Musings on the Bluff

A few books worth reading.....

2009-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Books I have read in the last several months:

The Church Of The Holy Spirit, Nicholas Afanasiev
The Spirit Of Early Christian Thought, Robert Wilkens
Divine Light: The Theology of Denis the Areopagite, William Riordan
The Mountain Of Silence: The Search for Orthodox Spirituality, Kyriacos C. Markides
Understanding Faith: An Exploration of Christian Theology, C.W. McPherson
The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, Caroline Alexander
Ruth, Elizabeth C. Gaskell (novel)
Wives And Daughters, Elizabeth C. Gaskell (novel)
The Cranford Chronicles, Elizabeth C. Gaskell (novel)
In This House Of Brede, Rumer Godden (novel)
Black Narcissus, Rumer Godden (novel)
Take Three Tenses, Rumer Godden (novel)
The River, Rumer Godden (novel)

On Becoming Human.....

2009-12-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Freedom lies in discovering that the truth is not a set of fixed certitudes but a mystery we enter into, one step at a time. It is a process of going deeper and deeper into an unfathomable reality. Jean Vanier, in Becoming Human

For me, Scripture and the Creed are the ultimate Christian expression of this principle. Neither provides nor intends to supply certainty in the conventional sense of the term. Both are invitations to enter into the ‘unfathomable’ reality of God in Jesus Christ. “Word made flesh”, “eternally begotten”, “of one Being with the Father”, “became incarnate”, “seated at the right hand” find their power not as attempts at literal descriptions but as literal truths (and there is a difference). Such words are not definitions but biddings, opening to us a Reality that is God’s, and not of our own making. The ultimate challenge with which Scripture and the Creed confronts us is this: will we insist the story be according to my sense of propriety, or will I willingly, eagerly, joyfully become part of God’s story?

The Genesse Diary

2009-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

About 35 years ago I read The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen, a journal of the six months he spent in a Trappist Monastery. It remains my favorite Nouwen book, one which I have re-read several times, and am due to read again.

Nouwen writes: This is the great adventure of the monk: to really believe that God loves you, to really give yourself to God in trust, even while you are aware of your sinfulness, weaknesses, and miseries.

Of course, this is the great adventure for us all (as Nouwen points out in the book).

It is a wondrous thing, and not what we could ever expect. God’s mercy is infinite beyond our imaginings. It is not sin which keeps one from God but the desire to keep sins to oneself. As we surrender our sin, and our strange and hopeless attempts to bluff our way to God, our Lord may finally begin to truly work in us and on us.

Music in my soul....

2009-11-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

I am envious of musicians. Always have been. As with technology of almost every description, I am a musical nincompoop: can’t sing (dogs howl), don’t have the wherewithal to play an instrument (fumble fingers), have trouble clapping to the beat (I’m the guy half a clap behind). My brother plays guitar, writes songs and plays/sings in a church band. My sweet wife plays guitar and sings like an angel. I’ve known organists that can make me weep for joy at the sounds coming out of the pipes. I love music, yet cannot participate in anything like a satisfying way. Sometimes I think that I would gladly trade whatever gifts I have, and half of what I possess, to have the gift of music. Wouldn’t that, and being taller, be great?

I am so thankful for musicians – for our own: Pam, the choir, our youth music ministry, the Screaming Hamsters, and everyone who sings at St. Thomas. It is such a joy when arriving in the front at the Procession to hear all the lovely voices singing. I am grateful to Pam for the hours she dedicates to practicing, preparing, playing and conducting our adult and youth choirs. The Screaming Hamsters bring such joy to my worship. Thanks be to God for the immeasurable gift of music.

Low Expectations

2009-11-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

When I read the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament I cannot help but contrast the explosion of the earliest Church with the assumptions most of us have regarding the Church in our day. The contrast isn’t so much about buildings to maintain, salaries to provide for, programs to fund and worship to perform. The contrast is one of expectations. Despite an extremely hostile social environment, political discrimination , religious persecution and internal squabbles, the earliest Christians expected God to do great things in them, for them and through them.

The crucial deciding factor in the character of most parishes involves expectations. If we expect little from God, God will most often oblige us.

Chasing daylight.....The Simplicity of Prayer

2009-11-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

"The practice of the Jesus Prayer is simple. Stand before the Lord with the attention in the heart, and call to Him: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!' The essential part of this is not in the words, but in faith, contrition, and self-surrender to the Lord. With these feelings one can stand before the Lord even without any words, and it will still be prayer."
(Theophan the Recluse)

Wonder if silence might actually be the deepest prayer there is - no words to limit the Holy Spirit?

Based on one of St. Paul's epistles, it has been stated by other theologians that prayer does not originate in us, but in the Holy Spirit praying through us. Stands to reason that perhaps the quicker we can extinguish all the words and move to silence, the quicker we are able to relinquish or surrender ourselves most fully to the work of the Holy Spirit!

And when we pray that God would make us "instruments of the faith", that ability is most clearly developed in and through us by God's preparation of us in the practice of prayer. Makes me wonder what we might actually be able to accomplish in Christ's Name if we took prayer seriously as the truest "Work of God".

Chasing daylight.....

2009-11-07T09:22:00.002-05:00

The Jesus Prayer.....
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.' (Matt. 6: 6)

The closet of the soul is the body, the doors are the five bodily senses. The soul enters its closet when the mind does not wander hither and thither over worldly things, but remains within our heart. Our senses are closed and remain so, when we do not allow them to cling to outward and visible things; and in this way our mind remains free from all worldly attachments...." (attributed to St. Gregory Palamas -
"The Art of Prayer, an Orthodox Anthology")

What a lovely way to think of our bodies during prayer - as a "closet". And thinking of "closing the doors of our closet" by shutting down our five senses as a means of moving into a state of prayer is intriguing. Contemplative prayer appeals to me for many reasons, not the least of which is when I have been able to sit in that peaceful place for 20 or 30 minutes, when re-awakened to my surroundings, I feel as though I have slept for a good 10 hours of deep rest.

The Jesus Prayer goes like this: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me." There are variations on this particular prayer - but basically it is one way we may choose to usher in a deeper place of prayer. When one feels the mind wandering, it helps to repeat the mantra of the Jesus Prayer enough times so that one is drawn back to the center of prayer.

Twenty minutes or so of this may be difficult at first, but practice makes it more easily accessible on most days. And remember, practice does NOT make perfect. Perfect makes perfect and we are not possessed of such perfection so do not be discouraged if distractions occur - they are to be expected. And God honors our faithfulness in un-expected ways!

Chasing daylight.....

2009-11-06T09:09:00.003-05:00

"Some roll like glaciers, slowly and ponderously, deeper and deeper into themselves as the years go by, becoming more and more taut, more and more quiet about life. They live it. They go on. But, far too often, they simply fail to thrive. They get to the point where they are simply living it out. Then, however much they go on breathing, they have stopped living. And they know it."
(Joan Chittister, "Welcome to the Wisdom of the World")

I have often wondered what causes people to go sour on life and others to soar above the hurts and disappointments. The difference might be that some are defeated by the disruptions which cause emotional or physical pain, and others view these same challenges as tools which serve to make them stronger.

The way we interpret an event in our life or even the comments of another will shape our response. We can choose. We are not simply victims of the world whirling around us. Even those times which are clearly negative and harmful to our sense of well-being, can be internalized as learning opportunities.

