Spirit of the Living God, Fall Fresh on Us
Today is Pentecost in the church, the day we celebrate God’s Spirit falling on ALL of the disciples including women and families that gathered in the Upper Room. As Rev. Roberta Meehan, RCWP points out it is the Church’s red letter day- and the church’s birthday-OUR Birthday. It is also the purifying-as by wind and fire- gift of God to empower us to live out the mission Jesus sent us on of preaching the gospel-living the gospel of love-to all people.
Today we need Pentecost more than ever.
Here we remember and keep in our hearts and prayers these three African-Americans who are recent representatives of far too many killed by police brutality and hatred, and their families: George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery and Breonna Taylor-and all who have suffered their tragic fate. We also pray for all who are entrusted to be our police officers who risk life and limb every day and who act justly toward all people. And we pray for those who do not act justly and who do not know deep within that we are all children of our loving God and it is a brother or sister that they are meeting in the line of duty.
Breathe on us Breath of God, until all can breathe!!! Until all can breathe without the fear of a knee on the neck, or foot in the back, or a door slammed shut, or rejection and second class citizenship due to color, gender, sexual orientation,class, culture or language or any other difference form the “dominant group”-until all that dominates is the fresh breeze of love and caring for one another. Breathe on us Breathe of God until hate is burned away and only love still stands. Until hatred is no longer spread like wildfire in the name of legal authority or by disregard or ignorance. All kill. The liturgical color today is red. Red seems a happy color and it is happy on Pentecost. But, red in church language is usually the blood of Christ. Red also is the blood of all the holy innocents who died or failed to live in the air of superiority spread by any group, including so called Christians in our history.
I refer you to one of the readings for Pentecost Sunday, I Corinthians 12:3-7,12-14. The essence of this reading is that by One Spirit strong>ALL of us partake of God’s love and are baptized into ONE Body. Yet how easily it seems that parts of the one body are even literally lopped off until it is disabled. The Church as it is now is a disabled church. It is not fully filled with the Spirit of our living and loving God. Hence we need the RENEWAL of God’s Spirit so we may become the ONE Body God intends us to be. The first verses here say “It is for this reason that I want you to understand that no one can be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit and say,”Curse Jesus”; by the same token, no one can say, “Jesus Christ reigns supreme,” unless under the influence of the Holy Spirit. ” (TIB) Indeed, no one can say or enact “Curse someone else” , kill or damage another and claim to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit; and no one can live a life of Love without God’s Spirit. If we show love and inclusion it is due to God’s spirit within us, and if we spread evil and discontent or disregard of others who are different the Spirit of God is not yet filling us-rather the spirit of this world , of the almighty importance of Self, and preference for only those who are like us, and even hate of those who are perceived by us to be not like us. If we go back to Genesis, to the Garden, the first narrative is to have domination over all of creation, but the second is to care for all of creation, to live in relationship with all living things. There is a distinct choice there- let us ask God to fill us with the spirit of caring and love for ALL creation – not domination and subjugation of any creature, human, animal, or environmental. Let this red day become a truly green day- with deep respect of ALL Life which comes from the infusion of God’s Holy Spirit, and let us recognize and affirm God’s spirit in life everywhere.
And so on this day, we pray for God’s Spirit to renew and refresh us to revive us again. To teach us to love not only in word but in deed. To recognize abuse of power whether it be legal power, secular power or church power, and to speak truth to power- to all power, especially that which stifles breath and life within each and every of God’s children and of all of God’s creation.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall fresh on us!
One can put in the words “Spread Like Wildfire-Pentecost” or just Pentecost into the search box of this blog and see other interesting and challenging reflections on Pentecost. One can also check out another reflection by RC Women Priests and the Upper room Community of Rev. Mary Teresa Streck in Albany, New York in:
https://upperroomliturgiesrituals.blogspot.com/2020/05/pentecost-2020-presiders-kathleen-ryan.html
Be blessed this Pentecost-be filled with the Spirit of the Living and Loving God,and,in truth, love one another.
Amen! Rev. Dr. Judy Lee, RCWP
Pastor Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers, Florida
A Charge and A Promise of Presence: Good Shepherd Continues During Covid-19-Mass for Jesus’ Ascension
The life and Spirit of the church continues no matter what restrictions and challenges we face in this time of Covid-19. We continue God’s work. We worship alone and in small groups 6 feet apart and we pray together across the miles and beyond the masks. We provide connection and presence for one another no matter the distancing necessary. Filled with the Spirit and power of our loving God we continue on.
