WEBVTT 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:00.719 Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.800 Blessed be God's family now and forever. 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:05.759 Amen. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.360 Let's pray together. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.319 Almighty God, to you all hearts. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:13.840 And from you. 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:20.639 Cleanse the hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:28.240 That we may perfectly love you and will be through Christ Lord. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:29.039 Amen. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:27.360 And also with you. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:29.199 Let us pray. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:33.839 Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts. 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:41.439 For as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:47.839 Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:53.040 Prayer for tomorrow's anniversary of September 11th. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:00.959 O Almighty God, who brings good out of evil, and turns even the wrath of your children towards your promised peace. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:10.240 Hear our prayers this day as we remember those of many nations in differing faith, whose lives were cut short by the fierce flames of anger and hatred. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:14.000 Hasten the time when the menace of war shall be removed. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:29.279 Pour out the Spirit of peace on all the rulers of our world, that we may be brought through strife to the lasting peace of the kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:30.480 Amen. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.959 It shall be the first month of the year for you. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:13.839 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:21.199 If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:26.480 The lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat it. 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:34.959 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year old male, you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:39.360 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:44.639 Then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:52.319 They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lentil of the houses in which they eat it. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:08:03.199 They shall eat the lamb that time, that same night, they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:13.040 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roast it over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.879 You shall let none of it remain until morning. 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:21.279 Anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:31.360 This is how you shall eat it, your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it hurriedly. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:44.720 It is the Passover of the Lord, for I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:49.200 On all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.360 I am the Lord. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.600 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:09:03.679 When I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.759 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.440 You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:16.399 Throughout your generations, you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:21.279 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:23.440 Praise be to God. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:39.279 Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:47.279 Let Israel rejoice in their maker. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.120 Let the children of Zion be joyful in their sovereign. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:54.960 Let them praise God's name in the dance. 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:59.039 Let them sing praise the Lord in the temple in the heart. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.039 For the Lord takes pleasure in the chosen people. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.080 And they born the core with victory. 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:09.759 Let them be joyful on their beds. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.440 Let the praises of God be in their throat. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:19.200 And to wreak vengeance on the nations. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:21.840 And punishment on the peoples. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:24.559 To bind their rulers in chains. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:27.279 And their nobles in wings of fire. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:31.200 To inflict on them the judgment decree. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:04.000 The salvation is nearer to us now. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:09.200 The night is far gone. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:11.440 The day is near. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.840 Let us then lay aside the words of darkness. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.480 And put on the armour of light. 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.559 Let us live honorably as in the day. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.279 Not in reveling and drunkenness. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:31.759 Not in debauchery and not in quarreling and jealousy. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:36.080 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:41.840 And make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:46.000 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:17.919 Glory to you, Lord Christ. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:25.840 Jesus said, If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.360 If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:37.440 But if you're not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.960 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:48.000 And if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.159 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:55.039 Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:03.360 Again, truly I tell you, if the two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:08.240 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:11.039 The gospel of the Lord. