The BreadCast

(Dt.4:1-2,6-8;   Ps.15:1-5;   Jas.1:17-18,21b-22,27;   Mk.7:1-8,14-15,21-23)  “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” Welcome it, yes, and “be doers of the word and not hearers only.”  For how else shall you show that the word of God is planted in you except that you bear fruit?  All that is planted well indeed grows and bears fruit in the light of God. Brothers and sisters, God “willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits.”  “What great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law?”  Indeed the Law of God is whole, the Law of God is perfect – the Law of God gives life.  For this reason Moses instructs the people: “You shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it,” for the Law is holy as He, and keeping it we prove ourselves to be so holy; keeping it we cannot but “give evidence of [our] wisdom and intelligence to the nations.”  Yes, with the Lord “there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.”  His light is perfect, and His light is eternal, and we must be children of His holy light. But what of those for whom the washing of hands has become more important than keeping the commandments of God?  What about those over whom Isaiah prophesies: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”?  Woe to these, for they have not the word of truth planted in them and so only evil things “come out from within,” and thereby they are defiled.  Oh may the Lord never pronounce over our souls: “In vain do they worship me”!  Oh let us never be producers of the evils of this world! “Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” and he “who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue” knows the gifts of the Creator and walks in His holy light.  No “great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon Him.”  For His truth is indeed within us and this word comes straight to His ear.  The beat of our hearts is known to our God as we worship in spirit and in truth.  The only food that saves souls is laid upon our table.  The Word of God we consume and so are made His children, caring for “orphans and widows in their affliction” and keeping ourselves “unstained by the world.” Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "What Is In Your Heart" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, if we walk according to your Word, we shall be saved. YHWH, your Word you have planted within us and so call us to follow in your way.  Your Law comes to our ears that we might observe your commandments and so have life.  But if we do not welcome the Word you give, if we do not do as we are commanded, we shall be empty vessels in which corruption may find a home. O LORD, let us walk blamelessly before you, cherishing the truth in our hearts and guarding our tongues from all evil.  You give us the grace to approach perfection; you are close to us when we call upon you, when you and your glory are our desire.  May we be innocent of all sin, our hands clean from all defilement, and we shall be blessed all our days. Let your Word live in us and grow in us, dear God.  Let there be no room in us for greed or deceit or any of the wickedness known to man.  With our very lives let us honor you – O let us be truly wise!

(Jos.24:1-2a,15-17,18b;   Ps.34:2-3,9,16-21;   Eph.5:21-32;   Jn.6:60-69)  “Do you also want to leave?” How like the questions pertaining to the marriage vows is our Lord’s inquiry of the Twelve, and Joshua’s statement to the Israelites he has just brought out of the wilderness into the Promised Land.  “If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve,” Joshua says, “as for me and my household we will serve the Lord.”  And Jesus seeks to find from His apostles if they will be like “many of His disciples [who] returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” after His teaching on the Bread of Life. Do you take Jesus to be your husband?  To honor and obey, to love… to “become one flesh” with Him who is “the Holy One of God”?  You are free to leave, or you are free to come unto Him.  Though He knows your heart and your choice, yet you are free to make it as you please.  How shall you answer the Lord? Paul renders a beautiful account of the love of husband and wife, relating it well “to Christ and the Church.”  “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies… no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church.”  And what can the good wife do when loved “as Christ loved the Church and handed Himself over for her,” bleeding and dying on the cross to wash away all our sins – what can she do when confronted with such utter sacrifice for her sake alone but revere her husband and respect his every wish?  In loving such a man she finds her joy.  (How the wife of Joshua must have beamed to hear her husband’s public declaration that he and his household would follow the Lord!  Who could argue with such blessed authority?) And now, what of you and I, brothers and sisters, we who have the most faithful husband of all?  Do we “bless the Lord at all times”?  Does our “soul glory in the Lord” as King David’s today?  Do we realize how He “watches over all [our] bones” and makes them pure as His own?  Or will we be fool enough to leave His loving embrace?  The words must come from your mouths as well, and mean them: “We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.” Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Marriage" from The Innocent Heart, first album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, to whom else shall we go, to whom else shall we be wed… for you alone are God? YHWH, let us never leave you but be wed to your Son and become as His Body in this world.  O let His Spirit be upon us to bring us to eternal life!  What need we do but be obedient to Him and serve one another in His love?  You will certainly watch over and guide us safely in all things if we are united to Jesus. He left you, O Father in Heaven, to be joined to us, to save us, to pour out His blood as a cleansing shower to purify us from all sin, that we might be able to join you in Heaven with Him.  In splendor may He present us to you; let us be faithful until the coming of His Day. Flesh of His flesh and blood of His blood, you cannot but look upon us with favor, dear LORD.  And so, let us praise you all our days, never turning from worship of you, the one true God.  Let all your children serve you alone.

(Rv.21:9-14;   Ps.145:10-13,17-18;   Jn.1:45-51)  “Come, I will show you the woman who is the bride of the Lamb.” Nathanael (who is Bartholomew) is taken by Philip (whose name means “love”) to meet the bridegroom of his soul – and immediately he weds himself to the Lord, recognizing Him as the Son of God.  As Bartholomew is without guile, so must all His Church be so sincere to find the glory that awaits us “under the fig tree” in the absolute peace and splendor of His presence.  How else will we see Him?  How else can we recognize Him?  How else will we become one with Him if we don’t come to Him even with the faith of this innocent child? “You shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son Man.”  He it is who stands in the breach between earth and heaven; He it is who is as the ladder we climb to find God’s eternal kingdom: by Him it is heaven comes to us and we fly to heaven – His angels are with us to guide us to the vision of His splendor and lead us to safety within the protective walls of His Church as His bride.  As the angel comes to John, leading him to vision of the heavenly kingdom, so by Jesus the angels come to us to carry us home in His arms.  May we find the peace that awaits us within His walls and enter through its gates. And who are the foundation stones of this glorious kingdom but John and Bartholomew and the Lord’s blessed apostles?  These simple men who walked the earth as you and I have now become the radiant gems on which Holy Church is set – they serve now to support the Bride of the Lamb and bring her to His “dominion” which “endures through all generations.”  These generations include our own, and we simple men are now called and guided by the “discourse” of these “faithful ones” to enter in and take our own place in the city which has “the radiance of a precious jewel that sparkle[s] like a diamond.”  But to do so we must be like Him who is “just in all His ways and holy in all His works.”  We must come as Nathanael, without guile, guided only by love, to find our place in the peaceful kingdom. The Lord sees us all, brothers and sisters.  He knows us all.  He knows we are but simple men and women, but this is who He seeks.  Let us trust utterly in Him, and His angels will take us to the bridal chamber and we shall enter in and dwell with Him in His “kingdom for all ages” with all His holy ones redeemed in His blood. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, let us see the sky opened and the Son of God and His holy Bride coming down out of Heaven; let us have eyes that look for Him, hearts that long for Him. YHWH, may the sky be opened and our eyes see the glorious splendor of your kingdom coming down unto us.  Let us be pure and innocent, without guile, as all your children must be, and indeed your glory shall be revealed to us.  And we shall declare with all your apostles that you are God and Jesus is your only Son. Through all ages your kingdom lasts, O LORD; your dominion endures through all generations.  And that kingdom your Son comes to make known to us – and into that kingdom we must all be built.  The apostles are the foundation stones of your Church, and they speak of your might to all, but every soul must shine with your radiance in your holy City. O LORD, let us be wed to your Lamb and to His sacrifice; then indeed we shall have our eyes opened to see the angels ascending and descending upon Him.  Then indeed we shall enter the gates of the New Jerusalem.

