Reflections
These reflections are originally published in the weekly newsletter, the Net.
All reflections written by Fr. Bill Garrison and Fr. John Saville will be archived here.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to read previous entries.
But That Isn’t Fair!
In the gospel this week, we find a landowner hiring people all day long to work in His vineyard. The rub comes at the end of the day when everyone gets paid the same amount. The people hired first think they should get more since they worked all day. We aren’t sure how the ones who came last feel, but we can imagine they are pretty happy having received a full day’s wages for working a short day.
At first blush, we don’t blame the early birds for being upset. Truthfully, it does seem unfair. But we need to remember. This is one of Jesus’ parables so He is making an important point.
Let’s bring the story into current times. New people join a church and, for the most part, get treated just like the people who came decades before. That’s not right, the pillars of the community say. What a welcoming church, the newcomers say.
I think Jesus would say that everyone is missing the point. The long timers have the advantage of having experienced many years in this beloved church. The short timers have completely missed that experience. But since God is giving and generous, both groups are rewarded with the same pay, eternal life.
After all, it is God’s church.
More Sunday.
Getting Ready
The gospel this coming Sunday is called "The Parable of the Sower". You may remember that it's about a farmer sowing grain. The grain fell on the earth in four ways. For our purposes the most important place the grain fell was on well tended land with a deep soil. Naturally the grain that fell...
How to Get Better Rest at Night
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." These are words we have heard so many times. But are we listening? Do we believe them? Human beings for the most part are worriers. I know I am, especially at two in the morning when my problems seem the...
The Little Ones
In the gospel this week, we hear Jesus referring to God, Himself, the prophets, his disciples, and the "little ones" that need a drink of water. He says that we are all rewarded by God when we do the simplest of acts in the name of God. It's a theme that comes up often in the teachings of Jesus....
Thinking and The Bible
In Genesis it says that God created us in God's image. That would say that we are like God in some ways. I suspect that means primarily that we are blessed with intelligence and curiosity. So I wonder why some people get irritated or uncomfortable when asked a question about God? Here is an...
Are We Ready to Commence?
Hi everyone. This week the gospel leads us to think about change. Specifically, we are thinking about preparation for something to come. In the gospel this week the disciples have been traveling with Jesus as he goes about his ministry. In town after town they saw him teach, heal, and preach about...
Have you ever been stuck?
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry" Psalm 40:1 Dear Friends, Have you ever been stuck? Literally? Last Saturday morning, Kathleen and I saw this squirrel in our backyard. We have often watched as he contorts himself in all kinds of positions to try and grab a...
Leveling Up
My husband teaches gaming. Bear with me; this does relate to today’s gospel reading. He’s very good at explaining the mechanics of games and using the jargon to teach his students. Thanks to Zoom, I’ve half-heard most of his online classes this year so I can throw out terms like walk cycle and...
New Year’s Day and the Feast of the Holy Name
Dear Friends, With Sunday falling on January 1st this year, we get to celebrate New Year's Day and the Feast of the Holy Name. There are five hymns in our hymnal which combine this secular holiday and sacred holy day.. My favorite is #250, called "Sixth Night" by Alfred Fedak. The 17th century...
Reflection: Christmas 2022
Dear Friends For Christmas Eve and Day, the lectionary offers two choices for the gospel. I usually use Luke’s account, the one most people know well, thanks to Christmas carols and cards and creches. The other choice for the gospel on Christmas, which we will be using, is from what is known as...
Reflections: Decorating for Christmas
Dear Friends One of our family Christmas traditions was to drive through the neighborhoods and streets in Corona which were known for their extravagant front lawn Christmas decorations and lights. They never failed to impress and delight us. But sometimes, less is more. Last week I passed a...