Today, (the Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time) in the Gospel of Mark, we hear the story of the blind man Bartimaeus.  He calls out to Jesus to have pity on him; and names Jesus as the Son of David. Bartimeus could “see” who Jesus was—in spite of his being sightless. This “seeing” had little to do with physical eyesight—this was about perception and understanding. It is the sort of seeing we mean by the word “insight.” The idea is that we must “see” the world with eyes of faith. Others tell him to stop calling; Jesus tells them to call Bartimaeus to Himself. They call him saying, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” When the Lord asks him what he would like, he replies, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus then tells him to go his way that his faith has saved him. Bartimaeus received his sight, and he “followed him on the way.”

​The story of Bartimaeus is a paradigm, an archetype for the faith story for many of us. We all need courage in order to go to Jesus; he is calling all of us. Our old life has to die for the new life in Him. It takes courage to change. We all know how difficult it is to change, but “Take courage…Jesus is calling you.”

We all understand that blindness may be a metaphor for a lack of wisdom, understanding and/or faith. In faith we know that all we need to do is ask, “Master, I want to see.” We all yearn for the grace that faith brings! In answering the call of Jesus, we must also follow him on the way. It takes courage to really see the things near and far that affect us or others or outcomes and circumstances. It takes courage to face an uncomfortable reality, but this is what we are called to: seeing with eyes of faith and acting as Jesus would.

Pray for and give thanks to God for the grace of eyes of faith, and for the opportunity to be together in worship and praise. We are all in some ways like Bartimaeus, in that our faith has saved us, too.

Keep singing!

Elizabeth Dyc

Just a Note: Thank you all for the cards and well wishes and prayers for my continued recovery and return. I feel your support as I go through this process. Please know that the St. Aidan Community is always in my prayers!

Nations like ours are set up so that, typically, we get the leaders we deserve. Elections reflect the cultural realities of a particular time and place. Biblically, we know that God is sovereign over leaders and nations (cf. Isaiah 40:17; Jeremiah 10:6-7; Acts 17:24-31).

​In light of these two things, my prayer this election is that God is merciful, and that He will not give us what we deserve. Like the prophet Nehemiah (cf. 1:6-11) and the other prophets of the Old Testament, let us pray for our nation with a posture of repentance.

This weekend, I share with you this kind of prayer from historian and author Dr. Glenn Sunshine. What follow is an excerpt of that prayer.

David J. Conrad

Lord, these are dark and dangerous times for our country. Our politics is full of hate, and it’s spilling over in how we think of and treat each other. And like any nation, we have guilt for the evil that we have done and permitted.

We hate and malign our political opponents, forgetting that they too are made in your image and forgetting Jesus’ teaching that to hold another in contempt is the equivalent of murder, an attack on the image of God and thus on God himself.

May we as your people resist the temptation to hate, to insult, to lash out. May we love our enemies and pray for those who insult or persecute us. May we be peacemakers.

May our allegiance be first and foremost to your Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. May we live by Jesus’ teachings and the values of the Kingdom as agents of reconciliation and [peace] in a world that desperately needs them. May your priorities be our priorities over party, tribe, or faction. May we seek first your Kingdom and your righteousness, working for your justice in the world but especially for your rule over all areas of life. May we be disciple-makers in accordance with your final command to us.

May we live by the law of love - not the kind of sentimental love our culture promotes - but love that seeks the ultimate good of all persons, not their temporary satisfaction. May we love people enough to speak the truth with compassion and gentleness. May we care more about their wellbeing here and in eternity than about what they think of us.

Politically, the issues we are facing are many and complicated, and no party stands for your Kingdom in all areas. May we affirm and support what is good: the right to life, liberty of conscience, our fundamental freedoms, equal justice under law, government that carries out its responsibilities before you but stays out of things beyond its legitimate authority. May we oppose what is evil: [abortion,] infanticide, abuse of all sorts, injustice, and dehumanizing rhetoric from all sides. And above all, may we put our hope in you, not in the election or defeat of candidates or parties.

We pray against the demonic forces driving these and other evils in our society and the increasingly overt embrace of the occult among cultural elites.

Lord, you and you alone determine the rise and fall of nations. Only your Kingdom lasts forever. If this is the time when we will see the decline of our nation, keep us from despair, remembering that our citizenship is in Heaven from which we await our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Your promises remain unchanged, and whatever happens, we know you are true. Our hope is in you, not in politicians, parties, laws, or constitutions. We commit our nation into your hands, and by your grace we will live in faith, hope, and love, whatever happens.

We ask all this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.