Rick Land & Russ Tapp: Blog

A Miracle on 34th Street - 

I just finished my second viewing of this great film. I used several tissues as well...

I was overwhelmingly struck by the message behind that timeless film.

We were recently in NYC where that film was based if you recall and I simply had to see the Annual Christmas Show and the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. The early stages of all that extravagant Manhattan holiday lighting were in full swing.  

 

We were in the line to get our tickets for the afternoon matinee and there was an adorable little blond girl wearing the most beautiful green dress, red sequened shoes, with little sparkles of tinsel and decoration in her hair scurrying about with her mother. They were in the wrong line and frantically trying to get over into the matinee line ( there were hundreds of folks lined up to purchase tickets for future performances.) Once inside, I was spell bound at that expectant full house of over 6000 people, and at the parents [...]

..commentary on the Lesson


Matthew 22:15-22

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.



Down through human history, humanity has proven itself to be largely "un-redeemable". Recently, we noted that [...]

...comment on the Lesson
Matthew 22:1-14

This chapter is a continuation of Christ's discourses in the temple, two or three days before he died. His discourses then are largely recorded, as being of special weight and consequence. In this chapter, we have,

I. Instruction given, by the parable of the marriage-supper, concerning the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles (v. 1-10), and, by the doom of the guest that had not the wedding-garment, the danger of hypocrisy in the profession of Christianity (v. 11-14).
II. Disputes with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes, who opposed Christ, 1. Concerning paying tribute to Caesar (v. 15-22). Concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the future state (v. 23-33). Concerning the great commandment of the law (v. 34-40). Concerning the relation of the Messiah to David (v. 41-46).

I think it very likely that Herod would come to mind, and I also think it very likely that his marriage on the eve of the battle by which he conquered [...]

..a few thoughts for inner peace.

Look up at the sky on a cloudless night and ponder that there is no end to the universe.
Out beyond the billions of galaxies there is not a wall or barrier.

It is now impossible to imagine that the Catholic Church would imprison Galileo for discovering and attempting to prove that the sun did, in fact , not revolve around the earth - a mere 400 years ago.
Some scientists are beginning to believe that the universe always existed. If there were no big bang and beginning of creation - many of our our beliefs about God and the beginning of the universe would disappear.
Try to imagine what it was like when we discovered that the earth was not flat
That is a fearful thing for many people who are genetically predisposed to have extremely finite thinking.
Suddenly, we would have nothing to fear...God has always been and always will be.
Our brief life on earth is a mere speck of sand in the whole of universal time.
The existence of humanity is an infinitesimally small period in the timelessness of the entire universe.

And yet there is spirit. There is the human soul. The human mind.
In light of an endless universe - how could we possibly doubt the unfathomable significance of humanity and the human spirit.
This fact should radically change our perceptions of everything about us .
We are all one.
We are all equal.
We are all infinite beings.
We are all a part of a universe that we cannot describe, understand or comprehend...
and yet we cannot get along with one another, we are ignorantly bound by race, color, nationality and belief.
Our national leaders and institutions have no concept that we live in a perfectly ordered universe -
our own pitiful misunderstanding of the meaning of life is basically irrelevant.
God is truly in His heaven and all is right with the world.

The bombing of the World Trade Center is perhaps one of the most recent examples of cultural ignorance and irrelevance. We perpetuate hate and malice out of ignorance - humanity does not wish to face the fact that "all men are created equal" and we have to ask the question...will we wipe out all of humanity for one reason alone...because we fear the unknown, the unexplainable and the unknowable? Is the origin of human existence some horrible cosmic mistake?

We are at the crossroads of the most significant period in all of humanity.
The human brain and it's complexities are in direct proportion to the unfathomable depth of an endless universe. The next wave of discovery will involve something that none of us are prepared for...the connection between the polarities in the human brain and the entire cosmos, it's pure physics.

- - but for now, it still appears that fear alone - will be the ultimate death of humanity...

Can you possibly comprehend how men like Copernicus and Galileo must have felt when they KNEW that the earth was not flat and that the earth actually revolved around the sun!

Can you possibly comprehend something so unfathomable as a universe and a "God "who always ...was, and is and will be, world without end. amen

Why do we fear the obvious.

The kingdom of heaven...talk about perplexities.

There is possibly no other subject in the entire "kingdom" of theological rhetoric so utterly and completely misunderstood as the subject of heaven. We now have countless stories of individuals who have "after death" experiences. Visions of joy, unspeakable peace, seeing friends and family who have passed on and the real common thread - light, lots of beautiful white light.

*** Let me first give this disclaimer about my following comments: The following thoughts are not necessarily endorsed or espoused by the Episcopal Church or the leadership of St. Matthews...They are personal to me and I only share them to give us something to ponder as we look at this week's Gospel passages. I am sure many would take theological issue to my personal comments and views. As such, my views are not to be treated as an exhaustive theological treatise endorsed by the Episcopal Church but only as an expression of my personal experiences and understandings. [...]