MAC KIRK

The sermon this Sunday is Luke 18 about the Publican and the Pharisee.  It deals with our relationship to God and others, and these two illustrations below seem to fit the point the best. “Walter Cronkite recalls the following incident: Sailing back down the Mystic River in Connecticut and following the channel's tricky turns through an expanse of shallow water, I am reminded of the time a boatload of young people sped past us here, its occupants shouting and waving their arms. I waved back a cheery greeting and my wife said, "Do you know what they were shouting?" "Why, it was 'Hello, Walter,'" I replied. "No," she said. "They were shouting, "Low water, Low water.'" Such are the pitfalls of fame's egotism. “ Ray Ellis and Walter Cronkite, North by Northeast . “Winston Churchill was once asked, "Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?" ...

2 Timothy 2:8-15   “ A Christian Saying and Its Continuing Relevance to Us Today”     “ It is a faithful saying : For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer , we shall also reign with him..”   These are some words addressed to Timothy by the Apostle who wishes to encourage Timothy   in his Christian faith and heritage---“ When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice” 2 T 1:3   Apparently the Apostle Paul is quoting from the words of a well known hymn of the Christian era.   Let me take the second part first.      We are hearing about suffering.   “ Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”   He tells of how the soldier wishes to please his commanding officer and the sacrifices associated with that which come undoubtedly to any soldier.   Suffering is a part of the Christian life. Matt...

----this was a personal privilege to do this although hard. Druery Carl McMillan, age 84 passed from this life on Friday Sept 27.  He was born in the rural area of ST Joseph Missouri on Dec 25,1928 .  He grew up on a farm there with his family. In 1949 the family sold the farm and came to California and settled in Manteca .   DC McMillan did basic training at Fort Ord , California in the US Army.  He got out of the Army and then went into teaching after getting a degree from San Jose State College. He taught 6th grade.  He re-entered the Army and retired at the rank of full Colonel , Ordnance Corps.  He married in 1952, the former Patricia Ruth Morgan of Philadelphia , Pa , and they had two children---Druanne and David.  Patricia preceded him in death in 2010.  She was well known in the community for her volunteer work playing the piano and singing for the residents of nursing homes and retirement homes on the MOnterery Peninsu...

ST Michael and All Angels    - Sept 29      Today we celebrate the feast day of our parish and we enter an area that is certainly in Scripture but this is an area of great mystery .   We can only as Christians bow before what we hear in reverence.   When I think of angels I think of that marvelous vision of Isaiah in Chapter 6 of his prophetic book where there is a picture of “seraphims with six wings”.   Isaiah sees them as they cry out ,” Holy , Holy , Holy   is the LORD of hosts”.   Seraph is from the root to burn and these creatures may have been angelic beings that were flying fiery serpents.   Of course there are other kinds of angels-----we think of cherubs as well.   They are mentioned in Genesis 3:24 where they guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden.   As well they sit over the Ark of the Covenant-Exodus 25:20 “ And the cherubims shall stretch their wings on high”   They had wings we know for su...

“The Balm of Gilead”         Jeremiah 8:18-9:1    Psalm 79:1-9   1 Timothy 2:1-7   Luke 16:1-13   Healing comes to us in many ways and in many shapes in our lives.   It may be that it takes many years to work through some of the problems and hurts we have felt .   I heard someone say that you know that forgiveness , a kind of healing ,   happens when we no longer wish ill on someone who has harmed us.   That means we have finally let go of our anger and frustration and have forgiven.   In the Old Testament we read of healing that came from Gilead. Genesis 37 said “ Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh going to carry it down to Egypt” vs. 25   “It was a healing compound made from the resinous gum of a bush which grew plentifully in the area of Gilead” Wikipedia   In our OT lesson we read , “ Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician...

Sabbath –Healing and our Lives    Luke 13:10 -17   On Sunday heaven's gates stand open. - George Herbert John Calvin ; “If the Lord’s day is abolished, the church would be in imminent danger of convulsion and ruin.” GENERAL ORDER RESPECTING THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH DAY IN THE ARMY AND NAVY EXECUTIVE MANSION , Washington , November 15, 1862 The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service. The importance for men and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the divine will demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity. The discipline and character of the national forces should not suffer nor the cause they defend be imperiled by the profanati...

GENERAL ORDER RESPECTING THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH DAY IN THE ARMY AND NAVY EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington, November 15, 1862 The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service. The importance for men and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the divine will demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity. The discipline and character of the national forces should not suffer nor the cause they defend be imperiled by the profanation of the day or name of the Most High. “At this time of public distress,” adopting the words of Washington in 1776, “men may find enough to do in the service of God and their country without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality.” The ...