The Crux of the Matter

The Great Fifty Days of Easter

2009-04-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

In the Episcopal tradition we celebrate Easter from early in the morning on Easter Day until the Day of Pentecost, which this year falls on May 31. This is the "Great Fifty Days of Easter" and is divided into two parts. The first forty days celebrate the time that Jesus was seen by his followers on earth until the day he ascended into heaven. Ascension Day this year falls on May 21. It is always a Thursday. I love to lead a worship service on that day because I can preach about how the disciples had to "hurry up and wait" for ten more days until the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This wonderful story is related by St. Luke in The Acts of the Apostles, chapters 1 and 2.

During this Great Fifty Days of Easter we get to sing hymns that contain a lot of "Alleluias." Each week we hear: Alleluia! Christ is risen! and the response: The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Please come and worship the Risen Lord with us -- 10:00 a.m. on Sundays.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: taken at Zoo Montana
on Pentecost, 2008

A Letter from the Bishops

2009-03-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Episcopal Bishop of Montana, the Right Reverend C. Franklin Brookhart (right in photo) recently attended the Spring Retreat of the House of Bishops for the Episcopal Church U.S.A. He asked that we share the following Pastoral Letter from the Bishops to the Churches.

A Pastoral Letter from the Bishops of the Episcopal Church meeting in Hendersonville, North Carolina, March 13-18, 2009 to the Church and our partners in mission throughout the world.

I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:11b - 13

As the House of Bishops gather at the Kanuga Camp and Conference Center for our annual Spring Retreat, we are mindful of the worsening financial crisis around us. We recognize there are no easy solutions for the problems we now face. In the United States there is a 30% reduction of overall wealth, a 26% reduction in home values and a budget deficit of unprecedented proportions. Unemployment currently hovers at over 8% and is estimated to top 10% by the end of the year. There are over 8 million homes in America that are in foreclosure. Consumer confidence is at a 50 year low.

Unparalleled corporate greed and irresponsibility, predatory lending practices, and rampant consumerism have amplified domestic and global economic injustice. The global impact is difficult to calculate, except that the poor will become poorer and our commitment to continue our work toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 is at great risk. A specter of fear creeps not only across the United States, but also across the world, sometimes causing us as a people to ignore the Gospel imperative of self-sacrifice and generosity, as we scramble for self-preservation in a culture of scarcity.

The crisis is both economic and environmental. The drought that grips Texas, parts of the American South, California, Africa and Australia, the force of hurricanes that have wreaked so much havoc in the Caribbean, Central America and the Gulf Coast, the ice storm in Kentucky—these and other natural disasters related to climate change—result in massive joblessness, driving agricultural production costs up, and worsening global hunger. The wars nations wage over diminishing natural resources kill and debilitate not only those who fight in them, but also civilians, weakening families, and destroying the land. We as a people have failed to see this connection, compartmentalizing concerns so as to minimize them and continue to live without regard to the care of God’s creation and the stewardship of the earth’s resources that usher in a more just and peaceful world.

In this season of Lent, God calls us to repentance. We have too often been preoccupied as a Church with internal affairs and a narrow focus that has absorbed both our energy and interest and that of our Communion – to the exclusion of concern for the crisis of suffering both at home and abroad. We have often failed to speak a compelling word of commitment to economic justice. We have often failed to speak truth to power, to name the greed and consumerism that has pervaded our culture, and we have too often allowed the culture to define us instead of being formed by Gospel values.

While our commitment to the eradication of extreme poverty through the eight Millennium Development Goals moves us toward the standard of Christ’s teaching, we have nevertheless often fallen short of the transformation to which Christ calls us in our own lives in order to live more fully into the Gospel paradigm of God’s abundance for all.

Everyone is affected by the shrinking of the global economy. For some, this is a time of great loss—loss of employment, of homes, of a way of life. And for the most vulnerable, this “downturn” represents an emergency of catastrophic proportions. Like the Prodigal who comes to his senses and returns home, we as the people of God seek a new life. We recognize in this crisis an invitation into a deeper simplicity, a tightening of the belt, an expanded Lenten fast, and a broader generosity. God’s abundant mercy and forgiveness meet and embrace us, waiting to empower us through the Holy Spirit to face the coming days.

In a time of anxiety and fear the Holy Spirit invites us to hope. Anxiety, when voiced in community can be heard, blessed and transformed into energy and hope, but if ignored, swallowed or hidden, fear and anxiety can be corrosive and lead to despair. We Christians claim that joy and hope emerge for those who have the courage to endure suffering. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul goes so far as to boast of his suffering, because “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Our current crisis presents us with opportunities to learn from our brothers and sisters of faith in other parts of the world who have long been bearers of hope in the midst of even greater economic calamity.

We can also learn from our spiritual ancestors, who found themselves in an economic and existential crisis that endured for forty years – on their journey from Egypt to Israel. While they groaned in Egypt, they murmured at Sinai – at least at first. And then after their groaning, complaining and reverting to old comforts of idol worship, they were given Grace to learn and understand what the Lord wanted to teach them.

They learned that they needed the wilderness in order to recover their nerve and put their full trust in God--and to discover their God-given uniqueness, which had been rubbed away during their captivity in Egypt. They adopted some basic rules that enabled them to live in a community of free people rather than as captives or slaves – the God given Ten Commandments. And perhaps most importantly, our spiritual ancestors discovered that the wilderness is a unique place of God’s abundance and miracle, where water gushed out of a rock and manna appeared on the desert floor – food and drink miraculously provided by God.

As we go through our own wilderness, these spiritual ancestors also point the way to a deep and abiding hope. We can rediscover our uniqueness – which emerges from the conviction that our wealth is determined by what we give rather than what we own. We can re-discover manna – God’s extraordinary expression of abundance. Week by week – in congregations and communities around the world, our common manna is placed before us in the Eucharist. Ordinary gifts of bread and wine are placed on the altar, and become for us the Body and Blood of Christ, which, when we receive them, draw us ever more deeply into the Paschal mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.

As our risen Lord broke through the isolation of the disciples huddled in fear for their lives following his suffering and death, so too are we, the Body of Christ called to break through the loneliness and anxiety of this time, drawing people from their fears and isolation into the comforting embrace of God’s gathered community of hope. As disciples of the risen Christ we are given gifts for showing forth God’s gracious generosity and for finding blessing and abundance in what is hard and difficult. In this time the Holy Spirit is moving among us, sharing with us the vision of what is real and valued in God’s world. In a time such as this, Christ draws us deeper into our faith revealing to us that generosity breaks through distrust, paralysis and misinformation. Like our risen Lord, we, as his disciples are called to listen to the world’s pain and offer comfort and peace.

As we continue our Lenten journey together we place our hearts in the power of the Trinity. The God who created us is creating still and will not abandon us. The Incarnate Word, our Savior Jesus Christ, who in suffering, dying and rising for our sake, stands in solidarity with us, has promised to be with us to the end of the age. God the Holy Spirit, the very breath of God for us and in us, is our comforter, companion, inspiration and guide. In this is our hope, our joy and our peace.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Sermon for February 22

2009-02-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

“Yes, I know. Keep Silent.”

We live in a really noisy world. It seems that everyone is competing for our attention. Everyone from television news personalities to radio talk show hosts to pop musicians – they all want us to listen to them and to be influenced by what they have to say. Even billboards shout at us – “Hey, look at me. I want to sell you the latest item on the market. You didn’t even know you needed it until you saw this ad.”

God also wants our attention, but often God gets our attention with a “still small voice.” To hear that voice, we need to find times to keep silent. I remember once reporting to my Bishop that I was going on retreat, and that I was taking such and such books with me. He wrote back to me and said something like, “Linda, when you are on retreat, books are noise.” Like Elisha in our Old Testament lesson [2 Kings 2:1-12], he could have said, “Yes, I know. Keep silent.”

Today is the last Sunday after the Epiphany, which was celebrated on January 6th as the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. During this Season of Epiphany, our scriptures have focused on God’s love being spread abroad to the nations – his salvation spreading to the ends of the earth.

On this last Sunday of the Epiphany, what it is that our scriptures are all about? I think they are all about our ultimate epiphany. They are about our ultimate “aha” moment. The ultimate light that can go on over our heads is to realize that we, too, are the beloved. When Jesus was on the mountaintop meeting with Moses and Elijah [Mark 9:2-9
], God broke through the cloud cover and declared that Jesus was/is God’s beloved Son. This was the second time God had said this out loud so that all could hear. The first time was at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. We who are baptized into Christ share in his divine life. We too share in the beloved-ness of Jesus Christ. God loves us unconditionally.

God’s unconditional love for us does not mean that God approves of all our actions. On the contrary, God’s love calls us to repentance and a better way of life. The upcoming Season of Lent gives us a chance to be intentional about that. This better way of life would include opening ourselves up to God’s love in such a way that we know and accept ourselves. In this way we will be more apt to love and accept others. We can pass that beloved-ness on to others and try to bring out the best in them. It only takes a minute to lift someone’s spirits to the skies. On the other hand, if we say harsh words to others, it might take a lifetime to erase the hurt. Knowing that we are beloved of God and that others are beloved of God is a good place to start.

Mark’s Gospel doesn’t say what Jesus, Moses and Elijah were talking about, but Luke’s account of this story says that they were speaking of Jesus’ exodus from this world – his departure – his death. And God broke onto the scene and called Jesus his Beloved. On the mountain, Peter, James and John saw Jesus for who he really is. When Jesus was “transfigured” his true identity became transparent. They caught a quick glimpse of the glorified Jesus – maybe what he would look like after his resurrection. The disciples, especially Peter, never got over this. Although Jesus was the only one who was transfigured, the disciples were forever changed.

On this mountain (was it Mount Tabor; Mount Hermon?), when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, Jesus’ inner circle of disciples -- Peter, James, and John -- also had another epiphany. They realized that the law and the prophets had been pointing to Jesus all along. Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises all throughout their scriptures.

How do we reach the conclusion that we, too, are beloved of God? If we make prayer a habit of the heart, chances are it will occur to us that we are beloved. This can be hard for some people to accept. Self-esteem issues can cloud our vision of who we are before God. Some people think they have to get good enough on their own for God to love them, when in truth, God holds us all as his dearly beloved. Here is a prayer we might want to learn by heart:

“O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray you, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 832)

Henri Nouwen, the late priest, writer, and spiritual director, said that knowing who we are – knowing that we are the beloved, keeps us out of all kinds of trouble in this world. It protects us from getting too puffed up if people speak well of us. Knowing that we are the beloved protects us from getting down in the mouth if other people speak ill of us. So, even though the world around us is shouting at us, we can have peace and quiet in the deepest part of our hearts. Nouwen says that out of this storehouse of grace and love, we can affirm God’s presence in others.

As we enter into Lent, maybe we can carve out some time to keep silent. We can listen for the Voice of God and know within ourselves that we, too, are the beloved. As we claim and grow into our beloved-ness, we are claiming for ourselves the truth that Jesus preached. That’s because our relation to Jesus is our ultimate Epiphany. Jesus is the Morning Star that rises in our hearts.

“Beloved of God” is who you really are. Don’t let anything or anyone cloud your vision of that. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Getting ready for Lent

2009-02-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here is the "Faith & Values" article I wrote for the Billings Gazette. It was published today.

It has been called “the new reality.” The seismic shift in our economy has affected all of us and has brought us to this watershed time. Was greed a factor? It’s part of the human condition.

We now find ourselves retooling, retraining, and repositioning for survival and success. Long-standing practices of consumerism have shifted. We are learning to live leaner and greener.

Meanwhile in the world of sports, star players have behaved in a manner unbecoming of their status. Michael Phelps has ‘fessed up. And (say it isn’t so!) Alex Rodriguez has admitted that he “did take a banned substance” because he wanted to be one of the best all-time players. Apparently both are truly sorry and humbly repent.

Coming clean is healthful as it allows the fresh breezes of forgiveness to blow through our lives. Such confession need not be a once-in-a-lifetime event. In the Christian tradition, Lent is that perfect time when God offers us space for such reflection. It’s coming up soon.

Next Wednesday, February 25, is Ash Wednesday in the Church calendar. Ash Wednesday kicks off the Lenten Season, followed by Holy Week and Easter, which falls this year on April 12. This is the time to be intentional about cleaning out the cluttered places of our lives. Lent is the time to consider our own mortality. In particular we think about sin, forgiveness, and ongoing repentance, both individually and corporately. The forty days of Lent allow us to form new habits of the heart for which we might not otherwise make time.

From historical documents we know that Lent was not always forty days. In the earliest times of Christianity, Lent was apparently much shorter. Somewhere in the Seventh Century – in the Dark Ages -- Lent took on its present form. The Church loved this form so much that it became permanent. Forty days matches Jesus’ time in the wilderness after his baptism in the Jordan River. Matthew’s Gospel says that Jesus fasted during that time.

If we are taking on a Lenten discipline – if we are fasting in any way, we should ask ourselves what we would have to change to make more room for God in our lives. Will giving up chocolate do that for us?

The Church corporately has its own ways of fasting. In the Episcopal tradition, the Church does not provide wedding ceremonies during Lent except in extreme circumstances. We refrain from such festivities. We don’t even get to say “Hallelujah.” This in itself is a fast.

The new reality turns out to be the old reality revisited. It is the human struggle with greed and its results. It affects us all. Lent is a good time to tackle this struggle head on. We can do it, with God’s help. Let’s go.

I wish you peace and a holy Lent.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Sermon for Sunday, February 15

2009-02-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

What Pushes Your Buttons?

In Jesus’ day there were strict laws governing lepers. If they got well, they had to go and show themselves to the priests in Jerusalem and offer certain sacrifices. In the meantime, they could not live in their communities. They had to stay at a distance from polite society and yell “unclean” when anyone else got too near. Consider the Leper in our Gospel reading for today (Mark 1:40-45). He broke all the rules. He broke through his fear, walked right up to Jesus and spoke with him. This was an emotional moment for Jesus. He was moved with pity. Jesus broke the rules, too, by reaching out and touching a Leper. Once again Jesus identifies with the outcasts of society.

Consider also Naaman, the Leper in our Old Testament reading (2 Kings 5:1-14). He was not an outcast from society – at least not yet. He was probably in the first stages of the disease when he received the healing he needed.

Naaman was an army commander in Aram, which is modern-day Syria. Our scripture passage illustrates that worship of the True and Living God was making inroads into other cultures.

In those days, one way that cultures crossed paths was by making war on each other. Some things never change. The stronger nations would test the resistance of weaker nations by conducting short raids. They would go into another country at harvest time and steal the harvest, or burn it. There was probably a lot of prior harassment before there was all-out war. On one of these raids, a young girl had been taken captive. She served as a slave of Naaman’s wife. There could not have been any bigger contrast in the power of these two individuals – a slave girl and an army commander. But, like our Lord Jesus, the young girl had compassion on the Leper. She was moved with pity.

For a moment, put yourself in her place. If you had been taken as a slave, what would be your reaction? Would you have been fearful? Would you have been angry? She could have withheld the information about the Prophet in her country. But this would have been vengeance. It would not have been compassion. So, she took a chance on recommending that Naaman go back into the country he had been raiding. She told him to go back into enemy territory! Although he would be going there in peace, he was taking a chance on his life.

We are not sure what the protocol was in those days, but apparently kings talked to kings and the information trickled down from there. When Naaman went back to Israel, emotions erupted in every direction. First, he took a letter from his king to the king of Israel, asking him to heal Naaman. This made the king of Israel very angry. Why was he so angry? Was it because he was afraid? I think the king was really afraid of Naaman, who was known as a warrior. It was natural for the king to become angry because Naaman was a perceived threat. It must have been terrifying for the king of Israel to have Naaman walk in and demand healing. Little did he know that God was about to do something amazing. But at first, Naaman really pushed his buttons.

Do you know what pushes your buttons? What is it that you feel so strongly about, that if it was threatened you would be angry? Knowing who we are and what upsets us contributes greatly to the way we handle our anger. When I first began thinking about becoming a priest, I was told that the discernment process was not for the faint of heart. Though this process, I would “learn what pushes my buttons.” In other words, I would know myself so well that I would know what would make me angry. I would know my sources of anger and perhaps become able to develop constructive responses to them – or at least uses for them.

So I check in with myself every now and then and ask, “What pushes my buttons?” Are the issues the same as they were five years ago, or have I mellowed out, so to speak. We can decide what is worth getting angry about. We can decide which “ditch to die in.”

We ask ourselves as Christians how we can get by with any anger, since it is considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Anger ranks right up there with pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony and sloth. And yet, as we read scripture, we hear plenty about the Wrath of God. How can we reconcile the two? How can God have the emotion of anger? Maybe it’s because God loves us so much, and we humans have done things to threaten God’s love.

