St. Andrew the Apostle and World AIDS Day

Today's Scripture Readings

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NRSV)

Moses said to the people of Israel: Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

Psalm 19 (BCP., p.606)


Romans 10:8b-18 (NRSV)

"The word is near you, 

on your lips and in your heart"

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for 

"Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world."

Matthew 4:`8-11 (NRSV)

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Blog Reflection

Forward Day by Day has an excellent reflection for us today.

Have you ever stepped into the unknown? It can be scary. There may be much that’s unknown when you make a new beginning. The fishermen took a giant step into the unknown when they got out of their boats to follow Jesus. Where would he take them? What would they do? What would happen? There was no way for them to know. But they knew enough to trust Jesus and to accept his invitation.

It was costly discipleship for the fishermen to follow Jesus. They let go of important things. But they were ready for the new life that Jesus offered them. They were ready for a new beginning, even if they didn’t know all it would mean or everything that would happen.

We make a new beginning this Advent. Jesus calls us to step into a new life and an unknown future. We can trust and not hold back. He will find us there.

The other Gospel Reading for St. Andrew is taken from the Daily Office at Vespers.  In John 1:35-42 we read that Andrew went and found his brother Simon and said, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated "Anointed").  He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter)." 

In Matthew's Gospel, Andrew is among the newly called who have to step forward in "a new beginning."  In John, Andrew is the one who goes and brings Peter to Jesus.  They seem to contradict each other do they not? 

This is why I think that the Feast of St. Andrew and World AIDS Day being on the same day could not be more profound.  Jesus called those first Apostles among them Andrew while they were doing their usual daily work.  They left behind what they had in hand and followed Him, even though they were full of uncertainty.  Jesus does not call us when it is convenient or even comfortable.  He speaks to the depths of our souls and makes us downright uncomfortable.  God does not want us to become complacent in our own little world while pretending that there aren't other things to take care of. 

The very first word in The Rule of St. Benedict is "Listen."  Cyprian Smith, O.S.B. in his book, The Path of Life: Benedictine Spirituality for Monks and Lay People wrote, "The whole spiritual life of the Christian....is a process of listening to God, "inclining the ears of the heart,"   Lonni Collins Pratt and Fr. Danieal Homan, OSB in their book, Benedict's Way: An Ancient Monk's Insights for A Balanced Life talk about the need to listen to God through all of life's events.   

It is amazing that even in 2014, well after thirty years since we first heard the word AIDS or HIV that so many in the Church, society and even the LGBT communities pretend that the issue no longer exists or effects us.  We have drugs that help people with HIV/AIDS live longer and healthier lives.  Yet, the negative stereotypes regarding HIV/AIDS and those who live with the threat of and/or the disease itself continue with all the toxicity of stigmatization.  Many Christians still live in ignorance stating that HIV/AIDS was and still is "God's punishment for homosexuality."   Yet, if we listen to God through life as St. Benedict tells us, we are all being called as St. Andrew was to see the face of Christ in our sisters and brothers who live with HIV/AIDS.  Ignoring them is to be tone deaf to the Gospel message of what the Season of Advent is all about.   We were told in the Gospel Reading for the First Sunday of Advent to "Keep awake."   The more we ignore and pretend HIV/AIDS is not a real issue in our time, the more it appears as if we are asleep while the real world passes us by.

May we like St. Andrew respond to the call of Christ to follow Him, and bring those closest to us to love and know Him in faith.   Let us see HIV/AIDS and those who live with the effects of it as the presence of God among us, calling us to compassion and concern through prayer and work on their behalf.   May we embrace individuals with HIV/AIDS with sincere love and open minds; letting go of the stereotypes so that the Kingdom of God already here, but not yet; may bring about healing and reconciliation for all.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew
that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and
brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by
your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to
bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for St. Andrew.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 237).

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday of Advent.  The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211).

First Sunday of Advent: Stay Awake, Prayerfully Discern, Actively Wait.

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD!

Psalm 122 (BCP., p.779).

Romans 13:11-14 (NRSV)

You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Matthew 24:36-44 (NRSV)

Jesus said to the disciples, "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

 
Blog Reflection

In our fast paced society of IPhones, super fast internet speeds and quick fix meals; the idea of waiting for anything seems like ancient history.  Think of the days when if you were so unfortunate to have a break down in your automobile and found yourself in the breakdown lane of a highway, if you didn't have access to a pay phone, you could be there a long time.  Thanks to the miracle of the cell phone, IPhone and now the IPad, it is very possible to call for help right where you are and someone will find you.  As a result, our waiting is very passive.  We expect something to happen without us having to do too much.

