Gospel text for Sunday 14 February 2016

Luke 4:1-13        After his baptism, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written,'Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.'"Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,'He will command his angels concerning you,to protect you,'

and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Reflection        While in the wilderness Jesus demonstrates the discernment of Spirits. What do we mean by discernment? A dictionary definition  of discernment is “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; to distinguish and select what is true, appropriate or excellent; to penetrate beyond the obvious.” This definition of discernment is all about what we are able to do. We are the active agents. It is about us grasping, penetrating and mastering the situation.

The definition of discernment found in Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises* is, “…our willingness to look at and appreciate the signs of God’s love for us and, in response to the voice of the Spirit of God, follow where the Spirit leads.”  The tone is quite different. Rather than grasping, penetrating or mastering we are willing, listening, and following. God is the active agent. We are willing to respond to God through the leading of the Spirit. I believe this is what is happening with Jesus in the wilderness.

Jesus allows the Spirit of God to lead him to the wilderness (metaphor for the movements of his mind and his heart). The story continues with the devil tempting Jesus to grasp, penetrate or  master his situation rather than follow the Spirit of God. If you are the son of God, prove it by satisfying your hunger. If you are the son of God, do something to improve the social and political situation in the world attain fame. If you are the son of God, leap from the top of this temple and prove you are indestructible.  

Each time the devil taunts, tempts and tries to undermine Jesus’ intention to follow the Spirit of God, Jesus returns to the word of God. When inclined to satisfy his hunger Jesus remembers the counsel to the Israelites in the Hebrew scripture and replies, “I do not live by bread alone;” the word of God is the source of my sustenance and life. (Deut 8.2-3)

When tempted to make an idol of social and political power Jesus remembers Moses’ instructions to the Israelites, (Deut 6.13-14) and replies,“Worship the Lord your God and serve only God.” Finally, when provoked to challenge God’s faithfulness, again, rather than relying on himself Jesus listened to the words of Holy Scripture and replied, "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test…” (Deut 6.16) 

Jesus listens to the word of God and willingly follows the lead of the Spirit of God. Lent is our wilderness time, an opportunity for us to do likewise; sacrifice our inclination to grasp, penetrate and master our situations and instead be willing to listen and follow the lead of the Spirit of God.

*The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, as translated by Louis J. Puhl,S.J.

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Gospel text for Sunday, 7 February 2016

Luke 9:28-36       About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflection      Isn’t this what we all want… to peek behind the ‘veil,’ have a mountaintop experience, catch a glimpse of the unseen? When Moses descended from his forty day mountaintop experience Aaron and the Israelites saw “the skin of Moses face was shining… because he had been talking to God…” (Exodus 34.30,29) They saw beyond the ‘veil’ that separates humanity and divinity. Likewise, when Jesus took his companions “up the mountain to pray,” Peter, John and James, were awake and witnessed that “…while (Jesus) was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white…” The ‘veil’ separating humanity and divinity was lifted and the three disciples heard a voice from a cloud that left them speechless,  a fitting response to encountering the divine.

When we hear the story of Jesus’ transfiguration generally our attention is glued to the supernatural spectacle of neon Jesus glowing on a mountaintop.  If we reorient our attention to the disciples, our eyes are opened to see beyond the extraordinary to the presence of God with the ordinary. When, like the disciples, we wait with Jesus in prayer, our hearts and minds are open to see beyond the ‘veil’ and experience the transforming glory of God with us, with all of us, right here on earth.

As long as we allow our attention to be captured by the supernatural details of Jesus’ transfiguration story (arguing pro and con, did this really happen? is this hyperbole?) we hold the radically transforming power of the story safely at arms length. But when we choose to turn away from the noise and distractions of neon signs and debates, follow Jesus up the mountain and give our attention to God in prayer, there is every chance our hearts and minds will be opened to experience the radically transforming presence of God with us. I wonder if this is what Paul is thinking when he writes to the Corinthians, “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit?” (2 Cor 3.18) The veil between humanity and divinity is torn. Nothing is hidden when we stay awake and follow Jesus.