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.639 Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I'm there with you. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:52.000 And while that does inform things like, I don't know if you realized, in the Episcopal Church, we cannot celebrate the Eucharist alone. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:54.639 There has to be a minimum of two folk. 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.159 Always has to be two in the Episcopal Church. 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:04.240 While it informs that, I do hope you realize this is often taken out of context. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:16.480 It is to say, this verse gets thrown around quite a bit, which suggests that, hey, if two of us are praying or three of us are praying, well, that's better than one, because Jesus isn't there when you pray by yourself. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:19.119 And I hope you can see that doesn't make sense. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:30.799 If you pay attention to the passage, and we don't even have to pay very much attention to the passage, this comes at the end of Jesus talking about church discipline. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.640 Which is really interesting because there wasn't a church when Jesus was around. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.000 I hope we realize this. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:40.400 A lot of times we think Jesus was the first Christian, and of course he wasn't at all. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.160 Jesus was Jewish. 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:44.960 Christianity came after Jesus. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:49.039 Jesus did not come to create the modern structure we have. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:50.160 That wasn't his mission. 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:52.880 Otherwise, he would have given us better instructions on that. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.680 Mostly he talked about how we're supposed to treat one another, right? 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:57.039 Which is what happens here. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:06.400 So I just want to remind you, sometimes we hear this and we might think, oh, this passage is about what to do if we don't like the new communion bread. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:09.279 And this is not about that at all. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:16.400 This is about what happens in a gathering of people when always happens when you gather people together. 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:19.440 One inevitably bumps up against another one. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.799 Keep in mind at the time there were no police. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:24.960 Police is like 200 years old. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:26.480 They didn't have that back then. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:31.200 Courts were not like really into hearing a bunch of civil matters. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:35.759 Courts were for big problems, and everything happened with citizens' arrest. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:39.839 So we love courts in the United States for lots of reasons. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:53.759 It takes the responsibility out of our hands, and I'm not saying that's wrong, but I do want to suggest to you sometimes we get so focused on getting things even that we're willing to lose a friend over. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:19:05.839 Sometimes we get so focused on getting our damages compensated for that we lose sight of having a community when all of that's done. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:11.039 We all get the difference, I think, between vengeance or revenge. 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:14.640 That's taking more back than was taken from you. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:19.119 And what we normally call justice, which is trying to even it out. 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:32.880 But I want to put to use this passage as reminding us that while we get focused on justice and while we try not to do revenge, which we still don't always get right, there's a third criterion Jesus asks us to consider. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:35.359 What about the community? 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:46.720 So Jesus says, if you got a problem, if somebody sins against you, go to them one-on-one and you notice so that you can regain them. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.039 So that they will be regained. 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:52.880 If you're like me, you don't like doing that. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.279 Because confrontation's real uncomfortable, and I don't know how they're going to take it. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:01.759 And usually when somebody's hurting my feelings, I already consider, well, they're lost. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.359 So what do I like to do? 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:04.480 Nothing. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:09.519 I like to do nothing, and that way all that can turn into resentment and a confessor. 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:11.200 Really, really healthy. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:23.680 Um, another thing that sometimes I will do, if I'm totally honest, is I'll say uh to one of my friends, so-and-so did this thing, and of course, what I want them to do is say, How awful of them. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:27.119 They're such jerks, so they can validate this was a real injury. 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:28.960 Uh, because I'm not always clear. 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:35.839 Maybe it wasn't a real injury, but I don't ask my friend, hey, does this sound like an injury to you? 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:39.119 What I say is, you unbelieved what this person did. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:42.480 I'm glad I'm the only one in the room who behaves like this. 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:51.359 So the gospel might just be for me today, but I think what Jesus is asking us to do is uh to take the following two ideas into consideration. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:21:00.400 Uh the first, and I and again, I mentioned this, most clergy I know are actually conflict adverse, and I'm kind of glad of that because of the ways we do conflict in unhealthy ways. 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:12.559 I want to put out to you that Brene Brown says we can either choose the discomfort of setting and enforcing a boundary, or we can choose the resentment that will happen if we don't. 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:15.680 Most of us choose resentment. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:17.839 Oh, Mike, we don't actively choose that. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:19.200 No, we passively do. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:32.559 We passively choose resentment because we don't say, as Bernade Brown says, hey, this thing happened, and I want to tell you, friend, the story I'm making up in my head is that when you did this, it's because blank. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.359 Now, would you please edit that story? 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:44.160 When we don't give our friends the opportunity to edit the story, we've written our own narrative, not just about what happened, but their motives. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:54.640 And maybe Jesus is saying, hey, in the middle of trying to get your stuff taken care of, give somebody the chance to rewrite the narrative. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:22:05.279 So that not only can you get your damages taken care of, but you can take care of your Community damage, and you can grow a little more in health. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:07.440 A little bit more on that at the end. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:13.119 Jesus says, where two or three are gathered in my name, I'm there with you. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:23.039 And sometimes we take that so literally we forget to take it seriously, which I would put to you is not me saying, Jim, in the name of Jesus, Jesus, we need to have a come to Jesus meeting, Jim. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:25.039 I don't think that's what Jesus had in mind. 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:30.079 When we hear in the scripture the name of somebody, we don't just mean literally their name. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:37.200 Your name in the Bible is the essence of everything that you are: your teaching, your heart, your spirituality. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:39.839 So what's the name of Jesus? 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:44.799 I'm probably real liberal, but I think it's reconciliation. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:50.319 So if we've got a problem with somebody and we're able to say, hey, I've got a problem with you, Jim. 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:53.599 Let's invite Jesus into the room so we can be reconciled. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:55.359 Because I don't want to live with the problem. 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:57.200 I want to live with solving the problem. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.839 Geez, that might be a good first step. 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:08.079 Invoking Jesus to be in the room so that I can focus not on the problem, but solving it. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:14.400 So that we can leave, as at least reconciled, if not better friends. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:20.400 You know in your own life, the friends that stick are the ones you had problems and you worked it out. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:22.799 Not the ones who never did anything wrong. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:24.079 That's a fantasy. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.759 The good friends are the ones who stepped on your toes and you figured it out. 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:33.279 So maybe this is Jesus just inviting us to do that a little more often than we choose to. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:47.759 I think that's what Paul's about when he's writing to us in Romans, where he suggests that, hey, we have these core principles like don't lie and don't steal and don't commit adultery, and we can sort of sum those up to love your neighbor as yourself. 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:54.240 And what we sometimes do is we say, well, that means I'm supposed to love my neighbor as much as I love myself. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:24:01.920 But I'd like you to consider a different way of hearing that, which is I don't exist in isolation. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:04.880 We like to be individual, but really we're not. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:09.839 When I love my neighbor as myself, my neighbor is an extension of who I am. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:18.559 So if I were to cut my neighbor off from me, because they bumped into me, I'd be cutting off part of myself. 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:26.319 And I'd be cutting off, if you don't mind me saying, the reconciliatory name of Jesus. 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:30.559 I'd be living into half of his identity and cult. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:37.759 Now, I'm gonna take a quick turn back into Exodus. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:45.039 Remember that the writer of the Hebrew Bible presumes, I mean the writer, the composers of the lectionary, presume you know the story, and you probably know. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:50.079 Last week it was the burning bush, and God says, Tell Pharaoh, let my people go. 00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:52.319 And then a bunch of stuff happened between then and now. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:53.039 Moses went. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:55.279 He said, Tell, he told Pharaoh, let my people go. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:56.880 Pharaoh said, No, no, no, no, no. 00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:57.119 Right? 00:24:57.200 --> 00:24:58.319 Now this is the tenth night. 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.319 And you notice there's a really interesting phrase. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:02.880 This is gonna be the beginning of your year. 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:04.799 And it's about the Passover. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:07.440 That's not the beginning of the Jewish year. 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.319 I want to be really clear. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.880 The Jewish year begins this coming Friday. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:14.559 It's Rosh Hashanah, which means the head of the year. 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:20.480 I'm gonna talk to you about that, and then I'm gonna talk about Passover, and then I swear we'll come into a circle somehow, okay? 00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:30.480 Rosh Hashanah, that's the beginning of the Jewish year, begins this Friday night, because in the in the Jewish reckoning of time, the day begins in the evening. 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:31.279 Right? 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:40.960 So Friday evening is the beginning of the new year, and according to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah happens eight days prior to the high holy day of Yom Kippur. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:42.559 That's the day of atonement. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:52.000 Friday night, according to our Jewish brothers and sisters, God looks at every human being and writes their fate for the next year. 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:57.119 And you have eight days to change God's mind. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:04.720 Your fate is written on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur, your fate is sealed. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:08.160 So, what do our Jewish brothers and sisters do? 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:11.119 They get reconciled with each other. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:16.400 Because they don't want their fate for the next year to be sealed in discord. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:19.440 We could hear this as, oh, how fatalistic. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:22.720 You mean like if they don't fix it, God's gonna make stuff happen? 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:25.359 No, the idea is more like this. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:28.319 We have not treated the earth very well. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:29.599 And what do you know? 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:32.000 It was really, really hot this summer. 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:34.880 Uh, we keep writing our fate. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:38.799 And part of environmental stewardship is so that we don't seal it. 00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:45.119 So what we need to do to make sure we don't seal the faith that we're writing is repent. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:27:04.960 Which means starting Friday night and continuing for the next eight days, our Jewish brothers and sisters are going to put their feet on the pavement, they're gonna get on the phone, sometimes they will even get on an airplane over the eight days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and they will fly to somebody and they'll say, things are not right between us, and we need to fix it now. 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:09.920 This is like the Jewish version of Lent. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:12.079 That's a little anachronistic, right? 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:14.480 Because Judaism's older than Lent. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:18.079 And I want to suggest to you it's way better than the Lent we've settled for. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:24.480 Because look, God's not glorified in you making yourself miserable by giving up chocolate or something like that. 00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:28.319 God is glorified in our being reconciled with our neighbors. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:31.680 This is what our Jewish brothers and sisters are going to do. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:40.559 I mean, literally, they're going to do, so that they don't seal the fate of alienation for another year. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:45.119 Now, what does that have to do with the Passover story? 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:51.599 Well, even though it's the beginning of the new year, Passover is one of the most important festivals in the Jewish calendar. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:55.599 And so it turns out actually, throughout the Bible, you'll see that there's three different New Year's. 00:27:55.759 --> 00:28:00.079 There's Rosh Hashanah, and there's Yom Kippur, and there's Passover. 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:03.519 But there's only one calendar new year, to be really clear. 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:04.960 And that's Passover. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:13.920 Now, the Passover story, right, is that we had the darkness and the blood and the frogs and the gnats and all those other things, and now it's going to be the plague on the firstborn. 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.519 And uh our Jewish brothers and sisters do this really big every year. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.400 It's not always tied to Easter since the 300s. 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:34.799 We we we broke the Christian calendar off the Jewish calendar, but this is a really big festival, and you'll notice in there that every family is going to kill their own lamb, and they're going to eat it, and they're going to eat it real quick. 00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:39.200 And if they don't eat all of it, they're going to burn the leftovers. 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:44.240 Now, there's a thing Christian people often miss when they read this story. 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:50.720 When is there a sacrifice to cover sins in the Jewish tradition? 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:54.000 The answer is Yom Kippur. 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:56.799 That's on September the 25th. 00:28:57.039 --> 00:29:06.559 That's when a priest kills, not even a lamb, kills a heifer, a steer, and then lays their hands on a goat. 00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:09.279 Did you see any priests in this story? 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:11.200 There's no priests. 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:14.240 Every family does their own work. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:21.599 I want to mention this to you because the paschal lamb is not a sacrifice for sin, is not in the Jewish tradition. 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:23.200 Has nothing to do with sin. 