spirituality

Treat everyone the same

by

Our readings this weekend remind us that we are to care for all people equally and not show favoritism to those who are rich. We are called upon to treat everyone with love and respect. It is a very important message for today’s church, but one very few are willing to listen to.

Isaiah and Mark remind us that God, thru his son Jesus, will come to heal those most in need of help. Those who are downtrodden and abused. Those who are in most need of being treated as human. This is the message we have lost as Christians.

You see, everyone is a child of the Divine. No one you meet is without a spark of the Divine within them. So when you treat others as less than yourself, you are treating the Divine (God) as being less than yourself.

This is your call to re-evaluate your life and how you approach those around you. It is time for Christians to stop giving into the lures of the world, to stop giving in to the hate and bigotry around them, and to work to follow the teachings of our Lord.

To remind you of the reading from Joshua two weeks ago, who will you serve? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

I hope to see you Sunday!

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Walking the walk

by

Far too often, Christians today talk a good talk but fail to live the Gospel message. We see this all around us, with more and more Christians expecting religious purity rather than being concerned with their own spirituality. They expect so many people in society to live by their rules when it comes to spirituality but cannot live up to those same standards.

Saint Paul reminds us to be doers of the word, not just hearers. Jesus reminds us that all too often people honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from God. These are hard messages to stomach. Many people have chosen to go to churches that happily tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.

Someone told me years ago that if you do not look at Holy Scripture through the lens of love, you miss the entire message. I find myself these days asking myself “Where is the Love?” just like in the song by the Black Eyed Peas. So many people live their lives angry, hateful, and abusive to all those around them. They hold so many grudges against the people around them that they find themselves alone.

This past week, I failed in that message myself. I was given a chance to show those around me grace, and I failed. Someone left me a note telling me to please mow my lawn. Rather than show them love and grace, I became angry, and I took my neighbors to task. I failed to walk the walk. And I have plenty of people to ask for forgiveness from.

But that just goes to show you that even I have room to grow. I, too, must walk the walk and not just preach a good sermon. Far too often, my sermons are being preached to me too.

I hope that this week we can all focus on walking the path of the Christ. And I hope you will join me at Saint Francis Parish walking that walk. Because it helps to have that support of your fellow human beings on this journey called life.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Who will you serve?

by

We come to the ultimate end of the Bread of Life discourse in the Gospel of Saint John. Jesus telling his followers that he is the Bread of Life caused many of them to leave his teachings behind and return to their old lives.

In Joshua, the people of Israel are given the same choice: return to the gods of their ancestors or follow the God that had led them out of Egypt. The people of Israel chose that day to follow the God that led them through the desert.

We have the same choice today. We can choose to follow the path of Jesus the Christ, or we can follow the path of greed, suffering, and violence that our society is so entrenched in. Many Christians today have given in to the latter and serve the destructive voices of society.  

I, for one, strive to follow the path of Jesus the Christ. I chose to eat the Bread of Life every Sunday in the Holy Eucharist. And I strive to live my life in peace and love. Jesus taught us to care for the least among us, to show love to our neighbors, and to be a friend to those who are outcast.

Today is the day to make a choice. Follow the path of Jesus the Christ, or continue down this destructive path that society offers us.

Who will you serve today?

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Come receive the Bread of Life

by

This Sunday we are called to follow the path of wisdom to the Bread of Life that Jesus offers us. It is a hard message for many people to accept, but one that is more important today than ever before.

So many people live in utter foolishness, being tossed about by every wind and wave that comes our way. It is very easy to do given that we are hit by so many conflicting messages. Those messages come from the news, social media and even our pulpits.

It is so hard to find what we are supposed to believe. That is why the message of the Gospel, and the readings, is so very essential today.

Wisdom is sought through our study and meditation on the Holy Scriptures. The strength to follow that wisdom is given us in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. In it Jesus gives us the grace and wisdom to handle those things that are sent our way by the world.

It is also wise in these days to not forsake the fellowship of one another. That is why we consistently offer mass every Sunday whether anyone is there or not. We give everyone an opportunity to come before Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament.

I hope you will come this Sunday and receive the Bread of Life!

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer

Rest and eat to be healed

by

Elijah was depressed and downtrodden. In that state, he sat down under a tree and was fed by an Angel. In his moment of despair, he found the strength to go on by resting and eating.

Jesus reminds us that he is the true bread from heaven. Through that bread we find life eternal. We also find strength to go on.

As someone who has battled depression and despair on many occasions, it helps to be reminded that sometimes I just need to rest and eat. Not just physical rest and food, but spiritual rest and spiritual food. I must spend time in meditation and reflection on the Word (Jesus) and the sacraments he provides to give us strength and grace.

In doing this, I can also set aside all the bad things that Saint Paul says we need to do away with in order to not grieve the Holy Spirit. When we let bitterness and anger, hatred and bigotry to fill our hearts, we greatly grieve the Holy Spirit.

This week, let us remember to take time to pray and meditate on the Word, to rest and be fed in order that we may strengthen the good virtues of the Holy Spirit that live in us.

Pax et Bonum,

Bishop Greer