Sacred Prayer in Silent Spaces for Sunday, August 23, 2020
St Davids Website • August 29, 2020
The Gospel According to Matthew 16:13-20
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
We assume that the Rock upon which the Church is built is monumental (literally)—a great immovable object in the landscape. But we human beings are not without our weaknesses, and failings, and shortcomings. Peter is beloved, but his faith is that of those who hear The Lord’s invitation to walk on water, yet still sinks when he answers. We are not too different from him, despite our efforts. Two thousand years later, our Church still stands, precariously balanced as we try to right injustice and oppression in the world.
Take a moment now and give thanks in prayer for your blessings this week.
Meditation
In a Church that God envisions will stand the test of time, Jesus chooses a mere human to lead it against the attacks of Satan, to decide what is bound and what is loosed, and to proclaim his Messiah-ship while also keeping silent—a tall order for Peter; and surely for any other disciple (ourselves included).
In the faith of my upbringing, Peter was someone held in highest esteem, the direct ancestor of the Pope in Rome, and any other denomination that didn’t recognize the Pope was inadequate. Today I see that an inflated view of Peter doesn’t help us understand how it is we ourselves answer the call to carry the faith to all we meet; or to step onto a storm-tossed sea; or to say the name “Messiah!” out loud in recognition of the saving grace of our Lord.
Perhaps we need a chance to hear those words “The Rock” addressed to OURSELVES! How can we be gifted with the challenge of leading our Church into the next generation? We, with our wavering faith, sometimes brilliantly grasp the mystery of the Resurrection for just a moment or two as Peter has. We, with our wavering faith, can—and will—propel a powerful Gospel forward as we recognize Jesus as Messiah; and recognize the face of Christ in those we serve.
Take a few moments now and recall all those hospitality and justice ministries we undertake to benefit our neighbors. Pray for all who are dependent upon the ministries your congregation supports: food pantries, clothing ministries, feeding programs, and social justice work.
Photo Attribution: Interior window, Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, Tabgha, Israel; Rev. Claudia Scheda, 2012.
Today’s Prayer:
Almighty God, you have called us to go out into our communities and spread the Gospel in word and deed to those hungry for the Good News. Strengthen us for our ministry so that we might resemble that Strong Rock who keeps us safe in the storm. Instill in us a faith that will be for us and our brothers and sisters a stronghold in the rockface to grasp during difficult times. Prepare us for this work by showing us the face of Christ in those we serve as well as in our own colleagues in ministry. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Consider how you have felt God's presence in your life this week. Perform an act of gratitude in thanksgiving.
If you do not have a faith community, you are welcome at St. David’s. Whatever your faith family—or even if you are without one—please remember that a financial gift to your local church is very much appreciated during this time. Even donations of postage stamps go a long way to continuing our work tending the spiritual and physical needs of people who are isolated.
Sacred Prayer in Silent Spaces is produced for St. David’s, West Seneca and St. Aidan’s, Alden by Rev. Claudia Scheda, 2020.
