Renewed in Christ: Learning to See Others Differently
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity | Ephesians 4:17–32; Matthew 9:1–8

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

One of the challenges of our Christian journey is learning to see others as Christ sees them. We often judge people by appearances, beliefs, or first impressions without knowing their stories. Yet spiritual growth begins when we recognize these judgments and choose compassion over criticism. Even small changes in how we treat others can become powerful expressions of God's grace.

Saint Paul reminds us that following Christ means being renewed in our minds and hearts. We are called to put aside bitterness and anger and embrace kindness, forgiveness, and love. This invitation both encourages and challenges us. We can be grateful for how far we have come in faith while recognizing that God is still transforming us. None of us has completed the journey.

In today's Gospel, Jesus encounters a paralyzed man and offers him forgiveness and healing. While others question Jesus, he sees a person in need of mercy. The man is also brought to Jesus by others, reminding us that faith is a journey we share. Sometimes we need others to carry us, and sometimes we are called to carry them. Our responsibility is not to condemn but to help one another encounter God's love.

Each time we gather for the Eucharist, we receive the Body of Christ so that we might live more fully as the Body of Christ. But does that encounter change how we live? Are we becoming more patient, forgiving, and compassionate? Our faith is not measured by perfection but by our openness to God's transforming grace. May we leave the altar renewed in Christ and ready to recognize his presence in everyone we meet.

Peace,
Rev. Ben

Divine Liturgy for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

In this week’s readings, Saint Paul gives thanks for the grace God has given to the Christians in Corinth. What makes that thanksgiving so striking is that the Corinthian community was far from perfect. Paul knew their divisions, their conflicts, and their failures very well. He did not ignore those problems, but neither did he allow those problems to become the only thing he saw. Even in a difficult community, Paul could still recognize the grace of God at work.

We see something similar in the Gospel. Jesus is surrounded by people who question and challenge him, yet when one of the scribes responds with genuine understanding, Jesus recognizes it and says, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Jesus does not simply place people into categories of friend or enemy. He sees the person in front of him. He notices sincerity, faith, and the movement of grace even in someone who might otherwise have been dismissed as an opponent.

That is an important lesson for us in a time when disagreement so quickly becomes division. It is easy, especially in the world of social media, to reduce people to a label, an opinion, or one thing they have said or done. The Christian life calls us to something better. We can disagree, correct, and even challenge one another while still recognizing that every person is more than their worst moment. Perhaps one of the questions we should ask more often is: Where is the grace of God already at work in this person?

I also want to thank everyone who has continued to pray for me as I recover from surgery. Your prayers, kindness, and encouragement mean more to me than I can easily express. Recovery continues, and I am deeply grateful for the support I have received. Please know that I am praying for you as well—for your needs, your families, your struggles, and your joys. May we continue to hold one another in prayer and learn to recognize the grace of God at work in one another.

Peace,
Rev. Ben

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

I will not be recording a liturgy this weekend as I continue recovering from surgery. I am grateful for the prayers that have already been offered, and I ask for your continued prayers in the days ahead. Please know that I continue to pray for you as well.

One of the more difficult parts of being in the hospital was the experience of dependence. I have always valued being self-sufficient, able to take care of myself and accomplish what needs to be done. Illness has a way of interrupting that confidence. Suddenly, even simple things can require the assistance of another person. Accepting that help can be surprisingly difficult.

The readings this weekend speak directly to this experience. In Ephesians 4:1–6, we are called to live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” In Luke 14:1–11, Jesus warns against seeking the place of honor and instead teaches that “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Humility does not mean pretending that we have no gifts, abilities, or strengths. True humility means seeing ourselves truthfully. It means recognizing the gifts God has given us and using them well, while also acknowledging our limitations and our need for others. Sometimes humility means serving. At other times, it means allowing ourselves to be served.

Perhaps one of the lessons of illness is that none of us is completely self-sufficient. We depend upon God, and we depend upon one another. There is grace not only in offering a helping hand, but also in having the humility to receive one.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

This weekend’s Gospel gives us a striking scene. Jesus and his disciples are approaching the town of Nain when they meet another procession coming out of the city. One crowd is following Jesus; the other is following a coffin. In the middle of that funeral procession is a widow who has already lost her husband and is now burying her only son. She does not ask Jesus for help or make a profession of faith. Jesus simply sees her, is moved with compassion, and steps into her grief.

Jesus then approaches the bier and touches it. He places himself directly in the path of death and interrupts the procession. This is an important image of the Gospel. We all find ourselves at times in processions we never chose: illness, grief, uncertainty, disappointment, or fear. Christianity does not promise that we will avoid such experiences. It promises that Christ meets us in them. He does not remain at a safe distance from human suffering. He enters it.

