Temptation - or testing?

In the Gospel reading for tomorrow, it says that Jesus was driven out into the wilderness where he was "tempted" by Satan.

The actual word in the Greek is 'peirazo', which can be translated either as "tested" or "tempted". Being "tempted" makes it sound as if Satan was trying to make Jesus turn away from his divine mission and fail.

But the word "tested" has a different sense. God "tested" the Hebrew people in the wilderness of Sinai for forty years before they were allowed to come into the promised land. In the same way, Jesus was being tested to prove his resolve and intention.

We're often tested to prove ourselves. For instance, before a doctor is allowed to practice, he or she has to pass many tests to show mastery of the craft of medicine. We might say God tests us in difficult times, not to make us fail, but to strengthen us and deepen our faith.

Was Jesus tempted or tested? I like testing.
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Finding a house

Our new home

Recently Katy and I have been house hunting. It's a fretful time, trying to find the perfect house at the right price, and it requires a lot of searching. We spent many hours scouring websites on the internet, and we toured a number of houses with our real estate agent.

Ultimately, we found a house to suit our needs and made an offer. After some nail-biting negotiations, we found our offer was accepted, and in due time we'll be homeowners again!

Our new house is in Tracyton, about 6 miles from church. It's an older home, recently remodeled and it has lots of room. There's a half-acre lot with it so there's plenty of room for flowers, gardens and fruit trees.

We have some things to do before we can move in - flooring, office space, and of course lots of paperwork. I can't wait until we've moved in and we can relax!
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Pruning back

Today Katy and I are pruning back the bushes around our house. The previous renters apparently didn't do any pruning, and the bushes grew wild. So we're trying to bring them back to the condition where they can branch out again and grow new foliage.

Whenever I prune plants back, I'm reminded of John 15:1-2, where Jesus says, "I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit."

It seems like part of life is to grow, and part of life is to be cut back. Lent is coming soon, and it always seems to me that Lent is a time for pruning, a chance to think about what I might need to reduce in my life, or what I might need to pull back from.

The point of pruning is not to kill the plant, but make it more productive. So maybe by cutting back in some areas of my life during Lent, other areas will become more productive. I'm not sure what I'll do for Lent yet, but it's a good time to think about it.
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Evolution Weekend

For this Sunday, I've chosen to join a nation-wide effort to discuss the topics of evolution and religion. I've been spurred to do this by the efforts of Michael Zimmerman, a professor at Butler College in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Michael was part of a group that fought a series of anti-evolution policies passed by the school board in Grantsburg, WI, in 2004. The support they received from many clergy convinced him that this was an issue that needed broader visibility.

So he started The Clergy Letter Project, asking Christian and Jewish clergy to sign a simple letter that asserts, "The timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist." Over 11,829 clergy have signed the letter.

From this springboard he also organized "Evolution Weekend" in which clergy agree to address the issue of the coexistence of science and religion in a sermon or educational event.

Because there's a lot of confusion about the subject of evolution and how it fits with the stories of the Bible, I thought it would be good to preach on this topic, so I signed up to participate in Evolution Weekend. My sermon for Sunday will focus on the relationship between faith and science. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.
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An epileptic seizure at Starbucks

Yesterday I went to Starbucks for my daily coffee. I had just sat down when I noticed the woman next to me, about 45 years old, had stiffened up in her chair and then stood up in a very odd position, sliding against the window. By the contorted look on her face I realized something was not right. I went to her and she slumped in my arms with a glazed look in her eyes.

I figured it was a seizure of some sort. Two guys at the next table joined me and someone called 911. A young fellow stooped over and said, "I'm a paramedic." I continued to hold her so her head wouldn't hit anything and she gradually quieted down while the paramedic searched for a bracelet or tag for a medic alert.

The woman's body was stiffened and she was foaming at the mouth. It was scary, but everyone was very kind and concerned for her. The paramedic said her behavior was not unusual for a seizure, and we waited for the ambulance.

The woman's cell phone rang and a Starbucks employee, a woman in her thirties, answered it. She asked the caller, a friend of the woman, who said the woman had epilepsy. She asked the friend to come down to help and she said she would.

When the EMTs showed up, we let them take over and they soon bundled her up into a stretcher, and by this time she was starting to answer questions a little bit. The worst was over.

We customers went back to our tables and shakily resumed sipping our lattes. The Starbucks employee came by and thanked me for helping, and the young guy at the next table and I debriefed. I found out his name was Josh.

