Holy is His Name

Mary merely stated the obvious, but we have quoted her ever since. A favorite verse to put on cards to hand out at ordinations is "the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name." (Luke 1:49) I had this engraved on napkins for use at the reception after my ordination as priest.

Today we celebrate the feast of "The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" which commemorates Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth shortly after Mary found out she would give birth to Jesus. At that time Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptizer. In this story in Luke's gospel we have the only recorded incident in which John the Baptizer behaved in a happy way, and he wasn't even born. Scripture records that when Mary appeared on the scene, Elizabeth's baby John "leaped in her womb."

Mary was also happy then, and here from Luke 1:46-55 is the full text of her song that she composed on the spot:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on
the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all
generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done
great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the
thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the
powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made
to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his
descendants forever.

I believe that this song was etched into Mary's heart and mind, and that it sustained her in tough times. I would venture to say that she probably thought of this when she was standing at the foot of the cross.

In peace,

Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

My Latest Offering

I would say "now in paperback" except that it never was in hard cover. This book of sixty sermons (278 pages) came out last week and now I am making that fact public. Here's how to order a copy at the cost of $15: click on http://www.lulu.com/content/880650

I took the photo and wrote the sermons, but I cannot take credit for the cover design or for the layout of the book. That credit goes my mentor, the Rev. Frank Logue at King of Peace Episcopal Church in Kingsland, GA. All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the discretionary fund of The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek and will be used for the betterment of our community.

I hope you can enjoy this book and pass it along to friends. This is my attempt to make it possible for everyone to sample my preaching over a cup of coffee. The collection is arranged so that you may pick it up and read it from time to time without feeling obligated to finish it all at once.

If the sermons do not prove meaningful to you, perhaps the cover will be worth the price of admission.


In peace,

Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Death, Resurrection and Pirates

Ahoy! This is not a pirate ship

photo by Linda McCloud+

On this first weekend of summer I went to see the new Disney blockbuster film "Pirates of the Caribbean." I believe this is the third such film to be released and if I may play movie critic for a moment I suspect that this will be the last. It felt as though I was back in my elementary school cafeteria and it was Friday. That was the day that the cooks cleaned out the freezers and served us a combination of foods that did not always seem to go together.

Likewise I suspected that the actors made up this movie as they went along. It seemed to me that they used every gimmick they had left over while the "pirates" still had the gold and black caps on their teeth. Some of it was good fun. I must give them credit for some amazing special effects with the ocean scenes, which frankly kept me in my seat for almost three hours.

That being said, resurrection from death is a recurring theme in this movie and at times it is difficult to tell who is dead and who is alive. The best line on this subject is something like: "Dying is not the hard part. Coming back from the dead is the hard part."

Somewhere in there I find a theological truth, except that coming back from the dead is not something we can do on our own, as they do in the movie. God will raise us from the dead, and that won't be difficult for God.

In peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

A Prayer for Our Country

For this Memorial Day as many families are enjoying a rest from their usual labors, I offer this prayer for our country, from The Book of Common Prayer, 820:

Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly ask 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 obedience 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.


In peace,

Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Fifty Days After Easter

Exerpts from The Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1 and 2 (NRSV):

"While staying with them, [Jesus] ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' he said, 'is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'



". . .When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

". . . But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised hs voice and addressed them . . . This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear . . .

"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, 'Brothers, what should we do?' Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' . . . So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

"Awe came upon everyone . . .Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people . . ."

And so on Pentecost the Church was born because "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25).

In peace,

Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

First Pilgrim on the Canterbury Road

Today is the feast day of Augustine of Canterbury, who was a very reluctant missionary. Augustine was just minding his own business as Prior at his quiet monastery in Rome when his bishop, Pope Gregory the Great, decided to send him and forty of his monks to the pagan Anglo-Saxons. They arrived in Britain in the year 597 even though on the way to Britain, Augustine and his monks tried to turn back. However, Gregory "encouraged him to keep going."

Christianity was not new in Britain so there were some ecumenical matters to deal with, and Augustine did not enjoy a reputation as a great organizer. King Ethelbert was tolerant of Christians and allowed Augustine and his monks to use St. Martin's, an old church on the east side of Canterbury which had been built during the Roman occupation of Britain.

In approximately the year 601, Ethelbert was converted to Christianity and brought with him 10,000 of his subjects. About the same time Augustine was ordained Bishop and named "Archbishop of the English Nation." Therefore the church at Canterbury became his Cathedral and the rest, as they say, is history.

Augustine's career was short-lived, as it is believed that he died on May 26 in approximately 605. I wonder if he ever would have dreamed that his legacy would survive more than fourteen hundred years. It just goes to show that sometimes even the most reluctant missionary can be successful beyond his or her wildest dreams.

In peace,

Linda+

The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Time to Pray; Time to Play

The Memorial Day weekend has begun. It's a time to pray and remember, especially those who have given their lives in the service of our country. It's also a time to play. The beaches will be crowded.

My earliest memories of Memorial Day include helping my mother cut big pink peonies out of our yard. Then she would wrap the stems in wet newspapers and dad would drive for three hours so that we could lay the peonies on family graves.

On this Memorial Day weekend I also remember Brother Bill Reams, a monk who died recently at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. About this time four years ago I stopped by the Monastery for a time of prayer. Brother Bill had seen me there before and for some reason he decided to give me an autographed copy of his book, The Whole Man: Meditations on the Life of Christ. The autograph says in part, "Holy Spirit, make us holy!"

I think that monks are pretty good at meditating on the life of Christ, so I offer this excerpt from his book that seems fitting today:

"God is our Father, and we are His children. 'Be children in evil, and in mind mature.' Yet the psychology of maturity can be overdone. Among all the children of God there must survive a certain childlike simplicity that not only does not know evil, but that positively rejoices in good.

"Children are, for the most part, happy. They play. When we grow up, sometimes we stop playing. And this is not good. We lose the gift of happiness precisely when we lose the gift of childhood.

We have to make a living. We have work to do. We don't have time to play. Or if we do play, we 'play' as adults 'play,' not as children, not as all the children of God should play, not as God's family.

Childlike faith is the only real faith. It is trust in the Father. We are afraid to relax. 'Thieves may break in and steal.' We do not live prayerful lives of religion and piety, because we do not have the confidence of children in God our Father. . . . Indeed, it might very well mean growing pains, and we are afraid to grow . . . spiritually, because it means becoming like little children . . ."

I'll stop there. I wish you a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Please remember to wear your seat belts!

In peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com