The Gospel also tells us that the dead man was the widow’s only son, words that naturally point us toward Jesus, the only Son of the Father. Christ himself would enter suffering and death, and through his resurrection reveal the true power of God. Saint Paul speaks of this same power in Ephesians: the power of the Spirit, the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and the God who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Divine power is not primarily about domination or control. It is the power that strengthens, restores, gives life, and brings hope where we thought there was none.

At the end of the Gospel, the people proclaim, “God has visited his people.” That remains our hope today. God comes near to us in joy and in sorrow, in strength and in vulnerability, and in moments when the road ahead is uncertain. I would also be grateful for your prayers this week as I undergo surgery. Please pray for a successful procedure, for those caring for me, and for a peaceful recovery. As always, be assured of my prayers for all of you as well.

Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

Worry is part of life. We worry about our families, our health, our work, our finances, and the future. Some anxiety can even be helpful because it alerts us to problems and encourages us to act responsibly. Scripture also reminds us that not every kind of fear is unhealthy. Moses, Mary, and the disciples all experienced fear in the presence of God. There is a holy fear that teaches humility and reminds us that God is God and we are not.

But there is another kind of fear that can begin to rule our lives. It convinces us that everything depends upon us, that we must control every outcome, and that we need to solve tomorrow’s problems today. Jesus speaks directly to this kind of anxiety when he tells us to consider the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He is not telling us to be careless or irresponsible. Rather, he asks us where our deepest trust is placed. We can plan wisely while still recognizing that ultimately our lives rest in the hands of God.

Christian trust does not mean believing that nothing painful will happen or that everything will turn out exactly as we hope. The Cross itself prevents us from making such a promise. Instead, faith tells us that suffering, uncertainty, failure, and even death cannot place us beyond the reach of God. Jesus entrusted himself to the Father even when the path before him led through suffering. Saint Paul likewise found his security not in appearances or achievements but in the Cross of Christ.
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Perhaps this is why the words of the Our Father are so important: “Give us this day our daily bread.” We ask God for the grace we need today. We do not need enough grace this morning to carry every burden we may face years from now. We need the grace to take the next faithful step. May God give us the courage to do what we can, the humility to surrender what we cannot control, and the faith to trust that whatever tomorrow brings, we will not face it alone.
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Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

One of the easiest spiritual habits to develop is also one of the most dangerous: watching other people more closely than we watch ourselves. We notice who seems faithful, who seems inconsistent, who belongs, and who does not. We can become very confident that we understand another person’s motives, failures, or spiritual condition. Yet Saint Paul gives us a different instruction: “Keep watch on yourself.” Christian humility begins with the recognition that we rarely know another person’s whole story, and that we ourselves remain dependent upon God’s grace.

An ancient story about Saint Vitalis of Gaza illustrates this beautifully. Vitalis was a monk who became known for visiting women engaged in prostitution in Alexandria. Those who saw him assumed the worst and believed that his behavior was scandalous. According to the tradition, however, Vitalis was actually giving the women the money he had earned during the day so that they would not need to receive clients that night. He would remain with them in prayer and encourage them toward a different life. He allowed others to misunderstand him rather than reveal the private struggles of the women he was trying to help.

The story is unsettling because the respectable people were convinced they knew who the sinner was. They saw enough to form a judgment but not enough to know the truth. We often do the same. We see one action, hear one story, or know one part of someone’s past and believe that we understand the whole person. The Gospel calls us to greater humility. This does not mean pretending that right and wrong do not matter. It means remembering that judgment belongs to God and that our own calling is usually much closer to mercy, restoration, and bearing one another’s burdens.

Perhaps this week we might take Saint Paul’s words as a spiritual practice: “Keep watch on yourself.” Before judging another person, we can ask what we do not know about their story. Before deciding that someone is unworthy of mercy, we can remember how much mercy we ourselves have received. The Christian life is not about proving that we are better than others. It is about learning to receive grace with gratitude and then extending that same grace to those God places before us.
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Peace,
Rev. Ben

13th Sunday after Trinity Sunday

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

The Gospel for this weekend is well-known - the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that love of neighbor begins by seeing the person before us as a person of God-given dignity. The Samaritan does not encounter a problem to be solved or a project to be managed. He encounters a wounded human being. Before he offers oil, wine, transportation, or money, he draws near. Christian mercy begins there: not with what we can do for someone, but with the recognition that the person before us is already worthy of respect, compassion, and love.
Even our desire to help can become distorted when we begin to imagine ourselves as the ones who will “save” another person. We may decide that we know what is best for them, speak for them rather than listen to them, or attempt to rescue them even from choices we do not understand. In doing so, we can unintentionally reduce a person to their wounds, their poverty, their addiction, their mistakes, or their need. Genuine compassion does not place us above another. It stands beside them. It asks what they need, listens to their voice, and respects that they remain a person with agency and dignity even when their life is difficult.
Jesus ends the parable by telling us, “Go and do likewise.” That command calls us not simply to perform acts of charity, but to become neighbors. Sometimes that means giving generously, sometimes advocating for another, and sometimes simply remaining present and listening. Whatever form our service takes, it must never forget that the person we are helping is not beneath us and does not belong to us. Christian service is at its best when it recognizes Christ in the other and seeks not to control or rescue, but to love.