I want to suggest that anger itself is natural to us, who are created in the image of God. However, we are responsible for the use of our anger. We are not to let anger control us. St. Paul advises us to be angry, but not to sin – and not to let the sun go down on our wrath. Don’t stew.

Anger is a part of our physiology. It’s a part of our normal, God-given self-defense mechanism, which, combined with fear, might save our lives. These emotions let us know when it’s time to make a run for it. I suggest that anger in itself is not a sin. Our misdirecting and mishandling our anger can lead to sin. We are responsible for our behaviors as a result of our anger. Maybe anger can even be a step along the way to full understanding of our life situations. I am very fond of C. S. Lewis’ definition of anger: “Anger is the fluid that love bleeds when you cut it.”

There is a lot of anger in our world right now – anger gone haywire. We do what we can to control it with the use of language. We try to be politically correct so as not to offend.

But I digress. Let’s go back to our story of the King, the Prophet, and Naaman. The king was afraid, so he became angry. When Naaman thought he had been snubbed by Elisha, he became angry and almost missed the point of the whole trip. He was pouting to the point of rage. He had a desire to control, and when he could not do that, his anger exploded. Naaman was probably already angry when he arrived on the scene because he was threatened. His physical survival was threatened. He was humiliated. His identity and place in society were threatened. His emotional response to his fear was anger. When he finally listened to reason, he agreed to go dip in the Jordan River seven times. The results of his obedience were miraculous.

Anger can control us or we can control it. Anger doesn’t have to become the leprosy in our lives. It doesn’t have to eat us up. We can learn to channel it into constructive behaviors that exhibit the love of God. The Good News is that we can choose to control what pushes our buttons. In this way, we will not be so vulnerable to events that cause us to react improperly.

Be assured that our Lord Jesus is moved with pity for us as human beings. When we come to this altar, we can be like the Leper who came to Jesus – breaking through whatever would hold us back. We can stretch out our hands to God and receive his mysterious love. All this Love comes from the One who chooses to make us clean and able to stand before him. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T06:19:00.001-08:00

How does true love behave?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(excerpted from 1 Corinthians, chapter 13)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: bleeding hearts in a garden
Wrangell, Alaska, June 2008

Happy Birthday, Abe

2009-02-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

There is a wonderful story - possibly apocryphal - about Hodgenville, Kentucky, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln:

It was a fine spring day in Hodgenville, and two farmers were at the general store catching up on the winter's news. One said, "Back in February Tom Lincoln's wife Nancy gave birth to a baby boy. Named him Abe. Nothing much ever happens in Hodgenville."

In peace,
Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Sermon for February 8

2009-02-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Mark 1:29-39

All in a Day’s Work

Did you ever have one of those long days, when everyone is looking for you, and you just need some peace and quiet? How did you handle that? Jesus seemed to have those days frequently.

Today I want to focus on our Gospel lesson. It’s a continuation of the readings for the last two weeks in the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel. This is a very important chapter, because it introduces us to several of the main characters who will populate the other fifteen chapters. Two weeks ago we met Jesus’ first four disciples – Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John. They were all fishermen from the town of Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee.

Capernaum became important in the life of Jesus. I have visited the excavations there, and as I have mentioned before, Jesus had excellent taste in real estate. Matthew’s Gospel (4:13) tells us that as an adult, Jesus also lived in Capernaum. This was a good choice because it was a thriving community located at an economic crossroads. It was here that Jesus successfully recruited Matthew the tax collector (Matthew 9:1, 9). Five out of twelve Apostles is a pretty good record for any town.

Also in Capernaum, a Roman Centurion had built for the Jewish people a synagogue. Jesus probably went often to this synagogue, and as a visiting rabbi, he was allowed to speak. There were many synagogues, or local places for worship, around the country, but there was only one Temple, which was in Jerusalem. The word “synagogue” means “assembly together.”

Jesus’ presence there was strong. Not only did he teach, but Jesus spoke on behalf of God. Jesus differed from the scribes in that Jesus did not have to quote another teacher. He was the master teacher. His authority was clear. When Jesus cast out a demon there to the astonishment of the onlookers, Jesus was just getting started. They had not seen anything yet. Before the day was over, Jesus would heal every sick person in town and cast out more demons.

Have you ever been sick with a fever? I mean – so sick you thought you were just going to die? I had this experience some years ago. It all started with a tickle in my throat, and next thing I knew I had a full-blown bronchial infection. I thought I had to keep working because my group at the law firm was preparing for a trial. When the first round of antibiotics failed and I lost my voice, I gave up and stayed home. The doctor threatened to put me in the hospital if I didn’t stay home. I had a fever.

In about a week, after a bigger round of antibiotics and several quarts of chicken soup, my fever finally broke. I sweated profusely and was exhausted by it. The doctor told me not to leave the house for at least three days after the fever broke. I couldn’t have gone out anyway – I was limp as a wet rag. So I wised up and rested a few more days before going back to work. And guess what – the place had not fallen apart without me.

Here is what is so amazing to me about our Gospel reading for today. After a tough morning of casting out demons at the synagogue, Jesus and his four new recruits went to the home of Peter and Andrew. It was probably time for lunch. When they got there, the matriarch of the house – Peter’s mother-in-law -- was sick in bed with a fever. She must have been very ill to have been in bed. In those days, people died of illnesses that are not life-threatening to us. If she were alive in this century, she would probably get a good dose of antibiotics and some chicken soup, just as I did. Antibiotics were not available to her, but Jesus was.

When Jesus touched her, the fever left her. And here is the miracle to which I can personally relate – she got up and served them -- presumably a meal. She had the strength and energy to resume her normal activities. I think about my own struggle every time I read this passage. What an incredible miracle. She was able to do immediately what it took me several days to do. And I had the benefits of “modern medicine.”

It is no wonder, then, that Jesus’ fame began to spread throughout all the region of Galilee. That day was the Sabbath, so no big activity could take place until after sundown. But when the sun had set, our Gospel passage says that “the whole city was gathered around the door.” A lot of needy people got their needs met. Jesus healed the sick, and did some more spiritual warfare. Jesus had come to make people whole in body, mind and spirit. At the beginning of his ministry, there seemed to be no lack of opportunity for Jesus to heal in this way. I believe this took a lot of spiritual, physical, and emotional energy for Jesus to keep up such a pace.

Here is where I want to remind us that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. As the divine Son of God, Jesus had the power and authority to heal the sick. As a human being, Jesus accepted the limits of humanity, such as a need to eat, sleep and rest. But there was another aspect of Jesus’ personhood that needed to be fed. Jesus needed time to pray and gain perspective. Jesus did not neglect this part of himself. This taught his disciples a lesson: If they were looking for Jesus, they could probably find him somewhere praying. Jesus set the example for us in his daily life.

Our text says that Jesus got up very early in the morning – before first light. He went out to a place where he could be all alone, and he prayed. Jesus took time to replenish his spiritual side. How often do we do that on a daily basis? How often do we take time just to get alone and pray? Do we ever shut off the media around us – radio, TV, newspapers – and just get alone and pray? If we do this, it might amaze us how much we can gain perspective on a problem. Or maybe our day will just be more peaceful than it otherwise might have been.

When his disciples found Jesus they wanted to set his agenda. But he had been praying and he set his own agenda. He did not meet their expectations. They were all looking for him, but he would not let them put him in a box and control him for their own purposes. He would not stay in that one place. Jesus kept moving so that his ministry would not get petrified. He was available to reach more people that way. Also, it’s harder to hit a moving target. Jesus was already making some enemies. He wanted some time to teach his disciples, so he was not going to allow himself to be apprehended by the authorities so soon as to cut short his time on earth.

I urge you in this busy world to take time to stop and pray. Take time to get away somewhere -- just you and God. The earth will continue to spin on its axis. It will keep on twirling in its orbit. If you take a few days of rest and respite, the work at your place of business will go on. Or even if it is waiting for you when you get back, you will be more apt to clearly set your priorities. We are all subject to having long, exhausting days. The antidote to that is prayer.

Take a cue from Jesus and get alone with God. Imitate Jesus’ prayer life and worship habits. Come for communion on a regular basis. It will energize you for the tasks that you face. It will set your dial back to zero and give you a fresh start for the week. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

So . . . today is "groundhog day" because Punxsutawny Phil gets to predict the coming of Spring. I was thinking: how about if other animals got to predict Spring? How would Siberian Husky dogs go about doing that? Maybe these two rescued Huskies could tell us, or maybe they are simply praising God for letting them be rescued.

Maybe some are more ready for Spring than others. I think especially of our dear sisters and brothers in Kentucky, who would most certainly appreciate our prayers. This will probably be one winter they will always remember, though they might prefer to forget their suffering from the effects of the ice storm. Many of those people need to be rescued, too.

The people in Kentucky and environs might not have even noticed the groundhog's shadow. I think that works like this anyway: If he sees his shadow we have six more week of winter; and if he does not see his shadow we have another month and a half.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: Ivan and Cinnamon howl
for happiness at some snow in the South

Bishop's visit at Holy Cross

2009-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today at Holy Cross we welcomed our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart, the Ninth Bishop of Montana. Our Bishop travels constantly and hopes to get to visit each church in a year's time, so this was a very special occasion for us.

Until his next visit with us, we lift this prayer in his behalf:

Almighty and everlasting God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our bishops, and other clergy, and upon the congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of your grace; and, that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honor of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen. [The Book of Common Prayer, 817]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: Bishop Brookhart and Linda McCloud
February 1, 2009

Bishop's Visit tomorrow

2009-01-31T13:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, February 1, Holy Cross Church Episcopal will welcome our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart. His presence among us signifies the unity of the Church, but for Holy Cross his presence is even more special than that.

Bishop Brookhart is the Pastor of Holy Cross, and I am his Vicar. That is, since the Bishop cannot be present at every worship service, he selects a priest to stand in for him vicariously. That would be me.

Tomorrow Bishop Brookhart will confirm a previously-baptized person and also receive another person into the Episcopal Church from the Roman Catholic tradition. Only a Bishop is authorized to do these two things. If there were a baptismal candidate, the Bishop would baptize that person, although I am authorized to do so in the Bishop's absence.

If you have never attended an Episcopal worship service presided over by a Bishop, you are in for a treat. Please come and join us for joyful worship.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Stopping to pray

2009-01-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

Today I suggest a couple of prayers for your consideration and meditation:

For Cities

Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy City to which the nations of the world bring their glory: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth. Renew the ties of mutual regard which form our civic life. Send us honest and able leaders. Enable us to eliminate poverty, prejudice, and oppression, that peace may prevail with righteousness, and justice with order, and that men and women from different cultures and with differing talents may find with one another the fulfillment of their humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Towns and Rural areas

Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the kingdom of God in villages, towns, and lonely places; Grant that your presence and power may be known throughout this land. Have mercy upon all who live and work in rural areas; and grant that all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink and all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to produce them, and honor the land and the water from which these good things come. All this we ask in your holy Name. Amen.

From The Book of Common Prayer, page 825.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: stop sign in Billings

Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle

2009-01-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate the conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle. Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, was a self-appointed enemy of Christians soon after the death and resurrection of Jesus. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul was present at and consenting to the execution of Stephen, the Christian martyr. Paul was guarding the coats of those who were stoning Stephen to death.

The Ninth chapter of Acts goes on with this story:

Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synaogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

You probably know how this part of the story goes: At about mid-day Jesus appeared to Paul in a flash of light and Paul fell off his horse right there on the Damascus Road. Paul had the original "Damascus Road experience." That was the beginning of a new life for Paul as he became a Christian on the spot. He was baptized in Damascus and then, before becoming a missionary, Paul went off on a lengthy retreat to listen for the voice of God.

Paul's life was never the same, once he heard Jesus call his name.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

sermon for January 25, 2009

2009-01-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Mark 1:14-20

Jesus goes fishing

Our Gospel lesson is the wonderful passage about Jesus calling four disciples. Jesus’ call to them would change their lives forever. I just have to quote the first verse of Hymn No. 661, and then we can move on from here:

They cast their nets in Galilee
just off the hills of brown;
such happy, simple fisher-folk,
before the Lord came down.

I want to point out a few things about these people whom Jesus called. First of all, they were neighbors in the Galilee. Maybe they had been competitors or even partners in the fishing business. But it’s a pretty sure thing that they knew each other. Fisher people know other fisher people. I cannot think of any one of us who lives in a vacuum. We all have neighbors, friends, or relatives. We all know someone who would benefit from seeking God, or a deeper knowledge of God.

Secondly, these people might have seen Jesus before. But maybe they had not seen him up close. Maybe they had not heard Jesus call their name. Maybe they had not been invited to follow him. Jesus gives them (and us) a personal invitation. Perhaps someone you know is waiting for a personal invitation to come and worship with us at Holy Cross. Please invite them. This will improve your people-fishing skills.

Thirdly, these invitations to follow Jesus happened in the course of daily living. The scripture text makes it sound casual, as though Jesus was simply going for a walk along the shore of the lake. Later, he would walk on the lake itself and his disciples would believe in him more than ever. As we go about our daily business, let’s think in terms of inviting others to join us in joyful worship on Sunday mornings, or for those lively discussions on Thursday evenings. We don’t have to walk on water to do that.

At first glance we might think that Jesus looks all alone out there on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Actually, Jesus had gone fishing without a boat or a net. He was fishing for followers.

Jesus had picked Galilee very carefully. He did not begin his ministry in Jerusalem, which was the hub and center of religious activity in his day. He would later spend more time in Jerusalem, but the beginning of his ministry was out in the countryside. He would work his way back to Jerusalem and be killed there by the authorities. He would be buried there and rise again. But after his resurrection, Jesus would return to the Galilee. He loved that place.

Jesus went out to the countryside where the air is clear and preached a simple but profound message. He told his hearers that it was time to break out of their mold and live the dynamic life of the Kingdom of God. They could break free and believe that God was present with them. They were to repent – turn completely around – and follow Jesus. He would teach them how to live this new life. He would give to them unforgettable stories and parables about how to love God and love their neighbors. He would teach them how to fish for people.

Jesus was not alone for very long. He began by calling two sets of brothers. Jesus knew that he could not do all the people-fishing by himself. From a practical standpoint, Jesus had to have help. Jesus needed other hands to work with him and other feet to walk with him.

Jesus’ call to Simon and Andrew was simple: literally, “Come after me and I will make you to become fishers of people.” This was a permanent, ongoing invitation. If they followed Jesus, they had to decide whether they would allow Jesus to make them to become something they had not been before. This was risky business. Would they become Jesus’ disciples and learn his ways? Would they follow Jesus’ teachings? But beyond that, would they pass Jesus’ teachings along to others? Would their enthusiasm for the love of Jesus be contagious? What would happen if they allowed Jesus to make them to become fishers of people?

James and John were the two other brothers who answered readily the call of Jesus. Jesus also trained them to be and make disciples. Jesus would invest about three years in these first, carefully chosen people who would turn their world upside down.

I’ve been fishing only a few times, and I think fishing is not as easy as it appears to be. Serious fishing takes a lot of patience and ingenuity. It also takes being in the right place at the right time. It takes the right bait. The people I know who like to fish seem to have fishing in their blood. Some of them have bumper stickers that say, “I’d rather be fishing.” I suspect that fishing can be habit-forming. Once you catch a fish, you would want to catch more. At least, that seemed to be Jesus’ attitude toward fishing.

I think that God still fishes for people. I believe God uses many lures and baits to do that. I think that one of the things God uses is beautiful, well-kept churches, Christian art and music. I like to think our web site is helpful, because people can check us out online. They can read sermons, newsletters, and vital information about us and our connections to other like churches. And we have a big sign at our future location.

As your priest, I’m continuously fishing for people. I try to be very visible. My purpose for doing that is to meet people who want to seek God or a deeper knowledge of God. I believe they can explore their faith and seek God here at Holy Cross. But like our Lord Jesus, I cannot do it alone.

Jesus did not start a secret society. Jesus started a church which he loves and for which he gave himself over to suffering and death. I believe the major reason why people come back to church again and again is that somehow they sense the mystery and the presence of God. This fills an empty place – that “God-shaped vacuum” in our hearts. Once we have experienced that, we’re hooked. And once we are hooked on Jesus, our lives are forever changed. The Holy Spirit of God reels us in.

Yes, our Lord Jesus is still fishing for disciples. I hope we can all join him in this exciting adventure. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: pier at Wrangell, Alaska
June 2008

O little town of Bethlehem

2009-01-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

When I think about Bethlehem, Israel, several images come to mind. One is the stable where Jesus was born, which has long since been claimed by the Church of the Nativity. Another image is the thirty-foot wall that separates the West Bank of Palestinian territory from the rest of Jerusalem. I think of the checkpoint staffed with Israeli soldiers, the refugee camp started by the United Nations in 1949, and the isolation that the residents feel.