Today I share with you a recently discovered prayer; perfect for this season when we are ready to slough off all winter's dread, and ready ourselves to dig deep in our gardens. I thought this prayer was very appropriate, especially as we look toward the Feast of Pentecost: The world is now too dangerous and too beautiful for anything but love. May your eyes be so blessed you see God in everyone. Your ears, so you hear the cry of the poor. May your hands be so blessed that everything you touch is a sacrament. Your lips, so you speak nothing but the truth with love May your feet be so blessed you run to those who need you. And may your heart be so opened, so set on fire, that your love, your love , changes everything. https://www.ees1862.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/A-Black-Rock-Prayer-Book-2019.pdf M. Claudia + Our Weekly Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
Memorial Day in my childhood was the sign that summer was near. The parade route passed by my aunt's home, and the whole neighborhood came outside to watch, cook on the grill, wave at boy scouts and firetrucks and the Shriners in their little cars. My uncle was a cigar smoker, and I'll always associate a whiff of tobacco with the beginning of a new season of being outdoors. Some in my family still called it "Decoration Day" and I thought it only referred to getting your garden ready. As I became older, I learned about the many men and women who gave their lives that we might be free from oppression. That we could enjoy trips to visit family and not worry about getting pulled over without cause; the means to travel without wondering whether you could get back home; the right to vote secure in the knowledge that all votes mattered and were counted fairly. For some Americans, these right were never consistently theirs, though the privileged people around them enjoyed those liberties. Now more and more of us share in these experiences of being denied the freedoms our fathers and grandparents and aunts and uncles fought and died for. We must not forget the price they paid on our behalf, and the debt we owe them for their lives given for the liberty of generations they hadn't yet met. Say a prayer for those who gave their lives in service to their country--and continue praying that our country will withstand any and every assault on its residents' liberties. M. Claudia + Our Weekly Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
Finally, after a long, gray, and cold Lenten Season we rejoice in the Glory of the Resurrection! Come and join your Christian family this year for the story of God's people; the entirety of human experience and emotion at our Saturday evening Easter Vigil service--where we are so excited for death's defeat that we can't wait until sunrise! Or join us at our regular Sunday morning hour for the holiest of holy days, the celebration of Easter. We will be here waiting for you, with arms outstretched in welcome. All attending St. David's for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday are invited to receive Holy Communion at the Lord's Table! We have gluten free wafers available every week. Easter Vigil, Saturday April 19, 7pm Easter Morning, Sunday April 20, 9 am Alleluia, Christ is Risen--The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia! M. Claudia + Our Weekly Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?, asks the familiar spiritual. Holy Week is the Christian's opportunity to do just that--to beg for Jesus' murder before Pilate; to walk the way of the condemned, to be made to carry the cross. We are among those either egging on the abuser or those wondering when someone will step in and put a stop to the craziness. Sometimes it causes us to tremble. Find your people this week--your family, your friends--and make that journey together as a group this year. Bring your household to know the sorrow and madness of the political machine Jesus was up against. Bring your loved ones to participate as Jesus' closest disciples did in his last days. I promise you, when the glory of Easter Morning is upon us, your families' lives will be transformed in ways you could never imagine. Holy Week at St. David's will feature traditional services that will feel familiar, yet strikingly discomfiting. Maundy Thursday we will imitate the actions of Jesus, who took upon himself the lowliness of a servant to wash the feet of his loved ones. Good Friday we mourn and wait at the cross. The Vigil service, usually begun at sundown the night before the holy day of Easter, is dramatic with readings that tell the whole story of Creation, of God's People, and of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. Easter Morning brings another type of witness, where we discover the empty tomb and a new reality literally dawns upon us. Come and join your Christian family this year for the story of God's people; the entirety of human experience and emotion, as we make our way to the holiest of holy days, the celebration of Easter. We will be here waiting for you, with arms outstretched in welcome. Palm Sunday April 13, 9 am Maundy Thursday April 17, 7 pm Good Friday April 18, 7 pm Easter Vigil, Saturday April 19, 7pm Easter Morning, Sunday April 20, 9 am M. Claudia + Our Weekly Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
