Holy Saturday Meditation

Job 14:1-14

Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16

I Peter 4:1-8

John 19:38-42

Death can be violent, horrific, dreadful. It cuts off life, empties the body of breath and movement, and severs relationships. It is a fearful power before which all of us are defenseless and vulnerable. It turns the strongest among us into victims. When death is near, we may wonder where God is, if God will rescue, if God will deprive death of its power and “let [God’s] face shine on [us],” as Psalm 31 says. The psalmist sees God as a refuge from enemies, from the horror of death, and trusts that every breath of life is “in [the Lord’s] hands.” And so the psalmist cries out to God, believing that God can triumph over the psalmist’s enemies and deliver the psalmist to new life.

Death can also be viewed as rest. It brings an end to suffering, brokenness, and unspeakable pain. This is the portrait of death that Job paints. He says to God, “If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed!” The continued presence of God in Job’s life—now scarred by affliction, the deaths of loved ones, and the loss of his future—only continues Job’s torment. He believes it would be better for God to leave human beings alone to live out their brief, fleeting lives, rather than sustain human life in suffering.

Job and the psalmist give us two very different pictures of death with two different visions of God. In Psalm 31, God is the one who remembers and saves the psalmist from imminent death, and the psalmist places all hope and trust in God, who is faithful. But for Job, God is the one whose presence staves off death and enables suffering to continue, and Job laments God’s involvement in his life. The psalmist clings to God in the face of suffering and death, while Job begs God to stop clinging to him in the face of Job’s suffering.

What are we to do with these different pictures? Is one true and the other false? Which God is the real God—the psalmist’s or Job’s?

I wonder if Holy Saturday makes both pictures true. I wonder if the body of Jesus lying in the tomb, bearing the unhealed wounds of execution, shows us the violence and horror of death, but also shows us God’s stubborn refusal to let go of a body even in the worst suffering. I wonder if this day affirms both the trust of the psalmist and the protest of Job because both were on Jesus’ lips just moments before he died and both went with him to the grave (“Into your hands I commit my spirit” and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). The dead body of Jesus is a sign of God’s faithfulness in life and in death—a faithfulness that may not make sense to us when suffering persists, but a faithfulness of incomprehensible love deep enough to embrace our protest and our hope. In Jesus’ death, God journeys into suffering and death with us—not to relish in our pain—no!—but to show us that nothing—no violence, evil, or deadly power—can “separate us from the love of God,” as Paul says in Romans.

Today, on Holy Saturday, in the psalm and in Job, we see one picture: the broken body of Jesus held in the hands of a faithful God. We see the power of death being destroyed in Jesus’ dead body. And we see the picture of our hope and our protest transformed in his tomb, as his very body, wounded and lifeless, displays the incomprehensible depths of God’s love for us. “[Our] times are in [God’s] hands,” and God has refused to let us go. Ever. Amen.

----Jodi Belcher

April 23rd, 2011

God's work in our garden . . . with help from the gardening crew

Our vegetables are growing like weeds. (Ok … not technically. If only they did!) The sugar snap peas have just started wrapping their tendrils around the lower rung of twine, and we’ve got spinach and a lettuce mix, too.

The daffodils, azalea bushes and other beauties are blooming, and our fig sapling is thriving.

In a few days the potatoes will go in. After April 15 -- the date after which no more frosts are expected -- we’ll begin planting tomato, eggplant and pepper. We’ll also put in warmth-loving flowers like gladioli and zinnia.

We now have a composter, so all kitchen scraps will help to enrich St. Joseph's garden.

We also have a new bench, donated by Joel and have some exciting plans for the future development of this once neglected area of our grounds.

--- Jamie

Saturday fellowship

7:45 AM on Saturday saw the Rev. Joe Hensley, Associate Rector at St. Luke's, and a longtime friend of St. Joseph's, bring his youth catechesis class to Matins. Joe's idea was to give this great bunch of young people added experience of helping in the community as part of their weekend retreat.

What a success this turned out to be. After Gail explained where everything was kept, she left it to them to prepare breakfast.

After Morning Prayer it didn't take long for duties to be mutually allocated and agreed (with no adult interference). Cooking eggs, cheese and toast seemed to be enjoyed by those involved and we soon sat down to a hearty breakfast.

After breakfast, and the inevitable clearing up, we checked out the church who uses our upper room - St. Basil the Great Romanian Orthodox Church. Mick explained that was one way that St. Joseph's shared it's resources with the community at large and how a wonderful family spirit was being created between the two churches, despite the differing traditions.

Joe took some time to point out and explain those differences, especially the use of Icons. We all took time to study the many on display and to meditate on their meanings.