But also when I think of Bethlehem, I think of Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal priest, who was known as the "greatest preacher of the Nineteenth Century." His friends called him "a leader of youth, with a spirit of adventure, in thought, life and faith." This reputation followed him throughout life, as in 1891 he was elected Bishop of Massachusetts.

Why do I think of Phillips Brooks in connection with Bethlehem? Check it out. He penned these words:

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him,
still the dear Christ enters in.

Here's another quote from Phillips Brooks: "Whatever happens, always remember the mysterious richness of human nature and the nearness of God to each one of us."

There's more, but that's enough for today.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
artwork: statue of Phillips Brooks and Jesus
http://www.dailyencouragement.net/images/people/phillips_brooks_statue.jpg

Thursdays at 6:30

2009-01-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

On Thursday evenings at 6:30, Holy Cross Church Episcopal and friends gather for a time of fellowship and learning. We invite all who would like to participate. So far, we have learned to pray Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer using The Book of Common Prayer as a guide.

This evening we will compare the Prayer Book and matching Hymnal 1982 and answer such questions as: "Why do Episcopalians always sing hymns no one knows?" We will conclude by praying Compline (night prayers) after about an hour's discussion.

So, please get directions to the church on our website www.holycrosschurchbillings.org and come over to join us for lively conversation and singing. It's good for your heart.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
artwork: http://i39.piczo.com/view/1/5/q/p/s/d/x/c/m/h/t/5/img/i112037322_10191.jpg?redirsrc=img

Child saints

2009-01-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

In addition to Mary the mother of Jesus, who was probably a young teenager when she said "Yes" to God and gave birth to the Savior of the world, there are other young saints to be remembered.

Today is the feast day of Agnes of Rome, martyr A.D. 304. Here is a blip of history about her, gleaned from Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pages 134-135:

Agnes was twelve years old when she suffered death for her faith, in Rome, during the persecution brought on by the Emperor Diocletian. After withstanding threats and tortures by her executioner, Agnes remained firm in refusal to offer worship to the heathen gods, and was burned at the stake, or, according to another early tradition, was beheaded with the sword. The early Fathers of the Church praised her courage and chastity, and remarked upon her name, which means "pure" in Greek and "lamb" in Latin.

Pilgrims still visit Agnes' tomb and the catacomb surrounding it, beneath the basilica of her name on the Via Nomentana in Rome that Pope Honorius the First (625-638) built in her honor to replace an older shrine erected by the Emperor Constantine.

On her feast day at the basilica, two lambs are blessed, whose wool is woven into a scarf called the pallium, with which the Pope invests archbishops. Pope Gregory the Great sent such a pallium in 601 to Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. A representation of the pall appears on the coat of arms of Archbishops of Canterbury to this day.

I have heard that the finished pallium is laid on the tomb of St. Peter overnight before being sent on to its destination.

Almighty and everlasting God, you choose those whom the world deems powerless to put the powerful to shame: Grant us so to cherish the memory of your youthful martyr Agnes, that we may share her pure and steadfast faith in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
artwork: http://members.chello.nl/~l.de.bondt/AgnesofRome.jpg

Let justice roll down like waters

2009-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." Amos 5:24

This was a favorite quote of Martin Luther King, Jr., as he took Christian ethics to the streets. It landed him in jail and finally sent him to his eternal rest. His presence caused a lot of tension among those who were perpetrating the injustices. On this day of remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr., I offer a quote from his famous "Letter from the Birmingham jail."

You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ingored.

My citing the creation of tension as a part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

Food for thought at this historic time in America.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: a rushing stream in Yellowstone
taken Memorial Day 2008

Sermon for January 18, 2009

2009-01-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening
1 Samuel 3:1-10

Has God spoken to you lately? Come on, you can tell me. When people say that God has spoken to them, we tend to look at them sideways, or otherwise hesitate to have a discussion with them about such things. It's a very private matter.

God does speak to humans. Or at least he used to, right? Right. And our Old Testament lesson for today gives us a prime example. This lesson is a slice of the life of Samuel, the last judge and first great prophet in ancient Israel. Samuel was a small child when God first spoke to him, and yet he had the wisdom to check in with Eli, the older, wiser, servant of the Lord. Eli had the wisdom to know that Samuel was hearing the voice of God.

Upon first reading this text, we might wonder why a small boy was an understudy to a Jewish priest. Here is a thumbnail sketch of the story. Samuel’s mother Hannah had no children for the longest time. But she faithfully made the annual pilgrimage with her husband to sacrifice to the Lord at Shiloh. Once during this event she could stand her sorrow no longer. She wept and prayed right in front of Eli the priest, who thought she was drunk and told her to go away. She insisted that she was sober and told him she was just praying. Eli prayed that God would grant her request. Actually, Hannah had made a vow to God that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to God for life.

Well, He did and she did. When the child Samuel was old enough to toddle around, Hannah brought him to Eli. If you want to know where Mary the Mother of Jesus got her song that we call the Magnificat, turn to 1 Samuel chapter 2 and read Hannah’s prayer. It will look more than vaguely familiar to you.

As Samuel was growing up in Shiloh, Hannah and her husband Elkanah had other children. She still visited Shiloh once a year and brought Samuel a little coat. So, the only life the boy Samuel really knew and remembered was life in the presence of God in Shiloh. Samuel would learn through this experience to know when God was speaking to him. Samuel would learn to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Samuel would also learn that God would reveal to him things that he would be afraid to pass along. In the present story, Samuel had bad news for Eli and his sons, and he was scared to tell it.

This started Samuel off on a life journey of speaking for God as God’s prophet. We’ll meet Samuel again in other scripture readings, but today I would like to hold up his example of checking out the source of the Voice he was hearing.

Some time ago, when I told my priest that I wanted to explore becoming a priest, he told me two things. First, he said, “Don’t get ordained unless you can’t stand NOT to.” Second, he said they would send me out for psychiatric evaluation. This, he explained, was because when someone said God was calling them to be a priest, they had to be sure it was really God calling. It was routine procedure. Further confirmation of my calling would have to come from committees, Commissions on Ministry, and the Bishop. The church carefully, prayerfully decided whether God was calling or whether I was calling myself. This is what happens in our Church when individuals say they hear the voice of God.

Quite another thing happens on Sundays and other days of worship in Churches around the world. We all, collectively, hear the voice of God through the reading of Holy Scripture. In his wonderful book, And God Spoke, Christopher Bryan says this: “What then if God has chosen to address us through the Bible? . . . . We are saying that through scripture God invites us into God’s heart.” The church has long believed that through scriptures, God reveals Jesus Christ to us.

The Book of Hebrews tells us that long ago God spoke to us through prophets, but now God speaks to us through Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Living Word, had followers who had the good wisdom to write down his sayings. They wrote down his story. As we read scriptures we begin to identify with the characters in scripture. We begin to weave our own story into the collective story of all believers for all time. One day we might identify with Thomas the doubter or Judas the betrayer of Jesus, or Peter, who denied Jesus three times. Another day we might identify with Mary of Bethany, sitting at Jesus’ feet and learning to be a disciple.

We begin to weave our own story into the story of Jesus. We find ourselves walking in the way of the cross because deep down we have identified with Jesus as revealed in scripture. We have heard God’s voice somehow through those readings. The church reads the scriptures privately and publicly so that they become part of the fabric of our lives. We are marinated in Scripture.

As with most other important topics, we have a prayer about this:

“Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.”

God also speaks to us through the holy sacraments. In these holy mysteries, God proclaims God’s love for us and commands us to love ourselves and others.

If you think God is speaking to you, check it out with scripture. Does what you are hearing and thinking comport with the Gospels? Does it cause you to love your neighbor as yourself? Does it cause you to abide by your baptismal vows, respecting the dignity of every human being? If we think God is speaking to us, it becomes important for us to read the Gospels and meditate on them. We also need to remember that no scripture is of private interpretation. The church is corporate. We are all a part of the Body of Christ and we are all in this together. We read scripture and preach in community.

For your private devotional time, I commend to you daily Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer . Christians around the world are reading these same scriptures. You will not be alone in your reading and praying. If we follow the prescribed scriptures we will read parts of the Bible we might not have chosen. It amazes me how often the scriptures appointed for a particular day speak to the events and problems of that day. It amazes me that I can read a passage I thought I knew and find something I had never seen before. The scriptures really can come alive for us. As we read them and hear them read, I hope we will practice saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Amen.

Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Come and see, go and tell

2009-01-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

Our Gospel reading for tomorrow is John 1:43-51, which begins:

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

When Jesus began to preach the Kingdom of God, it was important that he deliver the message himself. The first people Jesus called to follow him thought it was such a good idea that they hastened to tell others. Andrew told his brother Peter, and Philip told his friend Nathanael.

Nathanael was skeptical, which is actually healthy to a point. Read the remainder of this passage to see that Nathanael's meeting with Jesus sealed the deal. He became a follower on the spot. It seems that once people meet Jesus, they are never the same after that. I can imagine that Nathanael went to his friends and also said, "Come and see."

You are invited to the worship service of Holy Cross Church - Episcopal each Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. You might be unfamiliar with Episcopal services. They don't make very good television because of all the participation by the worshippers. So if you have the least bit of interest or curiosity, please "Come and see."

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photos: tourist boat on the Sea of Galilee;
Gate of Capernaum (Capharnaum) in the Galilee
August 2004

Little slices of Episcopal history

2009-01-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

If you have met me more than once, you know of my love for history. You also know that I am especially interested in Church history and biographies. For example, did you know that Jesus was a good cook and once prepared a breakfast of bread and fish for some of his disciples? (John's Gospel, chapter 21).

Our country and our world are in a unique period of history. We can know instantly what's going on almost everywhere. With that much information coming at us, we probably overlook some very good biographical stories. Just for the record, I want to mention a few people who have helped shape history to bring us to our present place. Because of our baptismal vows in the Episcopal Church, I think it is not a coincidence that these people were Episcopalians.

Harriet Beecher Stowe
When Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said, "So, you're the little woman who started this great war!" Lincoln was referring to Stowe's authorship of Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) which peeled back the curtain and gave the world a look at slavery in America. Stowe attended Episcopal services in Florida in the 1870's-1880's. Her husband started a Bible study that was the foundation of the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Mandarin, Florida.

Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, Eleanor was a cradle Episcopalian. I am acquainted with a grandson of the priest who provided the wedding ceremony for Eleanor and Franklin. Among her other contributions, Eleanor was a U.S. delegate to the United Nations, where she "played a key role in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948." *

Thurgood Marshall
The first African-American to serve on the United States Supreme Court, Marshall worshiped at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. A community center there bears his name. Before he came to Washington, Marshall made his mark by winning the 1954 landmark case of Brown vs. Board of Education, which declared school segregation unconstitutional.

John Steinbeck
Have you read East of Eden? It is obvious that Steinbeck got his inspiration for that novel from the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. Here's a tidbit about Steinbeck's younger days: "He served as an acolyte and choir member at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salinas, California, where, it is said, he dropped a cross onto a visiting bishop's head and thus lost his head acolyte privileges."*

That's all for now. More historical tidbits later. *Quotes and other information taken from The Episcopal Handbook, published by Morehouse Publishing.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: plaque at Christ Episcopal Church
Cody, Wyoming -- "The Poker Church"

Sermon for January 11, 2009

2009-01-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

The First Sunday After the Epiphany:

The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ

Thoroughly Baptized

When we baptize in the Episcopal Church, we do a thorough job. That’s because we want the baptized to identify with Jesus at his baptism. At his baptism Jesus knew that he was God’s beloved. At his baptism the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and he was never the same after that. At his baptism Jesus began to live into his public ministry and to discover the reasons why he is who he is. Jesus was baptized publicly, and we baptize everyone publicly, at a service such as this one here today. If the Bishop were present, I would step aside and he would administer the baptism because baptism is such a big deal that the chief pastor of the diocese presides at the ceremony if possible.

So, when we baptize, we want the baptismal candidate to know that he or she is God’s beloved. We pray fervently that God will fill them with his holy and life-giving Spirit and God does not disappoint. Holy Baptism in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is Christian initiation. It is “full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church.” Holy Baptism gives us privileges with God, because at baptism we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked at Christ’s own forever.

When anyone is baptized, we require that they be sponsored by one or more baptized persons. We want them to know from the get-go that they are not alone – that they are supported by a community of faith. In fact, after we pour water over their heads three times. We “welcome the newly baptized” with these words: “We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.”

When a person is baptized, there is great rejoicing in the presence of the holy angels of God. That’s because God is happy and I believe, even excited about our baptism, and God never gets over it. “The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble.” Therefore, if you have ever been baptized in any Christian denomination in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Episcopal Church will not baptize you again. We would consider your baptism fully valid and as such you are welcome to participate in Holy Eucharist by receiving the bread and the wine – the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Once we have been baptized, we never quite get “dried off.” Baptism has a residual effect, and in the Episcopal Church, we make sure that it does. Every time someone else gets baptized, all God’s children say “amen” and renew once again their own baptismal vows. This is one of my favorite things to do as a Christian. I find that it strengthens my own faith and resolve, and brings a sense of refreshment to my soul.

By now maybe you may be wondering, “If this is such a big-deal event, what do you do to prepare for it?” So glad you asked. There is a preparation time, but in our fast-paced world we have shortened that time compared to the olden days. In the olden days, meaning first-second century AD, the Church required a preparation time of one to two years. If you wanted to get baptized, the church would take you under its wing and allow you to attend the worship services. However, you could never even witness a consecration of the bread and the wine until you were baptized – no, when it came time for that part of the service you would have been whisked away for classes on what was to be expected of you as a baptized person. They would have said that you were a “catechumen” – an adult preparing for baptism. We still say that although the preparation time is weeks rather than years.

We no longer bar catechumens from observing Holy Eucharist, but some of the traditions of the early days have been preserved. Repentance is one of them. Repentance was a very precise term to the leaders of the early church. It meant making a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn from present life to the new life. I’ve mentioned this before: that those about to be baptized would face west and renounce the devil, then physically turn a one-eighty and face east to publicly accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. As I have pointed out in other sermons, in calling Jesus “Lord” the early Christians risked their lives, because they could no longer burn that yearly pinch of incense to Caesar and get their certificate that said they called him “Lord.”

So, here is how the Episcopal Church has preserved that part of the ceremony. We ask the candidate these six questions (BCP 302-303). After the three renouncements, please notice the word “turn” in the fourth question:

Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?
I renounce them.

Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
I renounce them.

Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?
I renounce them.

Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?
I do.

Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
I do.

Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?
I do.

Then we get to take our own vows as witnesses to this ceremony:

Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?
We will.

Then we all affirm our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed, and enter into a covenant with these vows:

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good news of God in Christ?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will, with God’s help.

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God’s help.

After that, we pray prayers for the candidates and for each other, and then, finally, we pour fresh water into the baptismal font, bless the water, and baptize the candidates. After that we have communion. It’s a beautiful thing, and I can’t wait for our first baptisms in this church. And now a word from our sponsor: the Bishop will be here on Sunday, February 1. If you or someone you know is interested in baptism on that date, I would love to talk with you about it.

Oh, yes, what about infant baptism? When an infant is presented for baptism, the adult sponsors take these same vows and enter into this covenant on behalf of the infant. They also take vows to be responsible for seeing that the child they present is brought up in the Christian faith and life, and that they will by their prayers and witness help that child to grow into the full stature of Christ. In other words, they will take the child to church and eventually that child is expected to make a full, public confession of faith as an adult. That ceremony is called “confirmation” and only the bishop can confirm anyone. But that’s another sermon.

So, there you have it. Baptism leaves an indelible mark on your soul because it permanently identifies you with Jesus Christ and his body, the church, for which he died and rose again. Who could ever get over that? Amen.

In peace,

Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal

Billings, Montana

406-208-7314

www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

A wind from God

2009-01-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

At every Sunday worship service we read four scriptures: An Old Testament Lesson, a Psalm in response to that lesson, a portion of an Epistle (such as Paul's letter to the Ephesians, etc.) and finally, a reading from one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Sometimes our scriptures for the day contain an obvious thread that connects them, and sometimes we have to dig deeper to find it. Tomorrow's scriptures have an obvious connection even at first glance. In case you want to read ahead, they are: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; and Mark 1:4-11.

These scriptures are about the power of God and about new beginnings. We start with Genesis 1:1-5 which begins the creation story:

". . . the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light"; and there was light.' And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness."

Here's a sermon I'll preach sometime: Only God can separate light from darkness and name them as such.