I have a dear friend who, whenever told something great about herself, immediately deflects the compliment and finds some darker thing to say about her lack of abilities. Makes me wonder about why we do this, and it's not that uncommon. I've been really listening for this stuff lately and it is amazing how often we displace positive and supportive remarks into some deep, dark hole and covered over with our own need for either false humility or frankly self-deprecating thinking.

How often do you discard the positive affirmation for something you've done? Are you throwing away this precious "emotional tender" because of some wish inside to fulfill an old tape which tells you that you are "less than"?

Perhaps you "should" practice saying "Thank You!" and intentionally receive the good will and be grateful for it. Who knows, maybe over time you will come to believe the better things about yourself that others already seem to know! Humility is the realization that we are not less or more valuable than others in this life. We all have our individual gifts and abilities, as well as our weaknesses.

I suggest we all come to terms with our weaknesses and seek ways to overcome and perhaps even transform them. Further, isn't it about time you came to understand what your gifts are and celebrate and share them? I think so.

Chasing daylight.....

2009-11-04T10:24:00.000-05:00

From "In Search of Belief", written by Sr. Joan Chittister

"What has for long years been considered “dissent” in the churches by those who want more answers than questions, more clerical authority than spiritual investment may not be real dissent at all.

People are not challenging Christianity and leaving the Church. They are not arguing against the need for a spiritual life. They are not denying God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. They are not ridiculing religion and going away. On the contrary.

People currently considered “excommunicated” or “suspect” or “heretical” or “smorgasbord” believers are, in many ways, among the most intense Christians of our time. They do more than sing in the choir or raise money for the parish center or fix flowers for the church. They care about it and call it to be its truest self. They question it, not to undermine it, but to strengthen it. They call for new ways of being church together. They do not dismiss the need for the spiritual life. They crave it. What’s more, they look for it in their churches. But they crave more than ritual. They crave meaning. They look for more than salvation. They look for authenticity and the integrity of the faith."

In reading these last few sentences, I interpret Sister Joan's words to mean that many crave salvation AND meaning, authenticity and integrity of faith found in our church family - and church families all around our world. Salvation is one of those words which carry great weight among us Christians - the ultimate goal of life in Jesus Christ. Having said that, I do believe in our being saved by God each and every day, we are also called to authenticity and integrity - in our personal lives
- in our work and in our church community.

As I see it.....

2009-11-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

Is there room for mystery in a pre-packaged world?

The Church, no less than any institution in which human beings are involved, is in part a product of its environment. We live in a society in which we expect to receive what we are looking for, in an easily digestible form, involving a minimum of effort. As an example, when we go to Micky-D’s we want our hamburger, not a dissertation on the challenges facing the fast food industry. We are so enculturated to the pre-packaged, instantly accessible that one can not perceive when it spills over into our relationship with God and the Church.

By definition, mystery cannot be pre-packaged, especially God’s mystery.

Chasing daylight.....

2009-11-02T08:13:00.000-05:00

It's not cheap to kill people.

The following excerpts are from a news article published in The Hartford Courant,
(October 27, 2009) written by Susan Campbell.

"In the long, heated debate about capital punishment, we go round and round about justice or revenge, as if the two ideas operate independently of one another. We talk about about innocent people being sent to death, and the racial disparity among death row inmates. We talk about crimes so heinous they cry out for the ultimate punishment. But what if we talked about cost? Last week, the Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center released a report that charts the cost - in dollars - of capital punishment.....

By some estimates, the country has spent $2.5 billion (yes THAT'S BILLION) since the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976. That's the conservative figure......

Last year, a California justice commission said the cash-strapped state (which has the most death row inmates in the country) was paying $137 million a year to maintain the death penalty; by comparison, the state would have spent $11.5 million a year if those same inmates were sentenced to life without parole.....

In a survey, police chiefs from around the country placed increased use of capital punishment last on a list of deterrents. Only about a quarter of the chiefs surveyed said murderers consider their possible punishment before they act. Fifty-seven percent said capital punishment does little to prevent violent crimes.....'They are not afraid to say what a lot of politicians won't say, that the death penalty isn't working', said Richard C. Dieter, executive director of the D.C. center....."

I would like to add my question here as I wonder how many innocent men and women have been executed by the state - wrongly arrested, convicted and killed?

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

"See, the home of God is among mortals, he will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.
And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new."
(Revelation 21: 3-5)

These powerful words of Scripture propel me to my knees in a visceral response to the astonishing meaning inherent in them. They provoke emotions too profound to define and are so deeply symbolic that mere human words to describe them do not suffice. They are holy and life-giving in their graceful expression of God's deep love for us. Although words, in and of themselves, may not be sacred - the feelings they engender create holiness around us.

To consider that God loves us so much that God would reach down and snatch us from the death of our sin and shame and make all things new, is hallowed territory for us humans! To know that we are so loved that even death cannot stand between us and God's redeeming power to save us, gives hope to all creation. Our responses may be as varied as there are souls. Our individual response may run the continuum from holy gratitude to base indifference.

Thanksgiving, praise, worship and honor are yours by right, O Lamb which was slain, for by your blood you have redeemed us!

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-30T11:15:00.000-04:00

Behold, God is my helper;
it is the Lord who sustains my life.
I will offer you a freewill sacrifice
and praise your Name, O Lord, for it is good." (Psalm 54, v4, 6)

Today's Psalm from the BCP Morning Prayer service reminds me once again that God wants to be the center of my particular universe. It is my belief that God is, in fact, the center of all of creation. Now I know that may be a challenge for some....but it's what I believe and I'm sticking to it! I could tell you some of the hair-raising events of my life where God has protected and redeemed , but that's another story.

One of the ways I choose to make my "freewill sacrifice" is to give back a portion of my financial gifts to my church community for the ministry of God. My husband, Richard, and I spent a number of years working toward the Biblical standard of giving ten percent of our earnings to our church. These past five years at St. Thomas Episcopal we have experienced great joy in tithing ten percent of our income. Our parish secretary has graciously agreed to withhold ten percent directly from my salary each pay period so that my gift comes "off the top", before taxes. I've never missed it and we've never been in need of any material possession which God has not provided.

Like nearly every other family in America, there are things which we might "want", but cannot afford, such as vacations, bigger houses, new cars or gifts for our children. But these things are simply unimportant and insignificant compared to the truly important needs of so many in our society and around our world. There are elderly or children who cannot afford medical care, others who cannot afford the basics of life such as food, clothing, water or housing. There are those who are ill, alone or destitute and God calls us to care for them out of the great resources WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. It is an honor to serve God by serving God's people at St. Thomas and a privilege to give back a small portion of the resources we have been given so that we may continue to share with those whose needs Jesus has asked us to meet.

I challenge the reader to take that step of faith and give back ten percent of your income to your particular church home. As the psalmist writes in Psalm 40, v3: "God put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord."

God yearns for us to trust him and promises to fill our life with joy and praise, even in the tough times.

As I see it.....

2009-10-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve sometimes wondered why there are relatively few priests in the calendar of saints. One can find a goodly number of bishops, a few deacons, several monks and nuns, a large handful of laypeople, a smattering of monarchs, and even a seminarian. Yet proportionately there are not a lot of priests. Even some of the priests aren’t remembered because of their priesthood: William Tyndale (feast day, October 6) was among the first to translate the New Testament into English, thereby incurring the considerable wrath of the pre-Reformation Henry VIII; William Porcher DuBose (August 18) and Charles Simeon (November 12) are remembered as theologians; James De Koven (March 22) and James Lloyd Breck (April 2) were both missionaries in the upper Middle West and co-founded Nashotah House Seminary. All of these characters, and a few more, are commemorated in our saints’ calendar but not primarily because they were priests.

