Names Carry Meaning

Homily by The Rev. Marcia McRae

St. Fancis Episcopal Church, Goldsboro, NC, 24 Dec. 2017, Advent 4

Year B RCL: 2 Samuel 7:1-1, 16; Canticle 3; Romans: 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Names carry meaning.

In our Gospel from Luke, whose name means “bringer of light...”¹, we hear God's messenger, Gabriel, whose name means “man of God”², bring new light to Mary's life as he says:

“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

He says she will have a son & to name him Jesus, which means "Savior" or "God saves"³ 

He also brings good news about her old, barren cousin Elizabeth, whose husband, Zechariah, has heard from Gabriel 1^st-hand that his wife will have a son & to name him John, whose name means “Jehovah [God] has been gracious; has shown favor”⁴

You may remember from our Advent study about Mary: her

unspoken response & wondering are as important as what she says, showing her to be thoughtful, practical, trusting⁵.

Long before this, Gabriel is the messenger to the prophet Daniel. So Gabriel has been God's man, God's messenger, from the Hebrew scriptures to the Christian scriptures.

I wonder if Gabriel is still bringing God's message to people.

I wonder if God has fewer messages for Gabriel to deliver because God counts on Christians – you & me – to assure people: “The Lord is with you.”

Part of the Good News we are called to deliver is this:

Jesus is Lord.

Because of Jesus we can trust that God loves us. As one source says about Jesus: “His name expresses his identity & his mission. Since God alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus his eternal Son made man,...save[s] [us] from [our] sins".⁶

This name “is given to our Lord because 'He saves His people from their sins.' This is His special role...[By] cleansing [us] in His own atoning blood.., by putting in [our] hearts [God's] sanctifying Spirit...[he] will save [us] from all the consequences of sin...”⁷

This is Good News we are called to share. How we are called & how we share it can be as varied as the meaning of our names. It may be big or small, near or far.

Consider one saint born in 1887 in Georgia, who served 3 years as an “assistant at Faith Orphanage in Marion, North Carolina, mending, cooking & changing diapers.”⁸

Remembered Dec. 19 in Holy Women, Holy Men is Lillian

Trasher, who died in 1961.⁹ Her name is from the flower we call the lilly, which symbolizes innocence, purity, beauty.¹⁰

The story of her work as a missionary in Egypt

is one of beauty.

She tended more than 25,000 children in the orphanage she founded & ran in Egypt, the 1^st orphanage established there, which continues to minister today & for which 85% of its support is from Christians in Egypt.¹¹

Any of us may be called to action far away like Lillian or much nearer.....Whatever ministry God calls each of us to, wherever God leads us to bring the Good News, remember:

God – not you or I – sets the time & agenda.¹²

“God is the caller; you are the receiver...When God extends a hand to you, it's in God's time, not yours.”¹³

Whatever calling you receive from God, ultimately you are called to be like Mary: a God Bearer....

And this includes you,

my Beloved Brothers in Christ!

God calls each of us in a unique way to this highest of callings to carry God's Son, Jesus, into this world.¹⁴

“God is calling you to be pregnant [filled] with the Holy Spirit.”¹⁵  God calls each of us to be pregnant/filled with the Holy Spirit.

“God is calling you to put aside all the

plans the world has for you & to follow

a different plan...

How obedient are you right now?

Are you ready to say,

'Here I am, Lord. Use me.'”​¹⁶

Bibliography

Dios Habla Hoy: La Biblia. 2^da Ed. Nueva York: Sociedad Bíblica Americana. 1983.

The Four Translation New Testament. Minneapolis: World Wide Publications. New York: The Iversen Assocs. 1966.

Freeman, Lindsay Hardin. Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter. Forward Movement. USA: 2016.

Harper’s Bible Commentary. General Ed.: James. L. Mays. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.

Harper’s Bible Dictionary. General Ed.: Paul J. Achtemeier. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers. 1985.

Holy Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press. 1989.

Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints. New York: Church Publishing, Inc. 2010.

http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Gabriel.html#.VJW-_drABg. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.behindthename.com. Accessed 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.biblical-baby-names.com. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.catholic.org/clife/jesus/jesusname.php. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/lillian-trasher/. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.meaning-of-names.com. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/nathan Accessed 19 Dec. 2017.

http://www.thinkbabynames.com. Accessed 19 Dec. 2017.

Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation. New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.

Kautz, Richard. A Labyrinth Year: Walking the Seasons of the Church. Harrisburg: Morehouse. 2005.

The New American Bible for Catholics. South Bend: Greenlawn Press. 1986.

Ryle, J.C. http://www.jesus.org/is-jesus-god/names-of-jesus/what-does-the-name-jesus-mean.html. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

Tenney, Merrill C. Handy Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. 1965.

“You Shall Call His Name Jesus”. http://www.sermons4kids.com/. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

1 http://www.biblical-baby-names.com/meaning-of-Luke.html Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

2 Tenney, Merrill C. Handy Dictionary of the Bible. P.58.

3 http://www.catholic.org/clife/jesus/jesusname.php. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

4 www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/john Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

5 Freeman, Lindsay Hardin. Bible Women. Pp. 399, 401.

6 http://www.catholic.org/clife/jesus/jesusname.php. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

7 Adapted by http://www.jesus.org/is-jesus-god/names-of-jesus/what-does-the-name-jesus-mean.html from J.C. Ryle's The Gospel of Matthew. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

8 http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/lillian-trasher/ Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

9 Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints. P. 126-127.

10 http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/lillian. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

11 Ibid. Holy Women, Holy Men. And http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/lillian-trasher/. Accessed: 19 Dec. 2017.

12 Kautz, Richard. A Labyrinth Year: Walking the Seasons of the Church. P. 1.

13 Ibid.

14 Ibid. Kautz. P. 2.

15 Ibid.

16 Ibid.

How Do We Reflect the Light of Christ?

Homily by The Rev. Marcia McRae

St. Francis Episcopal Church, Goldsboro, NC, 17 Dec. 2017, Advent 3

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

There was a man sent from God,

whose name was John.

There is a man/a woman/a child sent from God, whose name is “Phil” . . . .

Fill-in-the-Blank-with-YOUR-Name.

News flash! Today is Light of Christ Sunday: notice the pink candle lit in our Advent Wreath. How do you shine the Light of Christ?

We – each of us – is called to testify to the light. We are not the light, but you/we are to testify to the light.

Light shines in darkness & in brightness. How do you shine your light? Shining the Light of Christ is like shining a flashlight¹ for others to see in the dark.

 A flashlight is NOT the light. It shines the light.

What can block the light?.....

....You must turn on the flashlight.

....You must shine it in a way that doesn't cover,
 hide or block the light.

....If we let something distract us, we may forget the flashlight & then others can't see the light.

....We may may forget the flashlight & leave it on so the batteries die. Then we have to renew the batteries or put in new batteries.

Questions:

• How do you shine the light of Christ that is within you?
• How do you renew your “batteries” so you shine brightly?

One way is accepting the gifts & grace Jesus offers at this Holy Table. From here we can go out into the world and shine the Light of Christ.

As important as what we say to testify to the light is how we say it.² Notice how John testifies:³ I am not the Messiah, not Elijah, not the prophet. Notice his positive testimony about Jesus.⁴

Notice the leaders keep asking John about himself, yet he maintains his focus & turns them away from him to Jesus.⁵

What do you say about yourself to others?

What do you say about yourself to yourself?

How do you claim & embrace this truth:

God loves you! No exceptions.

God knows all about you. Live into this great love & love yourself – or learn to love yourself. No exceptions.

Like the man whose name was John, you & I are sent into the world as witnesses, as one Bible commentator notes⁶, & that makes many uncomfortable since much of the 21^st century mindset sees religion as a private matter...⁷ That mindset shuns certainty: who can really know what's true?⁸

You & I are audacious: We believe the Gospel is true & that you & I must proclaim it boldly...⁹ How?

• Be prepared....When you talk about Jesus, expect the kind of distraction John confronts: people will want to change the subject, often by asking us to talk about ourselves.¹⁰
• Resist their leading questions.
• Focus on Jesus. Focus on the simple truth:

 God loves you! No exceptions.

Jesus died for you. Jesus washed away all your sins. Jesus loves you. Jesus holds you close to his heart. LIVE in this great LOVE.

Claim this truth: YOU ARE GOD'S BELOVED CHILD.

