Godly Love of Self and Neighbor - Fr. David Trautman On this Third Sunday of Epiphany, we are delighted to welcome Fr. David Trautman as our guest preacher this morning. Fr. David graduated from FSU with a double Major in Philosophy and Religious Studies. He then earned a Master’s degree in Religions of Western Antiquity with a focus on New Testament studies. He completed his seminary training with his wife, Megan, at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA, receiving his Masters in Sacred Theology in May of 2012. Megan graduated with her Masters in Divinity in May of 2013. While in seminary, he worked as the Director of Communications for the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh and Press Officer for Archbishop Robert Duncan. Upon graduation, he accepted a position at Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh as Associate Rector. After three years in this position, he was called as the Rector of Trinity Anglican Church in Thomasville, GA. In 2019, he was appointed as the Dean of the Central Deanery in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. He has led mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. They have three young children: Amanda (8 years old), Daniel (5 years old), and Luke (3 years old). In our readings for this Sunday, we continue to receive epiphanies about our Lord Jesus and his desire for us. Today, he reminds us that loving God and loving others as ourselves are our highest callings in this life. In fact, that’s how he himself lived! But we are only able to love others as ourselves because we have been loved. As St. John reminds us in his first epistle: “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19   Psalm 139:1-18  Domine Probasti 1 You have searched me, Lord, * and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; * you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; * you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue * you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, * and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, * too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? * Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, * if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 Even there your hand will guide me, * your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me * and the light become night around me,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to you; * the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; * you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; * your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, * when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; * all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! * How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand * when I awake, I am still with you.   Mark 12:28–34 28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Apostles By-the-Sea Anglican Church

Godly Love of Self and Neighbor - Fr. David Trautman - January 26, 2020 - Psalm 139, Mark 12:28-34

Glory to God in the Highest by David Haas - Live at Apostles By-the-Sea in Rosemary Beach, Florida