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:26.319 Why are they eating a lamb the night before they go? 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.519 Because they're going on a really big journey and they need calories. 00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:34.640 And they're eating in a hurry because God's going to let them out of bondage in a second. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.960 They don't even have time for the bread to rise. 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:38.880 That's why they eat it flat. 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:41.519 Every family kills their own. 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:42.559 There's no priest. 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:45.519 There is this weird thing that we get stuck up on. 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:47.680 What about the blood on the door? 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:53.680 Well, if you know anything about our Jewish brothers and sisters, there's a way of life called kosher or kosher. 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:56.720 This is like a way of dietary restrictions. 00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:02.480 And the biggest rule about meat is that you can't eat any blood. 00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:18.799 So, in order for meat to be kosher, not only does the blood have to be drained while the animal's hanging, but once you remove the meat from the carcass, it literally has to be soaked in salt three times to draw all the blood out. 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:22.319 The rule is you can't eat the blood. 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:24.880 Why is that? 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:29.759 Well, the scriptures say because the life of the animal is in the blood. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:32.960 But look, these are not pre-unscientific people. 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:37.359 They understand, just like you and I do, that life requires a brain and lungs and a heart as well. 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:38.799 And sure, you need kidneys, right? 00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:39.279 They get it. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:40.400 You need all that stuff. 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:47.759 When you hear life, really please hear the word like qi from the Eastern tradition, like the life force. 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:55.759 Now, there's people who are really into life force in the world today, which is why the rhinoceros is almost extinct. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:00.480 They eat the horn of the rhino so they can have the qi of the rhino. 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:02.799 This is the Jewish idea. 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:05.039 This is very much the Jewish understanding, right? 00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:07.920 You're consuming the animal to get its powers. 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:10.319 And the Torah is really clear. 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:11.359 You don't get that. 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:12.640 It's not yours. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:24.079 The life force belongs to God, which is why you pour it on the ground, or in this case, you put it on the lentils of the door to show, I ate the meat, but the life is yours, God. 00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:25.519 The life is yours. 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:30.720 This is not a sacrifice for sin, it's food, the journey. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:33.119 Why do I mention that? 00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:37.680 It's because every week we come up here since 1976, we do it every week. 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:39.039 It used to be once a month. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:44.079 And we say, God, I need food for the journey. 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:56.480 And what we're invited to do is participate in the life force of Jesus so that we can leave the bondage that we're in. 00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:01.200 Are we in literal slavery, not like those folk then? 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:06.400 Are we in slavery like broken relationships and resentment? 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:08.000 Absolutely we are. 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:22.720 So we come to this table every week saying, God, we sure could use some energy to get out of the slavery we are living in, so that we can go forward with some energy and do some reconciliation. 00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:29.200 And I've got to ask you, this is not a thing I usually do myself. 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:45.440 If somebody called you and said, you know, Susan, there's this thing that happened a couple years ago, and to be honest, it's still kind of bothering me, and I just really want to settle it with you. 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:48.880 I want to settle it with you so I don't have to carry it anymore. 00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:51.839 How many of you would not take that phone call? 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:57.599 I would take that phone call. 00:32:58.480 --> 00:32:59.680 I would take that phone call. 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:02.160 I wouldn't suggest you. 00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:39.279 We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, the Creator and all that is being in our truth. 00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:55.759 We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, eternally the Father, God of the Father, the Lord of the Light, through the God, who I am not made, and one being with the Father. 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:58.240 Through him all things were made. 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:02.640 For after our salvation, he came down from heaven. 00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:09.360 By the power of the Holy Spirit, He became encouraged from the Virgin Mary, and was very name. 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:12.480 For Christ and He was crucified and conscious. 00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:18.559 On the third day brother again, O'Cord. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:24.559 He descended into heaven, and he is right hand of the Father. 