The responsive Psalm celebrates God's awesome power and our privilege of praising God who is all-powerful. The Epistle is about baptism and confirmation in the Early Church. St. Paul baptized some believers and laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Our Gospel celebrates the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact the name of the day tomorrow is properly called: The First Sunday After the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. As you might guess, my sermon for tomorrow is about Christian Baptism. Please come and allow a wind from God to sweep over you.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: wind art - a gift from friends

God and critters

2009-01-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

Here in Billings, people make generous donations to the Food Bank and other charities, and also contribute to the welfare of those two hundred dogs seized and rescued from a puppy farm in Ballantine. Some friends of mine from an animal shelter once reminded me that if humans are hungry, their pets are also hungry, so if you are going to buy food for a family, it's good to check to see if they have a critter.

Lately I have been reading about the greater number of pet horses that are being turned loose to fend for themselves in the wild. If we cannot rescue them, we can pray this portion of Psalm 104 (verses 25-32) on their behalf:

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number,
creatures both small and great.

There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan,
which you have made for the sport of it.

All of them look to you
to give them their food in due season.

You give it to them; they gather it;
you open you hand, and they are filled with good things.

You hide your face, and thy are terrified;
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to the dust.

You send forth your Spirit, and they are creatd;
and so you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: well-cared-for horses on a farm
on the West End of Billings
May 2008

Epiphany and the flight into Egypt

2009-01-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

After the wise men came to visit Jesus and offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the Gospel according to Matthew tells us this:

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matthew 2:12)

As the wise men are exiting stage east, Mary, Joseph and Jesus are exiting stage south:

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Matthew 2:13-15)

I highly recommend a book by Anne Rice: Christ the Lord out of Egypt. It held my rapt attention about three years ago.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: The Flight Into Egypt
carving on a fallen live oak
Mepkin Abbey
Monck's Corner, South Carolina
January 2008

The last day of Christmas

2009-01-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

It's time to take down those wreaths from our doors, put away the ornaments, and recycle the Christmas trees. Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas. I hope yours was glorious and I hope that you had time to enjoy each day as it came along.

Every year I hear people saying that they wish Christmas could last longer. If we think of Christmas as the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we can always keep Christmas in our hearts even as we move on through the other seasons of the church year.

Tomorrow we enter Epiphany Season, which this year lasts for seven Sundays. I mentioned that in yesterday's sermon (posted on this blog) and will say more about that as time goes on.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: doors of the church of
Mepkin Abbey
Monck's Corner, South Carolina
January 2008

They offered him gifts

2009-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

They Offered Him Gifts

Welcome to the New Year. I pray that in it you will be healthy, wealthy and wise. I pray that this year will be filled with new opportunities – with growth for our church. I mean growth not only in attendance and membership, but also growth in a deeper understanding of God’s grace and love for us. I pray that God will set our hearts on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit. Watch out!

We are still in the Christmas Season until next Tuesday, which is The Feast of the Epiphany. Each year Epiphany falls on January 6th – twelve days after Christmas – and is not a moveable feast. We simply celebrate Epiphany when it comes. Epiphany was originally celebrated by the church in connection with the baptism of Jesus. Later it became more popular as a celebration of the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

At the Feast of the Epiphany we hear scriptures about the time that the wise men from the East saw the spectacular star at its rising and followed it all the way to Bethlehem. The church celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany because Jesus fulfilled God’s covenant with his people to give them as a light to the nations. Jesus was born not just for his own kith and kin among the Jewish people. Jesus was born to be the savior of the whole world. The nations.

The wise men who sought out the infant Jesus had an Epiphany. That is, a light went on over their heads and they had a sudden or maybe a gradual understanding that they needed to seek the One to whom the star was guiding them. I think they knew that Jesus’ birth was a birth of cosmic proportions. Otherwise, they in their far-off land would not have seen and followed his star. What would it take to get such people to embark upon such a long and hazardous journey? They were obviously wealthy and were probably a target for robbers. It is a miracle that they arrived in the holy land.

It probably took the wise men about two years to get to Jerusalem for their meeting with King Herod. We calculate this time because the Gospels give us important pieces of information. Luke tells us that Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for his family in the inn. Matthew’s Gospel says that the wise men visited Jesus and his mother in a house.

The text says that upon entering the house they “offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” They offered these gifts. They did not presume to think that the gifts would be accepted. But think for a moment of the contrast when east met west – when rich met poor. These wise men – Magi – from the east – these are the people we call the “Three Kings.” They probably did not mix and mingle with the poor people in their own kingdoms, but here, in Bethlehem, they joyfully paid homage to Jesus. To me that meant that they probably got down on their knees to him. In that shining moment in human history the Kingdom of God had truly come on earth. The peace on earth and goodwill to all that the Angels had proclaimed was present in that scene of kings bowing to a baby whose parents were so poor that they had to offer two pigeons at the temple when they named him.

Why do we call the Magi wise men? Maybe it’s because they knew they were bowing to a king – the King of kings, in fact. They had acted on their epiphany. They operated in all the light they had at the moment. They followed the right star. They knew the truth when they saw it. They found Jesus and worshipped him.

The wise men also had the good wisdom not to rat out Jesus’ location and tell King Herod where to find him. They went home by another way. This resulted in Herod ordering the murder of every child in and around Bethlehem who was two years old or younger. He was specific in his order about their age. Our Lord Jesus escaped the fate of the other children because the Holy Family fled south. As the wise men had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, Joseph also had been warned in a dream by an Angel of the Lord to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt. They would be safer there. They had the gold, frankincense and myrrh given to Jesus by the Wise Men. They might have lived in Egypt relatively unnoticed. The Holy Family was safe in Egypt and did not return to Israel until after Herod’s death.

How can we be like those wise men? What would be so joyful for us that we would be driven to seek it regardless of the difficulty? For Saint Paul, one of the wisest writers of the New Testament, it was the church. We now live in the light of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ so that Saint Paul could say in our Ephesians reading today that he prayed for Christians that God may give us a “spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him . . .” so that we may know the hope to which we have been called, and what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints . . .”. That’s because the church welcomes all manner and conditions of people to worship God together. We all stand on level ground before God. We all receive the same bread and wine of communion. Only the wisdom of God could make that happen. Only God can make us wise so that like the Magi, we, too, will seek Jesus and live in all the light we have. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

photo: the three wise men

carvings by monks at

Mepkin Abbey

Monck's Corner, South Carolina

January 2008

Instructed Eucharist

2009-01-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

At our 10:00 a.m. worship service tomorrow, January 4, we will offer an "Instructed Eucharist." That is, as the service progresses, I will stop and make comments or offer explanations as to "why the Episkopals do that." I will also answer questions that are specific to the worship service. The form of the service will be essentially the same, except that we will not sing all verses of all hymns, and my sermon will be offered in print and on this blog.

Following the service, we will take a short break and reconvene for a 30-minute history of the beginnings of the Anglican Church. This is a prelude to our "Episcopal 101" classes which will be offered on Thursdays throughout January -- January 8, 15, 22, and 29.

Please plan to attend and learn more about the Episcopal Church USA, or just take a refresher course.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

photo: inside Kathy Lillis Chapel

before the worship service

Doubt

2009-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

It is a rare occasion when I recommend a movie, but here I break from tradition: If you have not seen Doubt starring Meryl Streep, run, do not walk, to a theatre near you and take it in.

A word of caution: Doubt will make you think, and you must pay close attention to the dialogue to catch the nuances of the story line. That's all I can say about it for now. I would not want to spoil the ending for you.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T15:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! As we have now crossed the divide from 2008 to 2009, I wish peace and prosperity to all -- here and around the world.

As we begin our first full year of services at Holy Cross Church, I invite you to come and worship with us. The mission of the Episcopal Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. Come with us and experience the beauty of the liturgy as we seek God, and a deeper knowledge of God.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: taken in Yellowstone
Memorial Day, 2008

Saint John the Divine

2008-12-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

Today is the feast day of Saint John the Apostle of Jesus Christ, often referred to as "Saint John the Divine." An Episcopal cathedral in New York bears this name. It's big. It's really big -- and vibrant. I can almost smell the incense just thinking about it.

It is fitting that today is John the Apostle's feast day, because tomorrow's gospel is John 1:1-18, the beautiful prologue to the Gospel that bears his name. John is also credited with three short letters that appear near the end of the New Testament. The central message in John's letters is, "Little children, love one another."

His Book of Revelation gets a lot of notoriety for its images of the end-time. The end is always near to someone.

John's Gospel, the last Gospel to be written, has a dreamy quality. In it John offers reflections about Jesus Christ that come from years of distilling Jesus' message. John was probably a teenager when he began to follow Jesus. He lived a long life and was the only Apostle who died a natural death. John is the writer who gave us this verse:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
artwork: http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/andre/images/t_john.jpg

Facing our secret fears

2008-12-26T09:48:00.001-08:00

As Christmas 2008 fades into memory and the New Year fast approaches, what is your secret fear?

Every year at Christmas we revisit the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. We hear scriptures such as:

"The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.'" (Luke 2:30) and "In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see - I a bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:8-11)

Later on Jesus would say to his disciples: "Fear not, it is I."

Whatever our fears may be, God is with us in the midst of our fears. Often we find our secret fears turned into opportunities for a deeper knowledge of God.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: Sophia the cat faces down a bunny.
The bunny is probably thankful for
plate glass. 12 23 08

Merry Christmas from Holy Cross Church Episcopal

2008-12-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

Sweet Baby Jesus

The annual celebration of Christmas is good for us. It is an opportunity to revisit the miracle of birth. It gives us an opportunity to revisit the miracle of Jesus’ birth.

On this holy evening, Christmas Eve 2008, we turn our thoughts once more to Bethlehem. There is born to us Jesus Christ the Lord, who is the savior of the whole world. Sweet Baby Jesus has finally arrived on the scene. What’s not to love about Sweet Baby Jesus?

This evening, the words of the Gospel according to St. Luke (2:1-20) will echo around the world. For our part of that echo, I want us to focus on the birth of Jesus – the incarnation of Jesus. The Word made flesh who comes to dwell among us. It’s the number one biggest event in human history. In fact, Jesus’ birth split history into two sections – “Before Christ” and “Anno Domini” (in the year of our Lord). Even if we refer to the division of time as “Before the Common Era” and “Common Era”, no one else but Jesus has made such an impact on the world. No one. And he continues to do so.

The Christian doctrine of the incarnation of Jesus Christ stands in a unique place. It makes a unique claim. It claims that Jesus is at once fully human and fully divine. The claim is so unique that it is called in theological circles “the scandal of particularity.” Christianity makes the very particular claim that God became flesh and dwelt among us. It claims that God entered the human race at a particular time and place – that he was born of a particular human mother – born into a country that was ruled by a certain emperor and a certain king. We can verify this time and place and these rulers in secular history.

As a priest of the Church I unabashedly make the claim that the eternal Son of God – the second person of the Holy and undivided Trinity – took flesh in the womb of his human mother, Mary the Virgin. Can I wrap my mind around that and understand it? No. I neither quite understand how it happened nor why it happened, but I believe that it happened. Faith does not require proof. That’s what faith is.

The Christian doctrine of the Incarnation of Jesus claims that the historical Jesus Christ was and is all at one time fully God and fully human. I have not figured that out, either. The Angels haven’t figured it out. Our salvation gives us privileges with God into which the angels long to look. (I Peter 1:12, NRSV) The Early Church argued over this doctrine for a few hundred years, and finally hammered it out in A.D. 451 at the Council of Chalcedon. It was there that Mary the Virgin formally received the title “God-bearer” or “Theotokos.” It was there that the limits of orthodox Christianity were defined – that is, that Jesus Christ is at once fully human and fully divine. This council declared further that humans are still humans and that God is still God. It’s just that Jesus Christ is both.

Here in the twenty-first century, we are still wondering how that Jesus could have taken our humanity up into his divinity, and brought his divinity down to our humanity. This is the great mystery. He shares his divinity with us in the mystery of the holy sacraments, the greatest of which are Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. I remind us of the Catechism’s definition of sacraments: “The sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.” (BCP 857) Thank God that Jesus left us the sacraments to be the means by which we partake of Jesus’ divinity. This gives us something we can touch and feel and see.

Jesus’ coming to earth turned this world upside down. The Roman Emperor Augustus thought that he was ruler of the world as he knew it. Note that our Gospel reading says that the Emperor sent out a decree that “all the world should be registered.” This was a census for tax purposes. How arrogant was he to think that he could tax the whole world?

Little did Augustus know that God was about to cast down the mighty from their thrones and lift up the lowly. Over in Bethlehem, a town whose name means “House of Bread,” the Bread of Life – the Savior of the world -- was being born. Angels were singing to frightened shepherds while trying to tell them to calm down. Jesus was being wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a manger – a feeding trough for the animals. Jesus would later say of bread, “this is my body.” As often as you eat this bread, eat it in remembrance of me. As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show forth the Lord’s death until he comes. Jesus is present to us in the Holy Eucharist by which he communicates with us and heals us. It’s a great mystery.

Jesus could not help but come to earth and be born into the human family. That’s because God loved the world so much that God could not hold back his love any longer. His love for us burst forth into time and space in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ coming to earth also stirred up the heavenly beings – the angels. They burst forth into the night singing “Glory to God in the highest heaven” because they could not help themselves.

Yes, Sweet Baby Jesus has finally arrived on the scene. I hope that, at least in our hearts, we will burst forth into this night singing “Glory to God in the highest heaven” because we will not be able to help ourselves. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Photo: Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus
hand-carved by Trappist monks at
Mepkin Abbey, Monck's Corner, S.C.
January 2008

In the bleak midwinter

2008-12-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

In the bleak midwinter,
frosty wind made made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
snow had fallen,
snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter,
long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign;
in the bleak midwinter
a stable-place sufficed
the Lord God incarnate,
Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels
may have gathered there;
cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air;
but his mother only,
in her maden bliss,
worshipped the beloved
with a kiss.

What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
yet what I can
I give him -
give my heart.

text by Christina Rosetti (1830-1894) The Hymnal 1982, No. 112.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
photo: bunny outside my door 12/23/08

How to enjoy a holiday party

2008-12-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

You can count on me to pass along helpful hints for happy living. Here are some tongue-in-cheek tips from a friend of mine, and believe it or not she is still alive this Christmas. Before reading, please remember that our bodies are the "temple of the Holy Spirit" and that we should not turn them into temples of doom:

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet
table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see
carrots, leave immediately.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't
find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it
has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn
into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one
for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of
gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of
your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat step
#3.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or
whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports
car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control
your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat
other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New
Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.
This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the
buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of
eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like
frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position
yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before
becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of
shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if
you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have
three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the
mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have
some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party
or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread
tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Sermon for December 21, 2008

2008-12-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Canticle 15
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

Mary on the move

This morning instead of a Psalm we read together The Song of Mary, found in Luke’s Gospel chapter 1, verses 46-55. Mary’s joy spilled out into a song that has been repeated for almost two thousand years. Almost every major composer has set it to music. Our Gospel reading tells us what Mary’s excitement was all about.

If we go by the Church calendar, it was late March or early April, approximately 4 B.C., when the Angel Gabriel visited Mary of Nazareth. After the angel departed from her, she hastily traveled at least four days to get to a town in the hill country west of Jerusalem. If Mary traveled alone, she took a big chance. It was scandalous for a woman to travel alone. But then, it was also scandalous for Mary to be pregnant out of wedlock.

Mary and Elizabeth were both going through enormous changes in their lives, and this time of bonding was surely a great comfort to them. Elizabeth was a much older woman, married to a priest, whose standing in her community had been diminished because she had no children. Mary was a teenage girl with a lot of spunk and the good wisdom to say yes to God. Mary must have had a lot of questions to ask Elizabeth, such as: “What do the neighbors think?”

What the neighbors would think would weigh heavily on Mary and on Elizabeth. For Elizabeth, the birth of her son, later known as John the Baptizer, would remove the social stigma that had been hanging over her head for years. It would give her status in her husband’s family and in her community. For Mary, being in this delicate condition would be cause for execution.

We can’t help but wonder: when Mary said yes to all this, did she think it through in that split second before responding? Theologians have speculated that between the Angel’s announcement and Mary’s response, the universe held its collective breath. God held God’s breath.

Mary was a human being with a God-given free will. Mary could have said no to God. We wonder how many virgin girls said no to God before Mary said yes. But Mary’s heart was at home in God. She said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” Saying yes to God is always huge and always has consequences of cosmic proportions. Mary had cause to be afraid, but she did not let it get the best of her. Once she said yes she could not contain her joy.

Mary stands in the tradition of Abraham, who gets honorable mention in Mary’s song. That’s because Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, believed God. His belief and faith were accounted to him as righteousness.

For Mary, who was a young teenage girl, this pregnancy signaled the end of her childhood. By saying yes to God, Mary took on full responsibility, not only for her own life, but also for the life of this Precious Baby she would carry. The possibilities were mind-boggling.