(Prv.9:1-6;   Ps.34:2-7;   Eph.5:15-20;   Jn.6:51-58)  “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of His blood, you do not have life within you.” Wisdom “has spread her table”; “she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine.”  And now she sends out “her maidens,” calling “from the heights out over the city… ‘Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed!’”  Let the simple hearts, those who seek understanding and refreshment, “turn in here.”  Here is bread that He gives “for the life of the world.”  Yes, His “flesh is true food, and [His] blood is true drink.”  Jesus, the only Son, has come “down from heaven” and now spreads the table before us, in fulfillment of the Scriptures, in answer to all prayers. Are not our priests His maidens calling souls forth to the altar where we feed?  Is the Church not His city where His voice resounds, where His blood is outpoured?  And so we should heed the instruction of Paul today and “watch carefully how [we] live, not as foolish persons but as wise,” seeking the precious bread that opens all eyes.  “Do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery”; rather, “be filled with the Spirit” that comes to you in this wine made holy, in His sacred blood. Brothers and sisters, let us “address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in [our] hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”  For what greater joy could there be than this Blessed Sacrament?  And so, “glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol His name,” that we may indeed be “radiant with joy, and [our] faces may not blush with shame.”  For the wise come to this table and eat, and so have life everlasting.  For the Lord is here in our midst, in flesh and blood.  Here is the house with “seven columns” in which His children ever dwell.  The foolish may fall by the wayside, but the wise receive eternal life. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Love, the Meaning of" part c. "Love" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood, we gain understanding, we come to eternal life… and so our mouths are filled with praise! YHWH, feed us with the flesh and blood of your only Son, this spiritual bread and wine that nourishes us to eternal life.  The days are evil and the food the world offers brings man only death – give us wisdom to see the emptiness, the foolishness of feasting on such corrupted fare, and come to your table today. O LORD, we praise you for your goodness to us, for when we sought you, when we recognized our lack of understanding and turned to you and to your Son, our shame you took from us and made us radiant with joy.  May Wisdom remain with us always; your Spirit ever sing in us of your surpassing glory. To the banquet let us come, to the feast Jesus prepares for us by His sacrifice.  Let us eat His Body and drink His Blood and live forever in your heavenly kingdom.

(Rv.11:19a,12:1-6a,10ab;   Ps.45:10-12,16;   1Cor.15:20-26;   Lk.1:39-56)   “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”   The Queen of Heaven here appears to us in her glory.  She who has been taken up by her Son to His heavenly kingdom to stand at His side: “The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.”  Yes, Lord, the Mother you preserved from sin for all eternity you have preserved from the jaws of death; she who has suffered so intimately with you here on earth now shares your glory in heaven.  And as she has said, “All generations will call me blessed,” for you have “lifted up the lowly” and she your humblest and most holy of all creatures can be nowhere but with you in your eternal life.  May she bless us from her place with you this holy day. In Mary we find our hope, brothers and sisters; in her we find it fulfilled, made real by the hand of God.  We know that “in Christ shall all be brought to life,” and “in proper order” she so blessed in life is now so blessed in death, having been preserved from its clutches and preceding us into God’s heavenly realm.  The devil would have devoured her and her child, but she and He, and we with them, have escaped his gaping mouth and the fire it breathes; this enemy and the death he wrought is destroyed by our Lord and His birth through the Virgin Mary, and so, “now have salvation and power come.”  “The kingdom of our God and the authority of His Anointed One” now reign supreme, and she who has been His special instrument in bringing such salvation now stands at His side in His paradise. “How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” asks Elizabeth in wonder at the blessed presence of Mary in her midst.  She who carries the Lord shares in His divinity in a way beyond our comprehension, for if her own kinswoman could be filled with such awe, recognizing whence Mary comes, how much more should we be filled with veneration for the Virgin daughter of Israel?  Indeed, it is her voice which causes the Baptist to leap for joy in the womb; with such joy we should approach this sacred day. As intimately as she was with Jesus, and is with Jesus now, so intimately is she with His Church here on earth as well as in heaven.  From her place at His side she watches over us and cares for our needs as any mother for her son.  We are her sons and daughters, united to her through the One Lord, Jesus Christ.  She comes to us now at the end of the age, granting wisdom and direction to those who seek their place with her Son.  Call her blessed, brothers and sisters in Christ, and see her glory shining forth at the right hand of God.  In her you will find light greater than sun and moon and stars.  You will find the presence of our Lord and our God. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, look upon all your lowly servants with favor, that we might join Mary at your Son’s side in the kingdom.  YHWH, your promise of mercy is fulfilled in our midst as she who is blessed comes to us bearing your Son.  And our hearts leap for joy at her approach, for indeed she brings salvation with her, and so the destruction of death.  In her Son is your kingdom, your power come, and to His glory we are all called. Dearest Mary, who are we that you should come to us, O Mother of our Lord?  O what blessing you are for those who rejoice with you in God our Savior!  For as He has looked upon you, His lowly servant, so He looks upon all poor creatures and fills our emptiness with His presence.  O that we might stand with you at His side this day! LORD, in Jesus death is conquered and all souls are brought to life again.  His Virgin Mother is the first to join Him in your glory, for you prepared a place for her.  May we all find the place prepared for us in your kingdom.

