Couldn't be prouder...

There are few things more satisfying than witnessing the growing up of a teen where you've had some mentoring role. Preaching at Trinity Cathedral Cleveland on June 14th were Karl Bitikofer and Elizabeth Hauserman, two recent high school graduates. I met them as they began Jr. High, with me in charge of Trinity's youth. How fortunate the Episcopal Church is to have these two bright young adults in their midst!!!

Podcasts of their sermons can be found here. Their text was Mark 4:26-34

Karl sent me his text the day after he preached, and this is what I wrote him:


Wow! It's really a great sermon! I can see the thought process you described all the way though it. On first reading, this is my favorite part:

Part of doubt, is letting go of the things that don’t build faith, letting go of the ground you have already searched. So instead of searching the spot you may have missed or trying desperately trying to move the tangled briars, let go, move on. And eventually this means letting go of fear, letting go of pain, letting go of suffering and letting go of death. Just stop worrying about it, let go; and stop trying to make sense of it, stop fighting. It will be ok. Once you let go, it can all still happen, but it can’t hurt you any longer. So once we let go of the lost land, what is the good soil that is left over. It is simply what helped you let go of everything that was already lost, forgiveness, understanding, compassion, nothing short of unconditional love. Love is all that’s left. Love is the good soil for our seeds of doubt. (Karl Bitikofer)

It has been said that approx. 90% of our human thoughts lie in the past: reliving the "glory moments" (often remembering it as better than it really was), or worse, dwelling on the regrets (if only I had done this, my life would be so much better.) A nod to the past instead of a dwelling in it allows us to grow in the "soil" that we currently find ourselves in, while looking towards a future. The past then becomes "fertilizer" for the good soil left over...fertilized by love!

Really well done! I'm really proud of you and Elizabeth. I can't wait to hear the podcasts.

Kurt