Claim this so you can proclaim it: God loves you! No exceptions!

Proclaiming, witnessing to this love is like a dance. Let Jesus guide your steps.

Our scriptures today dance to the music of God. They dance the same steps with some variations, an added accent, a shift of tempo & rhythm. Isaiah & our Psalm set the basic movements:

God acts, saves, restores; we respond & rejoice.

Our lesson in Thessalonians emphasizes how we respond to live in holy community, trusting God acts now & will act in our lives.

Our Gospel repeats the focus on God's action through humans, with John responding to God's call to testify to the Light. John the messenger announces good news: God will act through Jesus.

Like Isaiah & John, you & I are called by God to join this dance, to be messengers of the Good News:

Jesus loves you. No exceptions.

God loves you! No exceptions.

Jesus comes to liberate all of us from the oppression of sin & self-focus.

Jesus welcomes all to come to him.

Thanks be to God!

Bibliography

Dios Habla Hoy: La Biblia. 2^da Ed. Nueva York: Sociedad Bíblica Americana. 1983.

Harper’s Bible Commentary. General Ed.: James. L. Mays. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.

Holy Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press. 1989.

http://www.sermons4kids.com/reflecting_the_light.htm. Accessed: 15 Dec. 2017.

Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.

The New American Bible for Catholics. South Bend: Greenlawn Press. 1986.

Powell, Mark Allen. “Commentary on John 1:6-8, 19-28.” Accessed: 12 Dec. 2014. http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2267

Voyle, Robert J. Restoring Hope: Appreciative Strategies to Resolve Grief and Resentment. Hillsboro, OR: The Appreciative Way. 2010.
Voyle, Robert J. “The Art of Resolving Resentment”. Forgiveness Forum: Teach Your Congrgation How to Forgive. www.appreciativeway.com. 2014.



1 Note: Idea from http://www.sermons4kids.com/reflecting_the_light.htm. Accessed: 15 Dec. 2017.

2 Powell, Mark Allen. “Commentary on John 1:6-8, 19-28.” Accessed: 15 Dec. 2017. http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2267

3 The New American Bible for Catholics. P. 1138.

4 Ibid. The New American Bible for Catholics. P. 1138.

5 Ibid. Powell.

6 Ibid.

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid. 

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

Visiónes maravillosas

Sermón por La Rev'da. Marcía McRae

La Parochia Episcopal de San Francisco, Goldsboro, NC, 10 dic. 2017

Año B, Adviento 2 Isaías 40:1–11; Salmo 85:1–2, 8–13; 2 San Pedro 3:8–15a; San Marcos 1:1–8

Queridos hermanos y queridas hermanas, en nuestras escrituras de hoy oimos mensajeros anunciando la buena noticia del amor de Dios, gente quienes dicen <<Sí>> a Dios, personas que hacen una diferencia positiva en la familia humana.

En nuestro Evangelio y en nuestra lectura de Isaías oimos ideas de cambiar algo difícil a algo facíl. Cada uno de nosotros conoce dificultades en la vida, y podemos entender la gracia de cambiar algo difícil a algo facíl, la gracia de “[rellenar] cañadas, allanar cerros y colinas, convertir la región quebrada y montañosa en llanura completamente lisa”.

Que hermosa es esta idea “lisa”.

Para el amor de Jesús, debemos cambiar el camino difícil a un camino facíl. ¿Por qué?

La repuesta que leemos en la Biblia que se llama The Jewish Study Bible, nos dice: por hacer un camino facíl hacemos una diferencia positiva para que la gente expastriada puede regresar a Dios,¹ nuestro Señor y Padre.

Nosotros humanos somos débiles, frágiles como los  humanos en los días de Isaías y Juan Bautista en nuestro Evangelio, y en cada época.

Por Jesucristo, Dios nos libró. ¡Que importante es dicir <<Sí>> a Dios y compartir su amor con otras personas!

Isaías dice: anuncia una buena noticia. ¿Cómo?

Levanta sin miedo la voz y anuncia a nuestros hermanos y nuestras hermanas en la familia humana, y a nosotros mismos:

«¡Aquí está el Dios de ustedes!»

Además: ¡Aquí está Dios entre nosotros!