Peace, 
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

There is an interesting paradox in this week’s Gospel. Jesus opens the ears and frees the tongue of a man who could not hear or speak clearly—and then tells the crowd not to tell anyone. Yet the more Jesus asks for silence, the more they proclaim what he has done. Perhaps Jesus understood how easily we can become fascinated by the spectacular while missing what the sign is actually pointing toward.

The miracles of Jesus are never simply displays of power. They reveal the Kingdom of God breaking into the world and invite us into a deeper relationship with Christ. It is possible to want what Jesus can do for us without truly wanting to follow him. The Gospel asks us to move beyond simply seeking answers, healing, or help and to ask whether we are willing to let Christ transform our lives.

There is also something wonderfully physical about this healing. Jesus touches the man’s ears and tongue. Throughout the Christian life, God uses ordinary material things—water, oil, bread, wine, human touch—to communicate grace. The sacramental life reminds us that God is not distant from creation but chooses to meet us through it.

Perhaps the word Jesus speaks in the Gospel is also his invitation to us: “Ephphatha”—“Be opened.” May our ears be opened to hear the Gospel, our hearts to recognize God’s grace, our hands to serve those around us, and our voices to proclaim the saving love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
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Peace,
Rev. Ben

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

I apologize that there will not be a recorded liturgy this weekend. Saturday evening, I went to bed early because I was not feeling well, and today I have very little voice. I would be grateful for your prayers for a quick recovery. Please know that you remain in my prayers as well.

Even without our recorded liturgy, the Gospel appointed for this Sunday gives us much to reflect upon. In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who go to the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee lists all that he has done correctly. The tax collector offers no impressive spiritual résumé. He simply prays, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”  Jesus tells us that it is the tax collector who goes home justified.

The Pharisee’s problem is not that he fasts, gives, or seeks to live faithfully. Those are good things. The danger is that his faith has become a reason to compare himself with someone else.  The tax collector comes with empty hands. He has nothing to prove. He simply asks for mercy.

Perhaps that is where prayer most truly begins.  We do not need to impress God or pretend that we have everything together. We come before God as we are—with our faith and failures, our gratitude and regrets, our strength and weakness—and entrust ourselves to divine mercy.

May we have the grace this week to stop measuring ourselves against others and instead stand together before the God whose mercy is greater than anything we can earn.
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Please keep me in your prayers as I recover, and know that I am praying for each of you.
Peace and every blessing,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because the people did not recognize “the time of their visitation.” God had come among them, yet life appeared to continue as usual. People were working, buying, selling, worshiping, and attending to the routines of daily life. The presence of Christ was in their midst, but many did not see him.

It is easy for us to look back and wonder how they could have failed to recognize Jesus. Yet the Gospel asks us a more difficult question: Do we recognize Christ when he comes among us today?

Christ often comes quietly and without spectacle. We encounter him in the Scriptures, in prayer, and in the sacraments. We also meet him in the sick, the lonely, the grieving, the hungry, the immigrant, and those who feel forgotten. Sometimes we wait for God to do something dramatic while overlooking the holy presence already standing before us.

Saint Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people “for the common good.” Some are called to offer wisdom, others encouragement, healing, service, prayer, or compassionate presence. None of us possesses every gift, but together we can become a community that recognizes Christ and responds to the needs of others.

We especially want those who are sick or homebound to know that they remain an important part of our community. We are happy to provide the sacraments to those who are unable to attend in person, including Holy Eucharist and the Anointing of the Sick. Please contact us when you or someone you love would benefit from a pastoral or sacramental visit.

We also continue to pray for everyone who watches our liturgy from home, for the intentions entrusted to us, and for the needs of our entire community. Physical distance does not place anyone beyond the reach of our common prayer or outside the life of the Church. Whether gathered together or joining us from home, we remain united in Christ.
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May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to recognize the day of visitation. May we receive Christ in Word and Sacrament, recognize him in one another, and use the gifts we have been given for the good of all.
Peace,
Rev. Ben