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Christian Testament text for Sunday 31 January 2016

1 Corinthians 13:1-13        If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Reflection      It takes courage to stretch beyond our comfort zones. It takes faith in something greater than ourselves to reach out to strangers. This past week I was touched by a story I read in a London newspaper about a young woman who did just that. Eighteen year old Muná Adan blindfolded herself and stood near a fountain in the middle of Trafalgar Square.*To give you a bit of perspective, this is in the midst of Central London. Four thousand busses pass through Trafalgar square every day. The Underground transit never stops moving below as people make their way to businesses, the National Gallery, St. Martin in the Fields and Buckingham Palace. Trafalgar Square is also notorious for its masterful pick-pockets, whose handiwork I had the misfortune of experiencing.

Back to the story. In the midst of this chaos Muná blindfolded herself and stood next to a large cardboard sign that read, “I am a Muslim, not a terrorist. If you trust me, give me a hug.” She was inundated with “trust hugs,” lots of tears and the words, “I love you.”  Muná did this in response to the rise of Islamophobia happening in London. She said,”You always see negative stories about Muslims, so I wanted to do something about it.” 

It takes courage to make ourselves vulnerable (putting on a blindfold in public certainly qualifies for that). It also takes courage to respond to the vulnerable. The thing is, courage does not mean we are comfortable or unafraid. Courage means we step out and do something even though we are uncomfortable or afraid. The reason we can do this is because we have faith in something more than ourselves. We have faith in God who is with us and with all people. We have faith in God that is expressed as love in kindness for all people. I believe that is what Paul is writing to the Corinthians, “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

It takes courage to reach across social, political, religious and racial barriers to deliver God’s blessings, God’s kindness, God’s endless love to all people. Fourteen years ago a program was initiated in Tucson and has spread throughout the country to do just that. Called “Ben’s Bells” it aims to promote kindness throughout the local community and was created by Jeannette Maré as a way to endure the tragic death of her three year old son Ben. 

The mission of Ben’s Bells is to “inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships, and our communities.” You can visit Ben’s Bells to learn more https://bensbells.org  Meanwhile, perhaps you will join me engaging in three intentional acts of kindness each day of our upcoming Season of Lent (beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 10th). 

We are Christ’s hands and feet in the world. It is up to us to deliver God’s blessing of loving kindness for all people, without exception, without excuse. 

*http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/muslim-social-experiment-hugs_us_56a7a762e4b0172c6594393f?ir=WorldPost&section=us_world&utm_hp_ref=world 

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Gospel text for Sunday 24 January 2016

Luke 4:14-21        Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Reflection        This is the “year of the Lord’s favor.” From birth to death in every breath the sacred, God, is present.   

What if we really believed that? And what if we let that deeper knowledge about ourselves and our lives influence our choices and actions? I wonder if our choices and behavior would look more like Jesus who lived and breathed and found his being in relation to God and the goodness of creation? 

When we consider the broad sweep of Jesus birth, ministry, suffering and death we cannot help but notice how consistently Jesus respected the value and uniqueness of each person he encountered. In all that he said and all that he did Jesus intended to actually fulfill the commands of the Hebrew tradition; the commands to give priority to loving God and all God’s people which is another way of saying, to see every aspect of life in relation with God and the goodness of creation. 

How was Jesus able to do this? First and foremost, Jesus embraced his identity as the Son of God which means he found his deepest truth and direction in relation with God. Second, Jesus also identified with the troubles and the delight of friends and strangers as he said in Matthews gospel, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt 25.40)

Which begs the question. How do we measure up? Are we living in imitation of Jesus? Are our words and actions motivated by our recognition of the sacred, God, in every aspect of life or are they motivated by fear or desire for  security, safety, attention, esteem, power or control? Are we making  choices and living our lives in faith that the sacred, God, suffuses every aspect of life or are we acting as if the sacred, God, is distant, disengaged and we are left to muddle through tragedies and every kind of suffering relying on our wit alone? When we come to church are we skipping through ritual motions to check the box, been there, done that? Or, do we experience our coming together as One body, the Church, an outward and visible experience of the deeper interior knowledge that we are bound and committed to the care and well-being of one another? 

The brutality, greed and misuse of power that confronted Jesus continues with us today. What are we to do? Live in imitation of Jesus who lived and breathed and found his being in relation with God and compassion with suffering humanity. Jesus put his faith in God rather than himself. He understood that only when we are in conscious and conscientious relationship with the sacred mystery we call God do we know what to say and how to live.

