By Charlie Houghton, Lay Preacher

​May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Amen
As Sister Joan Chittister noted in a 2017 interview with Emily McFarland Miller regarding Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent,  “The God who made us dust knows we're dust. We don't have to feel like perpetual failures because we aren't more than we are, and we don't have to be in contest and contention with everybody around us, because once I know myself and realize I have limitations, then two things happen: I realize my need for you, and I do not expect more from you than I expect from myself. So mercy comes with it, joy comes with it, authenticity comes with it, and freedom comes with it. ”
 This day is a gateway.  As we move into Lent, we begin a journey from nothing – dust – to everything – where God sends us God’s own son to teach us how to live in a way that is pleasing to God.  This is the beginning of a time of reflection and action.  We are called to reflect on our lives.  How is our prayer life?  Do we spend meaningful time in prayer and reflection?  Do we honor Sabbath to rest and reset?  
Action requires us to look at both what we are doing and how we are doing it.  The Gospel talks about doing good things for the purpose of being noticed while doing those good things.  Drawing attention to ourselves while doing good works can actually detract from them.  These good works become more about us and less about the people we suggest we are helping.  Sometimes it means that because we are not paying attention to what others need, we cannot provide appropriately for them.  What we really hope to achieve is quiet faith in action.  That is to say, we act in love and not for power.  
As Matthew notes in tonight’s gospel, “Jesus said, ‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them’” (Matthew 6:1).  Yet here we are, ready to put a cross made of ashes on our foreheads for anyone to see.  How do we reconcile this with the idea of not “practicing our piety before others”? 
    It is thought that ashes are a sign of humility, penitence and mortality.  Ashes are often a sign of mourning in Scripture.  For example, in the book of Job, Job sat in ashes during his afflictions (Job 2:8-10); and in chapter 3 of Jonah, when Nineveh was called to repent, the people, including even the King, immediately turned to God, acknowledged their sin, and donned sackcloth and ashes in repentance. (Jonah 3:1-10)  
Ash Wednesday sets the tone for Lent.  This is a time of self reflection and prayer.  The ashes we wear on our foreheads represent our repentance and acknowledgment of the mistakes we have made over this past year.  Yet embedded in this repentance is the knowledge that ours is a forgiving God whose love and mercy save us.  The origins of Lent are thought to date back to 325 CE, and the length of Lent is thought to honor Jesus’ time spent in the desert after being baptized and before the start of his ministry.
The Rev. Canon Porter Taylor, in an article entitled “Entering Lent with Intentionality” says, “Lent is not a time to earn forgiveness for your sins. It is not a time to begrudgingly give something up temporarily only to greedily pick it back up after Easter. It is not a time for false humility or personal piety. Lent is not only a tradition for the liturgically minded.
I believe that Lent is for the priesthood of all believers.
I believe that Lent is full of hope.”
I agree with Rev. Porter and Sr. Joan that Lent can be filled with hope. After all, at the end of Lent is the glorious season of Easter.  But our Lent is only just beginning.  And we still need to journey through Lent to the foot of the cross before we can reach the empty tomb.  And it seems really relevant that we bring ourselves to the foot of the cross as we see the state the world is in right now.  
It is difficult to look at the world in hope when there is war in Ukraine and Israel; continuing refusal to meet the challenges of climate change by many political and corporate leaders; unwavering support on the part of many politicians for the NRA’s unwillingness to compromise on even the smallest measures when increasing gun violence often hurts the most vulnerable of our society — our children who should feel and be safe while in school.  Many things that are important to us seem  out of reach, beyond our abilities to impact them.  And that may very well be true.  Certainly my own sphere of influence does not include international relations or even the ability to give our planet a fighting chance.  But that does not mean that I get a pass.  If lent is to be hopeful for me, I have to make the effort to participate in some kind of action that makes a difference.  
Sr. Joan Chittister has a suggestion for how we might participate in something that seems quite simple, but may be more profound than we realize.  In a talk she gave at a conference, she suggests saying this silently to everyone and everything you see for thirty days, but I would suggest you keep it for the people you run across, and say it aloud if you can convince yourself to do so, “I wish you happiness now and whatever will bring happiness to you in the future.”  It is a small gesture, but it could be  important for both you and the person to whom you say it.  And Sr. Joan suggests we see what happens to our own souls.  I believe a meaningful Lent lies not in what we are willing to give up, but in what we are willing to contribute.
Sometimes what I feel able to do is simply to pray.  I found some of this prayer online, and rewrote it with my own thoughts guiding it.  It is my prayer for hope when I worry that I have too little.  It is something I will pray daily throughout Lent in order to remember that Lent is a time of hope.  It is a time when I will try to create within myself a light to shine in the darkness, a light to guide others home.  So in this difficult and confusing time, I offer this prayer:  Heavenly Father and Mother of us all, in times of darkness and uncertainty, I turn to You for hope. You are the source of all hope and the light that shines in the darkness. Fill my heart with hope and light, Lord, and help me trust in Your plan, even when I cannot see the way.  I ask this through our God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen

