Cyber Portal

Create and make in us new and contrite hearts

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:30:00 +0000

I remember the first heart transplant when I was a freshman in college. To some of you reading this, that must seem like an incredibly long time ago. But in the whole history of humanity, the last 40+ years are just a speck of time. And yet the words of the Ash Wednesday prayer speaks new hearts. And Psalm 51, which is part of the day's worship, speaks of a "clean" heart. What effect would a new, clean heart have on our lives in a spiritual and emotional way? We could be done with all our old hurts. We could see the world anew and have confidence that those things we do in faith could bear fruit in our time and beyond.

In Lent we may not get completely new hearts, but by our attention to prayer and other time spent in reflection and attention to God's will in our lives, we can scrub some of the rust and callouses off the heart we have. We can strengthen them so that they become healthy organs of caring and willful determination to do the best we can with each day.

A future full of promise?

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:56:00 +0000

As a prelude to the parish's annual meeting, we can consider how others have overcome adversity with faith in God's promises and a desire to follow where God calls us to be.

MP3 File

This could help with the budget

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:33:00 +0000

I've set up the church to get a commission on Amazon sales if you click on this widget:

It seems fairly painless to you the buyer and fairly easy for the church to benefit. I'll give it a try on my next purchase.

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:26:00 +0000

I'm trying to figure out how to use this link.

Amazon Home

Church in Autumn

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Church in Autumn
Originally uploaded by Salin Low

I know I'm a bit late posting this, but it really was lovely. The pumpkins were great and spoke of an abundant harvest.

Hot off the Press

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Open publication - Free publishing - More newsletter

It's the newsletter for December. Let's see how this code works.

Throw Off Your Cloak

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Sermon Oct. 25 -- We are wrapped in fears and self-imposed limitations which faith can overcome.

MP3 File

Tapped by a Saint

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:36:00 +0000

Sermon on November 1, 2009 -- Saints tap us on the shoulder to point us in the direction of abundant life.

MP3 File

Remember to leave the lights on

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:09:00 +0000

One of the greatest irritations of my ministry in Pine Meadow is keeping the spotlight which shines on the front of the church working as it should. Besides replacing light bulbs, I have to reset the timer to correspond with times of light and night, and this is not a digital wonder, like we have these days. Sometimes it's wrong because there's a screw loose, literally.

I don't know if anyone has ever come to St. John's because it is so visible at night, but it doesn't hurt.

The other night I visited another parish. My GPS told me where it was, but the first time I passed it I just kept driving. The parish house was dimly lit, but it looked like a residence. The church was not lighted at all. Probably other people have missed it, just as I did.

It's not green to have a light on at night, but it seems to me that it's definitely in line with our charge to spread the Gospel and bring light to the world.

Shine on!

Catching Up and Catching On

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:42:00 +0000

I'm trying to get all the old sermons posted. While I cut, convert, and publish, I'm also working to upgrade our weekly emails and make the monthly newsletter more presentable for digital reading. It takes a lot of trial and error, and sometimes I'm not sure who's even reading it. Of course, the point of all this is to let others know how much God love them.

A Tale of Two Widows

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:21:00 +0000

November 8, 2009 -- The nameless widow with two mites compared with the young and famous widow Ruth. Each has something to tell us about God's attention and our part to play in God's story.

MP3 File

Getting Ready for Life

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:32:00 +0000

Sermon of Sept. 13, 2009 -- A lot of life is preparing for the opportunity to follow Christ. This preparation is something we must make a daily habit if we are to be ready to show others God's love.

MP3 File

Outsiders Need Attention, Too

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Sermon at St. John's on Sept.6, 2009. The Syrophoenician woman, the minority representative of her time, reminds us that we are called to give attention, respect and love to those who are too often ignored or worse.

MP3 File

I'm back. Watch out!

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

First I went on vacation. Then I came back and had to catch up. Then the thought of uploading past sermons wore me out. I'll be playing catch up over the next few days. If it took me over two months to give these sermons, try listening to them in the same amount of time.

Ordinary Celebrations

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:56:00 +0000

Sermon preached at St. John's on July 12, 2009. When our faith is joyful and lively it is also appealing to others.

MP3 File

Is truth self-evident?

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:55:00 +0000

Sermon preached at St. John's on July 5, 2009. The Declaration of Independence talks about self-evident truths, but not everybody agrees about the truth or the evidence.