Elizabeth, older and wiser, grasped the idea that through Mary’s holy child, God would give the gift of salvation to the entire world. When Mary went to see her, Elizabeth expressed herself as a prophet in the classic sense. That is, she “was filled with the Holy Spirit” and spoke for God. Elizabeth recognized Mary as the mother of her Lord. No wonder Elizabeth’s son John the Baptizer was a prophet. The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.

Mary wisely sought out this kinswoman – this wife of Zechariah the priest. Mary needed a place to hide away. She needed a spiritual director. But Mary also had her own set of strengths. Mary recognized herself for who she was, and recognized God for who God is and what God can do. I like to call this worship. When the going gets tough, the tough go to worship.

Mary’s situation might not have looked so good to her society at large, but she believed that God would lift her up and bring her to honor. That took an amazing amount of trust. It took a lot of faith. For Mary and Elizabeth, it was their faith, steadfast and strong, that grounded them in God and propelled them into the future with excitement and joy. Mary and Elizabeth’s reactions to these changes in their own lives have affected the Church for almost two thousand years. In any time of transition and change, it is good for us to look at this Gospel reading and remember that “nothing will be impossible with God.” And that “The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

As a church, and as individuals, we can no longer live in our own communities without realizing that our decisions and actions affect the world at large. Ever since the late 1960’s when NASA was able to get a picture of the earth from outer space, we have had a growing awareness of our responsibility to our global community.

The good news is that, like Mary and Elizabeth, we are not on our own. God is with us, guiding us and loving us. God is always bringing new life in the most unexpected places and in some surprising ways. The miracle is that the Church is still functioning as the Body of Christ despite all the upheavals throughout the ages.

Mary the mother of Christ is accorded first place among the Saints because she was literally the first Christian. As Mary and Elizabeth both were going through an astonishing transition in each of their lives, their first thoughts were of God. When we are going through transitions in our own lives, I hope that our first thoughts are of God. I hope that we find solace in the Word and Sacraments.

Our scripture readings every Sunday are as ancient as the church. Our celebration of Holy Eucharist goes back to Jesus Christ who instituted it on the night before he was handed over to suffering and death. If our heart is at home in God, changes can swirl around us and never shake our faith. We can say with Mary, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” Amen.

In peace,

Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal

Billings, Montana

406-208-7314

www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

When God held God's breath

2008-12-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

In our Gospel reading for tomorrow (Luke 1:26-38), the Last Sunday of Advent, we hear that the angel Gabriel was "sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary."

Gabriel told Mary that God had favored her and chosen her to give birth to a savior, the Messiah, the Son of God. After some argument from Mary and explanation from Gabriel, there was one brief moment when the universe held its collective breath. God held God's breath. Mary could have refused. Long ago God gave us humans free will. We can cooperate with God and worship God, or we can refuse.

But Mary said yes. "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

Thanks be to God.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
http://holycrossbillings.blogspot.com
artwork: http://www.orthodoxonline.com/images/annunciation.jpg

Writing letters to Jesus

2008-12-19T05:26:00.000-08:00

The greatest prayers are not always written down, but recently a friend called this one to my attention:

Nativity Prayer-Hymn of St. Ephraim the Syrian

The feast day of your birth resembles You, Lord,
because it brings joy to all humanity.

Old people and infants alike enjoy your day.
Your day is celebrated
from generation to generation.

Kings and emperors may pass away,
and the festivals to commemorate them soon lapse.
But your festival will be remembered
until the end of time.

Your day is a means and a pledge of peace.
At Your birth heaven and earth were reconciled,
since you came from heaven to earth on that day.
You forgave our sins and wiped away our guilt.

You gave us so many gifts on the day of your birth:
A treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick;
Spiritual light for the blind;
The cup of salvation for the thirsty;
The bread of life for the hungry.

In the winter when trees are bare,
You give us the most succulent spiritual fruit.
In the frost when the earth is barren,
You bring new hope to our souls.

In December when seeds are hidden in the soil,
The staff of life springs forth from the virgin womb.

St. Ephraim the Syrian (AD 306-373)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
404-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
artwork: http://www29.homepage.villanova.edu/christopher.haas/ephraim%20-%20icon.jpg

Three more days until winter

2008-12-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

In three more days winter officially arrives. It's one week until Christmas. It's two weeks until New Years.

Do we find ourselves counting the days until the next event in our lives, or the lives of those we love? Little children are probably counting the days until Christmas, maybe asking, "how much longer is it?", echoing that traveling question, "how much farther is it?", or "how old will I be when we get there?"

It's easy to get bogged down in wondering (or worrying) about the future, even the near future, but obsessing about it to the point of anxiety is not recommended. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus calls this "borrowing into the tomorrow." (Matthew 6:34) When we do that, we steal from ourselves the joy that might be ours right now, as we live in thankfulness. Today is what we have, and living life to the fullest includes being aware of God's love and provision for today - now - trusting that God, who is eternal - will also be there for all our tomorrows.

So for today, I recommend that we think about this verse of scripture from the Sermon on the Mount:

[Jesus said] "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34, NRSV)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
photo by Rebecca McCloud Chavez

That wonderful and sacred mystery

2008-12-17T06:08:00.001-08:00

Note to all seminarians: Today is an Ember Day, a day on which you must write to your Bishop and give an account of your life. How are you doing spiritually? Physically? Financially? Your Bishop already knows about your grades. He/She has a copy of your grades. If you can't think what to say today, you have another Ember Day coming up on Saturday.

On Ember Days, we pray among other things that God will raise up priests to serve at the altar. So, seminarians, write to your Bishop, in further preparation to hear this prayer at your ordination:

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[The Book of Common Prayer, 528]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photos: graduation at Sewanee
The University of the South
School of Theology
May 13, 2005

Traveling for the holidays?

2008-12-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

If you are traveling during this holiday season, here are some prayers to take along with you [from The Book of Common Prayer] and they won't take up much room in your luggage:

For Travelers (this is especially good to pray for all around you on the road)
O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in particular ________]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Good Use of Leisure
O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And finally, if everyone cannot make it to the gathering:

For the Absent
O God, whose fatherly care reaches to the uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech you graciously to behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to you, may be bound together by your love in the communion of your Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photos: Montana in early Spring 2008

Writing hit songs

2008-12-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

What makes a hit song - a "standard" song - that is sung for years? Do you know a hit when you hear it? I think hit songs have at least this quality in common: the lyrics are not contrived. They are straight out of the heart of the writer. They express some yearning of every human heart.

Did you know that Mary of Nazareth, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, was a hit songwriter? She wrote a song that has been sung for almost two thousand years. Granted, she borrowed a little from Hannah, the mother of Samuel the Prophet (1 Samuel 2:1-10). But these are Mary's own words, out of Mary's own heart. Next Sunday, on The Fourth Sunday of Advent, we will use this text at Holy Cross:

Canticle 15
The Song of Mary
Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photos:
top: Madonna and Child at
Monastery of the Holy Spirit
Conyers, Georgia - March 2008
lower right:
Statue of Mary near the church
at Mepkin Abbey
Monck's Corner, South Carolina
January 2008

Does God Dream?

2008-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

Sermon for December 14, 2008
Holy Cross Church Episcopal

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

Does God Dream?

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream. (Psalm 126:1)

Bing Crosby dreamed of a white Christmas, and we still hear all about it in shopping malls. We dare to dream. And our dreams often have to do with opportunities to better our situations. At this time of year, little children are dreaming of all the goodies that Santa will bring them. Or not. Many parents are trying to dream of how they can provide Santa gifts for their children. Or food. Or clothing. Or a college education. Laid off workers are dreaming of finding the right job. All around us, changes are taking place so fast that nothing will ever be the same. Just when we think the news can’t shock us, it shocks us, and most of our attention is turned to the negative. How can that be reversed? Maybe by dreaming. Dreaming keeps hope alive.

Does God dream? If God dreams, what does God dream about? If God knows everything past, present and future, why would God bother to dream? I believe that God does dream, and that God, who never slumbers nor sleeps, dreams good things for all of us. According to our lesson from Isaiah, there would come a time when God would restore all things to their former glory. It’s called the Day of the Lord and if you went to the Messiah Sing last Sunday afternoon, you got a good dose of this prophetic dream.

The definition of a prophet is “One who speaks for God” and this passage from Isaiah sounds very hopeful. It has an almost dream-like quality, especially if you look at the Middle East today. We as Christians believe that in heaven with God we will have perfection. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or sighing, but how many of us expect that to happen here on earth? How many attempts at utopia have crashed and burned?

We might wonder: If God is all powerful and all knowing, why doesn’t God just snap his fingers and make all this dreaming come true? It’s because once upon a time, long, long ago, God gave us a powerful gift. It’s called Free Will. Yes, we can choose to cooperate with God in God’s dream. This is the biggest gift we can give to God. If God coerced us into worshipping him, our worship would be worthless. We are not puppets on a string. We have a choice.

We can also choose not to cooperate with God. This is the root cause of separation from God, which is called in theological terms “sin.” Hell, by the way, is eternal separation from God, which we bring on ourselves through the exercise of our free will. Repentance is changing the direction in which we look for happiness. It’s looking around to see what God is doing and getting involved, remembering that God does not compromise on certain issues such as righteousness, justice, and mercy. God clearly loves justice, and hates robbery and wrongdoing. Lately, God has probably been weeping more than ever.

But God dreams of reconciling us to himself. St. Paul gives us advice on how to get in sync with God and to get in on God’s dream: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. . . . 1 Thessalonians 5:16. Rejoice always – for me, joy comes from cultivating a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Joy comes from knowing in the bedrock of my own heart that no matter what happens to me in this life or in the next, I am in the loving hands of God. God is all around. God meets us here in the Word and Sacraments. That gives me great joy.

Did I say I was happy all the time? No. I did not say that. There is a lot in this world about which I am very unhappy. Unhappiness is my reaction to hunger, oppression, poverty, domestic violence . . . I could go on and on. Sorrow over these things is what prods us to do all we can to eliminate such conditions from God’s good earth. But we can have joy in the midst of sorrow. Such joy is based on our trust of God and our hope in God. If we are willing to rejoice and give thanks to God for all of God’s blessings, we can have God’s joy in the here and now.

God’s big dream of reconciling us to himself came true, of course, in the person of Jesus Christ. If you read this passage from Isaiah and then turn to the Gospel of Luke Chapter 4, you will hear Jesus saying these very words: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor . . . Read a little further and you will find out that Jesus’ audience almost killed him on the spot. Maybe they were not ready for such good news.

The Old Testament prophets died without ever having received the promised Messiah of God. Even John the Baptizer, who is back in our Gospel reading again today, did not live to see Jesus complete his work. But his dream came true. John had gotten involved in what God was doing and with his last breath he helped bring about the promised Kingdom of God. John goes off the stage of history with his heart full. His joy has been fulfilled. He has done what he came here to do, and he gracefully steps aside to let Jesus step into the spotlight.

This is the time of year when a lot of people go into a type of hibernation, drawing back from the world and entering a sort of dream state. This is a good time for reflection and for looking over our gains and losses of the past year. We can come to grips with the fact that we have gotten another year older and maybe some of the dreams we had when we were younger are no longer possible. I know now that I will never be a ballet dancer. As we look forward to the New Year we realize that we might need to come up with some new dreams.

If we have joy we can plan for the future. Looking back over this past year, and especially these last few months, we can see that we have claimed a spot on which to plant a church. I cannot say enough how much I appreciate all of you, and especially your faithfulness to our Lord and your efforts to bring more people into this church. It will take all of us working together to accomplish the dream of building this church into a fellowship of faith.

We need for God to stir us up to dream the right dreams. I hope that our collective dream for this church is to be here and to grow, week in and week out, providing comfort to fellow pilgrims who are seeking a way out of their wilderness. We offer Holy Communion, a great source of joy to us who receive it and to God who offers it. I cannot help but believe our dreams are within our reach. I believe that we have looked around to see what God is doing and that we have gotten involved in it. Welcome to the dream. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
Photo: Snow in Montana
and looking for more

Baptized in water

2008-12-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

In tomorrow's Gospel (John 1:6-8, 19-28) we again meet John the Baptizer. This time he is being investigated by the religious authorities from Jerusalem, who have come out to the wilderness. They don't come to get baptized, although some of them might have done so eventually.

Instead, they come to interrogate John. He is causing a stir. "Who are you?" "What do you say for yourself?" and the big question: "Are you the Messiah?" You're not the Messiah? So why are you baptizing?

John answered: "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." The next day Jesus came to John for his own baptism, and after some argument and discussion, John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Why would Jesus do that? was it to identify with the corporate sins of humanity? Was it to set an example for us to follow and be baptized?

Whatever the answer and the reason, we still baptize with water, and God still approves.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314
artwork: http://www.historycomesalive.ca/biblical/images/baptist3.jpg

Those pesky street beggars

2008-12-12T05:49:00.001-08:00

They're everywhere this time of year, aren't they? Why do they have to stand at the doorway of every store and ring those bells beside the kettles? Are they trying to make us feel guilty that we have so much and the poor have so little? Why can't they just let us enjoy our Christmas time in peace?

Maybe we won't enoy our Christmas time in peace until we contribute to the needs of the poor. And when we go into those stores, maybe we will find something we can buy to put in the Toys for Tots bin, or nonperishable foods to contribute to the Food Bank. Those pesky street beggars are always poking and prodding our conscience. They are reminding us that it is a privilege to be allowed to give to the needs of those less fortunate, and that this year, the gap between the haves and the have nots has become a chasm.

Here's a word about that from John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, who died in 407:

When we despise the poor, we despise Christ; thus our blame is very great. Paul himself persecuted Christ in persecuting those who are his; that is why Christ is heard to say: "Why do you persecute me?" Hence, whenever we give, let us have the same dispositions as if we were giving to Christ, for his words are more sure than our vision. Therefore, when you see a poor person, remember these words in which Christ reveals to you that it is he himself whom you can nourish. For even if that which appears be not Christ, yet in this person's form it is Christ himself who receives and begs.

But if you do not believe now that in passing one who is poor you are really passing by Christ, you will believe it when he will bring you into the midst of his followers and says: "As often as you neglected to do it to one of these least ones, you neglected to do it to me."

Oh, I get it.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

Roses in December

2008-12-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

You have no doubt heard that "God gives us memories so we can have roses in December." I think this is also why God gives us Advent. Advent gives us time to slow down and smell the roses.

At this time of year, many people rush around so much they hardly remember what they did from day to day, and then they need January to recover. Maybe if we rush around we won't have time to stop and think about all that has happened to us in the last year. If we don't take time to take it all in, we will miss not only the painful times but also the joyful times. Remember most roses have thorns.

Advent is a time to be mindful of the needs of others who might have empty stockings at Christmas, but it is also a time of spiritual renewal as we await the birth of the Christ Child. Here is a prayer we will be praying next Sunday:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. [The Book of Common Prayer, 212]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
Photos: Confederate Roses on fence;
my sister's perfect pink rose
Marysville, WA 2008

International Human Rights Day

2008-12-10T05:29:00.000-08:00

I keep several calendars around the house. They seem to come in the mail at this time of year. Those who send them would like a contribution to their cause, please . . . the animal rights activists, the nature conservationists, etc.

One of my calendars says that today is "International Human Rights Day." I don't know who proclaimed it as such but I think it's a great idea. In fact, every day should be human rights day.

In the Episcopal Church, we take vows when we are baptized. One of those vows is: "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" to which we reply, "I will, with God's help."

Here are some prayers from The Book of Common Prayer (pages 823-826) to aid in our thinking about justice, peace, and human rights. Sincere praying of these prayers might require some action on our part:

For Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Unemployed
Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work. Guide the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Poor and the Neglected
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Oppressed
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land [and in every land] who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

They don't call it The Book of Common Prayer for nothing.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

How not to get twisted up with stress

2008-12-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

One of the things I get to do during the week is read and meditate on the scriptures for next Sunday and write a sermon appropriate to the day. Ordinarily I preach about two things: I preach about the Gospel reading of the day; and I preach about ten minutes. That means I have to omit some very good preaching material from the sermon.

The good news about this omission is that many of our passages of scripture are so strong and concise that they are a sermon unto themselves. In light of all the stress that many are experiencing because of the economy, wars, accidents and other events of our times, I offer our Epistle for next Sunday. It's more than good words of advice from the Apostle Paul: meditating on this scripture and abiding by it might keep us from getting all twisted up with stress. I think it's called "resting in God."

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, NRSV]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: ancient tree at Mepkin Abbey
Monck's Corner, South Carolina
January 2008

A different twist on Advent

2008-12-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

We have been saying that Advent is a period of waiting for the Christ Child, while also waiting for his triumphant return to earth. So, what do we do while we wait? Here's a thought from Bernard of Clairvaux [died 1153], a reviver of Benedictine monasticism in the Cistercian Order:

We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among the people; he himself testified that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming "all flesh will see the salvation of our God," and "they will look on him whom they have pierced."