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Welcome to our celebration of Saint Andrew the Apostle, one of the patron saints of our community.  I would like, first, to share some of what I learned about Andrew.  As many of you know, he is the patron saint of Scotland.  He is also patron saint of Barbados, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Sicily, Greece, and Cyprus and many more.  Additionally he is the patron saint of fisher persons, fishmongers, and rope makers, as befits his early life as a fisherman; yet he is also the patron saint of singers, miners, farm workers, and pregnant women.  Until I began researching Saint Andrew, I was unaware of how many groups of people might claim a saint. 

In today’s Gospel, we learn that Andrew and his brother Simon, called Peter, were the first disciples called to follow Jesus.  That they quickly left their fishing and followed Jesus may seem a bit crazy.  But there is a different memory of how Andrew became Jesus’  follower found in John 1:35-42, where we learn that Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist.  Andrew and another of John’s followers were standing next to him when he watched Jesus walk by.  John said, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  Andrew and the other disciple immediately turned and began to follow Jesus.  Ultimately they went with Jesus to the place he was staying.  They ended up staying the night and listening to Jesus, after which Andrew immediately went and found his brother, Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah,’ and brought Simon to Jesus.  I think that likely makes Andrew the first missionary, as he brought the first new follower to Jesus. 

We don’t often hear of Andrew in a prominent leadership position.  He is not part of the “inner circle” (Peter, James and John).  Much of the time that we hear of Andrew in scripture, we hear him referred to as the brother of Simon Peter, almost as though he has no identity apart from that.  Still, Andrew was a leader, if a quieter and more unassuming one.  For example, it was he who brought the boy with the loaves and fishes to Jesus.  Later, when some Greeks ask Philip if they could be introduced to Jesus, Philip appeals to Andrew for help.  Andrew is a quiet leader.  He seems to simply do what the occasion calls for.  

The more I read about Andrew, the more I liked him.  He seemed to me to be unassuming, yet willing to do whatever was needed.  His leadership style might be less dramatic than Peter, James and John,  but I don’t think he lacked the ability to lead.  I think I became a bit of a fangirl for Andrew, due in large part to my impression of him as a man deeply rooted in faith and love.  I think that he went to find Simon Peter and bring him to Jesus because Andrew was convinced that Jesus was truly the messiah, and his love for his brother made him want to share this amazing discovery. 
Third century church historian Eusebius wrote that Andrew traveled north to Scythia after the resurrection, but little is known of his life beyond that.  Tradition holds that Andrew was crucified in about the year 60CE, on a diagonal cross as he believed he was not worthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus was.   

Still, my impression of Andrew reminds me of the importance of saints on our faith.  My impression of Andrew’s faith rooted in love,  inspired me to think about the need to spread Jesus’ love to everyone we meet - not through words, but through acting in love as Jesus did, and as I believe Andrew did.  We need our saints to set an example for us, to show us how to be our best selves.

As I noted earlier, today’s Gospel was pretty straightforward. The second lesson was puzzling to me.  How do we become more like Andrew?  How do we step out in faith and love to serve others as Andrew did?  Clearly, if we are following Andrew’s example, we do not need to make a big production of what we do.  We just need to remember that our loving and generous God expects us to follow the example of Jesus and of Andrew. 
 