Roman Catholic Woman Priest, Pastor Judy Lee celebrated Mass with two Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community members on Thursday 5/21/2020. Kathy O. and Kathy L are a couple from Minnesota that have attended Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers seasonally for over 10 years. They usually leave for Minnesota by April but they were grounded due to the the difficulties of travel during the pandemic. When they visited on the Day of Ascension, Thursday the 21st we had a lovely Mass celebration together. The intentions for this Mass were for their health and safety on their impending travel home; and for all touched by Covid-19 as sufferers, caretakers, family and friends, those stuck at home,and especially for health care professionals. We also joined in prayer for our former Bishop, Bridget Mary Meehan of Sarasota ,Florida who faces cancer and has had a double surgery two weeks ago. And for our members Jolinda Harmon also facing cancer and her grandson Quay Crews, facing another chronic life threatening illness, and for two relatives of Kathy and Kathy also facing difficulty.
The readings of the day are Acts 1:1-11-where Jesus’ appearances to the disciples and his time of leaving after providing many assurances are described and we are assured that “…You will receive power when the the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses….”
The Responsive Psalm is Psalm 47 where we are encouraged to shout for joy and blare the trumpets as our God reigns over the nations.
The Second Reading is Ephesians 1:17-23 where we see Christ taking his position as Head of the Church, his body-all of us who are called to follow.
The Gospel is Matthew 28:16-20 where Jesus charges the disciples to “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Abba God, and of the Only Begotten, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!” TIB).
In our homiletic reflections we shared a writing by Harry McEvoy in Living With Christ where he reflects on trying to remember most of all that Christ is always with us, even though he is experiencing forgetting and mild cognitive impairment. We each reflected on God with us and the difference it makes in whatever we must go through. The sharing was personal and simple and profound. I added that the “being with us” is , in the context of these Ascension readings, not only for ourselves. Yes, we are to feel Presence and accompaniment on our journeys no matter how hard they are. YES. But we are also to witness to God’s presence and power to be with us and change lives to following the commandments of love and inclusivity so that all whose lives we touch may be touched by God’s deep love and conversion to Love.
The Ascension Reflections of 5/7/16 and 5/13/18 in these archives on the right of the page can also bring us deeper into why sometimes it is necessary to leave in order that our true spirit remains with those we love. As Kathy and Kathy leave our community to return to Minnesota, and the Community led by women priests there, we keep them in our hearts and prayers. And we pray that we can not only feel the ever abiding Spirit of God with us, but have the power to preach the gospel using words whenever necessary.
We also celebrate the 69th Birthday of our dear member Jolinda Harmon, 5/19/2020. And we bless Stella Odie-Ali for her continued loving support of Jolinda during this hard time.
And we bless Claire Tessandori on her birthday, 5/24/2020
And we thank and bless our member Carol Schauf for her continued support of our member Brenda Cummings which includes bringing her goodies and activities to do and provisions for her pets during her time “stuck at home”.
We continue to pour our blessings on Maya and Lamar Cummings and their baby girl Kimora:
And we continue to thank God for our beloved Good Shepherd church community that remains alive and well with the power of the Spirit.
Be blessed and aware that “I am with you always until the end of the age”.
Love and prayers,
Pastor Judy Lee,RCWP
Rev. Dr. Judith A.B. Lee
Two Roman Catholic Women Priests Reflect on Seeing As God Sees: For The 4th sunday in Lent-March 22,2020
Here, two Roman Catholic Women Priests share their thoughts on the important and provocative readings on how we see and how God sees, on our blindness, for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Rev. Beverly Bingle,RCWP from Ohio and I have each written our thoughts so that you can participate in the Liturgy of the Word at home at a time when actual meetings are not possible. This is the link for Rev. Beverly’s beautiful homily courtesy of Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan,ARCWP’s blog where it is published. We are deeply thankful to Rev. Bingle for sharing this with us.
https://www.bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2020/03/homily-for-5th-sunday-of-lent-by.html
Like many other churches that draw crowds during this time of “social distance” to prevent the Covid-19 virus from spreading, our Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers will not be able to meet this Saturday afternoon. Many members and friends have conveyed their sadness at this and asked to read our reflections here. So this is our “virtual celebration ” of sorts. We will still miss our worship time together and just being together in person to celebrate the recent happenings of this community. So I will mention a few highlight events here.