The intermediate coming is a hidden one. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.

Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation.

In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself says: "If anyone loves me, they will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them." There is another passage of Scripture which reads: "Those who fear God will do good," but something further has been said about those who love, that is, that they will keep God's word. Where is God's word to be kept? Obviously in the heart, a the prophet says: "I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you."

Keep God's word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength.

If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfill what is written: "As we have borne the likeness of the earthly, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly." (Sermon 5 for Advent 1-3, published in Readings for the Daily Office from the Early Church, J. Robert Wright, 10-11)

Bernard was a pretty good preacher.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: window at noon in a Cistercian Church
Monastery of the Holy Spirit
Conyers, GA, January 2007

The beginning of the good news

2008-12-07T04:59:00.000-08:00

Today's Gospel lesson is the first eight verses of The Gospel According to Mark. Mark wrote to a Roman audience that was accustomed to reading about the lives of action heroes. Mark wanted everyone to know that Jesus is the hero of this story. Jesus will have a life like no other life. He will die a brutal Roman death because of Who He is, but will rise victoriously from the grave. And yes, we should all line up to follow Jesus, even though he is going to the cross.

Mark begins without a birth narrative and tells us about he main characters in Jesus' adult life. Today we hear about John the Baptizer, who looks like Elijah the Old Testament prophet. As a prophet, John stands as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,'"

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worth to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." [Mark 1:1-8, NRSV]

Welcome to the Second Sunday of Advent.

Here is the sermon I preached at Holy Cross this morning:

As we read our Gospel for today, we might think that John the Baptizer’s mother dresses him funny. He was not a slave to fashion. When the scripture says that John the Baptizer was clothed in camel’s hair, it does not mean a camel-hair blazer with which he could wear a preppy button-down shirt. His leather belt probably did not have a fancy brass buckle. No natty dresser, this one. We picture John as a cave-man type, born long after his time. He was easily identifiable. Where have we seen this guy before? Doesn’t he look a little like Elijah the Prophet?

As you know, John the Baptizer was a relative of Jesus of Nazareth, on his Mother’s side. His parents were Elizabeth and Zechariah, an older couple who had long since given up hopes of having any children. Speculation has it that John the Baptizer was orphaned at a young age, and that he was brought up in the community of the Essenes. We have no proof, but some of his behavior might indicate this as a possibility.

The Essenes were a branch of Judaism that sought righteousness and perfection. They took frequent ritual baths. Cleanliness was next to godliness for them. They were also apocalyptic. They were convinced that they were living in the “last days” and interpreted scripture accordingly. They would have preached with the Scriptures in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Most of what we know about the Essenes comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls that were discovered in a cave at Qumran, Israel in the late 1940’s. I have visited Qumran and the site of the Essene Community and I can tell you that it is definitely in the desert.

John appeared in the desert preaching righteousness. He was trying to restore religious order in a world of chaos. Righteousness includes a cruciform lifestyle –living in communion with God and extending the love and kindness God has shown to us -- out to our fellow human beings. I don’t think John would have made a very good spiritual director, at least not nowadays. He probably would not have said, “How did you feel about that?” He would probably have just said, “Stop doing what you know is wrong and start doing what you know is right.”

John was a man on a mission. He was obviously in a hurry to give his warnings. He might have known that his time would be short once he delivered his message. As you know from reading about him in the other three Gospels, John spoke the truth to power and got thrown into the dungeon. His execution by Herod the Tetrarch is well-documented in scripture. It is also documented outside of Scripture by the first century historian Josephus. [Ant. XVIII, V, 2.]

John’s hope in preaching righteousness was that we would all be restored to the sinless perfection that humans had before the fall of Adam and Eve. Human beings were at first created sinless, but that didn’t last very long. This One who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit was baptized by John in the River Jordan and “fulfilled all righteousness” according to Matthew’s Gospel. This is why in our Baptismal Covenant we renounce Satan, evil, and all sinful desires that draw us from the love of God. We put our whole trust in the grace and love of Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. His example of life is the source from which we derive our ethical treatment of self and of others. John the Baptizer recognized this about Jesus. We as Christians do the same.

John was willing to preach repentance from sin not only to the people who came out in the desert to hear him, but also to Herod the King. He solemnly warned Herod that it was not lawful for him to have his brother Philip’s wife. For that John was put into prison. Josephus tells us that John was executed at the castle at Macherus. He also says that Herod feared John’s influence with the masses. Apparently Herod was afraid that John might spark a rebellion because so many people were gathering to hear him. John was the last person Herod wanted to see, and yet he was fascinated with John and seemed genuinely sorrowful for John’s final fate.

John the Baptizer seems like an archaic figure, but he is really contemporary to every age. He is an icon of sorts, or a window through which we see courageous righteous behavior regardless of the consequences. There is always someone who is willing to sound the warning, like whistle-blowers in the world of industry. They often lose their jobs and/or their lives.

If we were to sound warnings that no one wanted to hear, we might say we were a voice crying out in the wilderness. Have you ever been the voice of one crying out in the wilderness? Have you ever been the person in your group or community who stood on principle when no one else would? Have you ever stood up for what is right when the stakes were high? Or have you gone along to get along? Have you gone along with the crowd because “everybody is doing it?”

When we read about John the Baptizer, it seems that he is angry, or that God is angry and that John is expressing anger in God’s behalf. In the other Gospels, we hear John calling the Scribes and Pharisees a “brood of vipers.” Did he really enjoy saying that? The prophets show us that side of God that is justice, but they also show us that side of God who can be appeased by our repentance. God can change God’s mind. Abraham Heschel, in his wonderful book The Prophets, says that God doesn’t get angry just to get angry. On the contrary, he says that God’s anger is “a free and deliberate reaction of God’s justice to what is wrong and evil.” Jeremiah the Prophet says that if we repent of evil, God will repent of God’s intentions to punish that evil.

The Prophets could also wax poetic. Amos says that the Lord is the one who “creates the wind” and also “reveals his thoughts to mortals.” “Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the Prophets” according to Amos. (Amos 3:7) The Prophets in turn revealed God’s thoughts to us. The Great Prophet is Jesus, who is Prophet and Priest and King. The major job of the Prophets was always to point to the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Savior, who is Jesus, the Son of God and son of Mary.

We can think of Biblical Prophecy in terms of an hourglass. In an hourglass, all the sand is focused to flowing through a narrow point. It then comes back out into a wider place. Think of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point of the prophetic hourglass. The Prophecies are the sand.

After the Prophets, we listened to the Apostles – those sent by Christ himself. The Apostles were given authority to ordain people who ordained people to preach the Gospel. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the message of God’s preachers was focused on preaching that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is God. That is the message of the Messianic age. The age of the Kingdom of God. John the Baptizer was the first to recognize Jesus and publicly proclaim the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.

John the Baptizer is the last in a long line of Biblical Prophets. His voice is the prophetic bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He looks like Elijah, dresses like Elijah, thunders like Elijah, but he points to and is related by blood to Jesus the Messiah. The kingdom of God has come on earth, and the Prophets turn in their badges. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Saint Nicholas of Myra

2008-12-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

Who is the best-known saint in the Christian Church? Is is Saint Peter? Saint Paul? Saint Mary Magdalene? Although my vote goes to Mary of Nazareth, the mother of our Lord Jesus, many would nominate Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who died in approximately 342 A.D. There are people in Santa Claus, Indiana who dress up like Nicholas even in July.

Here is a brief biographical sketch of Nicholas from Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2003, a publication of the Episcopal Church USA:

Very little is known about the life of Nicholas, except that he suffered torture and imprisonment during the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian [which lasted from 303 A.D. to about 312 A.D.]. It is possible that he was one of the bishops attending the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325.

Nicholas was honored as a saint in Constantinople in the sixth century by the Emperor Justinian. His veneration became immensely popular in the West after the supposed removal of his body to Bari, Italy, in the late eleventh century. In England almost 400 churches were dedicated to him.

Nicholas is famed as the traditional patron of seafarers and sailors, and, more especially, of children. As a bearer of gifts to children, his name was brought to America by the Dutch colonists in New York, from whom he is popularly known as Santa Claus.

Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the pooor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
art: French Postcard

More old hymns

2008-12-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

This entire week has been a week of feast days, and tomorrow we get Nicholas of Myra, a/k/a St. Nicholas, as in "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way."

Today is the feast day of Clement of Alexandria. Born about the middle of the second century and died about 210 A.D., Clement's contribution to Christianity is balance. He was a Greek philosopher in Alexandria, Egypt, a city so Greek it was founded by Alexander the Great. Somewhere along the way of his seeking for truth, Clement met Pantheons, the founder of the Christian Catechetical School in Alexandria. Clement's Greek background and newfound Christian faith allowed him to be a bridge. As a Christian priest Clement could preach to the Greeks and to the Christians. He became the head of that school in 190 A.D.

In a time when Christians were fleeing to the deserts of Egypt to purify their souls, Clement gave a balanced view of the right use of wealth in everyday life.

Clement left us some hymns, one of which we recently sang at Holy Cross Church:

Jesus, our mighty Lord, our strength in sadness,
the Father's conquering Word, true source of gladness;
your Name we glorify, O Jesus, throned on high;
you gave yourself to die for our salvation.

Good shepherd of your sheep, your own defending,
in love your children keep to life unending.
You are yourself the Way; lead us then day by day
in your own steps, we pray, O Lord most holy.

Glorious their life who sing, with glad thanksgiving,
true hymns to Christ the King in all their living;
all who confess his Name, come then with hearts aflame;
the God of peace acclaim as Lord and Savior.

O God of unsearchable wisdom, you gave your servant Clement grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, the source of all truth: Grant to your Church the same grace to discern your Word wherever truth is found; through Jesus Christ our unfailing light, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (from Lesser Feasts and Fasts, 95)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Singing old hymns

2008-12-04T06:27:00.000-08:00

A parishioner once asked me, "Haven't any hymns been written since 1200 A.D.?" In other words, why do we sing those old unfamiliar hymns?

There are many reasons, one of which is that I like them. Also, as a teaching elder in the Episcopal Church, I am charged with handing on the faith of the church. Christianity was not discovered yesterday, and we have a rich history. One of the ways that we keep that history alive is to sing "hymns ancient and modern."

Another way we keep our Christian history alive is to remember those who passed it on to us. Today is the feast day of John of Damascus, priest, who died around 760. John's primary contribution to Christianity is that he condemned heresies. Heresies are sneaky. They are cloaked in Christianity but are wolves in sheep's clothing. Heresies deny basic Christian dogma, such as the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Heresies usually present one issue for debate to stir up controversy, but they have an ulterior motive that is much darker. One of the controversies in John's day was whether Christians should have icons - those paintings on wood that provide a window into meditating on the life of Christ. There was an uproar that said you could not have an icon representing Christ because Christ is God and you can't have an image of God. John maintained that this cloaked a heresy that denied the humanity of Jesus Christ.

In our Hymnal 1982, John of Damascus has three hymns. We sing these at Easter because they are about the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, and primarily about his resurrection. Here's a verse from one of those hymns. If you are familiar with any contemporary Christian music, you might recognize a line from John's hymn (written in the 8th Century A.D.) that has been transferred over into a very popular contemporary song. It just proves that the truth never gets old.

The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad,
the Passover of gladness,
the Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
from earth unto the sky,
our Christ hath brought us over
with hymns of victory.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: Icon of the Archangel Gabriel
Greek Orthodox Church in Nazareth
Israel, August 2004

The bond and covenant of marriage

2008-12-03T05:19:00.000-08:00

I am thinking about the ties that bind because seventy years ago today my parents got married. They were blessed with almost sixty years of marriage before my dad died in 1998.

There are Biblical standards for Christian marriage that are based on common sense notions such as love and respect. Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God. In the Episcopal Church it is required that one, at least, of the parties must be a baptized Christian; that the ceremony be attested by at least two witnesses; and that the marriage conform to the laws of the State and the canons of this Church. [The Book of Common Prayer, 422]

I acknowledge that a lot of marriages dissolve, and some for good reason, but this is far from ideal. When I counsel a couple before providing a marriage ceremony for them, I give them to understand that this is serious business. Marriage is a lifetime commitment which requires a lot of mindful, daily effort from both parties.

These words might sound familiar to you:

Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.

The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God. [The Book of Common Prayer, 423]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314
Photos: family album

When the Dow tanks: pray, pray, pray

2008-12-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

The Stock Market has been in bear territory lately, so I offer this prayer which is sometimes attributed to George Washington. It did not get published in The Book of Common Prayer until 1928, but I think it is timely today:

Almighty God, who hast given us
this good land for our heritage:
We humbly beseech thee
that we may always prove ourselves
a people mindful of thy favor
and glad to do thy will.

Bless our land with honorable industry,
sound learning,
and pure manners.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion,
from pride and arrogance,
and from every evil way.

Defend our liberties,
and fashion into one united people
the multitudes brought hither
out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endue with the spirit of wisdom
those to whom in thy Name
we entrust the authority of government,
that there may be justice and peace at home,
and that, through obedience to thy law,
we may show forth thy praise
among the nations of the earth.

In the time of prosperity,
fill our hearts with thankfulness,
and in the day of trouble,
suffer not our trust in thee to fail;
all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
Photo: Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone Park
Memorial Day, 2008
He walked right by the car and off
into the woods. Scary!

How people meet Jesus

2008-12-01T05:03:00.001-08:00

"Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." -- Jesus of Nazareth: Matthew 4:19

Today is the feast day of Saint Andrew the Apostle, one of the earliest followers of Jesus Christ. Actually the feast day was yesterday, November 30, but since it fell on a Sunday it got moved to Monday. Every Sunday is a feast of Jesus, and nothing trumps a feast of Jesus.

Andrew does not get a whole lot of press in the Scriptures, but when he does, it is always for something very significant: He is bringing someone to Jesus. Andrew was at first a disciple of John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, Andrew followed Jesus instead. He put that on hold momentarily to go and find his brother Simon, whom Jesus named Peter.

He brought Simon to Jesus,
who looked at him and said,
"You are Simon son of John.
You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
-- John 1:42

The next time we see Andrew, he is bringing a lad to Jesus because the lad has five loaves and two fishes which Jesus blesses and feeds to five thousand men, plus women and children.

So Andrew the Fisherman brought his brother Peter to Jesus. And lo and behold, their fishing partners James and John also became followers of Jesus. Relational evangelism works. We invite someone who invites someone, and on it goes . . . Who could you invite to attend church with you next Sunday?

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. [from The Book of Common Prayer]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
Photo: boat on the Sea of Galilee
August 2004

Changing of the Church Seasons

2008-11-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, November 30, is the First Sunday of Advent. From the Latin word adventus, meaning "arrival, approach, or attack,"* Advent is the first season of the church year. It begins four Sundays before Christmas and is set aside as a season to prepare for Christmas, Christ's first coming, and to remember that he will come again. The color for this season is purple, lavender or blue.

There is no stampede in our celebration of Advent. We take Advent one day at a time, one week at a time, marking each week with the lighting of a new candle, until at Christmas we light the middle candle - "the Christ candle."

Our scriptures during Advent can be fiery and controversial. This is a time when we meet the main characters in the early ministry of Jesus. Next week we meet John the Baptizer, that cave-man-type prophet who bridges the Old Testament and the New Testament. On the Fourth Sunday we meet Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of our Lord Jesus -- a woman of her time who was way ahead of her time.

Tomorrow's scriptures start at the beginning by talking about the end: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; and Mark 13:24-37. This portion of Mark's Gospel is called "The Little Apocalypse." It describes what will happen at the second advent of Jesus Christ. Please don't miss verses 32-33: "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come."

God willing, I'll be preaching about that tomorrow.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

*definition from the Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary

"Freely bestowed on us"

2008-11-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the traditional day for getting those bargains we have all been waiting for. While cheap is good, free is even better. Several stores in Billings were also giving away a free pair of Wrangler jeans to the first ten customers. Of course, you had to be in line long before the sun rose to get in on the deal.

Here's a deal you can get in on at any time. It's free, but it's not cheap:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

just as he chose us in Chirst
before the foundation of the world
to be holy and blameless before him in love.

He destined us for adoption
as his children through Jesus Christ,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace
that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

[Ephesians 1:3-6]

Happy "Black Friday" to everyone.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Who invented Thanksgiving?

2008-11-27T06:46:00.001-08:00

Was it the Children of Israel? or the Pilgrims? Maybe they used this Psalm:

Psalm 100

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Was it Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of war, October 1863?

"It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my Fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

Whoever it was, let's give thanks.

From The Book of Common Prayer, p. 836:

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

A prayer before going to Grandma's house

2008-11-26T06:06:00.000-08:00

It's no secret: not every family in America is a perfect picture of peace and tranquility. Family members and close friends are capable of pushing each other's buttons.

