The Scroll A Periodic newsletter for SAM's Lambs http://www.samslambs.org	*The Rev: A View from Upstairs*
*Why God Will Never Get Tenure at Any University* Only published one book. It was in Hebrew. It had no references. He did not publish it in referenced journals. Some doubt He even wrote it Himself. He is not known for his cooperative work. Sure. He created the world, but what has He done lately? He did not get permission from any review board to work on human subjects. When one of His experiments went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning all the subjects. When sample subjects do not behave as predicted, He deletes the whole sample. He rarely comes to class. He just tells His students to read the Book. It is rumored that He sometimes lets His Son teach the class. Although He only has 10 requirements, His students often fail His tests. He expelled His first two students for learning. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top. (From faculty members at Kansas State University and instructors at Allen County Community College) Internet References: Singles in the Church: Is There Seating For One In The Church?	*From The Rev:* *Mirror, Mirror, On My Wall* by Reverend Lance Robbins Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd A few years ago, during one of my nightly reading times with my daughter, I once again ran across the story of Snow White. Let me remind you of that story and explain why I believe it has a message for us today. Day after day, Snow White's evil stepmother stopped before her magic mirror and asked, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Every morning the mirror concurred that she was the most beautiful in the kingdom. Then one fateful day, the stepmother got a terrible surprise. The mirror replied that Snow White now had become the most beautiful in the land. The evil stepmother had become second best. I don't know about you, but not many of us feel like rushing to the mirror every morning. When I take a good, long look, I'm often not very fond of what I see. And yet, like the evil stepmother, we are almost drawn to mirrors to find out what they will tell us. Perhaps we all have mirrors that speak to us. In his book, Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Ken Hemphill reminds us that most of our mirrors are far from flattering. We hear a thousand judging voices going back to our early years telling us that we are fat, frumpy failures. I suspect that most hear voices saying, "You can't do that. Who would love you? You are not really worthy!" Much of what Jesus said and did during His ministry was to heal. Some of the healings were physical, but often they were spiritual. He healed the interior life, the inner demons that force us to say and do things we would rather not do. We need to to remember that God's hope and God's love for us can polish mirrors so that we see ourselves as God see us. We must break contact with the mirrors that keep repeating those old lies. Healing can occur when we see the beauty that God sees in us. Let's listen to God instead of those lying mirrors. Let us take a moment to realize that in Christ, we are a "new creation." God comes to us to re-silver, polish, and fix up our mirrors. As I write these few lines, I am reminded of the "delete" key on my computer. That's what God's healing does for our lives. It wipes out all the years of distorted and disturbed images of ourselves. The next time you look at your own mirror, I hope you will see the loved, gifted, worthy person you are. Thanks be to God! Faithfully, (The Rev) Lance Robbins, Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Webster NY Tel: 585-872-2281 Good Shepherd church has begun a new Singles Ministry which is open to all single people in the Webster NY area, of any denomination and any single marital status. You can view their progress on their site. Bishop Jack McKelvey of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester NY recently visited Good Shepherd where he delivered an address on "Marks of an Effective Congregation" It looks like Good Shepherd’s congregation and clergy would definitely fall in the Effective Congregation category.

The Scroll
A Periodic newsletter
for SAM's Lambs
http://www.samslambs.org

The Rev: A View from Upstairs

Why God Will Never Get Tenure at Any University

Only published one book.
It was in Hebrew.
It had no references.
He did not publish it in referenced journals.
Some doubt He even wrote it Himself.
He is not known for his cooperative work.
Sure. He created the world, but what has He done lately?
He did not get permission from any review board to work on human subjects.
When one of His experiments went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning all the subjects.
When sample subjects do not behave as predicted, He deletes the whole sample.
He rarely comes to class. He just tells His students to read the Book.
It is rumored that He sometimes lets His Son teach the class.
Although He only has 10 requirements, His students often fail His tests.
He expelled His first two students for learning.
His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.

(From faculty members at Kansas State University and instructors at Allen County Community College)

Internet References:

Singles in the Church: Is There Seating For One In The Church?

From The Rev: Mirror, Mirror, On My Wall

by Reverend Lance Robbins
Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

A few years ago, during one of my nightly reading times with my daughter, I once again ran across the story of Snow White.

Let me remind you of that story and explain why I believe it has a message for us today. Day after day, Snow White's evil stepmother stopped before her magic mirror and asked, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Every morning the mirror concurred that she was the most beautiful in the kingdom.

Then one fateful day, the stepmother got a terrible surprise. The mirror replied that Snow White now had become the most beautiful in the land. The evil stepmother had become second best.

I don't know about you, but not many of us feel like rushing to the mirror every morning. When I take a good, long look, I'm often not very fond of what I see. And yet, like the evil stepmother, we are almost drawn to mirrors to find out what they will tell us.

Perhaps we all have mirrors that speak to us. In his book, Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Ken Hemphill reminds us that most of our mirrors are far from flattering. We hear a thousand judging voices going back to our early years telling us that we are fat, frumpy failures. I suspect that most hear voices saying, "You can't do that. Who would love you? You are not really worthy!"

Much of what Jesus said and did during His ministry was to heal. Some of the healings were physical, but often they were spiritual. He healed the interior life, the inner demons that force us to say and do things we would rather not do. We need to to remember that God's hope and God's love for us can polish mirrors so that we see ourselves as God see us. We must break contact with the mirrors that keep repeating those old lies.

Healing can occur when we see the beauty that God sees in us. Let's listen to God instead of those lying mirrors. Let us take a moment to realize that in Christ, we are a "new creation." God comes to us to re-silver, polish, and fix up our mirrors.

As I write these few lines, I am reminded of the "delete" key on my computer. That's what God's healing does for our lives. It wipes out all the years of distorted and disturbed images of ourselves.

The next time you look at your own mirror, I hope you will see the loved, gifted, worthy person you are. Thanks be to God!

Faithfully,

(The Rev) Lance Robbins,
Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd,
Webster NY Tel: 585-872-2281

Good Shepherd church has begun a new Singles Ministry which is open to all single people in the Webster NY area, of any denomination and any single marital status. You can view their progress on their site.

Bishop Jack McKelvey of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester NY recently visited Good Shepherd where he delivered an address on "Marks of an Effective Congregation" It looks like Good Shepherd’s congregation and clergy would definitely fall in the Effective Congregation category.