First our March and April Birthdays: On March 3rd our beloved Ann Palmer turned 90 years old. Her family gave her a huge surprise birthday party that Judy Alves and I attended for our Good Shepherd Community. The love she sowed in her life was so evident as so many whose lives she touched as a lifelong Fort Myers resident gathered round her expressing their gratitude. Remarkably, Ann is devout and traditional in many beliefs of the Church but she has warmly embraced women priests and our community since we began in 2007. and And on the same date, our twins Jakeriya and Jakein Maybin turned 18 years old. Raised and baptized in The Good Shepherd Church, we are so happy to see them arrive at their majority and congratulate them on remaining in High School and moving forward at a very hard time for them after the death of their mother in 2017. Our faithful church member and frequent cook and caterer Cyrillia Rismay also had a big birthday on March 18th and we send her birthday blessings on this very day. Timothy Vanderwarf who has also been with us since the beginning has a birthday on the 31st of March. We assured him that we will not forget his birthday. And April 3rd brings the 12th birthday of our dear Joelle White who has been with is for all of her amazing young life. What a joy to see her grow into a lovely and bright young woman who continues to love singing and acting and school. April 8th is Awsha Sanders’ birthday and we remember her as well. She has moved temporarily out of the area but always remains in touch.
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS TO ALL!
We also say thank you and offer prayers for Pastor Judith McKloskey,RCWP from Kansas City, Missouri as she and her husband Dan drive back home from their winter here,in Bonita Springs. Our congregation will miss her caring warmth and music leadership.
We also give our condolences to Michelle Landino who lost her partner Nancy Callo, 57 years old, to sudden death in her sleep last week. They were a part of our GS community from 2013-2015 before they moved out of the area. A blessed Easter Rising to Nancy and our compassion for Michelle and Nancy’s family in their loss.
The pictures above are of Ann Palmer, 90 with Judy Alves and Joelle White,who will turn 12.
Seeing As God Sees– Introduction-
We have been travelling with Jesus toward the cross and beyond to his resurrection this Lenten season. We have been looking at our own lives and taking stock of where we,like the religious and his disciples fail to know and see and emulate Jesus. Jesus has been healing the sick and engaging with the outcast of his world including the Samaritan women with whom he entrusted the good news of his identity. He has been teaching and feeling frustrated with the religious who try to trap him and with the disciples who sometimes fail to see who he really is. This week we witness Jesus healing a man born blind. As we listen to Jesus we can identify with the religious critics and the disciples who “don’t get it” although, hopefully, we can also identify with the man who was blind but now can see.
For this Lenten Sunday we would have two opening hymns- a warm-up with the brief chant our congregation uses called “Revive us Again” that acknowledges that we need to be brought to life in Christ once again. And “All Are Welcome” for once again that is the message of the day-the blind, the lame, the sick, the deaf, the well, the poor , the well- to-do of all cultures, races, classes, sexual orientations and genders. ALL are welcome to Jesus’ Table-no exceptions.
Our Opening Prayer is: Our living, loving and forgiving God, we come before You with contrite hearts mindful of the ways we choose darkness rather than light. We pray that You will be with us and our troubled world, now plagued by a frightening health scare, and bring us guidance,healing and peace. We seek to see as You do, we seek to find You again in this Lenten season….”
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading 1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13. the prophet Samuel goes to choose a king for Israel from Jesse’s sons. Samuel looks at Eliab, an handsome young adult. But God guides him to David, the youngest son and says to him” Do not judge from appearance…God does not see as people see: I look at the heart”
Responsive Psalm 23: God is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”. We respond with the chorus of the hymn Shepherd Me O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears from death into life
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14- Live as Children of the light.
– shine with goodness, justice and truth.
Before the Gospel Acclamation we chant and claim the ground we stand on and ourselves and our neighbors, pointing at each, as Holy Ground.
Acclamation: Praise to You, Jesus Christ, who reigns in endless Glory.! “I am the light of the world, the one who follows me will have the light of life” Praise to You…
Gospel: John 9:1-41 “work for the night is coming…I am the Light (so you can see the work that needs to be done…)” “I came into the world so that those who do not see may see…”
The Gospel is read in English and in Spanish, the latter by our associate Pastor, Rvda Marina Teresa Sanchez Mejia who will also do a translation of the homily.
