-music bands. He enjoyed fishing, reading and collecting reptiles.
Survivors include a daughter, Mariah Zagarella of Woodbridge, Va.; a sister, Pamela Ostrander and her husband, Alfred, of Edinboro; a niece, Zara Ostrander; and a nephew, Peter Ostrander.
No calling hours will be observed. A memorial service will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, 427 W. Plum St., Edinboro. The Rev. David Fulford will officiate.
Burial will be at Edinboro Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2115 W. 38th St., Erie, PA 16508.
The Glunt Funeral Home, 210 Erie St., Edinboro, is handling arrangements.

Insomnia, Jacob wrestling with an angel, street fight, racial tension

Martin Buber was once described by Swiss Novelist Hermann Hesse, as "one of the few wise men on earth." A Jewish theologian and philosopher, Buber's central theme was, "All real life is a meeting," where man achieves authentic existence only in loving encounter with God and his fellow man. This personal relationship, I-Thou, is in contrast to I-It, where people deal with one another as objects. For many twentieth century Christian theologians such as Tillich, Niebuhr, Maritain, Berdiaev, Barth, Buber's personalism was the balance to the prevailing depersonalization of existential thinking, the God who is "out there" and not "with us".

Centuries ago, a man named Jacob, travelling on his way to Canaan with his group, trying to get away from his brother Esau and his clan, couldn't sleep one night. He was alone as all the rest of his family were asleep in their tents.
Genesis 32:24-31
"24 and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh."

As a result of insomnia and an evening encounter with what some say was the angel of God and others surmise was God himself, Jacob is sustains a life long hip injury, causing him to limp for the rest of his life. in the process of this encounter he gains a new princely identity, a new name, a sense of intimacy with the One Who Commands the Universe. He was birthed as a new creation afer his night of wrestling. it) The actual Hebrew text makes no mention of any mal'ak, the usual word for angel as being what Jacob wrestled with. Tradition has inferred the identity of Jacob's opponent from the blessing Jacob receives at the end of the match: "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and men [or gods and men] and have prevailed." Jacob, the heel grabber or cheater is now God perseveres or strives. It changed the way he thought about himself and consequently his destiny.

My son couldn't sleep last night. At three a.m. he walked down to our local McDonald's and purchased a meal. while he was sitting there eating it a group of racially mixed young people walked in with a video camera. They were working on a filming project. An argument broke out about the filming, the group split along racial lines each egging each other on as a fight ensued. Five minutes later, a young man's skull was crushed under the boot of another, as he lay bleeding on the floor of the restaurant while my son and the restaurant manager were trying to get the police to come via telephone. My son made his statement to the police and didn't get home until dawn, shaken. What he witnessed, Jacob and Esau, still fighting for the birthright, still posturing defensively and offensively. Still taken offense when none was meant, or creating offense to start a fight as my son relates the story to me, a bystander, a person who had a meeting, a life changing encounter with his fellow man. a person who witnessed violence, man against man, who felt helpless, powerless, outnumbered and armed with a cell phone to reach out a touch another for help.