The Faithfulness of Ruth, of Boaz, of God Fr. John Wallace October 27, 2019   Today we’re going to look at the Book of Ruth. At its core it’s a beautiful story of redemption. And in it we encounter Amazing Faithfulness! The Faithfulness of Ruth. The Faithfulness of Boaz. And the Faithfulness of God. The book of Ruth takes place at a dark time in Israel’s history. It’s near the end of the time of the Judges. A time marked by lawlessness, by war, and by famine. A time in which the people allowed their hearts to wander far from God. In fact, the last few chapters of the Book of Judges end with this refrain: “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” It was a time that needed hope! That needed people of faith to do the right thing! It was a time that needed God. Ruth in a way is like an Abraham figure. In Genesis 15 it was Abraham’s faith in God - his belief - his trust - that was counted as righteousness. If you remember, Abraham was called out of the Land of Ur - to leave his home and his family and his land - to follow God and begin a new age of faithfulness to him. And Ruth is also called out of her own land - the land of Moab. And she leaves her home and her family and through an act of faith begins a new chapter for the people of Israel. But why was this story recorded about a Moabite widow? What makes her story so special? Why are we talking about her faithfulness 2,500 years later? We find out in the last chapter of the Book that Ruth was the Mother of Obed - who was the father of Jesse - who was the father of David - who became Israel’s greatest king. And the Gospel of Matthew starts like this - “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” And Matthew lists Ruth as one of Jesus’s ancestors. Which means Ruth the Moabite - is the great, great, great - (29 greats) grandmother of Jesus. OK - So let’s look at Ruth’s Faithfulness. Then Boaz’s faithfulness. And finally - God’s faithfulness. First - Ruth’s faithfulness. The story starts with hardship. It’s a time of famine in Bethlehem. So Naomi (who will become Ruth’s mother-in-law) moves with her family to Moab - a sworn enemy of Israel - to try to make a life there. When they get there, Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, dies. Then her sons get married to some Moabite women. One marries a woman named Orpah, and the other marries Ruth. But then her sons also die - leaving Naomi widowed - without a husband and without her sons - in a foreign land. When she hears that God has blessed her homeland with rain and a harvest - she decides to return to Bethlehem. Better to be a widow in your hometown than to be a widow in the land of your enemy! And she tells her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab, return to their father’s houses where they will be cared for - and find husbands for themselves among their own people. But Ruth refuses to leave Naomi and speaks some of the most beautiful and faithful words in all of Scripture. She says: Don’t tell me to leave you! 16 … Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Isn’t that beautiful?! That’s Ruth’s faithfulness. She wants to remain with Naomi. She wants to serve Naomi’s God. No matter what it costs! She’s going to leave everything she has known, her family, her homeland, her everything - to make Naomi’s people her own people. And Naomi’s God - her God. And you know what? God can use that kind of faithfulness! And he does! And so Ruth comes with Naomi to Bethlehem. And when they get there, Ruth tells Naomi - “let me go into the fields to glean - so we can have food.” Back then, in Israel there was a law about gleaning. It was the law that landowners couldn’t harvest everything from their land. They had to leave gleanings for the poor. It was how the poor were cared for at the time. They could go in after the harvesters and collect whatever had fallen or wasn’t harvested. That’s what Ruth wanted to do. And so she did. And the field she began to glean in happened to belong to a man named Boaz - a relative of Elimelech - Naomi’s husband who had died. Let me read this from chapter 2 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” They answered, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Who is this young woman?” 6 The servant answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.” We learn several things here: One: Boaz was a close relative of Elimelech - Naomi’s late husband. And he was wealthy. We also learn that he’s an honorable and faithful man. When he got to the field he greeted the workers: The Lord be with you! and they replied - The Lord bless you. Ruth has found herself in the field of a good man. And the last thing we learn is that Ruth is a hard worker. She worked and gleaned in the field all day - without taking a break. Listen to what happens next: 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!” I love that. Boaz is so impressed by Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi and he wants to protect her. And he prays that she will be rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel - under whose wings she has come for refuge! When she comes home that night with her gleanings, Naomi is amazed by how much she has brought. And she asks, “who’s land were you gleaning in” When Ruth says that she was gleaning in Boaz’s land - and that Boaz had been kind to her, Naomi rejoices! Boaz is a relative! And a good man! And best of all - He can act as a redeemer for them! Let me explain what it meant to be a Redeemer in Israel. Redemption was a beautiful thing! And Redemption had a very specific meaning. To redeem something meant to buy it back! You could redeem a piece of property or a field that had fallen into the hands of another family. Or you could redeem (or buy) a family member to get them out of prison or out of slavery. Sometimes families would lose their property. Maybe they fell on hard times. And so they’d have to sell it to pay debts. Or maybe they didn’t have land - so they had to sell themselves into servitude for a set amount of time - or until the debt was paid. Property, or people, in that condition could be redeemed. But that’s not the beautiful thing about redemption. The beautiful thing is who was able to perform the redemptions… Who was able to act as redeemer! The laws about the redeemers were very clear in Old Testament times. In Israel there was something called a go-el, a Kinsman-Redeemer. And In order to be able to redeem a field, or a person who is in prison or in indentured service, you had to be a relative. You had to be family. And not just any family, but close family. The Go-el (the kinsman-redeemer) had to be the nearest relative. And the reason is - The whole idea was to keep the family land in the family! If someone else bought the land - They were just buying it for themselves. But if the Go-el - the nearest relative redeemed it - it kept the land in the family. And it turned out that Boaz was a close relative of Elimelech - and so he could be the redeemer - to buy back Elimelech’s land - and provide for Naomi and Ruth. When Naomi realized all of this - she rejoiced! God was showing them favor! And she told Ruth that she should propose to Boaz. Because that was the other thing about redeeming the land. If Boaz redeemed the land - because the heir to the land was dead (Naomi’s son / Ruth’s husband) he would also have to marry Ruth - the heir’s widow. So she could have a son who could inherit the land. and keep it in the family. That was another law at the time called Levirate Marriage. It was about preserving the lineage of a close relative that had passed away. But here’s the thing - when Ruth asked Boaz to act as redeemer - this is what she said to him: she said “spread your cloak over your servant, for you are go-el.” She was asking him to protect her, to cover her with his cloak, to be the redeemer of their family, and to make her his wife. And he gladly agreed. He had noticed her. She had been kind to him. And he saw how she had been gracious to Naomi. And even though she was a foreigner in his field - in his eyes, she was a treasure. But there was one problem - there was another who was closer in relation to Elimelech - so before Boaz could act as redeemer, he had to give this other man the option to do so. But when the other man found out that he would have to marry Ruth, the moabite, he refused. So Boaz was free as the nearest willing relative to act as Go-el and to redeem Naomi’s land. And as kinsman-redeemer, he also got a bride named Ruth. And soon she gave birth to a son, named Obed. The father of Jesse, the father of David. That’s Boaz’s faithfulness. And all of that is beautiful! But what’s even more beautiful - is God’s faithfulness. So let’s go all the way back to the Exodus when God is promising to save his people from Egypt. Listen to this from Chapter 6 2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob… and I established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 And I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God.” You know what God was saying? He said - I will redeem you. I will be your Go-el. I will be your redeemer. And remember - The Go-el had to be the nearest relative! And God says to Moses - I want to be your Go-el! In Matthew 13 Jesus tells his disciples that 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered; and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” I used to think that that was about us selling everything we have in order to get the kingdom of heaven. And it might be! And if it is the kingdom of heaven is totally worth it! We absolutely should sell everything we have to buy the field and get the treasure that is the kingdom of heaven. It’s totally worth it! But now I’m not sure that’s what it is anymore! What if instead - the man who found a treasure in a field - is Jesus? Like Boaz who found Ruth in a field. And what if the treasure in the field is us? And what if the man covered the treasure to protect it? Just like Boaz covered Ruth to protect her with his cloak? And what if the man in his joy sold all he had, and gave up everything so he could buy the field like Boaz bought and redeemed Naomi’s field? And what if buying the field / redeeming the world meant - like Boaz - that he could marry his bride? 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered; and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” What if the treasure is us and the field is the world. And the man is Jesus who in his joy gave up everything and bought that field? Some commentators say that the Scroll in Revelation 5 - the one with the seven seals - the one that only Jesus, the Lamb of God, was worthy to open - some commentators say that it contains the unfolding of all of history. Other commentators say it’s the deed to all creation. Like a deed to a piece of land - or a field - in need of redemption. We don’t know for sure! But we do know that only Jesus was worthy. Only Jesus was able to break the seal and open the scroll. And we also know that Only Jesus could be our go-el. Only Jesus - who was both God and Man - could pay the price to redeem the world and marry his treasured bride! Listen to this from Revelation, Chapter 5. No one was found worthy to open the scroll. Only Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah was worthy. And then it says: 6 Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slain… 7 And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. 8 When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain (and listen:) and by your blood you redeemed for God people from every tribe and language and people and nation; 10 and you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.” Why was he worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? Because he was our Go-el! Because he paid the price of redemption. Because he redeemed us by his blood. That’s the faithfulness of God. Back in Genesis God promised Moses that he would redeem his people. That he would do what only our nearest relative could do. And so when the time was right he came as one of us. And became a full member of the human family - became our nearest relative - so he could be our Go-el! And he was Born - the Son of Mary, the Son of David, the Son of Ruth and Boaz, the Son of Abraham, the Son of God. And he paid the price of redemption with his blood on the cross. Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God for his faithfulness, for the faithfulness of Ruth and Boaz. And for the faithfulness of his Son Jesus - our Savior and our Redeemer. Amen.

