<html><body><div>Part 2</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><font color="#1d2129" face="Arial" size="2"> The poet and scholar, Garth Lean, wrote</font><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>FEAR IS A LIAR, poisoning today with<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>fantasies of what may come tomorrow,<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>till every joy is clouded with a sorrow,<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and dreading all, we leak our lives away.</span></i></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></i></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we have spouse or child, we fear to part,<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>or, longing, fear we wont attain, or,<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>snatching at it, even as we gain, we forfeit<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>the Heaven, the Harmony, the Heart;<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But FEAR IS A LIAR!</span></i></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></i></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>TRUTH IS, God moulds our days in love<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and with the same precision as<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He makes wings for flight, or<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>petals fold within a sheath, or<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>shapes an eye for vision.<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, He makes us yearn for What is Right,<br><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then swift and sudden, hurls us our Delight. <sup>2</sup></span></i></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></i></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Did Jacob fear? More than likely. Do <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>WE</u></b> fear? We all do, to greater or lesser degrees. Somehow, though, we have to learn not to let fear dictate to us. We have to address the fear, to call it out for what it is, an attempt to influence us, to make us think that silence is bad; that darkness is suspicable; that being alone is dangerous.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s why people try to destroy our hearing with a constant barrage of what can often turn out to be nonsense. That’s why people work to find ways to impair our vision and prevent us from seeing things in totality. That’s why sensory deprivation is used as a tool to break someone psychologically. If one person or group works to make another feel isolated soon the will to complete tasks, even the will to live, is drained from us. No matter what we do, sometimes it seems as if we take one step forward and another back. Yet Jacob persisted, like many of us today, no matter how many questions he had, no matter what was making him less than confident.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Scholars have pointed out that this physical journey of Jacob represents the spiritual journey that was being undertaken by our early ancestors.<sup>3</sup> They, four thousand years ago and more, were working out their relationship with God. Abraham had come to the conclusion the God had given him a specific call, and assured him that his life would be blessed by remembrance throughout history. Abraham passed along this hope, this teaching, this love to Isaac who, in as strange a way as it seems that he did, passed it along to Jacob.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We too have inherited from our immediate parents and grandparents. From our church families too we have been drawn into relationship that reinforces the common bond that we all share. From all our relationships, we know that God has promised to be with us, most specifically in Jesus’ words, “I am with you, yes to the end of time.”</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Still, we have to journey, each one of us. We have to work about drawing closer to God. We have to learn to set aside any idea that God is, somehow, pretty aloof and beyond both compassion and interest. Also, we have to remember that nothing is beyond what God can observe. Jacob, in the episode we heard retold this morning, comes to a slightly better awareness that God is present everywhere – and Jacob is terrified. Jacob starts to sense that God sees and knows what’s going on all the time, not just when the four-thousand-year-old cell phone is left open for God to hear human conversations and thoughts. God knows not only Jacob’s needs and necessities before he can formulate them; and God knows <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><u>OUR</u></b> necessities before we ourselves do.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is not to instill fear beyond the sense of being in awe of God’s involvement with us. Brother Curtis Almquist wrote, “</span><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>The limitations of our life are a gift from God. All of us have finite limitations and all of us have real needs, which are going to be satisfied. We either address our needs for balance in a healthy way, or our needs will be redressed in unhealthy ways. Nature abhors a vacuum.” <sup>4 </sup>We are called by all the nudges which God gives us. We are called to understand how far short we fall, how much we brush off God’s assists. AND we’re called to accept how much we don’t need to fear.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, yes, as Erin Kirby put it, “</span><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>There is so much to fear: terrorism, war, the economy, global warming,</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>unemployment, hunger, poverty, disease, and death.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Escaping the message that any and all of these things are eminent is all but impossible. Just drive through any area near a hospital, or even car dealerships and read the billboards demanding your attention be riveted on your obviously poorly selected insurance against disease or accident. Move to another neighborhood and off-base Christian signage warns you of your doom if you don’t have another kind of ‘insurance’…”</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But, like Jacob, we’re called to remember that God’s Presence isn’t selective. “‘</span><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>Do not be afraid.’ This is not whistling in the dark comfort, but rather the reassurance that what is seen is not all there is, a reminder that the fears real, or imagined in this world, do not need to have the last word in defining one’s life. The Gospel weaves a tapestry of claims about God embodied in Jesus and his teaching. Jesus’ teaching entices us to place first things first. The things of God are to be given the most urgent priority in every Christian’s life. Neither fear nor worldly distraction is to lure us away from God’s tender, attentive, care.” <sup>5</sup></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’re called not to fear, nor to succumb to lies, God knows our necessities. All we need do is ask.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>NOTES:</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>[1]</span></span></span></span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Collect for Proper 11 a, B.C.P. page 231</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>2</span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Quoted at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><a href="https://stjamesclergy.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/truth-is-fear-is-a-liar/"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Truth is…fear is a liar.</span></a>”</span></i><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> by </span><span style='margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>The Rev. Dr. Erin Kirby, Associate Rector </span><span style='margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>of </span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><a href="http://www.stjamesp.org/" target="_blank"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none;"><font color="#0000ff">St. James Parish, Wilmington NC</font></span></a>, p</span><span style='margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>osted on</span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> <a title="3:34 pm" href="https://stjamesclergy.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/truth-is-fear-is-a-liar/"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">December 24, 2014</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none;">by <a title="View all posts by stjamesblog" href="https://stjamesclergy.wordpress.com/author/stjamesclergy/"><span style="margin: 0px; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">stjamesblog</span></a> <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(119, 119, 119);"><a href="https://stjamesclergy.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/truth-is-fear-is-a-liar/"><font color="#0000ff">https://stjamesclergy.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/truth-is-fear-is-a-liar/</font></a> </span></span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and via Susan C. Church.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><font size="2"> </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>3</span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>See, for instance, <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>Jacob’s Ladder” </span></i><span style='margin: 0px; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>July 19, 2017 by Tricia Gates Brown </span><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(57, 57, 57); letter-spacing: -0.25pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><a href="https://www.episcopalcafe.com/jacobs-ladder/"><font color="#0000ff">https://www.episcopalcafe.com/jacobs-ladder/</font></a></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><sup><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>4</span></sup><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“Balance”</i> by Brother Curtis Almquist, SSJE, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“Brother, Give us a Word.”</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span></i><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>17<sup>th</sup> July, 2017 </span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><a href="http://ssje.org/word/?p=15249"><font color="#0000ff">http://ssje.org/word/?p=15249</font></a> <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>5</span></span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style='margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>The Rev. Dr. Erin Kirby, Op. cit.</span><span style='margin: 0px; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; border-image: none; color: rgb(119, 119, 119); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> </span><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 13px;"><font face="Calibri"> </font></p></div></body></html>