MP3 File

Get Up and Walk

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Sermon Preached at St. John's on June 28, 2009 by Brad Bremer. It tells us something about the various demands on Jesus' time in a day.

MP3 File

Pentecost Group -- Bible Study 4

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:35:00 +0000

Conflict with Judaism

1. Read Acts 3 and 5. From Acts 3,what, if anything is the significance of Peter and John going into the temple for the prayer service?

2. Why does Peter begin his speech with, “The God of Abraham and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our Fathers”?

3. From Acts 4:1-22, what was the charge that Peter and John were arrested on? Is this consistent with their interrogation the following day?

4. From Acts 5:17-24, what new element do you see entering into the arrest story in contrast to the one narrated in the previous chapter?

5. What was the reason behind the Sanhedrin’s decision to release them? From Acts 4:1-22.

6. What is the function of the Spirit in 5:32? How do you think the Holy Spirit fulfilled this function then? How does He today?

7. What statements made by Peter and other apostles could be interpreted as anti-Semitic? Since the apostles were Jewish themselves, how do you understand their attacks on “the Jews?”

Seeds Planted in Us and by Us

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:02:00 +0000

June 14, 2009 -- Proper 7 -- God's work in us and through us is often like the planting of seeds. It often takes us awhile to realize what seeds have been planted within us. We may never know the seeds of God's love that we have planted in the lives of others.

MP3 File

The Community of God

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:00:00 +0000

June 7, 2009 -- Trinity Sunday -- God acts and we know God's acts in community. The idea of the Trinity -- the three expressions of God's presence and concern -- reveals the essential community of God's nature. When we share our experiences of God's involvement in our lives with the community, those experiences are strengthened and made even more true for us and for the community.

MP3 File

The Newborn Church

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:56:00 +0000

May 31, 2009 -- Pentecost -- The church was "born" on Pentecost. The people there didn't really know what would happen in the days and years ahead. The church we've received needs to be "reborn" in our time -- and we need to be as open to a new creation as those first people following in Jesus' Way.

MP3 File

Leaders Known and Unknown

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:53:00 +0000

May 24, 2009 -- Easter 7
Judas' replacement chosen -- Matthias
He was one of the first twelve leaders of the church, but we never hear about him again. Being a leader doesn't always mean one gets to be famous!

MP3 File

Pentecost Group -- Bible Study 3

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Read Acts 2.

This is Luke's account of the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples and the beginning of the church.

1. On the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were aware of the Holy Spirit, does the passage say there was an outward appearance of the Spirit? What do you think it was?

(Note: The day of Pentecost, which was 50 days after Passover for Jews, brought people together to honor God’s giving the ten commandments to Moses. The law defined the people’s relationship with God and with one another.)

2. Was the baptism of the Spirit for individuals or a body of believers?

3. What is meant by the gift of tongues? How can we understand that in our time?
(Read Genesis 11:1-9 [attached] and 1 Corinthians, Chapters 13-14. The Genesis reading tells us about being divided by different languages and the Corinthians passage talks about the gift of tongues in the early church.)

4. What does this passage tell us about the requirement for an apostle in the early church? How does this apply to us today?

5. What was Peter’s sermon on Pentecost about? Does this have anything to do with us?

6. How can the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives help us to understand each other?

Holy Spirit or Gremlin

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Yesterday was wonderful, although it seemed as if our patron saint -- Confusion -- was in control.

First the cake had misspelled Cheryl's name. A little dental surgery from Dr. Gargiulo corrected that.

Then the Gospel reading wasn't quite marked.

The recorder to get the sermon was knocked over in both services.

Readings were done out of order at 10 a.m.

I know that most people missed most of the flubs, but it does require a bit of smoothing over. At least things are never dull.

Pentecost Group -- Bible Study 2

salin@reddoors.com (Salin Low) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:43:00 +0000

The Christian Community

1. From Acts 1:12-26, which talks about the first Christian community after Christ’s ascension, comment on the significance of those present.

2. What do you find of importance in the election of Mathias?

3. From Acts 2:42-46, describe life in the early Christian community. What does that say to us today?

4. From Acts 4:23-35, what was it the community prayed for and how did God respond?

5. What do you think Acts 14:23 tells us about the early organization of the Christian community (see also Acts 11:30)?

6. What do these readings add to your understanding of life as a Christian?

7. How does our community compare to the earliest community? Do we want to be more like them? How would we do that?