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

Divine Liturgy for the Nineth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
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My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
The Scriptures are honest about the failures of God’s people. Ancient Israel often struggled to trust God, even after receiving signs of God’s care and provision. Saint Paul reminds us that their failures were recorded so that we might learn from them. At the same time, faithfulness is often hidden. Even when Elijah believed he was alone, God reminded him that many others had quietly remained faithful.

In the Gospel, Jesus uses the surprising example of a dishonest manager—not to praise dishonesty, but to teach us to use wisely what has been entrusted to us. Our time, possessions, abilities, and opportunities are temporary, but they can be used for eternal purposes: serving others, showing mercy, and building God’s kingdom.

In the Eucharist, God receives the ordinary gifts of bread and wine—the fruits of the earth and human labor—and uses them to reveal the extraordinary gift of Christ’s presence. God can also take our ordinary lives, including our weaknesses and failures, and make them instruments of grace.

Prayer is an important part of our ministry. We are always honored to raise your needs, concerns, and thanksgivings before God. Please feel welcome to send us your prayer intentions so that we may pray with you and for you.
Peace,
Rev. Ben