Returning to the Pulpit

The past two Sundays, I have had preaching assignments. On the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, I preached at Heather's parishes, St. Mark's and St. Luke's in Cleveland. It was a fabulous time. I loved the whole process of reading the scriptures for the day and reflecting on them. I know that I love to preach. The Gospels speak to me particularly about the poor and the outcast. Certainly St. Luke's is a prime example of what Jesus was talking about when he told us to care for the poor.
They have a dinner for the homeless and the poor in the neighborhood every Wednesday night and they distribute clothes and other things to them almost weekly. They create awe in me with what they do. Preaching to them is to lift up their work and celebrate it. There is obviously a lot more to do. When the neighborhood comes to St. Luke's to worship, some of them are thugs who do their thing during the worship service. If this isn't inviting everyone to the altar, I don't know what is. Who knows who will be changed by this community experience. That is one of the things that is in the category of the unknown, but also one of the things that can be reformed by community. Also in that congregation were a number of older people who are available to be mentors to the kids who show up. That needs to be organized and focused, but not ever required.

Last Sunday, I preached at St. Brendan's in Franklin Park, the mission that Pat Carnahan and I started when I was the rector of Christ Church. This is a suburban mission, short of money, but not of spirit. I saw a number of the people who I knew at Christ Church and had a wonderful time sharing life with them. The scripture was about forgiveness and it was great to preach to them about that. They have been through hell with the way that the Diocese of Pittsburgh dissolved over the past couple of years. They feel like survivors, and they are. Forgiveness is something that they are not ready to offer to those who left the diocese, but I didn't advocate that. I simply talked to them about forgiving themselves and each other. That is also not too easy, but it can be done.