(1Kgs.19:4-8;   Ps.34:2-9;   Eph.4:30-5:2;   Jn.6:41-51) “Strengthened by that food he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.” As the forty days and forty nights Noah found himself protected from the rains by the Lord; as the forty years the Israelites were guided through the desert; as the forty days Jesus found strength in the Word of God while fasting in the wilderness… as Elijah is fed for his journey, so we for the fullness of our days feed upon “the bread of life” as we travel to the heavenly kingdom of our Lord.  Here is our ark; here is our manna – here is all the strength and protection we need.  He is our food. “His praise shall be ever in my mouth,” for His food is ever on our altar, and this Sacrament fills us with nothing but joy.  If we had not this food, indeed “bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling” would come from our mouths so poisoned by the fruit of the world.  But as it is “Christ loved us and handed Himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma,” and thus we “taste and see how good the Lord is” and cannot but “glorify the Lord” and “extol His name.” That “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them” is illustrated clearly in the trials of Elijah.  Overwhelmed by “all [his] fears,” the “afflicted” prophet “prayed for death, saying, ‘This is enough, O Lord!  Take my life.’”  But “from all his distress [God] saved him,” for an “angel of the Lord… touched him, and ordered, ‘Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!’”  And Elijah “got up, ate, and drank” the food and water the Lord provided, and made it safely to the mountain where the Lord God would speak to him. “This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.”  All strength and blessing come from the Lord through His only Son.  And being drawn to Him and so discovering the Father of all, what can our faces be but “radiant with joy,” the joy of His eternal, loving presence?  Let us come this day to the holy mountain of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Body of Christ" from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, you give us the flesh of your Son that we might live, and you send your angels to guard us. YHWH, your Son has given His flesh as a sacrificial offering that we might eat of this Bread and be strengthened for our journey to eternal life on your holy mountain.  Help us to walk with you, to walk with Him as your beloved children, your angel at our side, your Holy Spirit within us to bless us and keep us faithful to you until the Day of redemption is fulfilled.  O let us be taught by you!  Let us come to your Son and be fed with His Body and Blood, with the Word He is, offered for our salvation. Why should we murmur among ourselves, dearest LORD?  Why should we doubt and fear your presence among us and your care for us?  Why do we court death in our despair?  You are near!  You hear the afflicted man when he calls out – you have delivered us from death by sending us your Son.  Let us glory in the gift you give us.  Let us taste your goodness this day.

(2Cor.9:6-10;   Ps.112:1-2,5-9;   Jn.12:24-26)   “The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.”   The servant of the Lord lays down his life in His name.  Today we celebrate St. Lawrence, deacon, servant, and martyr, who gave his life and his death generously to God.  His life must be that of every Christian; his witness is one we are called to follow. “The man who hates his life in this world preserves it to life eternal,” the Lord tells His disciples in today’s gospel.  As “the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies,” so must we if we are to produce “much fruit.”  We cannot hold on to our lives and our pride but must give them over in service of God, or they will be nothing worth.  We must trust in the words of Paul that “God can multiply His favors” among us, that as much as we give generously of ourselves, the more He will provide; and the greater will thus be our reward as we draw ever closer to Him and His sacrifice.  “Where I am, there will my servant be.”  By these words Jesus both calls and assures all who would follow Him that the laying down of their lives will bring them “honor” in the presence of the Father.  To be so “exalted in glory,” we must be washed in His blood. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church; it is by their sacrifice, their total giving of themselves, that the Church does grow.  They bear witness to God’s power working in the world, and we must sow bountifully with them in order to “reap bountifully” the graces of the Lord.  He provides the seed we sow and will “multiply the seed” and its yield; as long as we remain “firm, trusting in the Lord,” our posterity shall endure unto heaven.  So let us plant our prayers and our works and our lives in the fertile earth where the martyrs found their joy, and whether we live or die, we “shall be blessed in His holy presence.” May all the Church ring out their praises to the God who calls and blesses us with the holy example of those who serve Him and give their lives completely to Him.  “Lavishly He gives to the poor; His generosity shall endure forever,” so let us pray that this blessed yield the Lord provides will be increased in our own time, and that we may join in the grace of such sacrifice.  In His Spirit and in His blood may we ever grow away from the earth and the death it holds and unto the life of “everlasting remembrance” in heaven with God. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, if we serve you, we will be where Jesus has been – fixed to a cross – and so, blessed will we be as He accepts our sacrifice, for we will come to where He is now in Heaven.  YHWH, the seed and its yield are both in your hand, and you give freely to all of your abundance.  Help us to be generous as you, trusting that you will always multiply and increase our yield, trusting that all we are and all we do are in your holy hand. O LORD, let us unite ourselves with the Cross of your Son, let us plant our souls in His blessed death, that we might bear much fruit and endure unto eternal life.  Let us be so blessed to be His servants, to follow in His way, to be joined to His holy sacrifice.  Then we shall be honored with all your saints, with all who lay down their lives in your Name. What is it to hate our lives in this world but to see ourselves as we are, small and insignificant as a grain of wheat?  Yet giving what little we have cheerfully to you and to others, our yield becomes abundant, dear God.

