I have long since been reassured by you over these last two years, but when we all began talking about my return, and you seemed willing, even pleased, to offer that, I worried that it wasn't true, and that upon your more reflection, after some thought, you would not want that, not now -- maybe the way I once was, not the way I am now -- I was thinking, and fretting, saying to myself - it's so hard to believe, it seems too good to be true. And yet, all has worked out. But I have known wonderful marriages that did not work out, that ended because the husband or wife or partner could not believe, simply could not believe the truth, that their spouse loved them and was faithful to them. We say we love good news, but we are often more willing to accept bad news than the really, really, really, good news. Sadly it is true that we often say Its too good to be true. We may very well have that problem with the Collect of the Day for today. We may just not believe the good news we are hearing as our Mass begins. Remember when the disciples first saw the risen Lord? The Bible says: " They disbelieved for joy." They did not disbelieve because they were bad or faithless or mean-minded, they disbelieved for joy. We may do that today. Disbelieve, at least a little, because of the joy we would feel if we just accepted the truth in that brief prayer with which we began our worship, the Collect of the Day. All you have to do, to be a Christian, a good, faithful, devout, exemplary, wonderful, grand Christian is: Love God and Love your neighbor. Oh it can't be that easy! Our beloved Church thinks so, thinks that it is that simple, and says so in the Mass today. Flat out, as clear as can be. Here is what is involved, this and this only: love God and love your neighbor. And that's it. It really is. That is all that it takes to live a good, full, sincere, righteous Christian life -- yes, it is that simple, and perhaps, no, we can't believe it -- like the disciples at the Resurrection who "disbelieved for joy." While it is not the Bible, it is the Prayer Book (which of course many old-time Episcopalians rank about the same), and in that, the Church prays with one purpose only, to let us draw near to God and him to us, to hear our Lord tell us the truth, as we worship him, in spirit and in truth. The Collect begins our happy morning, with this precious reminder of the sublime and secure truth of our faith and belief. That prayer starts us off on the path of utter reassurance, in his Name, by announcing good news in an undeniable, indeed unquestionable way. "O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Keep all God's commandments? I couldn't begin! I wouldn't know how. Not a clue. God himself has taught us that that can be done, will be done, must be done, simply by loving him and our neighbor. The Collect does hurry on to pray for Grace that we might do that, that we might dare to attempt that, but it makes clear that while the doing may be tough, knowing what to do, what is involved, what God expects, is not tough, obscure, or so complicated we could never begin to imagine what it might be. "O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor:" Yes the doing is harder -- and next week's Gospel, the Good Samaritan, is our Lord's answer to a human trying to find a loop-hole in all this simplicity, trying to complicate the doing of it all beyond hope, when a man comes forward to him and says, "Yes but who is my neighbor?" He knows, we know. It's simple. Love your neighbor. No real room there left for an "Ah now but wait a minute" question. Often, when someone dressed like me offers to make it all simple, give out a faith and Christianity that is very, very simple, I suggest you run, head for the hills. What is coming is a grotesque, unforgivable simplification, a caricature of the full faith designed to preserve to preacher's own prejudices. But I am not saying this, and some loud-mouthed buffoon is not saying this (I hope you realize I am speaking of two different people at the moment). This is, yeah, the Church, in the Prayer Book, the Church at its best, speaking directly to the Church's God and ours. When the Prayer Book in its most devout prayers, says something is simple, plain, direct, straightforward, come down from the hills, draw near, listen up. This you can trust, this voice you can believe. And the Church is saying, clearly, simply, wonderfully that it is simple. How on earth how in your lives can you keep all, yeah, yeah, all the commandments of God? By loving him, and loving your neighbor. And don't forget, as the Collect reminds us, don't forget or neglect to pray for Grace to do this simple thing. Otherwise, not so simple in the doing as it is in the hearing and in the understanding. I find in that an incredible, unbearable, burden lifted. An enormous challenge before me, I know, and of course I need Grace to work on this, but what a burden, what a hopeless burden, is gone. Yes, I do know what I need to do to be faithful, to believe, to live as a Christian. That is more than Good News, that is about the best news I've ever heard. And who would have thought it would be lodged in the Collect for a hot summer morning? Aren't you glad you came to church? Today? I am!