I have come across a really great book entitled Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas.  It is a collection of writings each with their respective dates.  Each date has a reading from a different author.   This past Thanksgiving Day, November 28th I found a very intriguing reading by Henri Nouwen entitled: Waiting for God.   In the reading he talks about the waiting of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon and Anna.  Each of these had a very personal encounter with God concerning the coming of Christ.  Nouwen says that they each had an experience of God and received a message that sounded a lot like this.  "Do not be afraid.  I have something good to say to you."  Nouwen reminds us that we read about waiting for the Lord to act in the Psalms.   Psalm 130:5-7 reads "My soul is waiting for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning.  More than watchmen for the morning."   The kind of waiting we learn from this Psalm, the key Biblical characters I have named, and even in our Gospel today are invited along with us, to spend some time in active waiting that anticipates something amazingly wonderful from God.

During this time of Advent we are told to stay awake, and be at work at the things God has called us to do.  Advent is a period of prayerful discernment as we actively wait for the return of Christ at the end of time, as we are preparing to celebrate His first coming at Christmas.  St. Paul urges us to recognize this as the time to wake up, and pursue those works that lead us and others closer to God and to avoid those that are part of the age of darkness and despair.

In many ways, the discernment I am going through with the Companions of St. Luke/Order of St. Benedict as a Novice is an Advent.  It is a time of prayerfully waiting for God's will to be revealed in the here and now to help me know whether or not becoming a Benedictine Vowed Member of the Community is the right thing to do.   I am not going to receive that answer in the same way I can order a cheeseburger at a drive through and get it in the next ten minutes.  No.   This prayerful discernment means following the instructions of my Formation Master, praying the Offices, doing Lectio Divina, getting better acquainted with the Community, and learning to be obedient to our Abbot.   As they provide me with excellent and sometimes difficult feedback, they too are an important part of God's call on my life.   They are part of the prayerful discernment of God's will for both the Community and myself.

As we begin this new Liturgical Year in which we are told to stay awake, prayerfully discern and actively wait for the coming of Christ, we are told to be busy doing the work that we have before us.   We must continue to be a voice for the greater inclusion and equality of all marginalized persons including LGBTQ people in the Church and society.   We are preparing a place for Christ to come among us and find us at work for His honor and glory.  By listening to the Holy Spirit this Advent, we will be able to hear Jesus call us to work together to relieve the poor, hungry, thirsty, the injured, the hopeless and the oppressed.  We can be actively waiting for the coming of Christ, by helping others to prayerfully discern how our attitudes and actions suggest that we are concerned about others who are different than ourselves, or are we just as biased as anyone else, and quite frankly, much too pleased with ourselves being there.

Stay awake!  Be attentive to the needs of people around us who are victims of injustice and prejudice.

Prayerfully discern what is our role in making the Church and society a better place to receive Christ at His coming both at Christmas and at the end of time.

Actively wait!  Do not just sit there and fall asleep in the easy chair and act like there is nothing we can do. 

Be willing to write a letter to our Congressional leaders about why we must approve unemployment benefits by the beginning of the new calender year.

Tell others around us why we should have required background checks and limit the sale of dangerous military style weapons.  

We should actively listen to what is happening to people who live with some kind of mental illness, and stress the importance of a better health care system that addresses their needs with those who have been elected to decide our laws.  

We should celebrate those States, and support others that are passing the freedom to marry for all people including LGBT people.

On this World AIDS Day, we can remember those who have died from the disease over these many years, and celebrate the milestones we have come in terms of research, awareness and education.  However, we must also recommit ourselves to doing more to helping others prevent this disease and to end the negative stereotyping of people who live with HIV/AIDS both within the LGBTQ communities and beyond.   We must ask those we have elected for better funds for health care, comprehensive sex education, and more research for a cure.  


 
To call for an ending to racism, sexism and religious based discrimination of all kinds.

We should do our part to address the inequality of our immigration laws and economic inequality.

We can and must do our part to address our poor stewardship of the resources of this planet, and do something about climate change.

These and many more causes and issues can be part of our Advent and Christmas story. 

As we await the coming of Christ, let us stay awake and prayerfully discern how God is calling each of us to the work of God's mercy that prepares a place for Christ in all of us.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.211).


Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.  (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p.816)


Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, p.260).

World AIDS Day: A Lesson for Christians and All Humankind Still Unlearned

Today's Scripture Readings

Gospel for Feast of St. Nicholas Ferrar

Matthew 13:47-52 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

Gospel for Thursday in the First Week of Advent

Matthew 7: 21-27 (NRSV)

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.” 


‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’ 

Blog Reflection

One of the points I write probably most than any other in my blog is how we react and/or treat others who are different than ourselves.  This World AIDS Day that we commemorate today is one by which my own hypocrisy as a Christian and a gay man hits me square in the face.   In my heart I care deeply about people who live with HIV/AIDS.  Yet in my own mind I am ignorant and at times negligent to the call on my life by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Episcopal Church today also commemorates the Deacon Nicholas Ferrar.  A man who lived between the years 1592 and 1637, Nicholas Ferrar was also the founder of a religious community at Little Giddings in Huntingdonshire, England that existed from 1626-1646 (HMHW Page 92).  Ferrar was observant of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and was well known for his personal piety.  Ferrar had a faith that was alive and full of devotion.


The Gospel for today's commemoration of Nicholas Ferrar and Wednesday of the First Week of Advent, give to us an important lesson on this World AIDS Day.  The lesson today is that there is work for everyone to do in pursuit of God's will.  No one of us has everything completely correct.  People can have different opinions about how to do things and/or what to believe and we can stay at the table of discussion, debate and continue working together to do better than we are doing today.  Every person has something important to contribute. It is not our place to disqualify people from participation in the building up of God's reign.

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori and the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson have issued a World AIDS Day letter. Below is the sentence I read from the letter in The Lead.

“World AIDS Day is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on God’s call to lift up the dignity and value of each person.”

In the same blog post you will find a link to a video made by the Archbishop of Canterbury about his recent visit to the Democratic Republic of  Congo.  Below, see the excerpt from the blog post.

“Trauma is something which cannot be overcome overnight but when people feel they’ve been abandoned by families, by communities, because of the shame and stigma of HIV/AIDS, the church in this part of Congo has been there for them. For these people, who have been abused systematically, been raped, violated, abducted often at the youngest of ages – for these people, the church has been the family that mattered.”

I cannot, however, discontinue my quotations from The Lead Blog from The Episcopal Cafe without including the comment just below the post.

While some self-identified Christians have made it clear they see HIV/AIDS as God's "punishment" or "severe mercy" against "sinners," I've always thought it just might be God's test to imitate his innate mercy and compassion toward others -- in which case, many Christians have miserably failed. We really need to take a cue from how Christ Jesus treated the lepers and outcasts of his own day. (Posted by Gregory Orloff).

I am most grateful for the contributions of the Presiding Bishops, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Gregory Orloff.   However, I feel it is very important for me to add some things for both our devotion and to help frame our movement to create change in both the Church and society for people living with HIV/AIDS.

It really is not enough to write and say what has already been put in print.  To be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ as we prepare to remember the coming of the Lord during this Season of Advent, we must do more than pay lip service.  We must do more than express outrage over how many in the Church and in civil governments have failed people who live with HIV/AIDS.  LGBTQ people need to do more than just celebrate this World AIDS Day in memory of all who have died because of the dreaded disease, and pour our money into organizations to work for comprehensive sex education and research for a cure for HIV/AIDS.  We (and yes I include myself) must understand that the person who lives with HIV/AIDS and those who live with the possibility of contracting HIV/AIDS are sisters and brothers in humanity and in Christ Jesus who's dignity must be defended and who's lives need our compassionate heartfelt love and affection.


As Christians it is not enough to call Jesus our Lord in our prayers and creeds, if we are only going to turn our backs or up our noses at individuals living with HIV/AIDS as if we owe them no sensitivity or understanding.


I remember the first time I was told by someone I was talking to that he is HIV positive.  Honestly, I did not know what to say or do. I stood there for the longest time totally speechless.  And believe me, that does not happen very often. I know of another wonderful individual who lives with HIV.  When I see him and talk with him, I cry inside because of how much I care about him.  Both of these individuals have taught me more about what it means to have courage in the face of the possibility that their disease could kill them someday.  They have witnessed for me the fortitude of Jesus Christ hanging from the Cross as he says: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."  Even if they do not think the thought or say the words.  

"Only the one who does the will of my Father" said Jesus.  