Perhaps the lack of priests in the calendar is because we are too well known. Being a bishop or theologian, a religious or a king separates one from most laypeople. Priests come into contact with the laity constantly and continually. We get to know people fairly well, and they come to know us quite well. Our defects become painfully known; our failures are public knowledge; our faults are openly discussed, sometimes in one’s presence. This is to say, we are too familiar to be considered saints, as examples worthy of consideration.

I should give thanks for this, and remember it. I need be no one’s “saint”, except in the eyes of God.

As I see it.....

2009-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Some years ago I read a translation of the Revelations of Julian of Norwich, by Fr. John-Julian, OJN. It is a lovely book, full of wisdom with a multitude of thought-provoking passages. One of the little phrases that struck me most, and that is virtually a refrain in Julian’s writing is …as I see it. She will write something truly extraordinary, and add …as I see it.

I need to remember these four words. Julian is not assuming that theological truth, or the experience of God, is simply subjective – your god for you, my god for me. It strikes me in reading Julian of Norwich that God is personal, coming to her as is best for her, to me according to my needs (as decided by God), and to you as is most favorable for your transformation. The Truth of God is eternal and unchangeable, yet revealed as is most ‘behoovely’ for each one (to borrow one of Julian’s intriguing phrases). Such an assumption may lead to true humility, as I see it.

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-25T12:00:00.001-04:00

Today's Gospel reading from Mark tells of a man, Bartimaeus, who in his blindness sat beside the road near Jericho, begging others to help him.

He recognized in Jesus the power to offer mercy and healing and cried out to him for the same. "Have mercy on me!" he begged of Jesus.

And the miracle was given freely and powerfully. Jesus gave Bartimaeus the gift of sight and in grateful response Bartimaeus follwed Jesus along the way.

When was the last time you asked Jesus to take away your blindness or your anger or your bitterness or your unforgiveness? When was the last time Jesus brought you from darkness into light? And when he did, how did you show your gratitude?

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

One more thought on the words of St. Gregory of Nazianzus: God is Light, the Most High, the Unapproachable. God cannot be conceived in the mind or spoken by the lips. God is the Life-giver for every rational creature. God is to the world of the spiritual intellect what the sun is to the sensory, material world. And God will manifest divinity in our minds to the degree that we are purified.

I conclude from these words that purification propels us deeper into an experience of God. Therefore, the spiritual life is not so much about effort but surrender. Certainly there are things to be done on the path of purification: we are to say our prayers, study Scripture, read theologically important books, joyfully involve ourselves in a faith community, give of our time, talents and treasure. Yet for me, purification implies something more. Rather awkwardly, what comes to my mind is the offering of that which is ‘out of whack’ or ‘bent’ (thank you, CS Lewis) so that it may be ‘put right’ (thanks, N.T. Wright). Purification is about our character, our heart, the core of one’s being. Actions flow out of our inner being; action also affects our inner being – over time. Hence the crucial importance of what we do. Yet obviously, we are not made pure simply by frantic pure actions. The actions that lead to purification are:
1) oblation: we offer ‘our selves, our souls, and bodies’ to God in a yearning attitude for change
2) silence: we quiet our mind, lips and body as we await God’s working in us
3) patience: we rely not only on God’s action but on God’s timetable
4) receptivity: we are ‘teach-able’
5) practice: we accept that we do not become holy all at once (as a 20th Century nun wrote), yet we keep on the pathway to purification, accepting our faults and failures as part of our path.

Fr. Richard

The Feast Day of St. James of Jerusalem (October 23)

2009-10-23T11:59:00.001-04:00

According to Hegesippus, the scribes and Pharisees came to James for help in putting down Christian beliefs. The record says:

They came, therefore, in a body to James, and said: "We entreat thee, restrain the people: for they are gone astray in their opinions about Jesus, as if he were the Christ. We entreat thee to persuade all who have come hither for the day of the passover, concerning Jesus. For we all listen to thy persuasion; since we, as well as all the people, bear thee testimony that thou art just, and showest partiality to none. Do thou, therefore, persuade the people not to entertain erroneous opinions concerning Jesus: for all the people, and we also, listen to thy persuasion. Take thy stand, then, upon the summit of the temple, that from that elevated spot thou mayest be clearly seen, and thy words may be plainly audible to all the people. For, in order to attend the passover, all the tribes have congregated hither, and some of the Gentiles also.[15]
To the scribes' and Pharisees' dismay, James boldly testified that Christ "Himself sitteth in heaven, at the right hand of the Great Power, and shall come on the clouds of heaven." The scribes and pharisees then said to themselves, "We have not done well in procuring this testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and throw him down, that they may be afraid, and not believe him.

Accordingly, the scribes and Pharisees

…threw down the just man… [and] began to stone him: for he was not killed by the fall; but he turned, and kneeled down, and said: "I beseech Thee, Lord God our Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And, while they were thus stoning him to death, one of the priests, the sons of Rechab, the son of Rechabim, to whom testimony is borne by Jeremiah the prophet, began to cry aloud, saying: "Cease, what do ye? The just man is praying for us." But one among them, one of the fullers, took the staff with which he was accustomed to wring out the garments he dyed, and hurled it at the head of the just man.

And so he suffered martyrdom; and they buried him on the spot, and the pillar erected to his memory still remains, close by the temple. This man was a true witness to both Jews and Greeks that Jesus is the Christ.

—Fragments from the Acts of the Church; Concerning the Martyrdom of James, the Brother of the Lord, from Book 5.[15]

Aha! Confession: Good for the soul and the Body

2009-10-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

In our Episcopal and Anglican Prayer Books, the prayer of confession is said by the congregation during each worship service. The pronouns are plural, "We confess we have sinned...we have not loved you...we have not loved our neighbors...we are truly sorry...we humbly repent..." That can appear to be a cop out, that I don't have to think about what I, myself, have done. I simply mouth the words and receive God's mercy. But the truth is that when I sin the entire Body of Christ is infected, there's nothing personal about it. So perhaps in this corporate prayer, my brothers and sisters are asking God to be merciful to ME and I am doing the same for them. The infected Body is healed through forgiveness, mercy and love, so we may delight in God's will and walk in God's ways to the glory of God's Name.

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Last time I shared some thoughts on the following quote from St. Gregory of Nazianzus: God is Light, the Most High, the Unapproachable. God cannot be conceived in the mind or spoken by the lips. God is the Life-giver for every rational creature. God is to the world of the spiritual intellect what the sun is to the sensory, material world. And God will manifest divinity in our minds to the degree that we are purified.

How can we understand the first part of the passage? If God is unapproachable, inconceivable and beyond speech how can we be in relationship with such a being? The answer, in both the Old and New Testaments, is astonishing simple: only through God himself. Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life, and then drives home the point by adding, No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). This is sometimes used as a proof text for the exclusivity of Jesus as Savior. This is an important subject, but not one on which I will comment today. I think the point is that the pathway to God is God himself. We cannot, as it were, stand outside of God pondering whether the Divine Being is worthy of our faith. To attempt such a thing is to pretend we are, at least, equal to God. If God is the Creator and Source of all things, we cannot approach God apart from God.