This can be stressful. This year's "holiday" movies are based on themes of getting away from such people [or not]. If any of this sounds familiar to you, I suggest this Prayer attributed to St. Francis. Pray it before you gather for your Thanksgiving feast or maybe even during or after:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

[The Book of Common Prayer, 833]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
Photo: Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi
Garden outside retreat house
Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA
January 2008

On the open road

2008-11-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

Going to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving? Wherever you go, I pray that you will have a safe and happy trip.

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Book of Common Prayer, 831]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
Photos: Montana scenery and cowpersons;
my favorite house in Wrangell, Alaska
Spring and Summer, 2008

Ancient Writings

2008-11-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

Writing seems to be a universal human characteristic. We all want to leave a legacy of some sort, even if on a daily basis we text message someone or write e-mails (or blogs). Writing for a living has always been risky business, but that doesn't stop 200,000 American people per year from publishing books.

Archeologists are always in search of ancient writings even if they cannot decipher the texts. Just think how we are still intrigued by the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Rosetta Stone. The basic questions are: Who were these people who left writings on rocks ten thousand years ago? What were their daily lives like, and what made them tick? How are we like them and what can we learn?

Even if we cannot read such obscure writings, we have a great resource of ancient writings in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments - the Holy Bible. These writings are so important to the human race that they have been preserved and translated through the years. Even now, translators are working to put these words into the languages of those who have never heard the Gospel. We can only presume that God has God's hand in this. Some things are too important to lose. The themes are eternal. For example, here is part of our Psalm appointed for today's Morning Prayer:

Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord
or show forth all his praise?

Happy are those who act with justice
and always do what is right!

Remember me, O Lord,
with the favor you have for your people
and visit me with your saving help;

that I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people,
that I may glory with your inheritance.
[Psalm 106:1-5]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
Photos: Petroglyph Beach
Wrangell, Alaska, June 2008

"Aslan isn't safe, but he's good" -- C.S. Lewis

2008-11-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

Today in the Anglican Communion we remember Clive Staples Lewis, whose converted imagination gave the world The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, Surprised by Joy . . . I could go on.

On this date in 1963, C. S. Lewis died at the age of sixty-five. The world hardly noticed since its attention was directed to the death of John F. Kennedy, so once again the Athiest turned Christian had his privacy. His friends said he would have preferred it that way.

His quotes are so quotable that I can't resist a couple of famous ones. From Mere Christianity:

You must make your choice. Either this man [Jesus] was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up as a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.

Lewis was raised as an Anglican but in adolescence had resisted Christianity with all his might. However, God pursued him. From Surprised by Joy:

Really, a young Atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully. Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about "man's search for God." . . . I know very well when, but hardly how, the final step was taken. I was driven to Whipsnade one sunny morning. When we set out, I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo, I did.

O God of searing truth and surpassing beauty, we give you thanks for Clive Staples Lewis, whose sanctified imagination lights fires of faith in young and old alike. Surprise us also with your joy and draw us into that new and abundant life which is ours in Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

What we believe

2008-11-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

If you want a quick look at the theology of Holy Cross Church-Episcopal, please go to our website at http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/ and click on "about us" on the left side of your screen. If you scroll down to "what we believe", you will find the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, both of which are concise statements of the Christian faith as held by the early Church Fathers and handed on to us.

Here is a recommendation of the Creeds by Cyril, Bishop of Jeruslem, who died in the year 386:

Now I order you to retain this creed for your nourisment throughout life and never to accept any alternative, not even if I myself were to change and say something contrary to what I am now teaching, not even if some angel of contradiction, changed into an angel of light, tried to lead you astray. . . .

So for the present be content to listen to the simple words of the creed and to memorize them; at some suitable time you can find the proof of each article in the Scriptures. This summary of the faith was not composed at any human whim; the most important sections were chosen from the whole Scripture to constitute and complete a comprehensive statement of the faith. Just as the mustard seed contains in a small grain many branches, so this brief statement of the faith keeps in its heart, as it were, all the religious truth to be found in Old and New Testament alike.

That is why, beloved, you must consider and preserve the traditions you are now receiving. Inscribe them across your heart. Observe them scrupulously, so that no enemy may rob any of you in an idle and heedless moment; let no heretic deprive you of what has been given to you. Faith is rather like depositing in a bank the money entrusted to you, and God will surely demand an account of what you have deposited. You have now been given life's great treasure. [from "Readings for the Daily Office from the Early Church", Proper 28, Friday, 447-8]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT 59108
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Passing the faith along

2008-11-20T05:29:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a good story about how the Christian faith has stayed alive for lo these two thousand years? The stories of faithful believers get woven in with the stories of Jesus, and then our stories get woven in with theirs. In this way we can feel connected to Christians across the ages.

Today is the feast day of Edmund, King of East Anglia, Martyr, who died for the Christian faith in 870. Edmund was fifteen years old when he became king, and by the time he was thirty, the British Isles had become a cupcake in a hungry world of seafaring peoples.

The Danes, led by the brothers Hinguar and Hubba, invaded in 870. They destroyed villages, burned monasteries and churches, killed hundreds of people, and worked their way to East Anglia. When they met Edmund, they offered to share their plunder if he would renounce his Christian faith and become their puppet king. He refused, and paid the terrible price of his life.

So goes the story of Edmund. Christianity eventually reached Denmark, but what if Edmund had caved in to Hinguar and Hubba?

O God of ineffable mercy, you gave grace and fortitude to blessed Edmund the king to triumph over the enemy of his people by nobly dying for your Name. Bestow on us your servants the shield of faith with which we can withstand the assaults of our ancient enemy; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org

"The poor you have always with you." - Jesus

2008-11-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

Today is the feast day of Elizabeth of Hungary, born in 1207, daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary. At the age of fourteen she married a nobleman and had three children. The Franciscans, who champion the poor and downtrodden, came to her town of Wartburg in 1223. They were her spiritual directors, and she developed a deep concern for the poor and the sick, who were frequently the same people.

Her almsgiving reached epic proportions. When famine and epidemic hit Wartburg in 1226, her husband was traveling in Italy. Having already given away her dowry, at this time she sold her jewels and built a hospital for the poor. The last straw was that she opened the royal granaries to feed them. Her husband died in 1227 and Elizabeth was forced to leave Wartburg. She was roundly unpopular with the powers that were because of her "royal extravagances."

Elizabeth eventually joined the Franciscans as a tertiary, or "Third Order" and continued to care for the poor and needy (sort of like Teresa of Calcutta). Like a shooting star, Elizabeth died young. Her biographers say she died of exhaustion at the age of twenty-four on November 16, 1231. Four years later, Pope Gregory the Ninth declared her to be Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a Patron Saint of the Third Order of St. Francis.

Almighty God, by your grace your servant Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and honored Jesus in the poor of the world: Grant that we, following her example, may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

Thinking about the Kennedys

2008-11-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

This week I have been thinking about the Massachusetts Kennedys. They seem to leave a generous sprinkling of faerie dust on the American landscape wherever they go. That was certainly true of John F. Kennedy, who died tragically almost forty-five years ago. If you were alive and aware then, you probably remember where you were on that day.

The senior members of the First African Baptist Church on Cumberland Island, Georgia, know where they were that day. They were holding a memorial service and all their neighbors were invited. As you might imagine from the photos posted here, it was tough to pack everyone into the church.

On September 21, 1996, John Kennedy, Jr. married Carolyn Bessette in this very church. John had good connections on the island, and they were able to get married out of the media spotlight. The paparazzi would gladly have crawled on their bellies through the miles of saw palmettos for even one photograph, but the good folks at the First African Baptist Church were able to host this event in relative peace.

The service was late getting started and had to be lit by borrowed flashlights. A Baptist choir leader sang "Amazing Grace" as Carolyn walked in and "Shall the Circle be Unbroken" as the couple walked out. A Roman Catholic priest from New York officiated. The happy couple deserved all the joy and privacy they could be afforded, because less than three years later they died in a plane crash.

The First African Baptist Church was glad to have obliged John and Carolyn on their joyous day. They were there, and one thing churches are good at is to be "there" in good times and in sad times.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
Photos taken December 6, 2007

Getting ready to get ready

2008-11-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

Our Gospel reading for tomorrow is about servants and their state of readiness for an audit when the boss comes back to review his profits on the investments he entrusted to them (Matthew 25:14-30).

This is often referred to as "The Parable of the talents." Some of the servants had invested wisely and one had not invested at all, even though he knew there would be a day of reckoning. Trouble is, when it was too late, it was too late. The moral to this story: drink from the well before it runs dry, or . . . sometimes it is too late to cram for finals.

One of our prayers for tomorrow's worship service sums up one way in which we can prepare and enjoy our journey of faith without cramming for finals:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ: who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [The Book of Common Prayer, 236]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
Photo: Mary's Well
in the Greek Orthodox Church
Nazareth, Israel, August 2004

Singing at Holy Cross

2008-11-12T04:43:00.000-08:00

Our Psalm for Evening Prayer today, Psalm 81, begins with these two verses:

Sing with joy to God our strength
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.

Raise a song and sound the trimbrel,
the merry harp, and the lyre.

If you have attended services at Holy Cross Church, you have noticed that the hymns are chosen to match the scriptures for the day.

Our Hymnal is designed to parallel The Book of Common Prayer. Each Sunday we get a small slice of the whole church year. Also, if you have attended services at Holy Cross, I congratulate you on your courage to sing whatever is put in front of you. Our organist, Mr. Mike Everson, makes it easy to sing along.

Over time you will probably encounter hymns that are unfamiliar to you. This is the beauty and joy of being in a brand new church. We don't have a list of hymns that we have "always sung." It's sort of like going on vacation to a new place and eating the local foods, whatever they may be. You might find a recipe to take home with you. If you have not yet attended services at Holy Cross, I invite you into the adventure. It's classic Christianity for twenty-first-century seekers.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Martin the soldier

2008-11-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day in America, when we remember those who have served their country in the armed forces. Coincidentally (or maybe not) it is also the feast day of Martin, Bishop of Tours. He was born in what is now Hungary in approximately 330 A.D. He served in the Roman army, then finally settled in France, where he was baptized into the Christian faith. He was ordained priest when he was in his twenties.

Martin tried to live as a hermit, but against his better wishes he was elected Bishop at about the age of forty-two. His reputation was that he was ever the missionary and "staunch defender of the poor and helpless." Martin died in 397.

So our prayers today are reminiscent of those who serve or have served their country in war and peace.

Lord God of hosts, you clothed your servant Martin the soldier with the spirit of sacrifice, and set him as a bishop in your Church to be a defender of the catholic faith: Give us grace to follow in his holy steps, that at the last we may be found clothed with righteousness in the dwellngs of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Book of Common Prayer, 823]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/

Keeping your lamps lit

2008-11-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

Our Gospel reading for tomorrow is Matthew 25:1-13 -- the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids; also known as the Parable of the Ten Virgins. This parable of Jesus is all about being ready - about watching and waiting. It's about making advance preparations for a very important event - the return of our Lord Jesus to snatch away his bride, the Church.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a shout: "Look! here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him." Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." But the wise replied, "No! There will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves" And while they went ot buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us." But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

So, apparently we cannot get to heaven on someone else's coattails. We need our own oil in our own lamps. As the classic spiritual song says: "Keep your lamps trimmed and burning. You don't know the day."

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: The nave of the Church at
Holy Spirit Monastery,
Conyers, GA, January 2008

Rolling along with prayer

2008-11-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a word on prayer from Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

If you are searching for God and do not know where to begin, learn to pray and take the trouble to pray every day. You can pray anytime, anywhere. You can pray at work -- work doesn't have to stop prayer and prayer doesn't have to stop work.

Tell Him everything, talk to Him. He is our father. We are all created by God, we are his children. We have to put our trust in Him and love Him, believe in Him, work for Him. And if we pray, we will get all the answers we need. [Meditations from a Simple Path, 6].

Here is a Prayer for Fridays:

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen. [from The Book of Common Prayer]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
photo: Rock Creek
in the Beartooth Mountains
September 2008

Hearing and really listening

2008-11-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

On this Thursday in a very busy and historical week, here is a word of wisdom from Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 430 A.D., who also lived in busy and turbulent times:

Let me tell you plainly that you are suffering from an illusion if you have hastened to hear the Word without the intention of putting into practice what you hear. Try to realize that if it is a good thing to hear the Word, it is much better to put it into practice. If you do not listen to it, you neglect hearing it and you will not build anything. If you listen to it and fail to act accordingly, you will be constructing a ruin.

In this regard, the Lord makes a suggestion by means of a very exact comparison. He tells us: "Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise person who built a house on a rock. When the rainy season set in, the torrents came and the winds blew and buffeted the house. It did not collapse." Why did it not collapse? Because "it had been solidly set on rock." Hence, to listen and to put into pactice is to build on rock. And by the mere fact of listening we are already in the process of building.

Something to stop and think about on this first Thursday in November.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: outcropping of rock on
Mike and Maureen Mansfield Highway
(Interstate 15) between Helena and
Great Falls, September 2008

Prayer for our Country

2008-11-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will.

Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedince to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth.

In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Book of Common Prayer, 820]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: property on which worship space
for Holy Cross Church will be built
(54th & Grand, Billings)

Be Strong and Courageous

2008-11-04T04:32:00.000-08:00

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, " . . . I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:1, 9)

The times: they are a-changing. On this election day 2008, we pray:

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [from The Book of Common Prayer, 822-823]

Happy Election Day to all!

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, MT
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Photos: Mt. Rushmore, May 2008

Air Castles

2008-10-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast day of Teresa of Avila, Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Church. She was the Roman Catholic Nun who reformed the Carmelite Order during the Spanish Inquisition started by Ferdinand and Isabella -- the same monarchs who gave us "Columbus Day." Teresa died in 1582.

Teresa's mystical contemplative works are The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. To read and appreciate them, I have to get very, very quiet.

Here is an excerpt from the ending of The Interior Castle, which was written to her nuns:

In sum, my Sisters, what I conclude with is that we shouldn't build castles in the air. The Lord doesn't look so much at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done. And if we do what we can, His Majesty will enable us each day to do more and more, provided that we do not quickly tire.

But during the little while this life lasts - and perhaps it will last a shorter time than each one thinks - let us offer the Lord interiorly and exteriorly the sacrifice we can. His Majesty will join it with that which He offered on the cross to the Father for us. Thus even though our works are small they will have the value our love for Him would have merited had they been great. [page 194]

The Episcopal Church celebrates Teresa's life with this prayer:

O God, by your Holy Spirit you moved Teresa of Avila to manifest to your Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we pray, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a keen and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314
Photos: ruins of the Dungeness Mansion
estate of Thomas and Lucy Carnegie
Cumberland Island, Georgia
December 2007

Two Good Samaritans

2008-10-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, this is where I was literally stopped in my tracks. I was trying to make [tire] tracks in more than a foot of snow that had been falling for about 48 hours. I was almost at my destination, the Kathy Lillis Chapel, to set up for the 10:00 a.m. worship service.

Thinking it would be a good idea to turn my car around and park it at Shiloh & Poly, I got totally crosswise the street. I got out of the car to shovel out from under the tires, and two Good Sams stopped to render aid. I knew I was really in Montana when the guy in the city snowplow hopped down from the driver's seat, clad in a T-shirt and jeans, to survey my hapless situation. Soon he was joined by the driver of a small SUV, and together they gave me a push in the right direction.

The best thing in the world is to do the right thing at the right time without being told to do it. Blessings on those two Good Samaritans.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Wonder Winterland

2008-10-11T08:49:00.001-07:00

My first thought was: "Uh-oh. That white stuff is not cotton." From the time these pictures were taken - about half an hour ago - the white stuff has gotten even deeper. The National Weather Service says that this is a two-part storm, and the second part should "come in with a vengeance" today, with three more inches of snow today, six more tonight, and about five more tomorrow.

It's very quiet all around, which means this is a great time to catch up my reading. I'm almost finished with A Grace Disguised by Terry Sittser. Terry is a college professor of religion. He thought would give him a basis for understanding his grief when in one automobile accident his mother, his wife, and his four-year-old daughter were all killed instantly. He admits he was wrong about that. He is kind enough to share the ways in which he has learned to live with his loss, go on with his life, and rest in God's amazing love.

Next on my reading list is So You Don't Want to go to Church Anymore by Jake Colsen. I don't really know what that is about, but I can guess. On Tuesday of this week, as a part of the Rocky Mountain College Symposium on religion in American life, the speakers met with area pastors. Part of our discussion centered on the growing number of people who claim their religion is "no religion." I have a theory about that, and it finds expression in a line from The Book of Common Prayer:

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him. (p. 386)

My theory is that this prayer is for all of us, regardless of "religious" stripe or the lack thereof.

Lots of food for thought during my first big Montana snow-in. Now I have to run along and make a pot of soup.