Doing the will of God means being willing to take a risk. Even taking a most unpopular risk and to love someone who is considered unlovable.  Doing the will of God can also mean allowing someone that I have a hard time with because of my own hypocrisy and fears, to show me God's face and the power of God's love coming from "the least of these who are members of my family (Matthew 25: 40). 

If we want to take with us the lesson of the devotion of Nicholas Ferrar.  If we want to make a difference on this World AIDS Day. Then we must be willing to do more than talk, weep, remember, re-educate and all that.   We must allow our hearts and minds to touch Jesus Christ and be moved by Jesus Christ touching us in such a way that it changes our lives and the lives of the world for the better.  Changed minds, hearts and lives that have more compassion, strength, hope and the drive to keep on going when all hell is breaking loose. That is doing the will of God.  


Prayers

Lord God, make us worthy of your perfect love; that, with your deacon Nicholas Ferrar and his household, we may rule ourselves according to your Word, and serve you with our whole heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Nicholas Ferrar, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 93).

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday in Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 211).

Loving God, You provide comfort and hope to those who suffer. Be present with all HIV positive persons and their families in this and every land, that they may be strengthened in their search for health, wholeness and abundant living, through Christ our Companion. Amen. (Collect for World AIDS Day, National Episcopal AIDS Coalition).

Prayers of the People on World AIDS Day

Holy Friend and Comforter: On this World AIDS Day we remember especially the thirty three million persons now living with HIV in all nations. Be with them, we pray. Lord, hear our prayer. Lead our government and the governments of all countries to protect and promote the rights of HIVpositive persons to treatment, health and stigma-free living.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Be with groups and organizations that respond faithfully and with sacrifice to the daily needs of HIVpositive persons for food, housing, health care and employment. [We
remember especially _________________________.]

Lord, hear our prayer.

Guide all organizations that advocate HIV/AIDS prevention through education and outreach that they may be successful in their efforts especially among at-risk populations and among those with health disparities. [We remember especially__________________.]

Lord, hear our prayer.

Inspire and encourage the men and woman who spend their lives researching treatments and possible cures for HIV/AIDS.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Receive all who have died of AIDS and give them healing peace in your eternal presence. [We remember especially ___________________.]

Caring God, you have promised “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b). It is with this calm assurance, believing that your Kingdom will come, that we offer our prayers to you this day through Jesus Christ. Amen.  (National Episcopal AIDS Coalition).
 



 

World AIDS Day 2010: Remember and Respond

Today is a day to remember and respond.  A time to recall that we live in a world wear every day people experience sickness, disease and death.  There are many diseases that make life in this world a living hell for so many people and those who love them.  Breast cancer, cancer of all kinds, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and so much more.   One disease in particular seems to have had a hysteria in it's onset that became labeled the "gay disease" in the 1980's and even many today think it is "God's punishment for homosexuality."  Such is a very sad testament to the Religious Right.  HIV/AIDS continues to be known not only among gay and bisexual men, but also women especially in South Africa, children, among drug users and individuals who have had blood transfusions.   HIV/AIDS has even changed the way institutions clean up bodily fluids of all kinds.  The stereotypes and cries for justice in health care and State, Federal and International funding combined with education is so important.

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori wrote the following in her Letter on World AIDS Day.

The world lives in painful silence and gathering doom. More than 30 million people around the world are living with HIV, and at least 2.5 million persons will be infected in the coming year. Developing countries experience HIV and AIDS as major links in the chain of poverty and instability binding so much of God's creation. In the United States HIV rates are also rising among the poor. An increased need for American funding of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment has been met with silence and retreat, as other pressing challenges vie for national and global attention.

And yet silence and doom do not have the last word. The UNAIDS report released last week notes that the rate of new HIV infections has either stabilized or been reduced significantly in 56 nations. New infections have fallen 20% in the past decade, and AIDS deaths have fallen 20% in the past five years. The director of UNAIDS urges the world to break "the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic with bold actions and smart choices." The Centers for Disease Control identify HIV/AIDS as one of six diseases which can be overcome. Research results released last week show promising results in clinical trials of a new prophylactic drug, designed to prevent HIV infection in at-risk communities. This success comes in the wake of recently publicized advances in identifying HIV 'controller genes,' which may lead to advances in vaccines or treatment.