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:30.960 He will come again in the glory to death to the rain of the dead, and his kingdom will happen and nowhere. 00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:37.920 We believe in the Holy Spirit, O Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:41.599 With the Father and the Son who is worshiped and glorified. 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:44.239 He has woken through the prophets. 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:48.000 We believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. 00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:51.760 We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:56.559 We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 00:34:56.880 --> 00:34:57.519 Amen. 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:08.480 The prayers of the people in peace. 00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:22.639 Let us pray to the Lord, saying, Lord, have compassion for the holy church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love and be found without fault at the day of your coming. 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:27.440 We pray to you, O Lord, Lord, have compassion. 00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:50.719 For all the holy people of God, for all bishops and other ministers, for Andy, Hector, Jeff and Kay, our bishops, and the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, Christ the King, Atascassida, Umble, Good Shepherd, Kingwood, Good Shepherd, Tombaugh, and Holy Comforter, Serene. 00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:53.599 For Michael, our presiding bishop. 00:35:53.920 --> 00:36:00.320 For Mike, Jim, Craig, and the priest in our community, we pray to you, O Lord. 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:02.960 Lord, have compassion. 00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:16.320 For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our divisions may cease and that all may be one, as you and the Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord. 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:18.800 Lord, have compassion. 00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:26.400 For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:28.400 We pray to you, O Lord. 00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:30.880 Lord, have compassion. 00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:38.320 For the peace of the world, that a spirit of respect and forbearance may grow among nations and peoples. 00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:40.719 We pray to you, O Lord. 00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:57.360 For those in positions of public trust, especially Joe, our president, and Gred, our governor, that they may serve justice and promote the dignity and freedom of every person. 00:36:57.679 --> 00:36:59.360 We pray to you, O Lord. 00:37:00.159 --> 00:37:01.920 Lord, have compassion. 00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:07.199 For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer. 00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:15.679 For refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger, that they may be relieved and protected. 00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:29.119 We pray to you, O Lord, Lord, have our congregation, that we may be delivered from hardness of heart and show forth your glory and all that we do. 00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:49.039 We pray to you, O Lord, for our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, for ourselves, for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives. 00:37:49.280 --> 00:38:10.639 We pray to you, O Lord, for all who have commended themselves to our prayers, for our families, friends, and neighbors, especially those on our parish prayer list, and those the congregation wishes to name at this time, silently or aloud. 00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:12.800 We pray to you, O Lord. 00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:36.159 For all who have died in the communion of your church, especially Rosemary Anderson, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal. 00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:38.159 We pray to you, O Lord. 00:38:41.280 --> 00:38:50.559 Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and all our life to you, Christ our God. 00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:52.960 To you, O Lord our God. 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:57.679 For yours is the majesty, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:38:57.920 --> 00:39:02.559 Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and forever. 00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:08.480 And we did confess our sin in the prayer, so that worked the first time. 00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:09.679 We don't need to do it again. 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:12.239 And I want to offer you absolution. 00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:17.519 The Almighty and compassionate God grant you absolution and remission of all your sin. 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:23.519 True repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit. 00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:24.639 Amen. 00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:30.480 Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as God and Christ forgave you. 00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:33.519 And now the peace of the Lord be always with you. 00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:17.039 If you're new to us or haven't done this before, in the room right behind the one we're sitting in, we call it the Narthex, there's these little cards that say welcome. 00:40:17.119 --> 00:40:23.039 And we'd be tremendously grateful if you'd fill one of those out and put it in the little blue basket so we have a record of your visit. 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:25.280 And look, you get to choose if you want to call or not. 00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:26.880 If you don't want to call, don't check the box. 00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:28.079 If you do, check the box. 00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:32.480 But we would be very grateful if you'd fill one out so we have a record of your visit. 00:40:32.960 --> 00:40:35.440 A few announcements I want to call to your attention. 00:40:35.599 --> 00:40:37.440 One, some of you are already seen. 00:40:37.599 --> 00:40:40.800 If you look out the window to your right, there's a big dirt patch. 00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:44.800 That's about to get turned into our memorial garden and labyrinth. 