It was interesting how this intense scene drew the assorted customers and staff together so quickly. For a few moments we were all caught up in a frightening event and we felt very close to each other. Afterward, we slowly went back to our anonymous selves sipping coffee in our own little worlds.

It was only after I had gone back to my table and tried to get my heart rate slowed that I realized that I hadn't prayed for her. And this two days after I preached on the importance of healing prayer! So I said a prayer then.
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Meeting the neighboring Vicar

Last Friday I had lunch with the Rev. Guy Sherman, the interim rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Bremerton.

I enjoyed meeting Guy and sharing stories about our ministries. Guy is a retired Episcopal priest, serving as the interim rector at St. Paul's for a few months, until a new rector is called for the parish.

Guy is trained as a professional interim pastor, and this is the sixth parish Guy has served as an interim. Interim ministry is a specialized calling, and Guy said he enjoys this ministry.

I find it helpful to get to know the Episcopal clergy in our area. For one thing, it keeps me in touch with what's happening in the area, and keeps me from being isolated. In addition, I can learn a lot from other clergy, especially those who have experience in our diocese. I think we need to communicate with each other and support each other.

It's easy for pastors to let themselves get isolated from the larger body, but I think we all need each other. I know I need to be in touch with my fellow clergy to help me keep a sense of perspective and balance. There's no one who understands the peculiar demands of ministry like another pastor.

I hope Guy and I will keep in touch from time to time and I look forward to meeting the new rector of St. Paul's when he or she arrives later this year.

A few thoughts about healing

The Gospel for tomorrow is about the healing ministry of Jesus. When he visits Simon's house, he heals Simon's mother-in-law of a fever, and when sick people come to the house at sundown, he heals many of them.

A few thoughts about the ministry of healing:

1. All healing comes from God. Some healing comes through the body's own natural healing processes; some comes from the skill of doctors and medical science; and some comes from prayer; but all healing comes from God.

2. God's will is always for healing. When we pray for healing, we're not trying to change God's mind, but we're trying to open a path for God's will to be done.

3. Sometimes we don't see healing take place after we've prayed. This is not because prayer is ineffective, and it's not because "we don't have enough faith." It may be that we're not praying for the right thing; or it may be that God has answered our prayer in a way we don't recognize; or it may be that spiritual healing has taken place and not physical healing; or it may be that the true healing that's needed is the healing of death. In some rare cases, God may be using the illness to teach the person some higher lesson. Sometimes we simply don't know why our prayers aren't answered.

4. The difference between magic and religion is that magic tries to manipulate God through the repetition of certain acts or words; while true religion asks in faith and then waits for God to act. Healing prayer is not magic; it is the prayer of faith.

5. Our job as people of faith is to pray. We pray for healing because we seek to be in tune with God's will. We pray whether or not we get the results we ask for because prayer is our response to God's grace and mercy.
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A portrait of Antony

When we celebrated St. Antony Day two weeks ago, I challenged the artists of our parish to create an image of St. Antony. Last Sunday, Mckenzie, one of the children of our parish, brought me this drawing of Antony!

Mckenzie drew a wonderful portrait of Antony, and I think she got his character just right! The squiggles on either side of him are the banners which hang behind the altar in our church. I love the colors she used.

Thank God for Mckenzie, our parish artist.

Annual Meeting

A week ago Saturday we held the annual meeting of St. Antony's parish. Annual meetings are usually business-like affairs consisting of year-end reports and budget considerations, but I thought we had a very positive meeting.

We heard reports from our church commissions and ministries, and they were remarkably upbeat. We have a lot going on! I'm very grateful for all those who gave so much of themselves last year to make our parish run smoothly and do the work of God.

I was glad to report that Peter Dawson has accepted the position of Bishop's Warden for 2009. I know Peter will do a great job, and I'm looking forward to working with him. We also elected three new members of the Bishop's Committee and our diocesan convention delegates and alternates.

We passed the budget, even though we're projecting a $15,000 deficit for the year, which will come out of our current bank balance. I'm sure we'd all like to be totally in the black, and that's certainly what we're aiming for next year. Still, I think we're in a good place right now. We're fortunate that the diocese awarded us an $18,000 grant, and that will be a big help. I think the diocese believes in us, and wants to encourage us.

My sense is that we're doing the right things, and we're gaining momentum for growth in the future. Thanks be to God!
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