El Padre todopoderso está lleno de amor para cada uno y una de nosotros/nosotras, queridos hijos e hijas de Dios.

En su segunda carta, San Pedro nos dice: No es que el Señor se tarde en cumplir su promesa. Es que nuestro Padre, Dios Todopoderoso, tiene paciencia – mas y mas paciencia – con nosotros y todos los seres humanos, mas que podemos comprender.

Por su amor, nuestro Padre quiere que nadie muera y todos se vuelvan a Dios en cada época, cada edad.

Leemos muchos ejemplos de este amor tan grande en La Biblia. Vemos este amor grandioso en la vida, la crucifixion, la muerte de nuestro Hermano y Salvador Jesuscristo y en su resurreción.

Por el Espirítu Santo, quien nos guía, conocemos este amor grandioso, y lo vemos en muchos ejemplos en la historia humana, la historia de los santos y santas en cada edad.

Vemos este amor grandioso en el trabajo de Juan Bautista en nuestro Evangelio de hoy, quien dice:

<<Yo los he bautizado a ustedes con agua;

pero él los bautizará con el Espíritu Santo».

La ropa de Juan estaba hecha de pelo de camello. Aunque la ropa de otro Juan fue diferente, y él habló en otro idioma, en otro tiempo, ya vemos también este amor grandioso en este Juan, quien le respondió a Dios y preparó el camino a nuevo en esta parte del mundo.

Uds. saben que en México, menos de quinientos años pasados, por la tarde en el domingo [el 10 de diciembre de 1531], La Virgen María, como se llama también La Vigen de Guadalupe, apareció por la tercera vez de cuartro veces y habló en el idioma náhuatl al indígena cristiano quien se llama en español, Juan Diego. [Que interesante es que hoy es domingo, el 10 de diciembre.]

Uds. conocen esta historia y que Juan Diego llevó en su tilma/su capa las flores que la cambiaron a la pintura de la Guadalupana. Hay muchas, muchas detalles en la pintura que son de importancia para los indígenas, y para científicos y otros expertos modernos quienes las estudian. Por ejemplo:

• Los colores no son de colorantes vegetales, ni animales, ni minerales².

• Las estrellas “[e]n el manto de la Virgen están las estrellas más brillantes de las principales constelaciones visibles [donde ellos estuvieron en este mes y a la hora del día cuando Juan Diego la encuentró].³”

• Y puede ver en los iris de los ojos de la Virgen el cuerpo del indígena.⁴

¿Porque Dios les dió esta milagro a la gente en estos días pasados?

Para hablar en una manera que la gente podría comprender.

Como Juan Bautista, Juan Diego fue uno de los primeros cristianianos en México solomente 12 años despues de la conquista de los Aztecas por Cortés.

Aunque loz Aztecas practicaban el sacrificio de humanos y no podían comprender el sacrificio de la vida de Jesuscristo, podían comprender una mujer encinta, como indica la ropa de La Virgen en la tilma. Además, para ellos y las otras personas nativas, los muchos detalles son importantes indicaciones del amor de Dios que es para todos los seres humanos; por ejemplo:

• la curvatura de su rodilla indica veneración,
• las estrellas en el manto son los visibles en este tiempo, día, y hora.⁵

¡Que don de Dios!

La Guadalupana ayuda a la gente, quienes estaban debajo el control de España, a ver el amore de Dios que nosotros tenemos por fe en Jesús quien murió, resuscitó, subió al cielo y ya vive y nos da el trabajo de compartir este amor a nuestros hermanos y nuestras hermanas en la familia humana.

Juan Diego aceptó Las Buenas Noticeias de Jesucristo. Como leemos en la lectura de Isaías, la fuerza, el poder de Dios sigue vigente⁶ y salva los cautivos en cualquier edad y en cualquier parte del mundo.

Como en todos edades y por todas las regiones del mundo, en su infinito amor, Dios continuamente está dándonos bendigas y regalos para que nosotros entenderemos su amor es para todos los seres humanos y para toda su creación.

Por eso, queridos hermanos y queridas hermanas, mientras esperamos las promesas futuras, hagamos todo lo posible para compartir el amor de Dios a los demás humanos para encontrar la paz que es mas que podemos comprender, y recordamos la paciencia con que nuestro Señor nos trata es para nuestra salvación.