Fr. Richard

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

St. Gregory of Nazianzus wrote: God is Light, the Most High, the Unapproachable. God cannot be conceived in the mind or spoken by the lips. God is the Life-giver for every rational creature. God is to the world of the spiritual intellect what the sun is to the sensory, material world. And God will manifest divinity in our minds to the degree that we are purified.

There is a tendency in the West to assume that the primary pathway to a deeper knowing of God involves action: moral action and its close cousin charitable action. Both are essentially important in the development and practice of Christian character. Yet St. Gregory reminds us that there is something deeper: purification, which of necessity points us into the arena of thoughts, memories, motives and intention – “the heart.” In a sense it is not enough to do the right thing (again, undoubtedly important), but to become the ‘right thing’, or more precisely, the ‘right person.’ This is the work of God in us: not what we do but what God does in us, to us, through us.

Fr. Richard

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-20T11:23:00.000-04:00

The Psalms appointed for Evening Prayer tonight are 36 & 39.
The following is verse 6 - Psalm 36:

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord."

Ok, so here's my question: does this last sentence proclaim the salvation of the souls of animals as well as humans? And further, if we believe animals do not possess souls, why do we bless them on St. Francis day?

Just wondering....

Stained Glass

2009-10-20T05:00:00.002-04:00

Here's one of the stained glass windows designed by our recently departed sister, Jane Lyons. It's one of the three - all by Jane - that we have in our church.

Tell us what it says to you.

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

I've developed a real appreciation for "smart". I don't mean just your average intelligence - I mean the kind of in-depth intelligence that gets the bad guys arrested by NCIS agents. Folks with deep intuition and problem solving skills that far out-smart most of us, well, I find those particular gifts very attractive.

Now I'm pretty intelligent. I see the deeper significance of some things. Although I'm not one of those "smart" people, I'm smart enough to appreciate them. My husband is one of the smart ones. He understands convoluted and complex issues and can break them down so that he can then preach about them in ways and words that help the rest of us "get it".

Maybe that's why initially I was so drawn to him. And then there's his wicked humor. Damn, he's funny. He made me laugh way before he dazzled me with his brilliance. As an introvert, he held back on me. He never bragged or showed off his stuff. I didn't know how really smart he was until I saw his "for real" reading material. I love to read - it's where I got my smarts. But I swear, I could sit for hours listening to what he knows. But that doesn't happen often, because I may have mentioned, he's a total introvert.

So....I rely on his offerings of the funny because sometimes he loves to let his wit loose and play. And when he is feeling particularly articulate about his beliefs about God and all the cool stuff he remembers from his readings and has integrated into his own spirituality- I listen because he is full of daylight.....

To follow Christ we must imitate Christ

2009-10-18T13:58:00.004-04:00

Today, Fr. Richard preached on the Gospel passage from Mark (10:35-45) and the reading from Hebrews (5:1-10). His sermon, as usual, is rich in practical advice and instruction as to how to live as Christians.

Counter Cultural?

2009-10-17T11:27:00.002-04:00

Jesus said, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:35-45) - From tomorrow's reading.

The phrase that jumps out at me is "But it is not so among you..." Wow! Can that truly be said about Christ's followers today, about me?

Chasing Daylight....

2009-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

I heard this phrase recently: "chasing daylight", and it struck a chord deep within. Aren't most of us seeking just that - some sort of light allowing us to find our way on the complicated and winding roads of life.

"The spiritual path is always a long one, often an obscure one. It is not so much a way as it is a direction. Like a lodestone, it magnetizes us, draws us beyond our self-centered selves to our deepest selves, our highest selves, our searching selves....Each of us goes our own personal way. Only the direction, the down-deep yearning to touch the stars beyond us and the ocean within us, is common to us all." (Sr. Joan Chittister, "Welcome to the Wisdom of the World")

The spiritual "play" between darkness and light seems a constant source of query which begs the question which is easier to navigate and which the more dangerous. It depends, I'm thinking, on the level or depth of our trust in God's goodness intervening in our lives at any particular moment. Trust implies a lack of knowledge or certainty. Trust in the face of uncertainty or fear is a powerful thing.

Right now I seem to be thinking a good bit about the Light of Christ and how the "light" is so much easier to recognize and to which I chase after....yet, the writer of today's Psalm 18 speaks of a much darker God. God is the one with a storm cloud under his feet, wrapped in darkness, thundering out of heaven, hurling thunderbolts and reaching down and grasping what belongs to God - us, in our brokenness and shame and weakness. Wow, now there's an image I want to hold onto!

Chasing daylight.....

2009-10-16T11:23:00.001-04:00

Psalm 16: "I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me."

David so deeply depended on the Lord for strength and joy that he sensed that God was right beside him. Further, David knew that not even death could separate him from the Lord.

On good days, it is easier to be right there where David was - experiencing the joy of knowing God's presence. On more difficult days, with the kind of challenges designed to separate us from God, it is even more important to hang on to God's strength to hold us firmly.

Tough times are sure to come, regardless of the peace of today. Pray for God to reveal the way of true life - granting us knowledge of his presence in this world and the assurance of his redeeming salvation, even in the face of death.

You are not alone, the Lord is right beside you.

Seeing into the Distance

2009-10-16T05:00:00.001-04:00

What do you think?

2009-10-15T09:00:00.006-04:00

Last night in an interview with Charlie Rose, Catherine Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard, said that today there's a lot of information available to us but that's not the same as knowledge or wisdom. Juxtaposed to my recent experience at the Social Media conference, I find that worth thinking about. What do you think? Are we losing out with all the sound bites and minutia that's out there on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook?

The Future is Now

2009-10-14T15:28:00.004-04:00

I've just returned from a Ministry2.0 conference on Social Media. Wow! The organizers (and they were brilliantly organized I must say) packed a lot into two days. My head is swimming with ideas and know-hows and go-tos. Hopefully they'll all still be there next week. One thing that Deacon Geri and I want to do is make this blog successful, which for us means getting all y'all in on the conversation. So first things first: if I've coded it correctly :>), you can now receive new postings via email, by clicking Subscribe to Musings on the Bluff by Email or just click on the link on the sidebar to add "Musings" to your homepage.

Inglourious Basterds

2009-08-22T19:37:00.004-04:00

I've just returned from watching the newly released movie, Inglourious Basterds, with a friend. I don't know what bothered me more the huge amount of gratuitous violence or the audience's reaction to it. When German soldiers were being brutally clubbed to death, movie-goers laughed - not the kind of embarrassed laugh but the "Yeah, go get 'em, tiger" laugh. Juxtaposed to that was the cinema within the movie that had the mainly Nazi audience laughing while over 200 American soldiers were being picked off by a German sniper. It was hard to gauge the reaction of those around me to that scene. I wonder if those who laughed earlier saw the similarity. The total lack of humanity in this movie - not to mention the total lack of historic fact - is appalling and the audience's applause at the end is frightening. How many of these movie goers will be sitting in church tomorrow?

Summer Holiday

2009-08-22T19:32:00.003-04:00

Geri and I have been very quiet over the summer - just having a much needed rest. We'll be back soon. If you'd like to post something, feel free to email it to stthomasioh@gmail.com

What REALLY Matters?

2009-06-15T10:37:00.000-04:00

"The view from the edge of life is different and often much clearer than the way that most of us see things." (My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen)

This phrase, "edge of life", holds different meanings for folks depending on what's going on in his/her life at any given moment. The "edge of life" might be where someone stands as they begin the dying process. It might be how one feels when a beloved spouse or child or friend dies. The loss of a job or our home because we cannot afford to pay the mortgage any longer, may push us to the edge, or it might be the loss of health due to a chronic illness.