This contrast confronts us on World AIDS Day: great progress and even greater hope despite public discourse and political leadership that rarely prioritizes an end to this deadly and stigmatizing disease. What can Christians do to ensure the victory of hope and new life in the face of silence and death?

The first priority: continue to advocate forcefully for government investment in the fight against AIDS both here and abroad. The U.S. government's has, in the past two years, decreased our nation's promised investment in HIV/AIDS abroad. This reduction had included both funding for particular countries, and our investment in the multinational Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote compellingly of President Obama's unfulfilled commitments in a New York Times op-ed this past summer. As the President prepares his budget for the coming fiscal year, I urge Episcopalians to challenge him and the new Congress to keep America's promises to the world. Joining the Episcopal Public Policy Network will connect your voice to those of other Episcopalians working in this and other areas of social justice.

The second priority: Episcopalians must continue to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS within our own communities. This Church still has AIDS, and urgent challenges remain. Stigma continues to be a major issue in the United States and around the world. Encouraging routine testing is essential, particularly among adults over age 50. I commend to all Episcopalians the work of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition, which has done much to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and avenues of healing within our own communities.

Finally, I urge your prayers. As we prepare to mark the thirtieth year of the world's awareness of HIV and AIDS in 2011, pray for all who have died from this terrible disease. Pray for those living now with HIV and AIDS. And pray for a future without AIDS.

These past weeks have brought us new signs that such a future is indeed possible. Pray that we will use our collective resources, imagination, and will to make a world without AIDS a reality.

As the world and even the Church has moved in our concern over individuals who live with HIV/AIDS it is important that the messages of comprehensive sex education in our schools nationwide receive the support of every concerned person of good will.  The subject of sexuality remains a big taboo even in many of America's homes.  Many conservative Christians all across the board do not want public schools to deal with the subject of contraception including the safe use of condoms to help protect their children from HIV/AIDS.  Yet, many homes remain places where sexuality whether it be heterosexuality or homosexuality cannot be discussed in healthy and open ways.  The absence of such conversations leaves the children of today with confused messages that sexuality is dirty or just needs to be learned on it's own terms.  Those places in America that insist on abstinence only sex education also have the highest rate of teen pregnancy and HIV infections.   Yet, many conservative Christians still want our children to not have the information they need to make informed decisions about their bodies.  Decisions that not only affect their lives, but the lives of anyone they may come into contact with. 

The Episcopal Church today also commemorates the Deacon Nicolas Ferrar who brought a sense of religious observance to the newly established Church in Virginia.  The Gospel reading for today's commemoration follows.

Matthew 13:47-52 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

If the kingdom of heaven is a place where there are all kinds of fish which I think means there are all sorts of people too, then this world and the Church must continue to do all it can to make room for everyone no matter where they are on their faith journey.  The one phrase that makes St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis such a wonderful place to worship is:  "Wherever You Are On Your Faith Journey, St. Mark's Welcomes You."  

Now for all those Christianists who are about to take the other part of this Gospel about the angels separating the good fish from the bad, I think some reconsideration is in order here.  The good Christians in this world are often regarded as the "not so good liberal Christians" by the arch-conservative right.  I am sure there are those who are conservative, who read my blog and think that I believe that Christianists are bad Christians.  That is not entirely true.  In conservative Bible believing Christians I know it is their deepest desire to serve Jesus with devotion and love so as to "win" people to follow him.  Indeed that is what Christians are called to do in the work of evangelization.  The problem that has arisen from that is the idea that the Bible condemns lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people to the point that unless we surrender and allow God to "change" our sexual and/or gender diversity or cease physically loving others of the same sex, we are damned to hell.  The Bible verses that have been quoted over the years to suggest such have been erroneously interpreted and used.   As a result LGBT people have been marginalized and stigmatized so badly by well-meaning Christians that many LGBT people just prefer not to be involved with any religion at all.   Individuals who live with HIV/AIDS have heard some pretty crude statements from devoted Christians and Catholics to the point where they don't know what to listen to or what to believe anymore.   

What we in the Christian Church need are people so devoted to God and Jesus that they are willing to consider that there is more to the Christian Faith than what the Bible reads.  We Episcopalians love our glorious music and worship and that is all good.  I would not be an Episcopalian today if I did not love how we worship.    But the Christian experience for all of humankind cannot stop at interpreting the Bible so literally that we condemn LGBT individuals and those living with HIV/AIDS, when that is simply not what Jesus Christ was about or taught.  As Christians we cannot continue to condemn comprehensive sex education that helps our teenagers and youth make informed decisions that help them stay alive and healthy should they make the choice to be sexually active.   We also cannot continue to ignore the issue of HIV/AIDS here in the United States or abroad as if we have no responsibility to love our neighbor as ourselves.   