The season of Lent in the Christian Church is one that gives us the space to consider deeply the road Jesus trod as he makes his way to Jerusalem for the final time. I've always associated this with profound sadness, but it may not necessarily need be. For those of us who've always wished they could travel back in time and meet Jesus, and become his follower, the season of Lent reminds us that the true followers were with him during the trying times as well as the joyful ones; the happiness of miracles as well as the nagging anxiety that something was about to take a nasty turn. This year at St. David's, we help you along in that journey. We have special prayers and readings during the season, attend weekly Lenten Journey prayer services with our Christian neighbors of other denominations, publish the Diocesan-provided Lenten materials, and continue welcoming guests and visitors. We hope you will join us for the joys and sorrows of the season. Wishing all may keep a Holy Lent, M. Claudia + Our Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
I wish to thank all who helped make our special day a success! The Very Rev. Rebecca Barnes from St. Paul's Cathedral offered us a wonderful sermon on the life and lore of St. David, and how we can learn from his faithful example. Faith L. assisted with bulletins and decorations. Gary B. helped with our buffet set up and that always appreciated coffee service! Our readers included Lynne S, Sharon M, Mark Z, Butch W and Chloe, and LEM was Camille R. Check out this slide show to see more pics of our event! (Right click, then open in a new tab) St. David's Day 2025 M. Claudia + Our Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
In the Episcopal Church, we follow the Revised Common Lectionary which establishes which Scriptures we read in our Sunday services. Special feast days have their own Scripture selections. Churches that wish to celebrate their patronal feast--the feast of the saint after which the parish was named--can do so on a Sunday, but only if it doesn't fall in Lent! St. David of Wales, Bishop, Preacher and patron saint of our congregation, is celebrated on March 1st which often falls at the beginning of Lent, so we've not had the opportunity to celebrate his feast on a Sunday. This year, however, Lent begins Wednesday March 5 allowing us the ability to transfer his feast to Sunday March 2. St. David was a monastic and established many communities of prayer in Wales. Tradition has it that wherever he roamed the countryside to preach the gospel, a hill would grow beneath his feet, elevating him so his voice could be heard by all as he proclaimed the Good News. Come join us Sunday March 2 at 9 am for our wonderful celebration of the Feast of St. David! We will be visited by guest preacher The Very Rev. Rebecca Barnes, dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, and enjoy a brunch afterwards! M. Claudia + Our Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
I am getting ready to perform my role as an Alternate Deputy in our fast-approaching General Convention in Louisville, KY beginning next week. There is a ton of legislation, resolutions, and some elections which are going to be meaningful to all of us--they help us understand how we understand and form our Christian work and ministry at home and abroad. I have a better handle on the work that's before us with my recent experience at the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women, and being newly named the Global Mission Advocate for our diocese. The work of making a difference in the lives of God's people across the globe is tremendous and requires the investment of prayer and physical resources. We among our partnership who are elected as deputies and alternates in WNY and NWPA are committed to this work. I will keep you updated as I'm able while I participate in this work; keep me in your prayers, and also our parish administrator Faith Laudenslager in her first year as a General Convention Lay Delegate! M. Claudia + Our Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
As I write this message, we are preparing for Holy Week at St. David's, with a new offering this year of the service of Tenebrae, designed by Deacon Cathy and our lay worship leaders. To fully understand the glory of the Happy Morning we so greatly anticipate, it is a deeply spiritual practice to participate in the worship events of Holy Week which trace the footsteps of Christ through Jerusalem to, finally, the Place of the Skull where his Cross would stand. Join us, won't you, for this week of passion which in its sadness also looks toward hope? It is there you will find your friends and neighbors, hearing the story of the Passion, and wakening to the New Life of the Resurrection. At St. David's, you are welcome for all our Holy Week and Easter services: Wednesday 3/27 7 pm Tenebrae Shadows of Darkness Thursday 3/28 7 pm Maundy Thursday Communion & Stripping the Altar Friday 3/29 7 pm Good Friday Prayer Saturday 3/30 4:40 pm Easter Vigil Music with Communion Sunday 3/31 9 am Easter Morning Music with Communion M. Claudia + Our Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am
Baptism is the sacrament by which we become full members of the Body of Christ and take on our identity as Children of God. Here at St. David's we are preparing to welcome another member into our congregation and into the Christian family. We baptize youth and adults after a season of preparation and reflection; and we baptize infants whose parents and godparents receive instruction and take vows in their stead. Many congregations use the Lenten season to prepare candidates for baptism at the Easter Vigil--but we are happy to accommodate the timing of this special event to meet the family's needs. Please contact me or leave a message at the church office (716-674-4670) to inquire about baptism for your family member! M. Claudia + Our Services--Saturdays 4:30 pm and Sundays 9 am