(Ex.16:2-4,12-15;   Ps.78:3-4,23-25,54;   Eph.4:17,20-24;   Jn.6:24-35)  “Do not work for food that perishes but for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” Their bellies rumbling in the desert, “the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron,” calling out for food to satiate their hunger.  How they long to be beside their “flesh pots” in Egypt, where they “ate [their] fill of bread” – even if they should die there.  Their great concern is for the food which perishes. And in our gospel, too, Jesus upbraids the crowd who follow Him, saying, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled,” the Lord having just fed the five thousand.  They, too, seek the satiation of their physical hunger while remaining blind to the spiritual food Jesus is. This lack of comprehension of the life in the Spirit the Lord would impart is exemplified in the name the Israelites give the bread from heaven God has provided for their pilgrimage.  “Manna” they call it, after the question they “asked one another, ‘What is this?’ for they did not know what it was.”  And how little do those who question Jesus understand of “the bread of God… which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  Even as they say, “Sir, give us this bread always,” they do not see that He stands before them, and that they have already partaken of the bread He is.  And so, most will turn away, their hearts more set upon the belly than the spirit.  And so, with the belly many will perish. Brothers and sisters, “You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way of righteousness and holiness of truth.”  Listen to your brother Paul, for he speaks of Jesus and the new life He brings.  Here on our altar is “the bread of angels”; and would you turn to eating rotting flesh?  The Lord calls you into the heavenly kingdom; and would you choose slavery in the land of sin instead?  “Abundance” of food in “His holy land” is now set before us by the Son of Man – partake of this bread of everlasting life, the flesh and blood of Christ. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The Spirit Rules the Body" from Breath, the Apple Rises, fifth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us eat the Bread you give us, the food that endures to eternal life. YHWH, let our minds be renewed, our hearts set on you, on the Bread from Heaven you give us in your Son.  Why should we be concerned for the things of the belly and the corruption it brings?  Let us be men of the Spirit eating the Bread of angels, not of beasts. If it is upon the flesh we set our sights, if we desire the food that perishes, we will perish with it.  But if, O LORD, we long for the food that endures to eternal life, eternal life will be ours by the grace at your hand.  O let us do your works and not those of the devil! If we come to your Son, O LORD, He will feed us with His Body.  If we but believe in Him, He will quench our thirst.  We shall never be in want again if we but embrace the One you have sent. O Jesus, let us look for you and we shall find the truth you are and no longer live in futility but have abundance in your Father’s holy land.

(2Kgs.4:42-44;   Ps.145:10-11,15-18;   Eph.4:1-6;   Jn.6:1-15)  “They shall eat and there shall be some left over.” O Lord, “the eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”  You are He who is “just in all His ways and holy in all His works,” and eating the food you offer, we become holy as well. Brothers and sisters, if we “live in a manner worthy of the call [we] have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of spirit through the bond of peace,” what shall not be ours?  Will the cup upon our table not overflow?  For then we shall be holy as He is holy.  And what does it mean to be holy but to be perfect, to be complete?  Did not those reclining on the grass eat as much bread “and also as much fish as they wanted”?  Is it not true that they “had their fill”?  And will those who come to the table of the Lord today, to partake of the sacrifice offered on His altar, be found wanting?  No, certainly not.  For as far as Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves surpasses Elisha’s feeding the hundred with twenty loaves, thus far and more does Jesus’ feeding our bodies and souls with His Bread and Wine surpass the miracle we hear of today in our gospel.  For now billions eat.  Now all who come are fed.  Without limit souls are satisfied, and satisfied unto heaven. Two notes I would make regarding our readings today.  The first is that when Jesus performed this miracle of feeding the five thousand, “the Jewish feast of the Passover was near.”  The Evangelist does not state this in vain: it is on the feast of the Passover Jesus shall offer Himself as the new Lamb of whose flesh all must partake – it is this day He shall institute the Eucharist.  And note, too, Elisha’s immediate words upon being offered the twenty barley loaves as a gift: “Give it to the people to eat.”  What is given him he offers to all, and so prefigures our Lord’s generous sacrifice of Himself – and so exemplifies the attitude we all must have to whatever the Lord provides.  For then it is we show faith in our God’s providential hand; and it is then we participate in the abundant outpouring of His gifts upon all who await His blessing.  “One body and one Spirit” are we all, and to this oneness there is no limit. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The Whole Whale" (first third) from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, it is by your hand we are fed – let us look not upon the things of this earth. YHWH, in our hunger our eyes look hopefully to you, and you do not disappoint our longing; you feed us by the hand of your only Son – upon His Body we feast.  For He gives Himself to us that we might never hunger again, for to the abundance of this food there is no end.  All who desire shall eat, and there shall be some left over. We need not fear that the food you provide shall run short and we be left alone in a desert place.  No, to all who call upon you in truth you are very near, O LORD, very ready to answer our pleas.  How much closer could you be to us than in the flesh and blood of your only Son?  What more could you give us to eat than His presence? We are one in you, O LORD, one in body and one in spirit through your Son; we are all your children, dear God and Father, and in the love of Jesus that oneness is fulfilled.  And so we praise your surpassing glory.

(2Cor.4:7-15;   Ps.126:1-6;   Mt.20:20-28)    “Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus,    so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed.”   In His apostles the death and resurrection of Jesus are most clearly shown.  It is particularly their place to suffer persecution, to be “afflicted” and “crushed”, “constantly being delivered to death for Jesus’ sake”; and it is particularly their grace to show forth the glory of the resurrection.  In this selfless service of the Lord, what comes through them is the preaching of the Word; “the spirit of faith” prompts them to speak, and though it bring their death, they do not hesitate: “We believe and so we speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in His presence.”  Paul speaks here for all the apostles, and for the grace which comes to us as well through their service. The Son of Man has come “to give His life as ransom for the many,” and James truly moves quickly “to drink of the cup” of which the Lord partakes.  As the first apostle martyred for the faith, he leads all the apostles forth to such sacrifice, in which they shall all soon join him.  Once the Spirit is upon them, speaking through them, they will have the unquestioned faith necessary to confront without fear, but indeed with holy joy, the death to which each is called.  They “possess a treasure in earthen vessels” and the vessels must be broken for the “surpassing power” of God to come to fulfillment in them and through them.  Willingly do they lay down their lives once the Spirit inspires them, once their faith has been strengthened – once they have lost entirely any preoccupation with honors and attachments of this life, they come preaching and serving, facing the death the world inflicts therefore without a thought to run and hide, but knowing the joy it shall bring deep inside. “Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.”  We are taken as captives from this world, our hands tied behind us.  But upon returning from this exile, after this death we suffer, we know our mouth will be “filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing.”  So surpassing is the peace which awaits us, the troubles of this life of mission in His Name are as nothing.  Let us pray to the Lord that we shall always speak freely in His Name.  Let us pray to imitate James and all the apostles in their selfless service of Christ.  May we have always that Spirit of faith that led them forth, that in the death of our bodies, we, too, may know and reveal the life of Jesus Christ.    Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney.   Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission.   ******* O LORD, may the sacrifice of the apostles bring many souls into the gates of your kingdom.  YHWH, let us be ready to be delivered even to death for the sake of your Name and in union with your Son and the blood He has shed for our sakes.  All persecution let us gratefully endure, knowing it shall but lead to great joy in your kingdom.  Crushed in union with the sacrifice of Christ, let us rejoice for the blessings to come. Let our hearts be set on service of you, O LORD, and not on the honors of this world.  Only those who lay down their lives for the sake of your Name shall find union with you in Heaven.  And so, let us drink of the cup of your Son that your glory may be known among all. Though speaking of you bring our end in this world, we shall still continue as has James, for then we shall be raised up with him at Jesus’ side.  All power comes only from you, LORD.  We pray you work in all our lives that even our mortal flesh shall serve as a holy sacrifice.

