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14th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

Sirach 10.14-15 (NRSV)

¹⁴The Eternal overthrows the thrones of rulers, and enthrones the lowly in their place. ¹⁵The Eternal plucks up the roots of the nations, and plants the humble in their place.

From the wisdom of Monica Baldwin

What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.

Luke 14.1, 7-11 (NRSV)

¹On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. ⁷When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he [or she] may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Doctor Robert Griffin at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 29, 2010.

When I was new to ministry, this one time, a young fellow called my office and said he needs to speak to me.  He said that he felt like a complete failure and just need to talk, but he didn’t want to meet in my church office, he asked, would you meet me at a bar close to the church.  I was a little hesitant but I said sure.

I walked into the bar, saw the young man sitting at the bar and just after I got hello out, he said, Pastor, I`m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting, and my boss fired me, this is the worse day of my life. And I said, well that not so bad, there are other jobs to be had.   Then he said, when I went to the car park, I found that my car had been stolen and I don’t have any insurance, this is worse day of my.  Then he said I took a cab home and left my wallet in the cab. When I got home, I found my partner in bed with the milk man and then my dog bit me, and he said, this is the worse day of my life.  At this point, I ordered a cape cod.

Then he said, so, I wanted to come bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all.  And I said, what on earth do you mean, but it all to an end.  He said, well, just before you arrived, I ordered a drink and I’ve drop a capsule in it and watched the poison dissolve as we’ve talk.  Just then a big guy comes up to us and grabs the drink, downs and says, so what are you two doing in my bar ; my friends looks at me and then looks at the guy and says, finally, someone whose going to have a worse day then me. Continue reading »

Listen to Readings and Sermon

14th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

Sirach 10.14-15 (NRSV)

¹⁴The Eternal overthrows the thrones of rulers, and enthrones the lowly in their place. ¹⁵The Eternal plucks up the roots of the nations, and plants the humble in their place.

From the wisdom of Monica Baldwin

What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.

Luke 14.1, 7-11 (NRSV)

¹On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. ⁷When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he [or she] may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 29, 2010.

Television and film helped form who I would become. When I was a kid, I loved School House Rock. SHR was a 3 minute musical infomercial on Saturday mornings from 1973 until the late 90s  meant to teach kids about math, grammar, civics, science and history. I loved old movies, they would usually come on Saturday afternoon. Movies like Spencer Tracy’s last film in 1967, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. And as I made the transition from “kid” to young adult, I loved movies that seemed to speak directly to who I was and how I was experiencing life; movies like Torchsong Trilogy which came out in 1988, 3 years after I was graduated from High School.

Only 90 years ago this month, the 19^th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, recognizing that women had the right to vote in this country. The Amendment was ratified in 1920…to put that in some perspective…my paternal grandmother was born in 1917 and my maternal grandmother was born in 1919. When my grandmothers were born, women were not allowed to vote in this country. Continue reading »

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13th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

Deuteronomy 5.13-14 (NAB)

Six days you may labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is the sabbath… No work may be done then…

Deuteronomy 22.4 (NAB)

You shall not see your [neighbor’s] ass or ox foundering on the road without showing concern about it; see to it that you help… lift it up.

Luke 13.10-17 (NRSV)

¹⁰Now [Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. ¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” ¹⁵But [Jesus] answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie [your] ox or donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham [and Sarah] whom [Misfortune] bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 22, 2010.

In our gospel story today, a woman has been waiting for something wonderful to happen for a long time, and she finds out that it is never too late to hear and respond to good news. But let’s back the story up just a bit.

Luke 4 (Jesus ministers to Simon’s sick mother-in-law, and then lays hands on and prays for a number of people who had healing needs)

Luke 5 (a man with leprosy approaches Jesus and Jesus touches him with compassion)

Luke 5 (a man is paralyzed and Jesus encourages him, tells him he is free from any notion of being a sinner, perhaps it was guilt and shame and low self-esteem that had rendered the poor man immobile, stuck, paralyzed to begin with…and after the man accepts Jesus’ empowering words, and Jesus receives criticism from the religious traditionalists who think he is committing blasphemy with his progressive message, the paralyzed man stops being paralyzed and with Jesus’ encouragement stands up and walks away.

Luke 6 (Sermon on the plain – Jesus promises comfort, blessings to the poor, the depressed, and the oppressed)

Luke 7 (A Roman, pagan centurion comes to Jesus on behalf of his “servant” – probably his lover – and Jesus praises the centurion’s faith and affirms healing for his lover)

Luke 8 (Jesus heals a man tormented by “Legion”)

Luke 8 (Woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years approaches Jesus)

Luke 9 (Jesus sends his apostles out to teach and heal people)

Luke 10 (Parable of Good Samaritan offering aid to a man who had been left for dead)

Luke 11 (Jesus is attentive to someone who can’t speak)

And now in Luke 13 we see him lifting up a woman who has been bent down for 18 years. The theme continues, doesn’t it? Continue reading »

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13th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

Deuteronomy 5.13-14 (NAB)

Six days you may labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is the sabbath… No work may be done then…

Deuteronomy 22.4 (NAB)

You shall not see your [neighbor’s] ass or ox foundering on the road without showing concern about it; see to it that you help… lift it up.

Luke 13.10-17 (NRSV)

¹⁰Now [Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. ¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” ¹⁵But [Jesus] answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie [your] ox or donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham [and Sarah] whom [Misfortune] bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Michael A. Diaz at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 22, 2010.