In peace,

Linda
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Song for a snowy Friday

2008-10-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

It is not yet daylight in Billings, so I cannot take a picture to illustrate this, but the rain that started yesterday afternoon is leaving a good coat of snow on the grass. This makes The Second Song of Isaiah (Isaiah 55:6-11) even more appropriate at Morning Prayer today:

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found;
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion,
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth,
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed,
and prosper in that for which I sent it.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

Places to see

2008-10-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite travel books is 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Since I have moved to Billings, my list of places to see has kept growing, and they are not all listed in that book. Not so far from Billings - about two hours if you take a leisurely drive - are two such places.

Many people simply pass through Cody, Wyoming on their way to Yellowstone National Park, but if they want a real treat, I highly recommend the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. It boasts five museums under one roof, "exploring the history of the American West." If you love paintings and bronzes by good western artists, this is a must-see. I could spend half a day with the Charles Russell art. And then there's the Frederic Remington exhibition, and the Albert Bierstadts, etc etc.

But if you want great art by a local artist, take a retreat at Thomas The Apostle Retreat Center on the outskirts of Cody. The Rev. Daphne Grimes - writer, poet, sculptor, painter, and iconographer - is the founder and Director of the Center. Some of her work is in a gallery on the grounds, some is in the chapel, and the bronze sculpture of Jesus and Thomas entitled "My Lord and My God" is outside to greet visitors.

It would take more than a quick tour of the facilities to appreciate this place. In the quiet atmosphere you can stretch your muscles, stretch your mind, and stretch your soul. Maybe the author of my favorite travel book would consider a re-write.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

photos taken 09/30/08

Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels - September 29

2008-09-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Attention: This is very important: Human beings cannot – repeat – cannot – become angels. Angels are a created order of their own. No human being dies and “goes to be an angel.”

Everything I needed to know about angels, I learned from the Bible:

Psalm 8 – We humans are made “a little lower than the angels, adorned with glory and honor.”

Angels and Jesus:
The Angel Gabriel predicts the birth of John the Baptist: Luke 1:19
The Angel Gabriel predicts the birth of Jesus Christ: to Mary: Luke 1:26-38;
The Angel of the Lord predicts the birth of Jesus Christ to Joseph: Matthew 1:18-25
Angels announce the birth of Jesus Christ: Luke 2:8-15
The Angel of the Lord directs Joseph to escape
to Egypt with Mary and Jesus: Matt. 2:13-15
Angels minister to Jesus in his temptation: Matthew 4:11, Mark 1:13
Angels minister to Jesus before his crucifixion: Luke 22:43-44
Angels announce the resurrection of Jesus: Matthew 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-7

The relationship of angels to humans:
Angels are “ministering spirits.” See Hebrews 1:14 (see also Hebrews Chapters 1 and 2 for the relationship of angels to Jesus and those he came to save.)

Angels, incense and prayer:
See Revelation 8:3-5. (Angels are especially featured in the Book of Revelation as doing the bidding of God.)

Okay - so I learned a little about angels from Pseudo-Dionysius, who categorized the nine ranks of angels. (See also Hymn 618, The Hymnal 1982)

In the fifth or sixth century, a scholar named Pseudo-Dionysius did a careful study of scripture (Old Testament and New Testament) and outlined for all time the nine ranks of angels discussed in the Bible. His work was the basis of subsequent commentaries by medieval scholars Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and Peter Lombard. They agreed with Pseudo-Dionysius that there are nine ranks of angels, divided into three sets of threes as follows:

1. Seraphim
2. Cherubim
3. Thrones
4. Dominions
5. Authorities (Virtues)
6. Powers
7. Principalities
8. Archangels
9. Angels

The first three – Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones are a three-fold hierarchy of equal status. They are the ones closest to God. (See Isaiah 6:1-13 for the classic description of Seraphs. Also see Ezekiel 10 for a description of Cherubim.)

The second three - Dominions, Authorities, and Powers are the ones next closest to God (See Ezekiel chapters 9 and 10. Also see Colossians 1:16). Dionysius thought that Angels knew clearly their rank. Their primary job is to attend God, absorb all the wisdom and light they can from God, and to pass this on to the next lowest rank of angels.

The third three - Principalities (See Ephesians 1:21, 3:10), Archangels (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and Angels (see page 1) are the lowest rank. There are four archangels mentioned in the Bible: Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel. Gabriel appears in the New Testament writings (Luke’s Gospel). Michael is mentioned in the Old Testament in Daniel 10:13 and in the New Testament in Jude, verse 9, and again in Revelation12:7, 8. St. Michael is pictured as contending with the devil and always winning. Raphael and Uriel are mentioned in Jewish apocryphal literature—Tobit 5:4 and I Enoch 20, respectively.

It is agreed by scholars that only the last two ranks of angels (Archangels and Angels) have an immediate mission to humans. It is also generally agreed among the medieval schoolmen that angels are intelligences only. They are not created to be united to a body. Therefore they differ from a human soul.

One medieval argument that still gets a few smiles is “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” The answer is: “an infinite number, because they do not have bodies. They are ministering spirits.”

Angels talk to humans and announce God’s messages to them, but humans do not speak with angels as intermediaries. Jesus Christ is our only mediator and advocate, We go to God through Jesus Christ through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. We as human beings go straight to God with our prayers.

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, 244)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314
photo: Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery
St. Simons Island, Georgia

Getting around the road construction

2008-09-27T19:07:00.001-07:00

Eventually it will benefit all of us - this road construction on the West end. The road crews are working on Rimrock all the way to 54th Street, and they are still working on Shiloh south of Poly Drive.

Please do not be put off by the sign at Rimrock and Shiloh that says "Road closed to thru traffic." If you are coming to Holy Cross Church you are "local" traffic so you can come past the barriers in the lane that is open.

Please join us for joyful worship at 10:00 a.m. as usual. It's worth your efforts to get there.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
photo: Shiloh south of Poly
09 26 08

The Beartooths at close range

2008-09-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today after lunch I headed west on Highway 212 into the Beartooth Mountain Range. I wanted to see that part of "the last best place" before snow makes travel impossible for me. In fact I did see some patches of snow in the higher elevations, but mostly I saw those trees turning gold and heard the roar of the water flowing in Rock Creek (so aptly named).

As I drove along engulfed in all this natural beauty, it was impossible to get away from what is on the minds of so many people these days: the welfare of these United States of America. As always, The Book of Common Prayer has a word for us:

O God, the fountain of wisdom, whose will is good and gracious, and whose law is truth: We beseech you so to guide and bless our Senators and Representatives in Congress assembled, that they may enact such laws as shall please you, to the glory of your Name and the welfare of this people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (p. 821)

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

photos taken 09 26 08

Beauty is everywhere

2008-09-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

I promised that on this blog I would share good thoughts. These beautiful flowers were blooming beside a store in Wrangell, Alaska in late June. The mural of a mermaid reflects the culture of this island fishing village.

And speaking of beauty, here is one of our Psalms for today at Morning Prayer. Psalm 117:

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
laud him, all you peoples.

For his loving-kindness toward us is great,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Hallelujah!

In these turbulent times, may your life be anchored in God, the source of all truth and beauty.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Is this a great place, or what?

2008-09-24T17:42:00.001-07:00

Since I am a newcomer to Billings, I am trying to take in community activities as much as I can. Sunday afternoon I treated myself to the Rimrock Opera's presentation of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. It was a feast for eyes and ears - beautifully done.

Last night I went to the Montana State University-Billings' United Campus Ministries' annual dinner. I found myself seated at a table with pastors, artists, and a spiritual director. As if that were not enough, astronaut Frank Borman was our featured speaker. First we got an audiovisual replay of his reading a portion of the Book of Genesis on December 24, 1968 as he and two other astronauts circled the moon. He said that the NASA authorities had told him to "read something appropriate."

What I remember most about his speech is that he said earth was the only thing in space that had any color to it. Everything else was black and white. I'll have to think about that some more.

All this, and on Sunday mornings I get to officiate at worship services in the beautiful chapel pictured above. Life is good.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

2008-09-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, September 21, was the feast day of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, whose name is attached to the first book of the New Testament. Matthew's day got bumped on the church calendar to today, because every Sunday is a feast of Jesus, and nothing trumps a feast of Jesus. So today we celebrate Saint Matthew on this day of the autumnal equinox - speaking of which, did we not used to celebrate the first day of fall on September 21? Something has changed.

But back to Saint Matthew and his Gospel of Jesus Christ -- Matthew was a tax collector in Capernaum, one of Jesus' favorite villages. A total of five of the original twelve Apostles claimed Capernaum as home (Matthew, Peter, Andrew, John, and John's brother James).

We are preaching our way through Matthew's gospel this year, but frankly it preaches itself. Let's see . . . there's the birth narrative, the Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Beatitudes, the parables . . . read chapter 13 for all those "The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . ." comparisons. Matthew's detailed account of the trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus is the stuff of great musical compositions.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 11, verses 28-30, quoting Jesus:

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

photo: Autumn at Duncan Gray Conference Center

Canton, Mississippi

Alternate route to Holy Cross

2008-09-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

If you have driven north on Shiloh Road this week, you know that you can't get there from here. It is closed from Poly Drive to Colton Drive as part of the COP Construction work on the Shiloh Road Corridor.

The best way to detour around the work, which is expected to last until October 10, is to drive south on Shiloh from Rimrock. Go to the "Road Closed" sign at Shiloh Road and Poly Drive (private) and enter the north parking lot or circle around to the south parking lot.

I assure you that Holy Cross Church-Episcopal is open, even though part of the road around it is closed. See you Sunday.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

Getting in the way of the view

2008-09-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have just gotten back from Great Falls, where for a day and a half I met with other pastors who are new to Montana. The Montana Association of Churches, of which the Episcopal Diocese of Montana is a member, hosted a very informative, often entertaining, look at Montana from the perspective of cradle Montanans.

Yesterday's featured speakers included prominent political personalities and a literary expert who gave us a list of books by Montana authors. These will keep us busy until our Lord returns. Our speaker today was Hal Stearns, who has served as a high-ranking military officer and university professor, and is also a noted historian (On The Trail With Lewis and Clark in Montana).

Hal said that once he was at a speaking engagement in Kansas and his host introduced him as being "from Montana where the mountains get in the way of the view." On my way home I stopped and took these pictures along I-15 from Great Falls to Helena. Of course they do not do the views justice because that drive is like an hour-long Albert Bierstadt painting.

Like our literary expert, Hal gave us assignments for a crash course. We are to visit every history center and art museum in Montana, memorize the map, read five journals and three Montana magazines each month, attend every high school and college athletic event as well as the Sheep Drive in Reed Point, and finish that book list. The bottom line? Welcome to Montana!

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

The earth is the Lord's

2008-09-14T04:32:00.001-07:00

Today at Morning Prayer we get Psalm 24. Here are verses 1-6:

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it,
the world and all who dwell therein.

For it is he who founded it upon the seas
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

"Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?
and who can stand in his holy place?"

"Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.

They shall receive a blessing from the Lord
and a just reward from the God of their salvation."

Such is the generation of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314
Photo: Petroglyph Beach at
Wrangell, Alaska June 2008

Holy Cross Day

2008-09-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, September 14, Holy Cross Church gets to celebrate Holy Cross Day. By next year we hope to turn September 14 into an annual festal celebration with a special dinner together.

Our Gospel for Sunday contains these words of Jesus: "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32) He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. (verse 33)

Jesus definitely draws all people to himself, and he graciously lets us participate in lifting up our hearts to worship him. Come and join us for joyful worship at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays.

In Peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

May the Lord . . . prosper all your plans

2008-09-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

At Morning Prayer the Psalms are often my favorite part of the readings. Here is Psalm 20, which is not appointed for today but is one of my favorites. The first five verses embody my prayer for you:

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble,
the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;

Send you help from his holy place
and strengthen you out of Zion;

Remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt sacrifice;

Grant you your heart's desire
and prosper all your plans.

We will shout for joy at your victory
and triumph in the Name of our God;
may the Lord grant all your requests.

Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed;
he will answer him out of his holy heaven,
with the victorious strength of his right hand.

Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.

They collapse and fall down,
but we will arise and stand upright.

O Lord, give victory to the king
and answer us when we call.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314
Photo taken May 2008: copper specimen at
The Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman

Taking time to remember

2008-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Father of all, we pray to you for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

[from The Book of Common Prayer]

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Fishing for people

2008-09-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Matthew 4:18-22:

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea - for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Yes, fishing is great.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

Photo taken June 2008

Home for Helpless Pets

2008-09-08T10:04:00.001-07:00

This is Sophia. She has no front claws and is, in many ways, helpless. When I first saw her she was also homeless. I adopted her from the shelter called "Help for Homeless Pets." She had a name I could not remember, so I renamed her Sophia - the Greek word for wisdom. Who would not want to live with wisdom?

I miss the cats I had to leave behind in Georgia - Thaddaeus, Barnabas, and Maximus, but I left them in the loving care of friends. I have discovered here that there are many lovely animals that also need a good home. Sophia's other human had to go to live in a nursing home, and Sophia had no one to comb her long fur. She allows me the privilege on a daily basis.

If you adopt from Help for Homeless Pets, you receive a month's free pet insurance so that you can make sure your new animal gets appropriate veterinary care. Sophia is off to another good start, and looky there -- I have windowsill that fits her exactly. It feels right to provide a home for a helpless pet.

In peace,

Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
406-208-7314

Seedtime and harvest

2008-09-08T09:12:00.001-07:00

This morning I postponed my walk until the sun was higher in the sky - about 7:45 a.m. As I walked past the temperature sign on 32nd street, I was informed that it was 36 degrees F. at 8:00 a.m. It was also foggy and misty - a different kind of morning as we approach autumn.

This changing of the seasons reminds me of a wonderful verse of scripture (Genesis 8:22):

As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night,
shall not cease.

The picture above shows the property at 54th and Grand on which we propose to build Holy Cross Church. That's me, out standing in our field.

For several years a large chunk of this property (about 25 acres) has been leased to a wheat farmer. We have a world to feed, after all, and we can't let seedtime and harvest go by without doing our share. There will come a time - soon, I hope - when we will cut back on the wheat farmer's activity and begin to build. In the meantime, we are planting seeds of a church that we trust will bring a lovely harvest to the glory of God.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

My soul is content

2008-09-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

A portion of our Psalms at Morning Prayer today is Psalm 63:1-8:

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,
as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.

Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place,
that I might behold your power and your glory.

For your loving-kindness is better than life itself;
my lips shall give you praise.

So will I bless you as long as I live
and lift up my hands in your Name.

My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,

When I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the night watches.

For you have been my helper,
and under the shadow of your wings I rejoice.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church - Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
http://holycrossbillings.blogspot.com
406-208-7314
photo: Yellowstone Nat'l Park
Memorial Day, 2008

Forgiveness leads to fellowship

2008-09-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Our Gospel for tomorrow (Matthew 18:15-20) speaks of forgiveness in a specific way. It is forgiveness between members of the church. The members of Christ's Body the Church - the Ecclesia - the "called out ones" are expected to behave toward one another in a mature way. This Gospel reading gives a step-by-step formula for the working out of issues among those of us whom God in Christ has forgiven.

When we live out the Gospel in this particular way, something wonderful happens: Jesus is present to us. This portion of Matthew's Gospel ends with: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

Read it for yourself and see what you think. Or come to church tomorrow and hear my sermon and tell me what you think. If you don't like my sermon, I'll forgive you.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
http://holycrossbillings.blogspot.com

Thirteen Saint Bernard Puppies

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

O.K. I admit it. I have no theological reason to blog these pictures, except that God surely loves puppies because God gave them such a precious child to play with.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314
Photos: 9/3/08 at Wal Mart
parking lot - West Billings
taken with permission

Signs of the times Part Two

2008-09-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

At 6:50 this morning I was out walking when I received a call from Sign Products. "The guys are on their way to 54th and Grand to put up your sign." I drove out there right away and watched as they dug three feet into the ground to set the poles, leveled the signs, and got them installed by 8:15. That was in time for even more traffic to go by and for the people in those vehicles to see the sign.

The sign says "Future home of . . ." and we hope it will not be so very far in the future.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314

Signs of the times

2008-09-03T14:53:00.001-07:00

We are in the process of getting our signs around town. Here is the latest one that shows we are worshiping in the chapel located at The Lillis Center of St. John's Lutheran Ministries.

If you park in this parking lot at Shiloh Road and Poly Drive, please come into the building and down the stairs to the Kathy Lillis Chapel.

Soon we will have a site sign on our property at 54th Street and Grand Avenue -- one of those "future home of" signs. There are a lot of those going up around Billings and we are excited to be a part of the growth.

In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar
Holy Cross Church-Episcopal
www.holycrosschurchbillings.org
406-208-7314