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Gospel text for Sunday 17 January 2016

John 2:1-11        On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Reflection         The man Jesus is extraordinary; he is empowered to do things not reasonably possible because he is led by the Spirit of God. And so his glory was revealed, “and his disciples began to believe.” Water, the ritual substance for the practice of Jewish purity rites was replaced with wine that we know will be the bloody substance of the cup of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice of his life; the sacrifice he consciously made rather than deny his true identity in relationship with God.  Water - wine, ordinary man - Son of God. What is common is also extraordinary.  

What if we believed that our ordinary selves are also extraordinary? What if we believed that all people are daughters and sons of God? Might we be compelled to live in imitation of Jesus full of mercy and compassion, willing to give our lives away for the good of others? Might we live without fear, free from the bondage of those who would claim not everyone is welcome to participate fully in the ministry and sacraments of God’s body, the Church?

On Thursday Jan. 14 the Anglican Communion voted to censure its American branch, the Episcopal Church, during a meeting in Canterbury, England. The Anglican Communion’s decision to suspend the Episcopal Church from voting and decision making for three years is a reaction to the Episcopal Church’s twelve years of prayerfully proceeding toward full inclusion of all people, including celebrating the marriage of same-sex couples. 

Which begs the question. Do we believe in (give priority to) human composed doctrine, i.e. the traditional doctrine of the church that upholds marriage as between a man and a woman? Or, do we choose to live fearlessly in imitation of Jesus who reveals Divine presence in and of, with and for all people, without exception? Do we believe we are One Body with many members as Paul writes to the Corinthians?

“Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.” (I Corinthians 12.14-26)

Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry writes, “We are the Episcopal Church, and we are part of the Jesus Movement, and that Movement goes on, and our work goes on. And the truth is, it may be part of our vocation to help the Communion and to help many others to grow in a direction where we can realize and live the love that God has for all of us, and we can one day be a Church and a Communion where all of God’s children are fully welcomed, where this is truly a house of prayer for all people. And maybe it’s a part of our vocation to help that to happen.”* Following Jesus is not about believing doctrine. Following Jesus is about action; action in accord with God’s economy where diversity is blessing and uniformity is condemnation.

*http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/01/15/presiding-bishop-and-primate-speaks-on-actions-at-primates-meeting/

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Gospel text for the Feast of the Epiphany 3 January 2016

Episcopal Church of the Apostles "Change for Change" initiative

led by our families with young children
helps children in Tanzania go to school 

by supporting Julius' "Pigs & Chickens" business.

**

Matthew 2:1-12         In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Reflection       Not all kings are cut from the same cloth. King Herod the Great hears about a child born King of the Jews and he is “frightened.” An unknown number of Wise Kings from the East are “overwhelmed with joy” as they approach the child born kKng of the Jews. The mere thought of this child turns power hungry Herod to scheming infanticide. The sight of this child with his mother Mary humbles the Wise Kings who offer him precious gifts from their treasures. 

One newborn child. Such divergent responses. Whereas King Herod is striving to secure his position and power, the Wise Kings are seeking God. Herod acts on his own, seeking his personal benefit regardless of the cost to others. The Wise Kings act together, offering their treasures for the good of a foreign stranger, the newborn Messiah. 

Which makes me think of Jesus’ description of sheep and goats in the 25th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew. The attitudes and behavior Jesus ascribes to the sheep can be summarized as compassion. “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you … for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” The interesting twist is, Jesus never says, “You are blessed because you gave food to the starving, or welcomed a stranger.” Jesus says, “You are blessed because “I” was hungry and your gave “me” food. You are blessed because “I” was a stranger and you welcomed “me”.” (Matt 25.32-46)

The Wise Kings’ attitude of reverence and generosity puts them in right relationship with God, which naturally brings them close to the child born Messiah, and they are blessed. Likewise when we  adopt the attitude and behaviors that manifest God’s compassion on earth, we are blessed.

When we align our will in the will of God we are inclined to care for the weakest and most vulnerable among us because our heart is transformed in accord with the heart of God. This is what it means to be reconciled or in right relationship with God. We are blessed because we are in right relationship with God, not because we do good works. Good works flow naturally out of our blessed relationship with God, and God in us is manifest. 