(Sg.3:1-4 or 2Cor.5:14-17;   Ps.63:2-6,8-9;   Jn.20:1-2,11-18) "Whom are you looking for?" Let us stand with Mary Magdalene at the tomb of our risen Lord. Let us weep a little that our hearts might bleed with her same love, and so our eyes be opened to see Jesus standing before us. Let us hear Him call us by name. O let us search night and day for our God, thirsting for Him “like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.” Let us know that without Him we are lost in darkness, empty as the tomb. May it be “the love of Christ [that] impels us” further outside of ourselves and toward the Lord, allowing nothing to impede our progress as we pass every watchman, as we leave even our senses behind to become one with our lover, partaking of “the riches of [His] banquet.” Let us “regard no one according to the flesh anymore,” not even the Christ, but release His body from our grasp that He might ascend to Heaven and we follow in His wake. A “new creation” let us be with a heart burning with love, a love that transcends all the world and discovers our Lord within. In the shadow of [His] wings [we] shout for joy,” declaring His glory to all, for He looks upon our tears, upon every heart longing for His presence, and our desire He does not disappoint. Written, read, and produced by James Kurt. Music - "Cry Mercy," from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt.

(Jer.23:1-6;   Ps.23:1-6;   Eph.2:13-18;   Mk.6:30-34)  “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow.” “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  In verdant pastures He gives me repose.”  How true to Isaiah’s prophecy are King David’s words; and how true is Jesus as the “righteous shoot to David” who “shall reign and govern wisely,” who shepherds the people of God.  And how blessed “the house of the Lord” in which we dwell “for years to come.” Brothers and sisters, is not that shore onto which Jesus disembarks in our gospel today the place where He “refreshes [our] soul”?  Does He not make these “restful waters” for all who are “like sheep without a shepherd”?  For is He Himself not the ocean in which we are cleansed and so find our peace; does His teaching not shepherd our wayward hearts into secure pastures? “He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”  Is Paul not true in his preaching when he claims that through Jesus all “have access in one Spirit to the Father”?  Though before there may have been Gentile and Jew and a “dividing wall of enmity” between the two, though still division may persist in the nations of man, yet the Son has come “that He might create in Himself one new person,” that He might reconcile both with God.”  And so all are one in His peace which He offers “through the cross.” “This is the name they give Him: ‘The Lord our justice,’” for He does “what is just and right in the land.”  To this land He has come; upon this earth He has disembarked.  And now “moved with pity” He teaches us truth; “He guides [us] in right paths for His name’s sake.”  And faithful is He in His promise to “appoint shepherds” to lead us in His grace.  Already in our gospel we see the apostles rejoice in “all they have done and taught” by His authority.  And so, peace we should find now in the walls of His Church, our daily bread offered at His pulpit and upon His altar. Thank you, Lord, for fulfilling your promise in our midst each day. Thank you for shepherding us to eternal glory.  Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "We Are God's Breath" (first half) from Breath, the Apple Rises, fifth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, in Jesus we find our peace this day, for He shepherds our souls with care. YHWH, we are like sheep without a shepherd, scattered to the four corners of the earth, but your Son comes to gather us into His arms and make us one in His flesh.  For He looks upon our lost souls with pity and leads us kindly to your House.  In His blood let all be anointed, that we might find peaceful repose with you. How blessed are those whom you look upon in your goodness, LORD; how blessed those who seek your Son.  For they shall find Him ready to bless them with His presence and the Word from His sacred lips.  And no longer shall we be wanting for anything – if we have Him we are indeed at peace. To restful waters let us come with Him, He whom you raise up to do your will.  Then our souls shall be refreshed, LORD, and in security we shall ever dwell.  O the justice that rains down upon us by His presence in our midst!  Through His Cross, from all enmity we shall be set free.

(Amos 7:12-15;   Ps.85:8-14;   Eph.1:3-14;   Mk.6:7-13)  “Justice shall walk before Him, and prepare the way of His steps.” And so when the disciples are sent out, the Lord “instruct[s] them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick.”  The walking stick signifies that the carrier is on an itinerant mission, and the walking stick serves to support the traveler along his way.  The walking stick is the cross of Christ, which does both these things and brings all the grace and guidance we need on our journey through life.  The walking stick is prepared in justice, the justice of the blood of Christ, and so it brings all who take it up to the kingdom of God. The Father “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,” and so, what more do we need than His cross, since in it “we have redemption by His blood”?  And now we are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession,” and thereby ready to walk the path He sets before us this day.  The cross of contradiction going before us, we join the apostles who “went off and preached repentance.”  Amos, too, heeded this call to chastise the people for their sins.  And for this he, too, suffered the cross, being commanded by the power of the world: “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!”  But still he continues to preach repentance, still he is faithful to the Lord’s instruction to “prophesy to [His] people Israel.”  And so must all His apostles be. We need not fear the persecution upon us for “near indeed is [the Lord’s] salvation to those who fear Him.”  To those who are faithful to His call, “the Lord Himself will give all His benefits.”  We have all we need “in accord with the riches of His grace that He lavished upon us,” and we must only be “holy and without blemish before Him” – as is His desire – to find every blessing we require.  And He will give us “authority over unclean spirits”; He will enable us to cast all evil from His sight.  And so “to the praise of His glory” there will be “glory dwelling in our land.”  His justice walks now before us; let us go in the way of His steps.  His cross is all we need for the journey. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Give Me Strength" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, we have every spiritual blessing in the heavens – what more do we need than the Cross of Christ? YHWH, you send forth your apostles and prophets to preach repentance, to proclaim salvation to those who turn to your Christ and wash themselves in the blood of His Cross.  This is all we need to find your peace; this is all we need to make our way through this world.  In the Cross let us take our refuge, and your Spirit will be with us. O let us be healed, dear LORD! that we might praise your holy NAME for the redemption upon us.  Let us not turn away from those you send in Jesus’ Name, but seek rather to walk in His steps with them.  You look down from Heaven and send us your Son to be born amongst us and bring glory to this land…  Let His kindness and truth meet in us that we too might know your benefits and be your treasured possession forever. What need we but the power of truth speaking in your Son – O LORD, drive out the demons from among us.