One of the people I spoke with about Andrew and about remembering how lucky we are to have such a loving and generous God, told me that she had simplified this down to three sentences during Covid.  She was determined not to be about fear and sadness throughout the pandemic. Instead she repeated three simple phrases to herself, “I am grateful.  I am blessed. And it will be okay.”  As I thought about it, I realized it was a very reasonable mantra for anyone who has a bit of apprehension in the face of trying to step out in love to serve God’s people.  Thank you Cheri Ann.

It seems to me that the reading from Romans speaks to God’s love for God’s people, and God’s desire for us to spread that love generously as we were taught by the way Jesus lived his life on earth.  The reading from Romans says, “‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.” This is the way of Jesus; this is the way Andrew learned from him.  This is the way of leading with love.  

I believe that we are the children of a generous God.  A God who so loves us that he sent his son to teach us how to live.  Jesus lived a life of love and service, and that is the life we are called to as well.  In the second half of the reading from Romans, we hear that there are all kinds of obstacles to people calling on God’s help when needed.  How can they call on a God they do not know, and how can they come to know God unless someone tells them of God’s existence?  Romans again, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.”  It is up to those who have heard the word of Christ to share it with others.  This does not mean we have to stand on street corners and preach.  It means we have to walk out in love to serve our brothers and sisters, no matter who they are.  

When we began Emmaus Companions, we knew that preaching on street corners was not a good way to let people on the margins know that they are loved.  By accepting our brothers and sisters on the margins with love, not judgment; remembering to listen, not preach;  accept that we do not understand all that they are going through, but trying to learn how to walk with them, made us companions on their journey; trustworthy and caring.  Sometimes we have seen people fall off the wagon or get involved in a fight with someone who used to be a close friend or die from an overdose or freeze to death because they had no shelter.  It seems to me that we need more people walking out in love to help folks find food or shelter or an agency that deals with whatever problem they have.  I know Emmaus Companions could use the help, and so could the Sunday Sandwich ministry or Second Helpings.  These are just a few ways that we can spend our love.

We have a wonderful church community, with so many amazing ministries.  We are a people with big hearts.  We follow the examples of our patron saints and step out in love.  There is great reward in doing the work of Jesus.  In fact, it can change our lives.  I have never regretted a moment spent in the prayer corner or at table on Monday night’s Second Helpings meal; or walking on the street to listen to the many people we have been privileged to meet through Emmaus Companions.  Those are the ministries I know most about, but there are many more at James and Andrew.  Just look around a bit and I suspect you will be able to find a ministry suited to your talents.  
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Once again I think of our reading from Romans, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  My prayer for you and for me is that we find a way to bring good news to all who long to know that they are loved - regardless of who they are.
Amen

I struggled with the overwhelming pain brought on by  these horrible incidents, as I am sure many of you have done as well. I was brought back to today’s gospel. I read the  passage again, and this time I found not just meaning – I  found hope.  

The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Gun Violence  Archive1 defines a mass shooting as an incident with at least  four injuries, not including the shooter, regardless of the  number of fatalities. 1  Using this definition, there have been  215 mass shootings through the 21st week of 2022,  including 51 so far in the month of May. This means we are  averaging about 10 mass shootings per week so far in 2022.  The Uvalde shooting has had the highest number of  fatalities with 21. This data - along with the unprovoked war in Ukraine, the unwillingness of political and corporate  leaders to make concerted efforts to curb climate change,  and the sad unwillingness of our own political leaders to work  together to achieve anything truly meaningful for their  people – point to the brokenness of our world.  
 