Today Jesus heals the blind man and he sees the light. Although both he and Jesus are ridiculed, he sees who Jesus is-The Messiah, the Son of Man, the Light- and has both faith and sight restored. To have faith, to believe and to affirm what Jesus has done and who he is is to “see”. The Pharisees would rather debate Jesus and try to trip him up than to see his light. They have no compassion for the man born blind. They see him as a sinner and a loser. But imagine how he feels as he sees for the first time-light, color, his parents, trees, flowers, people… his life is completely changed in an instant. I have a friend who had a cataract operation recently with a complicated condition. She could not stop describing light,textures and color. The religious of the time can not see what Jesus did only what they want to see- a man breaking Sabbath law by healing on the Sabbath. The man who suffered and begged as Jesus walked by on the Sabbath is of NO concern to them. They say they can see-but they are the ones who are blind. Jesus tells them that directly.
So we must wonder: what is it that we cannot see? Where are we also blind? What are our blind spots even if we can “generally” see Jesus? Are certain people or certain groups of people of no real concern to us? Are we blind to their situations-their experiences- to their suffering? Are there things people try to show us that we can not see? Are our own religious, social, economic, political or other beliefs thick lenses that blind us to the way God would see others? Do we look on the appearance rather than on the heart? Are we so worried about our own fears and wants that we cannot see others? Oh Dear Jesus, help us to see and own our own blind-spots. Help us to see others, to see You and to see the world as You see it, and act accordingly. Be the light for us….AMEN.
The Communion Hymn we would have had this week with Pastor Judith MCKloskey singing and leading us was “Change our Hearts” by Rory Cooney Copyright 1984 spiritandsong.com,a division of OCP. All rights reserved. “Change our hearts this time, your word says it can be. Change our minds this time,your life could make us free. We are the people your call set apart,Lord, this time, change our hearts.”
During Holy Communion we would sing the Spiritual softly “It’s me,it’s me, it’s me oh Lord, standin’ in the need a prayer” and “Thank You, God, Thank You God…You been so good…You been my friend…”
And after our Mutual Blessing of one another at the ending before the Deacon tells us “The Mass is over, go and serve one another” we would sing “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”, hopefully more resolute in this desire than when we began our worship.
May God Bless you on the 4th Sunday of Lent, and bless you with light, now and always, AMEN.
Pastor Judy Lee, RCWP
Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community , Fort Myers, Florida
Rev. Dr. Judith Lee
This Year with Good Shepherd Ministries
Our Good Shepherd Ministries and the Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers continues to exist and flourish in its 12th year despite the many recent events and changes over the years. Pastor Judy Lee continues as Pastor with Pastor Marina Teresa who generously gives her able assistance in shepherding the flock. While we lost our co-founder and co-Pastor Judy Beaumont on January 1, 2018, her spirit remains with us and guides us still.
I recently visited one of our members since 2007, Lauretta Rasmussen who is in the hospital with advanced cancer. She was in good spirits and told me immediately that she was happy to see me, and that Pastor Judy B. was already there with her. I had no doubt of that as Pastor Judy had a special relationship with Lauretta not only as Pastor but as Rep Payee for many years. It was Lauretta who had presented her to the bishop for her diaconate Ordination in 2011 and stood by her side with Judy’s sister Jill Bergner and others at her priestly Ordination in 2012. So today we ask your prayers for Lauretta and God’s blessings upon her. Below Lauretta is worshipping with us in 2018.
While over 17 of our original members who were formerly homeless and some of our supporters as well have gone home to their loving God in the past few years our congregation remains vital and committed to serving God and one another and all of their neighbors. This church of the poor and not poor together comes in all colors, cultures,sexual orientations, ages and states of life. We are united in the love and service of Christ. It is such a blessing to be one with them.
We have come together to worship several times this year. Each time 30-40 of our members squeeze into Pastor Marina’s centrally located home to worship, to pray, to share a meal and to celebrate birthdays and many other life events.
The pictures below taken by Maya Rismay Cummings are from our church gathering on August 31st, 2019. Pastor Judy Lee presided, with Pastor Marina Teresa and our special Lector Joelle White who read to us about “Mother God” from Bridget Mary Meehan and Regina Oliver’s Heart Talks with Mother God for the Children’s sermon. After spirited worship where the Gospel for the day, Luke 14: 1,7-14 has Jesus telling us to invite EVERYONE to the Table we also blessed and celebrated those with Birthdays, and return to school and those coping with illnesses. The “Birthdays” were Quayschaun Crews, Brenda Cummings and Jolinda Terrell as well as our beloved deceased Linda Maybin, mother of Quay and Jolinda and four others present as well as her mother Jolinda Harmon and her nieces and two grandchildren also present. Maya Rismay Cummings was joyfully returning for her last semester at FGCU and Natasha Terrell will be continuing courses at FSW College while Joelle White and Ni’yah Battles were returning to Middle School and Keion Lewis to High School, and we also had Courtney Bolt starting First Grade and Zee Tobias in the third grade. Special healing prayer was also given to those battling cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Those who were left out in Jesus day were the maimed, the blind, the lame, the ill, and the poor. Sometimes people with “disabilities” and the poor are still left out today as well as those of the LGBTQ community and people of different lands and cultures and languages, especially those from Hispanic and Muslim countries. Sadly racism still exists. We prayed to learn to include everyone in our lives and in the church of Christ. No one is to be left out.
