Monthly Archives: November 2015

Make your spirits ready!

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Last Sunday in Pentecost: Christ the King, Proper 29B-15, November 22, 2015; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

2 Samuel 23:1-7 The spirit of the LORD is upon me
Revelation 1:4b-8 Grace to you and peace
John 18:33-37 For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.

O God of hope, grant us the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may and cost what it will.

Today is the last Sunday of the church year. This day has come to be known as The Feast of Christ the King. It’s a new church holiday — first declared by Bishop of Rome, Pius the 11th in 1925 – so not yet 100 years old even in the Roman Catholic Church. As recently as fifteen years ago, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church described it as observed “unofficially in some Anglican churches.” As Episcopalians live into our ecumenical commitment to use the Revised Common Lectionary (shared with other major Christian denominations), Christ the King Sunday has become a part of our practice, printed on our calendars and worship planning books (so you know it’s real). Continue reading →

Thanksgiving

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The significant aspect of Thanksgiving for me is not the abundance of food but the time to reflect on the things for which I am grateful. In my family, it is a Thanksgiving tradition that we each share with the others gathered at our table our most favored blessings.
This year I will credit my internship with Emmanuel Church as being my greatest blessing. From the start, I have felt honored to be accepted into the three programs that are a part of this internship, and anticipated this would be a tremendous opportunity. My association with Emmanuel Church has been enlightening and is providing experiences rich in ways no textbook or classroom could begin to relate. Perhaps what I am most grateful for are the relationships developed with people that I would not have likely met otherwise. These relationships have contributed to a newfound sensitivity for the wellbeing of populations not previously known. In turn, this has led me to being more aware in my choices of words or actions around others as I learn more about their lives.

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We are doing it.

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The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, 27B, November 8, 2015; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin.
Hebrews 9:24-28 Now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Mark 12:38-44 This poor widow has put in more than all those…she out of her poverty has put in everything she had.

O God of all, grant us the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may and cost what it will.

The Gospel lesson that we just heard is a very familiar story about the woman who put two copper coins, approximately enough money to buy one meal, in the offering in the temple. It’s a story many of us learned in Church School. People know it by the title, “the widow’s mite” (mite meaning a tiny little bit). It’s a nice story for little children who are learning about mite boxes and putting coins in offering plates. I’m aware that when the story gets told about Jesus commending the woman for giving everything she had, especially during pledge stewardship season (probably no coincidence, by the way), many of us adults kind of seize up inside. You know – we kind of brace ourselves for what’s coming next. Continue reading →

What color of the rainbow are you today?

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I’m very excited to share a project that Briana and I started this past week with the Café Emmanuel attendees.  As art therapists in training Briana and I appreciate the opportunity to present our ideas and be able to incorporate art therapy into the LGBT group. Although this is deliberately intended to be a small change in routine for the Café Emmanuel group, it is a big step for Briana and me toward our future professions.   Continue reading →

Spiritual Infrastructure

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All Saints’ Day (with alt second reading), November 1, 2015; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God
Revelation 7:9-17 Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!
John 11:32-44 Come out!…Unbind him and let him go.

O God of all, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.

Some days on the church calendar are really big – Christmas Eve, Easter Day, Pentecost and All Saints are generally the four biggest for us. Today is the great Feast of All Saints; it’s a day to celebrate the saints, known and unknown. Tomorrow is All Souls’ Day – the day set aside in the church calendar for commemoration of all those who have departed this life, whether they were saints or sinners or both. So this is a Sunday to remember the present as well as the past – to honor all those who go and have gone before us – all saints and all souls. Continue reading →