What is living A Day with HIV is like in America?  Read a great article by the Bilerico Project here.  

There continues to be terrific news coming around about the Military Survey to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).  Even though there is much stalling in the US Senate.  Meanwhile Civil Unions have passed in the Illinois Senate giving LGBT folks a lot of hope for marriage equality there.  Yet amidst all of this great news are those who are willing to allow unemployed Americans go without some kind of benefits, while giving tax breaks to those who make more than enough to survive a  year on.   Clearly we have many good things going on, but we also have folks who consider themselves very good followers of Christ placing heavier burdens on those who already have a lot to carry, while making life easier for those who line their pockets with campaign contributions.   Is it possible this was what Jesus was talking about in referring to separating the fish?   

As we remember World AIDS Day as well as LGBT individuals, Nicholas Ferrar  and those who are struggling with this terrible economy, let us also reflect on our own work as Christians.   Christianity does not check our brains at the door when we read our Bibles, or leave our "love our neighbor" theology when we walk out the doors of our churches.  The Gospel needs to come alive in our active concern for those who need a message of love, acceptance, inclusion and hope in this world.   There is way too much violence and hate sometimes at the hands of Christians who are looking at the world through one set of lenses.  It is past time that we start seeing that all individuals are members of Christ's family, and represent Christ himself to us, the world and the Church.  Amen.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 211)

Lord God, make us worthy of your perfect love; that, with your deacon Nicholas Ferrar and his household, we may rule ourselves according to your Word, and serve you with our whole heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for St. Nicholas Ferrar, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 93).

O Lord Jesus, Healer of our every ill, during your ministry you cured those who suffered from both the disease and the stigma of leprosy. Now we confront the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Today, as before, support and heal all people living with the disease, comfort those who have lost friends or lovers, strengthen and encourage families, caregivers and activists in their daily tasks, guide doctors and researchers on their quest, lead politicians and governments to policies of compassion, and enlighten those whose hearts are filled with prejudice, hate, and error. Amen. (For Persons with HIV/AIDS By Stephen Helmreich ).

      

World AIDS Day: A Day of Prayer and A Day for Action

We pause today on December 1st as we do every year to remember the thousands upon thousands of people affected by the world wide pandemic of AIDS. I remember as a ninth grader in high school when HIV/AIDS first arrived on the scene and the terrible consequence of the thousands of people who died instantly because of the disease. I remember how quickly fundamentalists were to label it as a "gay disease" and use it to shame and scare people about being gay. I also remember the incredible program by Designing Women about the man they knew who was dying of AIDS who came to ask them to help plan for his funeral. I also remember the attitude that was displayed during that show that if someone who is gay got AIDS it was because they "deserved" it. It was not long before people began to hear that AIDS was not just a gay disease. It is a disease that affects literally thousands of men, women and children world wide. All over the country local AIDS projects have been created to be advocacy networks for people with HIV/AIDS and care centers. Since the rising number of people infected with HIV/AIDS not only do we talk about the use of condoms during sex but also school janitors, public janitors, school bus drivers and anyone who works with the public has had to learn about blood born pathogens and how to protect themselves and others from them.

What still has yet to change in our time and culture is the attitude that is often in our hearts and the hearts of many especially who call themselves Christians, that people with HIV/AIDS or any sexually transmitted disease are well served by shame, guilt and total isolation or abandonment. One of the most beautiful sights I took in when I played an organ recital in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, was my visit to the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Among the many beautiful chapels and shrines of this great Cathedral was the shrine dedicated to those who have died of HIV/AIDS complete with a small quilt. In front of it was a kneeler for anyone who wanted to remember someone and pray with a lit candle near by. The very guilt and shame that Christians often heap upon people affected by HIV/AIDS and people with other STD's should be confessed as our sins to God for not greeting such people with compassion, grace and with a sincere desire to serve Christ in those who need God.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in her statement for World AIDS Day has written: "Last year, the U.S. Congress made an historic commitment to the battle against AIDS in poor countries, promising to triple our nation's commitment to fighting AIDS abroad over the next five years. That promise has dimmed as federal resources have grown scarcer and political conversations have focused on domestic need.