My question is, what changes for us when we find ourselves on the "edge of life"? Lifelong beliefs may suddenly come into question for us. Fewer and fewer "things" matter, and those which do matter - matter a great deal more!

When the priorities of life are stripped away so that we are left with those people and things which really matter, we finally come to the realization that we are here for one purpose and that is to love. From this place of deep loving, we come to look at ourselves and others differently. Further, from deep loving comes the rightful desire to serve others with whatever gift or ability we have received.

Life's Perspective

2009-06-14T13:27:00.002-04:00

This is the view from my sister's flat in Yorkshire, England. (It's also now my "happy place" - a view I can conjure up in my mind when the pressures of life start to overwhelm!) I didn't even notice the pole as I was taking the picture. My focus was on the beauty of the cliff, the play of light and the incredible colors of the rock strata. I suppose this image is a little like life. There's often a pole right in the center which can mar the view! The lesson is to focus on the beauty and ignore the flaw that I have no control over. It's not always easy but it is always possible. So what do you see? The cliff bathed in afternoon sunlight or the lightpole?

Friendship & Spiritual Intimacy - Part Three of Three

2009-06-12T09:49:00.000-04:00

"Friends who enjoy soul intimacy never settle for gossip or simple information exchange. Instead they use events as springboards for the sharing of feelings, perceptions, values, ideas and opinions....Dialogue continually moves from the surface to the depths, from the external to the internal." (Sacred Companions, David Benner)

I really like this definition of spiritual friendship and although it is only a partial definition, I do believe it gets to the core of intimacy.
Several intentional characteristics must be in place before intimacy and soul-sharing can begin to grow.

1. One must set aside regular and frequent times for face to face communication. Although written correspondence is a wonderful tool for sorting through ones thoughts and obtaining clarity, there is no substitute for actual physical encounter.

2. Protection of privacy and confidentiality must be a hallowed promise to each other. If intimacy is to be a bond between them, this particular trust must never be broken.

3. There will be an awareness that the relationship is a three-way interaction: the two friends and the presence of God. This is what makes the relationship more than a casual and superficial one - the welcome of Christ into the center.

4. The friends will agree to pray for each other daily.

5. These friends will share honestly about their life experiences, not just their theoretical ideas and concepts. They will not judge or criticize but will love each other through the difficult and uncertain experiences which confuse or wound. In other words, they will be a "safe container" and support for each other.

There is so much more to be said about defining spiritual soul-friends and I have only scratched the surface of the concept. But it might be a good "jumping-off" place to consider how many soul-friends are available to each of us. And if you do not have that particular gift of grace in your life, perhaps you will begin to work toward making that a new reality for you!

On Friendship and Honesty - Part Two of Three

2009-06-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

On Friends and HonestyShare
Tue 7:24am | Edit Note | Delete
"Because friends desire each other's growth and development, love demands honesty. It confronts illusions and dares to risk temporary discomfort by calling us to the truth."
(Sacred Companions)

Scary thoughts these. All sweetness and light as long as there is agreement. But what about loving confrontation - do we dare? "Temporary discomfort" sounds like a euphemism of what happens when my friend gets really angry with me because of something I have said. And the truer my comment, the angrier. But if we love someone, there are times when we cannot ignore a particularly hurtful behavior or skewed thought.

And what about when my dear friend confronts me about the huge blind spot in my spirit? Not easy to accept UNLESS we live in a state of loving trust. Trust is the key to growth from what seems like criticism.

Jesus surely did not ignore when his disciples or others began unhealthy behaviors or patterns of thought. Remember when Peter passionately protested what Jesus knew was the future? "Get behind me Satan!" sounded pretty forceful, but Jesus never pulled his punches with those whom he loved.

What behaviors are you harboring that are causing spiritual separation from God? Is it because you lack trust in the Lord of creation? I challenge you now to offer your fears, distrust and brokenness to God so that God will begin the work of converting and transforming your fear into joy.O

Trinity Sunday

2009-06-07T15:47:00.002-04:00

God for us, we call You Father,

God along side us, we call You Jesus,

God within us, we call You Holy Spirit.
You are the Eternal Mystery

that enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things,

even us,

and even me.
Every name falls short of your

Goodness and Greatness.
We can only see who You are in what is.

We ask for such perfect seeing.
As it was in the beginning, is now,

and ever shall be.
Amen.

~ Richard Rohr,“Trinity Prayer”

On Friendship - part one of three

2009-06-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

As humans, regardless of our faith denomination (or lack), we are called into relationships. It seems to be deeply embedded in our DNA that we yearn to connect with others on many different emotional levels - each one denoting a particular degree of commitment. Everyone needs love, acceptance and interaction to thrive.

Jesus is a powerful model of reaching out in friendship to others. Each relationship was flooded with honesty, compassion and a call to be more than their corporal bodies - even the most corrupt were invited into relationship with him. He knew our spiritual selves contained the potential for "going higher". Yet, he also showed a powerful and honorable way of being completely human by incorporating the lessons learned in our spirits.

According to David Benner in his book "Sacred Companions": "True friends see each other realistically. Because they know each other so well, they know the weaknesses that are hidden from the view of those at a distance. This awareness, however, does not diminish the respect, affection and admiration that they feel......They know each other not by the outer garb of persona but by the dependable and relatively stable elements of habit, character, disposition and trait. It is this down-to-earth quality of friendships that gives them stability and endurance. They (friendships) are anchored in reality."

I like this very much. Do any of us have enough of these kinds of friends - those who know us well and love us anyway? Makes me think that I need to BE this sort of friend to others, too! Stay tuned for more thoughts about friendship in the days ahead.

First Annual Church Family Reunion Picnic at Villa Marie, Isle of Hope

2009-06-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

I'm getting so excited about our time together for celebration and great fried chicken! Tracy and I went over to Villa Marie to look around at the camp and it is really beautiful and will be a wonderful place to play together as a church family.

Just a couple of details: Bring a lawn chair or blanket for sitting; a sun umbrella if you don't tolerate the sun very well; side dishes for your family; sunblock; bug spray; a guitar, banjo or other instrument if you would like to "jam". All levels of expertise are welcome!

We will have paper products (plates, cups, napkins, forks); fried chicken; soft drinks & ice.
Lunch will begin somewhere around 12noon.

We're also planning a "kick-ball" game for the little ones at 1:15pm. The (saltwater) pool is open throughout the day. Although there will be a lifeguard present, parents must supervise their children while at the pool.

A softball game is scheduled to begin around 2:00pm for adults and teenagers. Bring bats and balls if you have 'em!

Also, we are planning a game or two of horseshoes!

For those who cannot tolerate the heat or sun exposure, there will be a table set up for card playing or board games in the dining hall.

I predict this will be the first year of a great family tradition at St. Thomas for years to come! Love to all and get your game face on!