(Ez.2:2-5;   Ps.123:1-4;   2Cor.12:7-10;   Mk.6:1-6) “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” And so Ezekial, though he is being sent to those “who have rebelled against [God],” to those who are “hard of face” and “obstinate of heart,” yet must declare, “Thus says the Lord,” yet must call to their rebellious hearts “whether they heed or resist.”  Likely they will resist him; likely they will persecute him, as they have all the prophets, but still he must “lift up [his] eyes” to Him who is “enthroned in heaven” – despite his weakness before these lions, he must stand strong with God. And “so are our eyes on the Lord, our God”; so do we look to Him constantly for His mercy and protection.  “We are more than sated with contempt: our souls are more than sated with the mockery of the arrogant, with the contempt of the proud.”  The believing Christian cannot but be persecuted by the wickedness of the world, pervasive in all men’s hearts, for he stands in constant opposition to the lust and greed and violence with which fallen man seeks to fill his soul.  What can we be but weak in the face of such a hardened enemy.  And yet we must make that enemy our friend; yet we must say with Paul: “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ.”  For we know that the power of God is with us despite our humiliation; we know that He acts just the same to thwart the wicked. On the cross they mocked the Lord; they spurned His goodness and looked with contempt on His love, a love which died for them who beat Him.  And today we see that Jesus “came to His native place… to teach in the synagogue,” despite the fact that they would “[take] offense at Him.”  They cannot believe this humble carpenter’s son could teach with such wisdom: “Where did this man get all this?” they ask in doubt of His origin.  The Lord’s weak appearance belies the mighty Spirit which is upon Him; and those who are blind to truth and so slow of heart to believe cannot but mock and stone Him who alone would give them strength.  Brothers and sisters, to whatever people you go let them know “that a prophet has been among them”; show them all that Christ has risen from the dead.  There may be some who will turn from their sin, and even if rebuked, you will maintain the power of the grace of God within.  Always remember, it is not you who speak but the Lord. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" (first half) from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, though so human and weak in ourselves, in you we are strong. YHWH, you call us to endure the mockery of the arrogant, the contempt of the proud.  Though persecuted for the Word we bring to rebellious souls, we must nonetheless speak in your NAME, content with such mistreatment.  If even your Son was rejected by His kin, to whom He came working wonders, what should we expect else, we who are but weak men?  Let us not be afraid to join in the suffering of Jesus, but rejoice that we are called to be as He is. In humble stature your Christ walked amongst us, but great was your power upon Him.  Though we would inevitably reject His loving call and fix Him to a cross, He did not turn from such mockery of His divinity.  And so we call upon you, LORD, to give us the strength He showed, to be with us through all that comes with walking in His way.  Let your grace be at work in us as we go forth to hardened souls.

(Eph.2:19-22;   Ps.117:1-2,Mk.16:15;   Jn.20:24-29)  “Blest are they who have not seen and have believed.” The faith of Thomas.  By his faith we find faith.  In his desire to know beyond all doubt that the Lord has risen, all our doubt is taken away, and we declare with him, “My Lord and my God!”  If Thomas had not doubted so much, we would not believe so much his clear proclamation of the divinity of Jesus.  As it is, we no longer have room for doubt.  Indeed, Thomas’ ardent need to touch the nail marks in the Lord’s hands and sides is a cry to believe as firmly as bedrock, and indeed his declaration of faith is the strongest in all Scripture.  “My Lord and my God!”  In this we take refuge. And how beautifully Paul speaks today of the faith, of the Church wherein we take refuge and dwell as one with “all the saints and members of the household of God… with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.”  It is architectural fact that in the cornerstone “the whole structure is fitted together and takes shape”; first it is laid, and then the rest of the foundation extends from it, giving the foundation its direction, its form.  And, of course, the entire building rests on and is supported by this cornerstone and foundation.  And so is the Church.  Christ is our cornerstone around which we are all formed, and the apostles, those who have seen Him and proclaimed His glory, are the foundation upon which our faith rests.  And we are all one structure, all made one in faith by the apostles and, of course, by the Lord, who is present in every stone of the building. Let us firm up our faith this day, brothers and sisters.  Wherever we may be throughout the world and at whatever time, let us feel beneath our feet the solid foundation upon which we are built and the blessed cornerstone which is its very source and so the source of all the life and the faith within us.  Let us indeed be “built into this temple” and so become temples ourselves, knowing the surpassing blessing of becoming “a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.”   “A dwelling place for God in the Spirit”: my brothers and sisters, can there be a more marvelous call?  Let us have the faith of Thomas, crying out “My Lord and my God!” each day of our lives and in all we think, say, and do.  Let this faith permeate our very beings and we shall find ourselves standing firmly in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and in His kingdom, which is beyond all that eye can see. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, let us be blessed to know you with a deep faith, and so be built into your Temple. YHWH, how good, how kind, how faithful you are to us!  For we are built into the Body of your only Son with the saints of Heaven and become as your holy Temple.  What more could we ask for, what more could we desire, than to be one with your apostles, upon whose faith your Church is founded?  Let us find our place in Jesus, the Christ. You are God and your Son is God and we may become one with you, O God, if we but have faith in your surpassing glory, in your goodness and kindness toward us – in your Son who stands before us.  Jesus is LORD as you are LORD and we become as you are when we praise your glory and declare your Lordship over us.  You are our LORD and our God.  Jesus is our LORD and our God.  May your Spirit be with us, O LORD, to fit us well into your Temple, into your Church, which rises this day on the foundation of your holy apostles.  Alleluia!

