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Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:27-29)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do they say I am? Peter says, “You are the Messiah.” The message, “You are the Messiah,” is simple and profound. The entire Gospel of Mark pivots on the passage that we read today. This passage begs to ask all its hearers, “Who is this Jesus?” Now lots of people believe that Jesus was all sorts of things. If you believe he was a prophet, you are not alone. If you think he was a healer, you are not alone. But at the moment when you truly believe that he is the Messiah, the son of God, your life is just about to undergo transformation. This pivot often brings us in directions that we had never even imagined and require a letting go of our own expectations. The Good News of the Gospel is simply that God loves us and that we should love God and our neighbor.  Life becomes one continuous blessing when you finally realize that everything comes from God. Jesus was God’s showing forth of God’s loving kindness. I’m not one of those prosperity preachers that says that God rewards the faithful with material goods. God loves us deeply and wants us to love one another deeply. It is by the expression of love that we bring others to Christ. We are putting a focus on community involvement in our Thrift Shop and Harvest Fair. Outreach is a sign of God’s love and we need to team up with our community. Right now we are stock piling our Thrift Shop for fall and the Harvest Fair. We need your slightly worn fall clothes, hand bags, household goods, and jewelry. Giving to the Thrift Shop not only cleans out your closet, it helps those who cannot afford the high price of new goods today and supports St. John’s and our ECW. Corporate gifts for the Harvest Fair go directly back to the community through donations to nonprofit organizations. Donations of items to raffle off and baskets help both our community and St. John’s. Please pitch in this year by putting a sign on your lawn, asking restaurants for coupons, and purchasing raffle tickets. 

Our other priority this week is connecting with our children, youth, and young adults and their families. Our clergy will be going out of our way to meet and talk with you. Many folks from St. John’s, Huntington and St. John’s, Cold Spring Harbor worked together on the music that the children and youth will perform “Step Right Up" on Sunday September 15th. My thanks to Bryce, Alex and all those who gave of their time this summer for two weeks in August. Our Christian education program (Sunday school) begins on September 15th at 9:40. We give thanks for Christine and all our teachers. First Communion, Confirmation, and Youth Group are also starting up in September. Youth group meets on Sunday from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Confirmation retreat day is Saturday, September 21st at St. John’s, Huntington. Classes are for 7-12 grades. Please touch base with Fr. Zach, Christine, or Noelle if you are interested. We urge all families with children and youth to attend this Sunday. Next week on September 22nd from 12-3, St. John’s will have a family barbeque at Centerport Beach. The Youth Group will provide activities for the kids! The ECW provides the drinks and our breakfast group provides the hamburgers and hot dogs. Please sign up at church if you would like to bring a salad or dessert. 

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

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The Work of Our Faith

The Lectionary in September has us reading through some of the Letter of James. It is, quite frankly, an underappreciated letter in many Christian circles, because some of it seems to fly in the face the theology found in Paul’s letters. Namely, the theology of sola fide, or that through faith alone we are saved, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” And this weekend, it is a glaring example when James famously quips, “Faith, without works, is dead.” 

What the role of works is in our Christian faith is a well-known and discussed topic of our faith. But the two, faith and work, are not in contradiction. Indeed, Jesus connects these two when he says in Matthew, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father, who is in Heaven.” We may also remember the Gospel of John reading from August 4 when, after the disciples asked him what they must to do perform the work of God, Jesus respond, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 

“Well, wait Fr. Zachary! Which one was is it?!” Our ultimate work is the belief of the saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This then leads us to do all other work, even the work of our secular careers because it is a sustaining faith that leads us through good and bad. Our faith gives us our true purpose and identity and drives us to know Christ more and heed the call to minister and act in a world that so desperately needs to know Christ better.

I encourage you to read the full Letter of James. It’s found right after the Letter to the Hebrews and is only 5 chapters long. It has great practical wisdom for you today. 

In Christ,
Fr. Zach