God's Gift

2009-05-19T15:55:00.029-04:00

As I write this I'm visiting family - and new friends - in the north of England. Today one of those friends spent the day driving me around the Yorkshire moors and touring the house and grounds of Castle Howard of Brideshead Revisited fame. It was an absolutely marvelous day including tea and scones. The weather, always unpredictable in the British Isles, was sunshine one minute and rain the next. The countryside was full of breathtaking scenery: yellow gorse, sheep and lambs free to graze & wander everywhere, pheasant, quail, and rabbits. I felt as though I was on a This England photo shoot! Kodak moments abounded. As I framed a picture of a distant dale bathed in sunlight I said, "What a pity there's no blooming gorse in the foreground." Never contented with God's gifts, always wanting more or something different. I immediately regretted my lack of gratitude. My friend and I laughed about it and agreed it's typical of human-kind. But God had the last laugh. Just around the next bend God gave us a rainbow, probably saying,

"How about this, then?"

"Befriending Life"

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

"Learning from life takes time. I rarely recognize life's wisdom at the time it is given. Sometimes I am too distracted by something else that has caught my wandering eye, and not every gift of wisdom comes nicely gift-wrapped. I have often received such a gift only many years after it was offered. Sometimes I needed to receive other things first, to live through other experiences inb order to be ready. Much wisdom is a hand-me-down. Like all hand-me-downs, it may be too big at the time it is given."
(Rachel Naomi Remen from her book "My Grandfather's Blessings")

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

We will miss our dear friend and patriarch, George Quaile. We will say goodbye today at his funeral service at 11:00am at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

I will miss his straight-forward way of saying something and the twinkle in his fearless gaze as he made his point. If one word could possibly be accounted to an individual - especially not possible for George - I would characterize him as "authentic".

George lived life on his own terms, seldom backing away from the difficult. He loved, worked and played hard. I admired him so very much and was a wee bit afraid of him, too - mostly because George had an uncanny ability to could "see through" people.

We have been enormously blessed by George's presence among us. I remember with a grateful heart the times when I was "shaking folks out of church" on Sunday morning, George always annointed me with a sweet kiss on my cheek. George never gushed. I knew he cared about me and he never had to say a word.

Godspeed, dear one. We will all look forward to the day when we meet again.

Loving as a VERB

2009-05-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

The passage from 1 John read in Church yesterday advises us that if we claim to love God, but do not love our sisters or brothers, then we are liars. Wow, that's a little harsh. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the following, " I know I have to love them, but does that mean I have to 'like' my brother or sister, too?" Well, yes.

We certainly don't have to like or love their behavior or the choices they make, but Scripture clearly tells us we have to love the person. Period. How do we even begin to pull apart and compartmentalize the states of liking or loving?

Lets think about love as being a verb - an action - rather than an emotion for a minute. What comes to mind for me is what I choose to do when I am loving another person. What immediately comes to mind are actions like: forgiveness; tolerance; patience; generosity; hospitality; mature & respectful interactions and kindness. We may not feel the least bit loving, but we can fulfill the command of Scripture by behaving in loving ways.

When we choose unforgiveness or intolerance, we are choosing against love. If we wish to be truthful and live with Christian integrity, we are called to love one another with our actions.

Why People Lie

2009-05-05T05:00:00.001-04:00

In the wildly popular TV show "House", the main character of the show, Gregory House, frequently quips "everybody lies!" I used to think that was just the typically cynical remark that the writers would have House say - exhibiting more of his scornful personality. Now, I'm not so sure that his indictment of the dishonest nature of us humans is not absolutely right-on.

We humans always have a reason for doing whatever we do. It may not be honorable or reasonable or even sane, but we have an amazing ability to justify (at least to ourselves) whatever we say or do. So, why do people tell lies?

The most frequent reason is perhaps to avoid the pain of harsh consequences for our behaviors. Everything we say or do has some sort of consequence - either positive or negative. We do something hateful or harmful or just thoughtless, and we can assume that usually a bleak consequence will result - either to us or to others. So we lie to side-step the negative consequence, thereby avoiding responsibility for our choices....we think. The most minor offense can cause us mild pain, so if our egos are fragile or if we are very adroit at dodging responsibility, it is easier to fall into our learned pattern of behavior.

Another frequent reason is to avoid "hurting someone's feelings." Can't we all relate to that one? A co-worker comes to work one day with his hair in a modified mohawk cut; your dear friend has a new piece of artwork and she wants you to adore it with her; your pastor preaches a sermon and you simply don't have a clue what he was trying to communicate. Of course the list of examples for THIS one could go on all day, but you get my drift. It just seems to us at the moment that saying the thing which is not exactly true, is the better part of compassion. I wonder.

A third reason people lie is because they say the thing they wish was true about their life or themselves. They see the reality of their lives as less interesting, less noble, and they want to be or do the things they say they are or have done. I know it's a bit confusing, but follow along here. Someone says "Oh yes, I was nearly the first one in line to vote this year! And my candidate won!" Now, the person did not vote, was not even registered to vote (true story) but he wanted the group to believe he is the kind of person who would exercise that privilege and responsibility.

So what? Well, I'm guessing each of us has lied and maybe even more recently than we would like to admit. The wondering about why we lie leads me to think about the foundation of our self-esteem. If an individual felt safe enough, loved, respected, honored, and cherished, the perceived need to be "seen" differently might be lessened to the point of eventual extinguishment.

Now I am totally clear that there are folks out there who are "socio-paths" whose psychological state is so impaired that they are not able to differentiate appropriately and that's a whole 'nother essay!

This is an invitation for those of us who might lie sometime in the future, to make an intentional decision to tell the truth with love, and see what happens. Be the best and most honest "yourself" that is possible because it might just be what creation needs in that very moment, or at the very least we can participate in practiced-honesty!

The Bishop Search Committee for Diocese of Georgia

2009-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

These past 3 days have been marathon ones for me and for my fellow members of the Bishop Search Committee for the Diocese of Georgia.
Since Tuesday, we have single-mindedly focused on the work of this committee.

There have been four of the 10 candidates present to our committee of 11, where over the past 2 1/2 days, we literally spent 12 - 13 hour days interviewing and listening to each of them tell us of their personal lives, ministry within the church and their hopes and dreams for the Diocese of Georgia.

We began each day at 8:15am with Morning Prayer at St. John's and from there spent the rest of the day with our candidates, parting from them somewhere around 9 pm each evening.
Although exhausting, these hours have been very rewarding; each one of the individuals has been brilliant, inspiring, and passionate lovers of Our Lord - engendering pride that we have such amazing clergy in our church! There has not been a single disappointment among this august group of clergy.

The real difficulty for our committee and convention delegates, will be discerning which one of these priests is the best possible match for our wonderful diocese of Georgia! That is the real issue - not who will be good enough, but who contains the gifts most closely complementing the needs and goals of our diocese. The slate of candidates to be presented will have 4 or 5 extraordinarily well prepared and clearly gifted clergy people. We expect to complete all interviews with the 10 candidates, and present a slate to the Standing Committee of our diocese, on June 8th, 2009.

The final work will rest with our convention delegates who will, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, select the one person from this slate who will serve the people of our diocese as Bishop.

Apart from my ordination preparation and final vows, this work has become a touchstone for my faith and for which I am so very thankful. The search process and the shared-work with my brothers and sisters in Christ, continues to be a humbling and enriching experience.

The hours are long and the work intense. I long to spend time with my dear friends back at St. Thomas, Isle of Hope, and share some of the amazing stories of this unique experience. But, alas, the privacy of these formative days will prevail until we have our next Bishop.

