Rejection comes in many different forms. Sadly, we all experience it in one way or another in every stage of life. It’s deadly. It often leaves us feeling like outcasts.

Even before birth the words might be uttered, “You are not in my plans. I do not want you in my life. Go away from me.” In school, children tell each other, “You are not strong enough or smart enough or cool enough.” Sometimes they hear a more direct message, “You cannot be a part of our group. You can not be my friend.” Teens feel rejection, isolation and loneliness deeply.

As adults we can be masters of rejection. We stay just with our clique of friends and never reach out to the stranger in our midst. In so many different ways we are told and often we tell others, “You cannot be a part of my life.”

With rejection so much a part of human experience, is it any wonder that we can even reject God? Prophet after prophet suffers this fate. And in today’s gospel we see that Jesus own reject him.

The people’s first reaction to Jesus’ teaching is astonishment. They can’t believe the depth and scope of Jesus’ wisdom. Then it comes to them. They know this man. They watched him grow up. They know his family. The townspeople concluded that Jesus is the same as them; certainly no better. They cannot allow his wisdom and his deeds to capture their hearts. Devoid of faith, they reject him.

As believers we stand amazed at the people’s rejection. But should we be amazed? How open, how receptive are people in today’s world to Jesus’ wisdom and healing action? And what of ourselves as believers? We reject Jesus when we hold on to our self-centeredness, when we hold God at arm’s length, when we reject our neighbor. We reject Christ when we turn our heads away from evil and mutter “What will be, will be.” Rather than looking suspiciously at Jesus’ town folks, let us ask ourselves, “How fully do I accept the wisdom of Jesus in my life? How fully do I accept Jesus in my life this day and each day?”

We continue to ask each week that parishioners pray for the chronically ill of our parish. If you have a friend or loved one in need of our parish prayers please call the Rectory at 589-2800.

“Humans are the only species able to go everywhere in the world, which also means that we have the capacity to do good or ill everywhere…If we don’t respect nature, we do not respect ourselves.” Roger Rosenblatt, Christopher News Notes

Heralds of the Gospel
I had the privilege of witnessing the ordination of six permanent deacons on June 25 at the cathedral. Two aspects of the rite really struck me: one was that the language of the ritual needs to be changed. Bishop John Wester asked the priest entrusted with the formation of the deacon candidates if they were worthy of the ordination they were about to receive. But none of us is ever worthy of any of the sacraments and God doesn’t ask that of us. Isn’t the question, really, are they willing to be servants of God and of the people? Are they ready to commit themselves to the ongoing conversion of life which being ordained implies? Isn’t that what our deacons, Rusty and John, are doing: laying down their lives for us, as are the priests we’re blest to have? The ritual speaks of the “state to which you are being elevated.” Isn’t a deacon by his ordination being demoted to the status of a servant, as Jesus was?

The other aspect which struck me was the charge the bishop gave to each of the men as he placed the book of the gospels in his hands: Receive the gospel of Christ whose herald you are; believe what you read; teach what you believe and practice what you teach. What a wonderful admonition! And though it belongs specifically to the deacon to be a preacher of God’s Word, doesn’t it also belong to us by our baptism? Might each one of us be called to be a herald of the gospel in our workplace, in school, in the neighborhood? The deacon or priest doesn’t work in our profession or trade, doesn’t attend our school, doesn’t live on our block. Especially, if people don’t come to church, if they don’t “read” the gospel in our lives, where will they read it? None of us wants to be called a holy roller, but the everyday actions of welcoming the newcomer to the office, of helping the neighbor who is dealing with sickness or the death of a spouse, of putting out and bringing in the garbage for an elder, of taking care of the children in case of emergency speak of the presence of Christ to anyone with eyes to see.

May each of us be that presence of Christ for our world so in need of hope, so desperate for some sign of God in the turmoil. Perhaps, the Spirit might use us to bring someone further along on the journey to faith.

    
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Dress Code: Full length black slacks, (jeans or spandex are not permitted), white shirt with collar, closed toe comfortable shoes (preferably black or white).

We will car pool from the rectory. For those working in San Francisco, you can meet the group at the gate.

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