Joe, enjoying a well-earned mug of coffee, whilst Gail enjoys a rare "easy" morning. We thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Let it rain . . . please

Junior Warden Gary Pellom pictured yesterday installing our rain barrels. With the drought still continuing and the prospect of a dry summer, these are an important addition to our gardening efforts.

Much preparatory work has been done and a small band of willing members are enthusiastically working on making this project successful.

We've "plowed the fields and scattered," and now we will wait patiently for it to "be fed and watered, by God's almighty hand."

In the meantime, the Gardening Crew appreciate Gary's hard work, as do we all at St. Joe's.

---- Mick ----

Spring planting

Our 70 tulip bulbs have gone through a "winter" in the refrigerator (we bought them a tad late!) and have awoken to prepare for what we hope will be a vivid show of scarlet and yellow this spring.

Soon the gardening team will plant them along with some iris bulbs -- but first we’ve got some work to do. On Saturday morning we’ll spread around a truck load of soil and compost. Monty will till it into our long neglected (hard-as-brick) soil. If you’re interested in some sunshine and fellowship, please join us! And we could definitely use extra wheelbarrows and shovels.

In the fall we built four raised beds and planted azaleas, pansies, a date tree, crocuses and other greenery. This year we hope to landscape other parts of the back yard and grow sunflowers, zinnias, aster, butterfly weed, anise-hyssop, wildflowers and more. Many of these we’ve chosen to attract birds (including hummingbirds) and butterflies, as well as beneficial insects like ladybugs that will snack on the tiny pests around our flowers and vegetables.

We’ll keep adding to the grounds little by little. Our back yard soon will become a peaceful, pretty place where folks can meet for lunch or sit quietly. If you're interest in landscaping or caring for the plants, please e-mail Jamie.L.Kennedy@gmail.com.

With God's grace, and some hard work,our yard will be a peaceful enhancement to our community.

------ Jamie

Greetings from Karen

15 February 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write to you with joy as your new Vicar! I know the journey has been long for you all; I look forward to working alongside you in ministry at St. Joseph’s.

To that end I want you to know that I will not come in and start changing things. I will spend some months getting to know you individually and as a congregation. I hope to get to know each of you: your gifts and talents, your history at St. Joseph’s and what you hope for the future at St. Joseph’s. And together we will move forward into the future.

I have begun by reading the story of the first 100 years of history of St. Joseph’s. It is clear that the people of St. Joseph’s are rooted in prayer, study and service to the community. I look forward to continuing that journey with you in our own day and time, seeing how we will be witnesses to God’s Kingdom.

You will be getting to know me over the coming days and months, but please know that I am available to you. I may do some things a little differently; if you wonder why I do a particular thing, please ask. I also will be asking many questions to learn about St. Joseph’s!

I will be taking Mondays as my Sabbath day – my own day for rest and renewal. However, if it’s a Monday and you have a pastoral emergency, please call! Since my position is half-time, I will generally be working Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. During my first months at St. Joseph’s I will be trying to meet with as many folks as possible, so I may be out of the office. If you would like to meet, please email or call me on my cell phone. I look forward to getting to know you.

I look forward to celebrating the Eucharist with you this Sunday, February 20^th.

Blessings,

Karen+

Our new vicar

The vestry of Saint Joseph's is delighted to announce the appointment of the Rev. Karen C. Barfield as Vicar with effect from February 15th.

Karen, who needs no introduction to Saint Joseph's, celebrates her first Sunday Eucharist as vicar on February 20th.

Karen is married to Ray Barfield and has two children: Micah (15) and Alexandra (11). Karen has been ordained seven years and has served in a variety of settings: urban and suburban; Cathedral staff, campus ministry, and congregations of all sizes; as interim rector, associate rector and interim chaplain. Her greatest joys in ministry involve liturgy, prayer, pastoral care and issues of justice. She was born and raised in Memphis, TN where she served as priest until moving to Chapel Hill, NC two years ago with her family.

In her spare time Karen enjoys reading, gardening, travelling, and designing most anything, especially houses (kitchens and baths in particular). Ray, her husband of 20 years, is a pediatric oncologist at Duke and is Associate professor of Christian Philosophy in Duke’s Divinity School. Ray enjoys writing, playing classical guitar and running. Micah wrestles for Chapel Hill High School, and Alexandra enjoys everything artistic, especially singing and playing classical guitar. The whole family loves to cook together.

Prior to ordination Karen served on staff at St. Luke’s Community Kitchen in Atlanta, GA, and she was co-founder of a prison ministry there as well. In downtown Memphis she helped develop the Hospitality Hub, a non-profit organization which assists persons who are homeless connect with the resources they need. Karen has most recently been serving as Priest Associate and Administrative Assistant at the Episcopal Church of the Advocate in Carrboro.

Mick, Verger