I appreciate the understanding and support and the very real sacrifice of friends at St. Thomas. We serve Jesus Christ together in this journey and I am humbled and thankful for the opportunity! Peace and courage for us all as we faithfully serve Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Burden of Wisdom

2009-05-01T05:00:00.001-04:00

Prophets carry the burden of new and sometimes revolutionary information for humanity. Which one of us wants to lift and carry that weight? Traditionally, prophets are not well received, nor are they well treated, making the outcome of their lives pretty dismal. In Bible times, many were killed because the truth they proclaimed was more than the people wanted to hear or know about themselves.

I went to see a movie yesterday. "Knowing" was the title of the movie. It was about a little girl, living in 1959, who heard "whispers" telling her a sequence of numbers. It was during school one day when the "whispers" became so compelling that the little girl began writing them down on a piece of drawing paper. Her class was preparing to bury a "time capsule" on the grounds of the school that day filled with drawings the children made. It was explained that the capsule would remain buried for 50 years, and the children were asked to draw a picture of anything they chose. They drew pictures of space ships and robots - those things they imagined would be available to us humans in 2009. The young prophet among them furiously wrote a long and unbroken sequence of numbers covering both sides of a large sheet of drawing paper.

The scene then fast-forwarded to 2009, when the time capsule was unearthed and the contents given to the school children. The plot continued with the gradual understanding of the secrets embedded in the numbers. Along with the knowledge of what they discovered, came the responsibility of knowing.

Sometimes the message given us is so clear and severe we cannot absorb it. The truth imparted to us without censorship is sometimes more than our psyches or our social structures can tolerate. Our lives are set and our beliefs intact and we are comfortable. Our futures have been clearly planned based on the choices of our intellect, instincts and layer upon layer of life experiences.

Then along comes someone who has a new truth to proclaim throwing our life into chaos. Our comfortable beliefs are heaved as easily as a scattered puzzle thrown wildly into the universe. Nothing makes sense anymore and the carefully constructed pieces of our lives no longer fit together. The foundation we built our lives upon is shattered and all our plans for the future are useless. What becomes important when that happens?

That is how I imagine it was for the world when Jesus came. He came to us fully human and fully God and he changed things. He frightened people. And they hated him for it. He toppled the smug and self-serving understandings of the powerful and dared to re-distribute their dearly held power. He loved the poor and the hungry and the homeless. He respected the women and saw them as more than possessions. He healed the sick and lame and raised the dead to life again - both metaphorically and literally. He had compassion for the sinner and called them to join him. He declared that the meek will inherit the earth, and in order for that to happen we must love the unloveable, and we must feed the hungry and clothe the naked and forgive each other.

He knew. With his knowing was the responsibility of sacrifice.

Synthespianish - Say What?!

2009-04-28T05:00:00.000-04:00

My friend, Chito Lapena posted a definition of "syn*thes*pianism" - which is defined:

"The elusive goal of creating a photorealistic synthespian indistinguishable from a live actor has intrigued, taunted and tormented programmers for 30 years. We're 90 percent there, but efforts so far have failed to convey convincing nuances of facial expression, micro-motion, light, and texture. ...
...Yes -- there is a word for it -- synthespianism -- the art of replacing actual actors and models with computer generated characters. Remember "Looker" from the 80's? It's really happening now."

This crazy technology is now capable of re-creating us in a more perfect version. All the wrinkles and imperfections can be totally removed; we can move more gracefully and never stumble or falter; our coloring can be brightened and intensified; we'll never have a bad hair day; our teeth can be whiter; those extra pounds around the middle can be instantly eliminated. So far, this miraculous technology is reserved for actors. Doesn't it just figure? Those who are already the "beautiful people" get to be improved!

So, where does it all end, my friends? I'm wondering about the many layers of fascade we tolerate in one another and in ourselves. The superficial becomes the real - or at least that's what we want others to believe about us. It is so hard to show the world our flaws - the interior ones and the external imperfections as well. The financial success of the cosmetic industry during this economic down-turn is definitive proof of that. And I'm not even going to talk about the cosmetic surgeries! If you are female, when was the last time you went to church, or to a party, or to a friend's house WITHOUT YOUR MAKEUP? Now I'm not saying I've got all this covered...if you could see my lipstick drawer!

One of the clear implications that all the pretending is hurting us is reflected in the incline of the sale of alcohol, cigarettes and anti-depressant & anxiety medications. I wonder if all the "hiding" is imploding our spiritual selves; if what we are doing to avoid facing the reality of our lives is making us sick! When we do not see ourselves as beautiful or worthy or lovable, we go to great lengths to "syntheticize" who we are because we do not think we measure up to all that we see in the various media portals. When we equate flattery with love we miss the truth. When we come to believe we must compete for oxygen and flattery, we lose sight of the inherent importance of the other.

12-Step programs have a great little maxim: "Don't judge your insides by someone else's outsides."

Who in your life tells you of your deeper beauty? Who speaks to you of admiration for your courage or creativity or energy or brilliance? When was the last time you honestly (& courageously) revealed yourself to another? When we come to know that although each of us is inherently beautiful and lovable because God created us, we are then able to relinquish the great responsibility of being the center of the universe. Then it slowly dawns that there is someone who is. That "center" calls to you in a soft whisper: "You are so beautiful....and lovable....and worthy. " Amen.

Sanctity and Sin

2009-04-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

Sr. Joan Chittister writes: "Holiness is not getting good marks on a heavenly report card. It is becoming as godlike - as kind, as just, as merciful, as loving - as we can be on earth. 'There must be no limit to your goodness, as our God's goodness knows no bounds,' Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. In other words, get real. Playing a game called religion is not what real holiness is about."

Makes me wonder if holiness of life and sin are compatable and I think they are. They must be because human beings sin everyday and yet may also lead deeply holy lives. I read this quote by Eric Hoffer: "Many of the insights of the saints stem from their experience as a sinner." We know this to be true if we have read any of St. Paul's writings.

The contest is in the striving to be more godlike as demonstrated in our kindness, mercy, love and generosity, while at the same time trying to overcome pride, self-indulgence, jealousy, sloth and a myriad of other less-than-holy traits.

And of course, I cannot do the holy without God's presence. The sacred is known only when I make the time to listen for God. And in the struggle to become more than we are, though a noble struggle, is fraught with failure. And so it goes. We fall and we get back up - we fall and we get back up - we fall and we get back up. That's faith and holiness of life!

2009-04-22T13:42:00.009-04:00

Today is Earth Day! And the Episcopal Church is celebrating creation in Eastertide. Let us be mindful Christians and take the best care we can of the Creator's marvelous gift to us so that all God's children now and in the future can enjoy the sustenance it provides through the abundance of Divine Love.

Butterflies

2009-04-21T20:59:00.006-04:00

Today is Yom HaShoah, the day we remember the victims of the Holocaust. Last year I went to the JEA - Savannah's Jewish Center - for an evening of memories and reflections and was greatly moved. Yesterday I ushered at a memorial concert at the same center. The auditorium was festooned with cut out, vibrantly colored paper butterflies intended to bring to mind Pavel Friedman’s poem, The Butterfly. Again I was greatly moved. Then on Sunday as I watched The Courageous Heart of Irene Sendler, I reflected not only on those who perished but on those who survived and on those who took great risks to help them. Then I thought of those today who through being born in the “wrong” family, the “wrong” faith, the “wrong” gender are persecuted even unto death. And I ask myself, what risks am I taking for them?

St. Thomas Chapel

2009-04-21T05:00:00.001-04:00

"Little chapel near the river
with mellow walls of pine;
how many times you offered peace
to this anxious heart of mine.