** Church of the Apostles’ young families spearhead a small business development ministry in partnership with a young man, Julius, in Tanzania. In gratitude for all that we have been given our children have asked us to put our “Change for Change” into piggy banks when ever we are thankful for something. When our personal piggies are full and fat we bring the change to the big pink pig at church, which when full we send 100% of the money to Julius who buys and raises “Pigs and Chickens” to support his family as well as five other children who otherwise could not go to school. If you would like to contribute please go to http://www.ovapostles.org/online-giving.html and note “Change for Change.” Thank you. 

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Hebrew Testament text for Christmas Eve, 24 December 2015

Christians faced outward and joined hands in a circle to protect a Muslim group of protesters as they prayed in Egypt.**

Isaiah 9:2-7 

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness--

on them light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest, 

as people exult when dividing plunder.

For the yoke of their burden,

and the bar across their shoulders, 

the rod of their oppressor, 

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For all the boots of the tramping warriors

and all the garments rolled in blood 

shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His authority shall grow continually,

and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Reflection  Thursday, December 24th is a doubly feasted day this year. It is the day appointed to celebrate the birth of two venerable men who are responsible for giving rise to two of the worlds great religions. This day is doubly different because without Jesus of Nazareth’s birth there is no Christianity and without the Prophet Muhammad’s birth there is no Islam.

For both Jesus and Muhammad the celebration of their birth is more than commemorating or remembering an historical event that happened two thousand or fifteen hundred years ago, respectively. The celebration of both of their births is also about participating in the divine realization of Emmanuel, God with us. The Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, the words of which were given to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, puts it this way. "And know that among you/within you is the Messenger of God" (49:7) 

Both Christianity and Islam locate God with humanity. This is the gift of the births of Jesus and Muhammad. Both persons are the embodiment of God’s hidden and mysterious Word. And, in both cases, the Word God did not stop with them. The Word, God, is always being reborn in the hearts of believers. As Christians we understand the Spirit of the risen Christ enables us to participate in the eternally living Word, God with us. Which is why at Christmas we not only remember and celebrate the birth of the child Jesus in Bethlehem but we also receive the mysterious gift of new light and life reborn in our hearts.  Muslims, especially Sufis who carry the mystical tradition of Islam, understand Muhammad as the eternally living soul of the faith. Faithful Muslim believers carry the divine spark, the living soul of Muhammad, which is eternally reborn in their hearts. 

Both Muhammad and Jesus are the revelation of God’s embodied Word breathed into creation. Both Muhammad and Jesus bring us the good news of Emmanuel, God with us. That which we are seeking we already are, which means, it is up to us, all of us, to continue to embody the Word, God with us.

But the words of the ancient prophet Isaiah ring all too true today. We are people walking in darkness. Our burden is heavy. Many of our sisters and brothers are oppressed. The boots of warriors are trampling the lands and people are rolling in blood. We have forgotten the mystery of “this holy night.” We have forgotten “the brightness of the true light.” We need desperately to sing a new song, “a new song for all the whole earth.” God is with us. God is with ALL of us. 

The question is, how are we going to sing a new song of God with us to the sixty million people across the globe (that is one in every one hundred and twenty two people in the world today) who have been forced from their homes by violence and are either internally displaced or refugees in a foreign country? How are we going to sing a new song of God with us to the 2.75 million Muslim adults and children* who live in the United States and increasingly are subjected to hate crimes, hateful violence that have tripled since the tragedies in Paris and San Bernadino  fueled by posters spread by the Klu Klux Klan that read, “Help us finish the spread of Islam in our country”?  How are we going to sing a new song of God with us that puts flesh on the bones of our faith and dignifies all people? How are we going to sing a new song of God with us that wraps our Muslim sisters and brothers in the light of Christ and the message of Muhammad that we, God’s people, all of us, are the messengers of God? What message do we want to put into our world? Peace, justice and righteousness or hatred, corruption and fear?

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may be beacons of that light for all of your children, young and old of every race, religion and nation and especially our Muslim sisters and brothers whose prophet Muhammad shares his birthday with our Christ, Jesus, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, always and everywhere. One God. Amen.

**http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1353330/Egypt-protests-Christians-join-hands-protect-Muslims-pray-Cairo-protests.html#ixzz3v0jTnOc1

*http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/07/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/

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