Por su amor, nuestro Padre quiere que

nadie muera y todos se vuelvan a Dios

en cada época.

¡Tenemos buenas noticias para compartir!

Recibimos la gracia para compartirlas

en la santa comida de

La Santa Eucaristía.

Bibliografía

Harper’s Bible Commentary. General Ed.: James. L. Mays. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.

Holy Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.

http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1224 Accessed 2 dic. 2017.

New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. Herbert G. May, Bruce M. Metzger, eds. New York: Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 1977.

Villapando, José Manuel. La Virgen de Guadalupe: una biografía. México, D.F.: Editorial Planeta Mexicana. 2004.

1 Jewish Study Bible. Pg. 852.

2 Villapando, José Manuel. La Virgen de Guadalupe: una biografía. Pg. 139.

3 Idem. Pg. 146-147.

4 Idem. Pg. 142. [Pgs. 140-143 tienen más detalles, incluyendo que más examenes han descubierto más imagenes humanos en los iris.]

5 Idem.

6 Jewish Study Bible. Pj. 861.

Happy New Year!

Homily by The Rev. Marcia McRae

St. Francis Episcopal Church, Goldsboro, NC; 3 Dec. 2017, Advent 1

Year B RCL: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37

Happy New Year!

Notice: Jesus tells us to keep awake!

Having just said Happy New Year, I assure you: you have not fallen asleep Dec. 3^rd & are just waking up here Jan. 1^st! Today starts the church's new liturgical year, Year B, with scriptures different from what we've used this calendar year during Year A that started Nov. 27^th, 2016.

Advent offers us time to prepare for our annual celebration of Jesus' birth.

Advent also points us to what is yet to be

when Jesus returns.

We know waiting can be hard: Think of children waiting to open presents; think of being in a hurry & stopped at a railroad crossing.¹ What about us waiting for peace on earth & hearing our daily news?

How well do the disciples wait & keep awake as Jesus tells them today & again in Mark's next chapter [chapter 14]²? After Jesus shares bread & wine, saying these are his body & blood, he & the disciples go to Gethsemane. He says: “keep awake”. They fall asleep.

Why did Jesus bother to be born into

our mess?

Jesus comes to show us how to live & how to die. We can give God thanks even in hard times because we know, as we read in

Episcopal Questions, Episcopal Answers:

“The ultimate tragedy that we thank God for is the tragedy of a young man killed by an occupying power some 2,000 years ago. For it is in that life & tragic death, we believe that the redemption of the world is made possible...this life-giving tragedy” gives us perspective for life's challenges.³

Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection & ascension & the gift God gives us of the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can move forward despite how tough life can be & how long our waiting feels.

Like the Corinthians Paul encourages as he works to build up their unity⁴, we have God's grace & are enriched in so may ways, with so many gifts & skills to strengthen us on our journey, our life & work together as the Body of Christ that is St. Francis Parish.

As we've talked about in our Confirmation preparation sessions, a balanced life includes:

“prayer, work, study & play”.⁵

It's good to play. It's healthy to play.

Life in community is a gift.

Unwrap this gift

&

enjoy this gift.

Bibliography

Harper’s Bible Commentary. General Ed.: James. L. Mays. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.

Hays, Richard B. The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. New York: HarperOne. 1996.

Holy Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press. 1989.

Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.

Markham, Ian S. & C.K. Robertson. Episcopal Questions, Episcopal Answers: Exploring Christian Faith. New York: Morehouse Publishing. 2014.

“The Waiting Place”. https://www.sermons4kids.com/ Accessed: 29 Nov. 2017.

Westerhoff, John H. with Sharon Ely Pearson. A People Called Episcopalians: A Brief Introduction to Our Peculiar Way of Life. New York: Morehouse Publishing. 2014.

1“The Waiting Place”. https://www.sermons4kids.com Accessed: 29 Nov. 2017.

2 Question inspired by Hays, Richard B. The Moral Vision of the New Testament. P. 86.

3 Markham, Ian S. & C.K. Robertson. Episcopal Questions, Episcopal Answers. P. 77.

4 Ibid. Hays. P. 33.

5 Westerhoff, John H. A People Called Episcopalians. P. 24.