As I write this I am particularly thankful to those churches where Roman Catholic Women Priests serve and have served that continue to send us spiritual and material support and also to the individuals who tithe with us and remember us in so many ways with prayer and material help. In this year, 2019, Sophia Inclusive Catholic Community in Newton, New Jersey renewed its quarterly giving while Sophia and Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota and Living Waters Inclusive Catholic Community in Maryland gave sustaining gifts to our fund to assist one dear member on a fixed income who is battling advanced cancer with her basic needs. The response to this need from individuals as well will take this member up to January in her rent and for other needs. The response overwhelmed us with gratitude and joy. Such giving also enabled us to place a homeless couple from Tennessee in a Motel overnight so St. Vincent De Paul could give them bus money to return home and to supplement starting school needs and other needs of daily living on low or fixed incomes. We forestalled eviction and electric shut offs in three situations and helped members to fix and maintain vehicles needed for transportation. As members faced the news of Hurricane Dorian possibly approaching we were able to help them with needed supplies like water,food and batteries. Additionally we helped two families to keep their pets by having them vaccinated and receiving Veterinarian care. We are so pleased to say that our donations were just about equal to our needs during the first nine months of 2019. God truly provides through the generosity and giving of our sisters and brothers in the wider community and our own. Thanks be to all who have shared with us and many blessings.
In turn our church gathered a large amount of clothing for another ministry to the homeless that gives out clothing and was caught short due to the heavy rainy season. Our member Brenda Cummings takes care of clothing for this ministry and alerted us to the need. And two of our members, Kathy Roddy and Pearl Cudjoe and, whenever she is in town Cyrillia Rismay provide hot meals and desserts for our gatherings and there are always many plates to take home. Other members also contribute beverages and desserts. Most of all, each one contributes caring and love so that all experience the love of God in Christ in one another and in our gatherings.
We are truly thankful for our co-Pastor Rvda. Marina Teresa and our Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community and for all who support her in so many ways. Thanks be to God!
Blessings and Love to You,
Pastor Judy Lee,RCWP
Rev. Dr. Judy Lee,DMin,DSW,MSW
Happy Birthday From The Giraffes
Today is Marcella’s twelfth birthday. Her Mom, Lili, arranged with us to take Marcella and her friend Eric to the Naples Zoo. Animals are some of Marcella’s favorite things. Lili was able to come and Marcella’s older brother,Gaspare also came, making the celebration complete. Gaspare has not been with us as a group since Marcella’s baptism at our church in 2009. So today was a doubly special day. Everyone was full of life and excitement at meeting so many new beings.
The excitement at seeing the alligators and snakes, the bears and the impalas,the kebu and the anteater and especially the lion and lioness whom they dubbed Nala and Simba was contagious. But the highlight of the day was the boat ride around “Lake Victoria” seeing the monkeys, apes and gibbons in their own island habitats, and the lemurs being fed at snack feeding time. Gaspare and Eric loved feeding the giraffe but Marcella enjoyed watching this from a bit of a distance. The way the giraffes bent down and waved their necks made us think they were singing Happy Birthday to her. The barn owls and the sloth hanging around the neck of its trainer and the Gila Monster whose venom is helping people with Diabetes II and cancer were also highlights of the day. Letting off steam in the playground was another fun time. This was such a joyful time with the animals and her friend Eric and her family and pastors, that I think she will remember her twelfth birthday for a long time. that is if she doesn’t get sick from ordering and eating 5 chicken pieces, one carmel shake,curly fries, and one chocolate turnover at Arbys.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,MARCELLA!
Love and prayers,
Your Pastors, Judy and Judy and your Mom, Gaspare and Eric and the Giraffes and all your zoo friends
10/12/2013
judyablfollowingSheWhoIs 
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