So how does this take me back to the gospel reading?  And how can the reading possibly give me hope? I went back  to the gospel reading and decided to ask myself the three  questions we use for our Bible Study. The first question is:  What word or phrase stands out for you in this reading?  That did not take much thought for me. The word is “one”.  This word is repeated four times in this relatively brief  gospel. Jesus says the goal for the disciples is to “be one  heart and mind” in Eugene Peterson’s translation, The  Message. 2 Again, the word ‘one’. I do not think that in using  this word, Jesus is asking us to be a single being, all the  same, or even all agreeing on everything. If that were the  case, I sincerely doubt that God would have created us in all  our beautiful diversity. So many colors of hair, eyes, skin.  So many body types, cultures, languages, skills and ideas of  beauty. I think that what Jesus is asking of us is unity – a  proactive and purposeful unity, meant to move us into full acceptance of one another as children of God. The Trinity  in the persons of creator, redeemer and sustainer, invites all  of us, each and every one, into the amazing love of God. 

We have a choice, likely one we make many times over in  our lives, about whether or not to accept this invitation.  Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to make good  choices, we fall short. We are, after all, human. We are not  required to love God as creator, redeemer or sustainer.  Does this mean that sometimes, in practicing our God-given  free will, we will ultimately make truly terrible choices?  Sadly, yes it does. 

The second Bible Study question is “What do you notice  about God in this reading?” This, too, came to me quite  quickly. I see God in Jesus as the great inviter. We are all  invited to live in the love of God. All we are required to do  is invite God into our hearts. Make room for God to be a  part of who we are. Once God resides within us, we become  a vessel for the love of God. In this reading, I see Jesus as 

the one who longs for us to rest in him. To bring our broken  hearts to him for healing and love. In this reading, I notice  a God who will not give up on us. Throughout the gospels,  there are so many places that I can almost imagine Jesus  dropping his face into his hands and wondering how these  disciples were missing the point so often. His frustration  must have been overwhelming at times. But he never gave up  on them. This ragged group of followers who seemed so lost  sometimes, were the great hope for the future. And more  than 2000 years later, here we are – still speaking of Jesus,  still receiving the sacraments he instituted, still believing  that following his footsteps is the best way to live. God in  Jesus did not give up on his disciples, and God does not give  up on us. Ours is a merciful and forgiving God, one whose  love is never-ending.  

The third question is typically the one with which I have  the most difficulty. It requires an “I” statement. The  question is, “What does the God you see in this reading make you want to do and/or be?” My answer to this question  requires some action of me – some real commitment. If I  answer the question honestly, it is a call. Our group typically  challenges me to answer as honestly as possible. Offering  up a vague, “God wants me to be a better person” is not an  adequate response. As I read this gospel over and over, I  realized that the answer to question one informed my  answer to question three. God wants me to become part of  the oneness of God’s people. Not a carbon copy of someone  I admire, but authentically myself. My best self. The self  who looks at all God’s other people, with whom I can  experience this oneness, this unity, this strength in God’s  abiding love, and this wonder and awe at the great diversity  of God’s own people, and feel hope for the future of  humankind. 

This is the seventh and final Sunday of Easter. This is  a season of hope renewed following a time of sadness and  pain. Right now, I feel deep sadness in our world. An unprovoked and horrific war in Ukraine; record numbers of  children suffering from depression as a result of the  isolation of the pandemic; over a million deaths – some surely  preventable – from Covid; the terrifying predictions about  climate change; and over 200 mass shootings so far in 2022.  So where is the hope? Throughout the Scriptures, we are  told of the many mistakes made by the God’s children, of  whom we are a part. Going as far back as Cain’s murder of  his brother Abel, human beings have been messing up with  stunning frequency. Yet every time we have messed up, our  God has given us another chance. God has loved us through  all kinds of terrible behaviors and has not turned God’s back  on us. So, my hope lies in the fact that just as I am willing  to take my place among the people of “one heart and mind”  and bring with me an acceptance of all of God’s people,  regardless of who they are, I believe others are willing to do  the same. My hope lies in looking out at you and realizing  that I love who you are and what you do in God’s name. You and I are, in fact, my hope for the future. I hope as you  leave here today, you will bring with you renewed hope in all  of us to bring change to a world in pain. 
Amen

1 Pittsburgh Herald Tribune, 4/24/2022, Paula Reed Ward
2 The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, Eugene Peterson, pg. 1961