(Ws.1:13-15,2:23-24;   Ps.30:2,4-6,11-13;   2Cor.8:7,9,13-15;   Mk.5:21-43)  “God formed man to be imperishable; the image of His own nature He made him.” “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living.”  “By the envy of the devil death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it,” but God has nothing to do with death: He is but Life, and would have us be with Him where He is. It is the Lord’s will that all live, that all are rescued from death and destruction; and so Jesus “became poor, so that by His poverty [we] might become rich,” and so He died that we might live… and so He comes healing us of our disease and raising us from the dead.  David witnesses to His power in our psalm today – “You brought me up from the netherworld, you preserved me from among those going down into the pit” – and in our gospel Jesus heals the woman of her flow of blood and wakes Jairus’ daughter from her sleep. “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” the Lord whispers to the child of twelve as He holds her by the hand, and “she [arises] immediately and walk[s] around.”  Despite the commotion and the ridicule of the crowd outside, the Lord enters her room and calls quite clearly to her heart…  Do you hear Him?  Do you hear Him speaking?  Does He not call to all our hearts to rise from the dead, from the death of sin or complacency, or whatever disease has gripped our lives?  What He speaks to the little girl He says to all: “Rise from your slumber, O sleeper!” It is not death to which we are called, but life.  This Jesus clearly shows in His ministry upon the earth.  And though this life can only be fully known having entered the gates of heaven, and though each day we are called to lay down our lives, to die as the Lord has shown us – though this indeed be a world of suffering for the Christian soul who always carries His cross, we know the Mighty One, the Creator of the universe, holds us each in His loving hand, and He will turn our “mourning into dancing” as He breathes life upon us again.  “At nightfall weeping enters in, but with the dawn rejoicing,” as we see that never really do we die, as we discover in His presence among us our eternal life… as we sense even now our blessed immortality.  Remain with Him forever. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "To Eternal Life" from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, lay your hands upon us that death might flee and we be healed. YHWH, in you death has no place, no power at all.  By a word from the mouth of your Son, the death we have brought upon ourselves is dispelled, and we are raised to life with you.  It is for life you have made us; bring us back to your side. In this world we weep and mourn, O LORD; we cry out for the darkness that closes in.  But what is this death that seems to take hold to those who have faith in you?  Those who closely follow your Son shall be cured of their diseases, healed of every affliction – even from death they shall be raised, as if they were only sleeping.  For He will speak to our hearts, and hearing His voice we shall arise.  We shall live in peace forever. Jesus has laid down His life that we might be brought up from the nether world.  Though death and sin and the envy of the devil threaten to take our posterity away, yet we shall sing praise to you, O LORD, for the salvation wrought in our midst.

Acts 12:1-11;   Ps.34:2-9;   2Tm.4:6-8,17-18;   Mt.16:13-19)   “On this rock I will build my Church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it.”   We go through death to life, for death has no power over us: the power of Jesus founded firmly on Peter, brought forward by Paul, and present in all the members of the Church and in its faith, has conquered death and leads us all to heaven. Today we celebrate the solid foundation of the Church in Peter, the man of faith, first of the apostles and rock upon whom we are firmly set; and Paul, the great Apostle, through whom that faith went out to “all the nations.”  Our readings today clearly manifest the faith we possess, which overcomes even death, in Jesus’ commissioning of Peter and in the example shown in the lives of both Peter and Paul. Our first reading describes Peter’s mystical release from prison and reveals in this act our own coming to the heavenly kingdom: the chains of sin fall from us, we are clothed in righteousness, and led through the snares of this world to freedom.  And it is he who holds “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” who is led out; and indeed by these keys, by this office and its grace, “the iron gate leading out to the city” opens before us “of itself.”  And in our second reading we find Paul declaring the faithful life he has led even unto the end, which he now faces, and that his fighting of the good fight has merited the crown which awaits him on the Day of Lord.  He is able to state with confidence, “The Lord will continue to rescue me from all attempts to do me harm and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom.”  Finally, our psalm confirms the protection the Lord grants His faithful ones: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” We are sharers in this faith with Peter and Paul.  This is evident in the Church who “prayed fervently to God” on behalf of Peter, and whose prayers were answered in this astounding fashion, and is made certain in Paul’s proclaiming that Jesus gives the reward of a heavenly crown not only to Paul himself “but to all who have looked for His appearing with eager longing.”  The Church is one in all its members, and though the Lord has chosen certain of us to special places and granted them special blessings and powers, all are blessed by this same God. So, today as we rejoice in this faith with which we have been gifted by the Lord, as we “together extol His name,” let us consider the place we have in His holy Church and the work to which He calls us.  And let us resolve to fulfill that call, pouring ourselves out unto death, that we might be assured of our entering through the heavenly gate.  Let us walk in faith the narrow path the Lord has set before us, for it leads beyond death to life. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by James Kurt. Music by Carie Fortney; performed by Carie Fortney and Annette Meyer.  Used by permission. ******* O LORD, may we be loosed from the chains of this earth that we might walk with you in Heaven.  YHWH, the gates of the netherworld cannot prevail against you and your Church.  To Peter you have given the keys to the kingdom and these shall open every lock the devil can devise; the chains fall from our wrists by the angel you send to guide us. You deliver us, LORD, from every evil and bring us into your heavenly kingdom.  The lion’s mouth shall not close upon us, nor any prison door keep us from you.  For we are redeemed by the sacrifice of your Son; in Him and in His blood your Church finds power and grace to facilitate release from all the wiles of the evil one.  Jesus sets your people on solid rock through His commissioning of His apostle Peter.  And your Word goes forth to the ends of the earth through Paul and all your disciples.  And so, on the day of your Son’s appearance, all shall enter freely through the eternal gates to dwell in your presence forever.  You have heard our cries to you, O LORD, and bring us quickly to Heaven.

(Is.49:1-6;   Ps.139:1-3,13-15;   Acts 13:22-26:   Lk.1:57-66,80)   “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”   The voice of one crying in the wilderness, he who hails the coming of the Lord, is born today.  This voice speaks of the Word among us.  And from before his birth he is called, in the womb he is formed, to proclaim with the sword of truth God’s salvation for His people.  “Surely the hand of the Lord was with him,” and surely we find the grace of God by walking the path he blazed for us in the desert; for surely that way leads to the glory who is the Son of David. Yes, “to us this word of salvation has been sent.”  To us this light has been brought forth.  We “distant peoples” hear now the call of the voice which pierces our souls: Make straight the way of the Lord!  The tongue now speaks; no longer silenced, no longer hidden, it has risen from “the depths of the earth” to plainly declare the coming of Christ.  Yes, in the womb of the Old Testament the Lord wonderfully formed the salvation of Israel, probing and scrutinizing all its ways and preparing it for birth in the light of day.  And now what He hid in His quiver He shoots forth to wound with amazement the hearts who have waited to hear the Word of life.  “John heralded His coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel”; by his voice a place is made for the Savior, Jesus. At the turning point of the history of salvation John stands.  He has come to direct souls to the Promised Land.  For this he was made.  To this call he answers – to lead us to the Son of Man.  The old is passed away; now all is made new.  Fulfillment has come.  The womb has brought forth.  The time of salvation is here.  For He through whom time and the earth and heavens were made is now come to wash even the dirt from our feet.  Listen to the voice which hails the Word of God in our midst.  His call is for all ears; the light shines for all “who are God-fearing.” Your recompense is upon you now.  You, too, make known His light to the world. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, your Word of salvation you speak through the mouth of John, whom you have blessed with your might and power. YHWH, your Word of salvation goes forth to the ends of the earth, proclaimed through the mouth of John, the fulfillment of the prophets of Israel.  In his birth what is old passes away, and what is new comes.  Now the light of the nations enters this house. Loose our tongues to declare your glory, dear LORD.  You who have formed us in the depths of the earth, in the womb of the Church, now gather us into your arms that we might be raised unto the glory of your Son, brought into union with you who are our Father and our God.  O may we share your Name as we are born into your kingdom! Let your hand be upon us for good, O LORD; let your will be accomplished in us as it has been in John.  Let all souls know that it is you who probe us and know us, you who understand all our thoughts and ways.  May all our thoughts and actions be in accord with your own, and so in all things let us declare to all that your Son has come – O let us be His servants!