00:40:45.119 --> 00:40:52.559 So within the next couple of weeks, uh pavers are going to come in, there'll be a prayer labyrinth space, and then there'll be benches, and the St. 00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:54.159 Francis statue will show up as well. 00:40:54.239 --> 00:41:00.719 So that all of that's underway, and that's thanks to a designated gift from two of our parishioners with that purpose in mind. 00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:06.400 So really grateful that that should be all set within the next uh couple of weeks. 00:41:06.480 --> 00:41:09.360 I'm really looking forward to using that space together. 00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:16.559 Um reminder this week, uh we have Tuesday night Bible study uh 6.30 to 7.30. 00:41:16.639 --> 00:41:17.679 It's still early on. 00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:22.159 If you want to join us in 1 Corinthians, this will be our first week in the book. 00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:26.000 Um this coming Wednesday is our world religion study. 00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:28.800 Uh we're affirmatively studying Judaism. 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:30.159 This is our second week. 00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:33.679 We record all of these in case you're traveling or you want to go back. 00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:35.440 They live on our YouTube page. 00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:40.400 Uh, and in case you're having a really hard time sleeping, you can just pull those up and they will do the trick. 00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:44.400 And so uh you're you're welcome to join us uh for those. 00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:47.519 Um little different thing happening next week. 00:41:47.599 --> 00:42:00.880 So Hal Snap and I are gonna be going to West Virginia to do climb director training with the Scouts BSA, which means not only can we run climb towers, we can certify other people to run climb towers. 00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:02.800 So uh we're leaving Friday. 00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:06.880 I'll be gone Sunday, so you'll get a good sermon from Jim McGill for a change. 00:42:07.039 --> 00:42:11.760 And uh and then we won't have religion, world religion class a week from Wednesday. 00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:14.079 So we will this week, but not the next week. 00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:15.760 I couldn't find a sub for me. 00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:22.320 Um so just be mindful, Hal and I will be in West Virginia uh doing our best to learn how to climb and repel. 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:25.760 Um, a couple other things uh to keep in mind. 00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:29.599 We're about six weeks away from our fall festival, which is a delightful day. 00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:34.000 And boy, um how about a breeze today and three times a rain this week. 00:42:34.159 --> 00:42:36.159 It was just kind of really lovely. 00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:40.559 That's what happens when you pray for rain sparingly, perhaps. 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:42.159 It was just really, really nice. 00:42:42.239 --> 00:42:48.079 So um just a reminder that fall fest is coming up and that we used to tie the fall fest to a fun run. 00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:52.239 We untethered that like two years ago to make sure we play the percentages. 00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:59.199 So we put the festival later in October to get better weather, but we still run a really fine race here October the 7th. 00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:03.679 Um that's a Saturday morning, runs right out of our parking lot, finishes in the lot. 00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:05.360 There's a kid's 1K. 00:43:05.599 --> 00:43:11.360 It's a pet-friendly race, and they also, not only are wheelchairs uh permitted, but they're actually encouraged. 00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:29.280 So these race directors have cleverly come up with these sort of chariots, lack of a better word, I don't know, uh, that two or three people will take turns pushing somebody who might have MS or recently lost a leg so that they can participate in a race. 00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:31.920 It's it's pretty thoughtful. 00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:33.679 Like it's kind of an amazing thing to do. 00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:38.400 So um, they have their own sign-up, you'll see it in e-news if you're interested in that race. 00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:41.199 Like I said, we host it, and and they're a great partner. 00:43:41.280 --> 00:43:44.880 They they put on great races, and all the money they raise goes out to the community. 00:43:44.960 --> 00:43:49.280 So that's October the 7th, and our fall festival is October 21st. 00:43:49.440 --> 00:43:56.880 Uh, you heard me say last week, and just a reminder um our parish administrator Sean McConaughey, this is his last week with us. 00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:59.760 Um he needs he needs full time for he and his family. 00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:00.960 And we don't have that. 00:44:01.760 --> 00:44:03.920 We have a essentially a three-quarter time job. 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:08.480 So Sean's moving with our with our blessing and appreciation at the end of the week. 00:44:08.960 --> 00:44:14.079 If you have, if you've benefited from Sean's ministry, he's been here about five and a half years. 00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:16.800 Cards and thank yous are absolutely appropriate. 00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:22.239 And the guy has been accessible late at night on a cell phone call for five and a half years. 00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:23.840 It's really, really been lovely. 00:44:24.639 --> 00:44:29.920 So we're celebrating Sean, we're sending him off, but we're also trying to fill that job ourselves. 00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:48.639 Which means if you have any interest whatsoever in helping take care of our grounds, maybe you you don't mind painting, or maybe once upon a time you learned a little bit about electrical systems, or you just don't mind doing a deep clean every now and again, please talk to Herbmeyer or myself. 00:44:48.800 --> 00:44:53.039 We're putting together a team of folks so that we can kind of manage our grounds ourselves. 00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:56.639