Now, before you begin to typecast me for being a typical gay guy who watches and is able to speak every line from the Golden Girls, I must admit that I never for once watched the Golden Girls until I went to seminary. It was in seminary when I would constantly pester an older lady who lived downstairs, nicknamed Big Mama. You all know Big Mama, but today we know her as Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin. Being fresh out of college and full of energy to go out and just live, I would always bug Mama Griffin in the late afternoon to come out with me, visit a local watering hole, and enjoy happy hour. Mama Griffin would always have the same response: “Boy, don’t you know the Golden Girls are on right now?” And so, I’d have to sit and watch and wait for the Golden Girls to be over. The show itself was very entertaining. I mean really? Who knew that before Sex and the City, there was another show about four women and their life escapades, the Golden Girls? (I didn’t.)

In the “Love, Rose” episode of the Golden Girls, poor Rose decides to try something new to spice up her non-existent dating life. How many of us have had to try something new a time or two in our lives? Rose takes out a personal ad in the paper, but to her dismay not one person responds. It’s sort of a shock to Rose. After all, surely there is one person out there who would find the person described in her ad attractive. It’s bad enough to get rejected in person, but to be rejected through a newspaper personal ad, that’s rejection gone too far. Rose begins to internalize her rejected status, and falls into an emotional dump. . Not even Blanche’s comedic misguidedness can lift Rose’s head. In her mind, everyone’s rejection of her naturally means she has to reject herself. How many of us have played out this scenario a time or two in our lives?

This storyline isn’t that unfamiliar to us. In fact, it’s not even unfamiliar to scripture. In Luke’s Gospel today, we read of a woman who is in a ceaseless state of being bent over, of not being able to stand up straight. She walks into a synagogue while Jesus is teaching. Jesus notices her and heals her and gets in trouble with the religious authorities for doing so. End of story right? Pretty straightforward? Another sick person is healed. Jesus puts the smack down on the religious authorities and shows everyone who’s boss. Hallelujah. Let’s go home, right? This may seem like just another typical healing story of Jesus, but there is something deeper going on in this ancient story. Continue reading »

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12th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

Jeremiah 23.23-24 (NRSV)

²³”Am I a God nearby,” says the Lord, “and not a God far off? ²⁴Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” says the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.

From the wisdom of Ernest Holmes:

“We must awake to the realization that a Divine Partnership has already been formed between the seen and the invisible.”

Luke 12.54-56 (NRSV)

⁵⁴[Jesus]… said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. ⁵⁵And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. ⁵⁶You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 15, 2010.

“We Are” (Y. Barnwell, 1993)

For each child that’s born/a morning star rises/and sings to the universe/who we are.
We are our grandmothers’ prayers./We are our grandfathers’ dreamings./We are the breath of the ancestors./We are the spirit of God.
We are Mothers of courage/Fathers of time/Daughters of dust/Sons of great vision.
We are Sisters of mercy/Brothers of love/Lovers of life and/the builders of nations.
We are Seekers of truth/Keepers of faith/Makers of peace and/the wisdom of ages.
We are our grandmothers’ prayers./We are our grandfathers’ dreamings./We are the breath of the ancestors./We are the spirit of God.
For each child that’s born/a morning star rises/and sings to the universe/who we are./WE ARE ONE.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

There is something urgent in the writer’s mind, and he is apparently annoyed that people are chatting about the weather.

The weather! Continue reading »

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11th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

From the wisdom of Anne Sexton:

“Look to your heart that flutters in and out like a moth. God is not indifferent to your need. You have a thousand prayers but God has one.”

From the wisdom of Eric Butterworth:

“Your personal welfare begins with your consciousness. It is not what happens on Wall Street. It is not the ‘state of the economy.’ It has its inception in the state of your mind. You can be prosperous when business is poor, and you can experience financial difficulties even when business is booming.

Consider if you will, the responsibility you have toward conditions as a whole. For what happens in your mind and is reflected in your affairs will have a definite, even if minuscule, influence upon the nation’s business.”

Luke 12.32-34 (NAB)

³² [Jesus said], “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your [divine Parent’s] good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 8, 2010.

In today’s lesson, Jesus says, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” We say we love something or someone, but love is actually demonstrated by what we do. If we love our friends, of course we want to show them. Hugs are nice, cards or emails on birthdays are nice, a shoulder to cry on in the difficult times is very nice. Love is a verb. If we say “I love you” and never encourage our friends, or comfort them when they are down, or praise them when they succeed…then, what good is our professed love?

A Yiddish proverb says, “Love is a fine thing; but love with noodles is tastier.”

When we love someone, we give! We give a helping hand, a kind word, quality time, even personal resources. To love is to give. Wherever your treasure is… whatever you lovingly give to, THERE is where your heart can be found. Continue reading »

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10th Sunday after Pentecost

The Good News Written

Colossians 3.10-11 (NAB)

You have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Luke 12.13-21 (NRSV)

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

The Good News Proclaimed

Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, August 1, 2010.

Our gospel lesson today clearly lends itself to a warning against greed. But we know that greed doesn’t serve our spiritual interests. We all know that generosity is a virtue, in fact, being generous is one of the ways we worship and express gratitude for our blessings.

But greed isn’t the only reason we might find ourselves being less than generous. Sometimes we hoard our resources, our affection, our knowledge, our aspirations… because we have fallen prey to a scarcity mentality. We just don’t believe there is enough to go around. If I give my time, my heart, my skill, my money, if tell you what I know… I might lose it, I might lose the advantage, or the security, or the prestige I think I at least have a shot at; there might not be enough left for me. Of course, that isn’t true. That’s just scarcity thinking which is the result of fear. We are afraid there isn’t enough, but fear is focus, and what we focus on we tend to experience. So rather than focusing on the fear of scarcity, it really is in own interest to focus on abundance, on divine provision, on the truth that we live in an abundant, opulent universe and there is Good for each and every one of us, right here and right now. Continue reading »