The Faithfulness of Ruth, of Boaz, of God - Fr. John Wallace - October 27, 2019 - Ruth

1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2 Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” 4 But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” 6 And they could not reply to this. 7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

When You are Invited to a Banquet - Fr. John Wallace - September 1, 2019 - Luke 14:1-14

Luke 13:10-17   10 Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

The God Who Sees - Fr. John Wallace - August 25, 2019 - Luke 13:10-17

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 1 The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”   Luke 13:31-35 31 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

A Covenant Made and Kept - Fr. John Wallace - March 17, 2019 - Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 13:31-35

Jesus said to his disciples and to the great multitude 36 “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

The Sermon on the Plain, Part 2 - Fr. John Wallace - February 24, 2019 - Luke 6:36-42

Luke 6:17-26 17 Jesus came down with the twelve and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. 20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”  

The Sermon on the Plain, Part 1 - Fr. John Wallace - February 17, 2019 - Luke 6:17-26

Fr. John Wallace What do we have to be thankful for? A sermon for the Sunday before Thanksgiving. 

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Fr. John Wallace - Sermon - The Log and the Mask - Luke 6:35-42 - 2016-09-11

To Be a Neighbor - Letting it Overflow - A Sermon from Fr. John Wallace for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 2015-09-06

Reckless and Relentless Love - A Sermon from Fr. John Wallace for Mother's Day and the Sixth Sunday of Easter

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The Podcast of Apostles By-the-Sea Anglican Church in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Fr. John Wallace, Rector

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Apostles By-the-Sea Anglican Church

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