(Jb.38:1,8-11;   Ps.107:23-26,28-31;   2Cor.5:14-17;   Mk.4:35-41)  “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” Need you ask?  If you must, I will tell you: this is He who “shut within the doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb”; He who “set limits for it and fastened the bars of its door” – He who speaks to Job: “Here shall your proud waves be stilled!”  This is the Lord, the great I AM! When the Lord “raised up a storm wind” against those “trading on the deep waters… which tossed its waves on high… their hearts melted away in their plight.”  But “they cried to the Lord in their distress [and] from their straits He rescued them.”  Is not He who “hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled,” the same God who in our gospel when the disciples cry out, “We are perishing,” because “a violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat” – is this not the same God who “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Quiet!  Be still!’” by whose hand “the wind ceased and there was great calm”?  The power is the same and the God is the same.  Jesus is Lord! And is it not this same God, this same Christ, who stills the waves of your own pride when its waters begin to fill your boat with sin, when it seems you shall sink into the deep and never return?  Do you not know your sin?  Do you not know His power?  Is it not the Lord’s great power and the peace we find by its great grace of which Paul, too, speaks when he says, “The old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”?  Is it not the same salvation he refers to when he declares, “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation”? Brothers and sisters, “Let us cross to the other side.”  Let us allow the Lord to bring us “to [our] desired haven.”  Through the tribulation of this life let us pass, impelled by “the love of Christ,” knowing He holds power over all the proud waves of the sinful sea in His redeeming Hand.  Let Him but speak a word to our impenitent hearts to break the waves we raise up and make us whole.  “Do you not yet have faith?”  Then indeed be dead in Christ and live “no longer for [yourselves] but for Him who for [our] sake died and was raised.”  This is the Lord our God.  Silence your tongue before Him. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The World Is a Work of Art (Made by the Hand of God)" (final section), from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, in you we find our peace, for you created us, and for our sake your Son died and was raised. YHWH, what need we fear if we are already dead in your Christ?  How could the proud waves of this world be a threat to him who has already reached his desired haven, who has already come to the opposite shore?  The power of wind and sea mean nothing to the One who commands these and all other things, and it is He who is with us now. O LORD, increase our faith in the salvation that is ours through the death and resurrection of your Son.  Flesh now has no hold of Him, and so it should no longer trouble those who are reborn in Him.  His life should be our own, and this life is unconquerable.  O let us trust entirely in His love! Though the waves do rise above our heads and threaten our boat with sinking, the Spirit of your Son is present to us to command the sea to be still.  And so we shall sail peacefully into your kingdom, if we but remember His presence, if we but call on your NAME.

(Ez.17:22-24;   Ps.92:2-3,13-16;   2Cor.5:6-10;   Mk.4:26-34) “They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” The imagery today is of trees and plants and the growth and strength of the kingdom of God.  “The just one shall flourish like a palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow,” our psalmist rejoices, and adds, “They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be.”  In our gospel Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like the seed that grows gradually, imperceptibly into ripe grain ready for the harvest, and compares it also to the mustard seed, “the smallest of all the seeds on the earth,” which “springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” God is the seed from which all is sprung.  Jesus is the “tender shoot” spoken of by Ezekial.  Taken from “the crest of the cedar,” the humble bloom of the house of Israel, He is “planted on a high and lofty mountain” – raised up to the right hand of the Father – and by the power of the Holy Spirit, thence He “put[s] forth branches and bear[s] fruit, and become[s] a majestic cedar”: His apostles and prophets go forth and plant the Word of God in all hearts; and as it grows unto heaven and blossoms forth in the works of every Christian, the Church is made to stand fast in the sight of the Lord.  “Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it”; everyone who seeks refuge from the heat of the sun that is this world of sin beating down upon the human soul shall find in His Church a place of peace and comfort, a house in which he is nourished and sent on his flight, carrying the love of our God across the heavens to all lands. Brothers and sisters, let us be “courageous,” as indeed Paul declares we are.  Let us be strong and sturdy lowly trees growing by the grace of God to heavenly heights in all our deeds on earth.  Though “we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord,” though we would today see the kingdom of heaven fulfilled before our eyes, yet as long as we have the flesh of this tree enrobing our souls, let us always “aspire to please Him,” to please our God, to grow closer each day to where He sits on His throne in the kingdom, that when we “all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” we “each may receive recompense” and together “sing praise to… [the] Most High.” Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Gradual Heaven" from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us dwell beneath the shade of your boughs when harvest time has come, when your Son returns. YHWH, let us be planted in your House and grow by your grace into your kingdom, where you dwell in the highest Heaven.  We are but lowly creatures, weak and prone to sin, but by your Son and by His Word and His blood we are strengthened and rise, we know not how, to your throne, where He sits with you in eternal glory with all the angels and saints who have done your will in this world. How can we be made worthy of your kingdom, O LORD?  How can we be courageous, believing that we shall be saved from this corruptible flesh and come home to you?  Is it not the lowly one you look upon?  Is it not to save just such as us that you have sent your Son, who has instructed His disciples, who have instructed us, and through whom we are blessed?  O let this Tree be a tree of life growing ever unto your kingdom, all souls entering there with songs of praise to your NAME!