President Obama's first federal budget, released earlier this year, failed to keep pace with Congress's 2008 financial commitments to fighting AIDS abroad, and slowed the growth of those efforts from previous years. As we approach a new federal budget cycle this winter, Americans must send a clear message to the Administration that in spite of economic challenges at home, our nation cannot retreat from our commitments to fight poverty and disease abroad.

In the United States, HIV/AIDS has lost much of its visibility in the past decade with many Americans growing complacent about the threat of the disease. It is not always immediately obvious who in our communities is suffering from HIV/AIDS, and the stigma of diagnosis further isolates and alienates those who need our love and support. As Christians, our ministry to those living with HIV/AIDS in our communities is more essential than ever. World AIDS Day is an excellent opportunity to evaluate the ways in which your congregation and community are welcoming and serving those living with the disease.

President Obama announced an enormously encouraging initiative, Act Against AIDS, earlier this year as a five-year, $45 million effort aimed at enhancing AIDS awareness within the United States. While the initial funding is small, this initiative is a much needed response to the diminishing public awareness of the AIDS crisis in our own communities.

The Episcopal Church has shown distinguished leadership on this issue through the years and, despite current challenges, I fervently hope that our combined witness and advocacy will continue to grow. I urge all Episcopalians to join our Church's advocacy efforts by becoming members of the Episcopal Public Policy Network and I commend the work of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition which, for several decades has helped to keep this issue visible within The Episcopal Church.

Christians around the world enter the season of Advent this weekend, and together we wait in hope for the coming of the Redeemer. An ancient antiphon for the season addresses the coming Christ as "the King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone uniting all people." Let our prayer in this holy season be that the God who dwells among us, suffers and dies, yet rises again, will unite the will of all peoples to work toward finally conquering HIV/AIDS."

In the Gospel Reading of Matthew 21: 12-22 Jesus cleanses the temple of the money changers and calls them to repentance. Jesus quotes the famous verse: "My house shall be called a house of prayer': but you are making it a den of robbers." I believe that it was and still remains Jesus firm desire that his house of prayer be a house of prayer for all people. That house of prayer extends to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and people affected by HIV/AIDS and any other situation. The cold and callous response of many Christians towards people who are "different" has been nothing short of a total opposite of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about. When I first came to the State of Minnesota and worked in the first Catholic Parish as a musician, I was very disappointed to hear that there are still Catholic Priests who will not give last rights or even Holy Communion to people dying of HIV/AIDS especially if they contracted it through homosexual activity, unless they confess their homosexuality as one of their major sins. What a joy it is for my partner Jason and I to move over to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis, Minnesota where no Priest would even think twice about ministering to someone with HIV/AIDS. They simply understand it as part of their ministry as Priests and as a Parish Community.

I think it is time, past time for Christians and all people of good will to be people of prayer and action and to ask ourselves what can we do to help people who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Quite frankly we cannot leave the work just to someone else. To ignore people with HIV/AIDS is to ignore Jesus in those affected by this and other diseases. We can always advocate for people with HIV/AIDS by writing letters to our local State and Federal Legislators asking them to take a leadership role in helping to advance the cause of those affected by HIV/AIDS. We can be advocates for comprehensive sex education that helps promote healthy attitudes towards responsible sexual activity. We can also be advocates for health care reform to include people with HIV/AIDS. We can volunteer to help local HIV/AIDS projects and help centers or donate funds. Many place that serve people with HIV/AIDS have food shelves where people can donate nonperishable food items. Many centers have opportunities to help people affected with HIV/AIDS to go to doctors appointments. There are places that make hot meals for people with HIV/AIDS every day who can use help with food preparation. There is always a place and an opportunity to serve Jesus Christ in those who are affected by HIV/AIDS. What will we choose to do today?

O God of compassion and wisdom, be with those who are affected by HIV/AIDS today and always. Grant to all of us a sense of God within those who are affected by HIV/AIDS and others diseases and how we may serve Jesus your Son in them. Bless and uphold those who help people with HIV/AIDS and give them the strength and ability to do the work that you have given them. May the Church increasingly become a place where people with HIV/AIDS can find God and the compassionate Jesus who waits to heal and serve them, all this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

anther story of interest today is Bonnie Anderson President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church has spoken out about the draconian anti-homosexual bill in Uganda. This could be one item we can add to our prayers today as this bill does target homosexuals and people with HIV/AIDS.