The faithful gathered through the years,
some have gone beyond -
still children laugh and fathers pray,
and voices lift in song.

Nearby a grander building stands,
some thing that it is best;
in my time of need and sorrow,
I seek Him here; and rest."

(From the book of poetry
"Right Down the Road"
written by Gayle Norman Crawford),

Sometimes the celtic people used a phrase to describe a particularly holy place as "a thin place". Meaning that the space between earth and heaven there is very "thin", as though one could reach up and touch heaven while their feet were planted on the ground.

The little chapel at St. Thomas, Isle of Hope, is very much a "thin place" for me and many others who have been touched by it's simple beauty. The doors remain unlocked day or night and all are welcome to come inside and ponder God at their liesure. There have been countless prayers offered over the years inside that sweet place. After about 20 minutes in silence, one becomes acutely aware of the presence of the communion of saints.

I would add my prayers of thanksgiving for those who worked to build our chapel and for those whose love have sustained it these many years.

One Heart, One Mind

2009-04-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

"While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.
The whole congregation of believers was united as one - one heart, one mind. They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, 'That's mine.' They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy." (Acts 4:31 - 34 - The Message)

This kind of "resurrection living" sustained those early Christians and everyone had enough. Where did we lose that kind of thinking and practice of living which was full of mercy and grace?
We have managed to lose the foundational value of community. The principle which calls us to share our resources so that there is always "enough."

No one went hungry or without clothing or without a bed or a roof when night came. They lived a sacramental life - where what they professed to believe on their insides was clearly manifest in their observed behaviors.

The need to repent our violent debilitation of the human condition belongs to us. The healing of the wounds of humanity belongs to us. Then bombing the innocent becomes unthinkable, murdering to avenge murder becomes unacceptable, depriving children of medical care becomes unconscionable. Then the communion of saints becomes real. And the value of sacramental living becomes apparent because we are bound to one another.

A Prayer for Sunday Worship

2009-04-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

A Prayer Written by Hildegard of Bingen

"Be not lax in celebrating.
Be not lazy in the festive service of God.
Be ablaze with enthusiasm.
Let us be an alive, burning offering
before the Altar of God."

Hildegard has not yet been to an eight o'clock service at St. Thomas!

The Function of Failure

2009-04-18T05:00:00.001-04:00

As I see it, the function of failure is to make one pliable and a stronger container of the brightness allowed by the gaping cracks in our fascades. When one is broken open through a spectacular failure, s/he has the potential to become more humble, insightful and possessed of genuine wisdom.

The function of failure is to push us to our knees where we may see more clearly that which supports and sustains us. The function of failure is to show us that nothing in life need be wasted. The struggle is that we forget too soon and contemplate it too seldom.

The function of failure is to show us who loves us. Those who love us will make the effort to demonstrate that kindness from sheer generosity.

Failure's darkest moments have been full of the ineffible love of God poured into creation bidding us to wait. We are called to leave the tombs of our lives and rise again.

I Believe in God....

2009-04-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

Someone asked the group I was in yesterday: "Can you tell us why you believe in Jesus' resurrection?". I thought and thought and thought because I really wanted to say something deep and profoundly meaningful and persuasive. I was sitting in a circle of folks who are way smarter than I with practiced articulation about their faith. OK, maybe I didn't really have to be profound...if I could just manage to not look stupid, that would have been enough!

It was a great question following on the heels of Holy Week and Easter morning. So I listened to what some of the others had to say about why they believe. One person said (and I paraphrase) "because people much smarter than I down through the centuries have believed." Someone else said "because the witness of the written materials down through the ages has convinced me of it." Another: "because I believe in the Communion of Saints and the empowering Spirit which returned to fill us with all truth." Another: "because the Bible tells us the tomb is empty." And yet another said "Pass!"

Sr. Joan Chittister, in her amazing book "In Search of Belief" writes about God: "God is the mystery nobody wants. What people covet in God is not mystery but certainty. God is what everyone seeks to be sure about." Which leads me to my next thought: to "know" of the resurrection of Jesus, one must look inward. My own conviction of the truth of the resurrection is what I see Jesus doing in my life and the lives of so many others TODAY. His resurrection happens over and over again in the lives of those who turn to his mercy and restoration. It is the action of Jesus in the hearts and lives of his people that is most convincing.

Certainty is not a word I would choose....nor would I choose such words as doubtless or surety or conclusive. We cannot prove the existence of God anymore than we can disprove God's existence. I live in the hope of the resurrection - the "proof" on which I rely is the faithfulness of those who have gone before us - those who died horrible and painful deaths because they believed in the resurrection of Jesus. The "proof" on which I rely is how Christ has changed me and saved my life. The "proof" on which I rely is how Christ continues to draw people to him and I see their lives changed, too.
We hunger for that sort of connection to the Holy and that yearning is deep within - deep speaking to deep.

To not believe in God, is to believe that I am God. When I believe in the possibility of God, God becomes present to me in ways that are difficult to express and often only understood by those who have similar experiences. Finally, a priest once told me this: "I'm betting my life that there is a God. If I am proven wrong, what have I lost in believing? If I choose not to believe, and come to find out God exists and is waiting for me - I'm in deep trouble!" This priest went on to become a Bishop of the church. He is dead now and I'm guessing he no longer has to live by faith. He KNOWS. And one day, so will we! In the meantime, faith is enough for me.

"Waging Peace" by Deacon Marty Meuschke, St. Mark's, Brunswick

2009-04-16T14:22:00.001-04:00

"When principles that run against your deepest convictions
begin to win the day,
then battle becomes your calling,
and peace becomes a sin." (Abraham Kuyper)

Once upon a time, there lived a man. A simple man, really, and honest, as such men sometimes are. This man, whom we shall call Citizen, clung to equally simple convictions: love others; serve God; be humble.

In the course of things, it became clear to Citizen that other convictions were dominating society: serve yourself first; right and wrong are whatever you think; take what you can, when you can. Citizen found this very disturbing.

After much prayer and meditation, Citizen came to believe that if his convictions were true, as far as God gave him the ability to determine Truth, then he was morally and ethically bound to defend those convictions. Anything less would be sinful, an affront to God.

So Citizen prepared for battle. Putting on the armor of God's grace, filling his heart with love, and giving all honor and glory to the Lord, Citizen sallied forth.

To do battle is not enough. You must also know your battle is essential, something larger than yourself - a dream! But to become reality, a dream must be shared. Others must join in that dream, must transform it into a quest. Citizen dreamed of the Kingdom of God, a world filled with love, in which everyone serves others, in true humility.

Citizen shared the vision of the Kingdom of God with others, hoping and praying that they, too, would join in this battle against selfish vanity and worldly values.

Slowly, others joined Citizen. They formed a small group, a group of thoughtful, committed people. Their dream, their quest, was to change the world. Their goal was to make the Kingdom of God a reality. Their weapons were the weapons of victory: love, servanthood, humility.

Dedicating their lives and souls to God, as their Lord and Teacher Jesus had done, strengthened and guided by the Holy Spirit, this small group sought to wage peace against the world. They believed - they knew - a world without love is really only Hell.

Citizen and his band continue to follow the Christ. Each day they wage peace against those who would subjugate, divide and ultimately enslave others. Won't you pick up your cross, and join the battle? Won't you wage peace with Jesus?

Hospitality Which Finds It's Foundation in Gratitude!

2009-04-15T05:00:00.002-04:00

Take a look at this passage from I Peter 4:7 - 11 (The Message - The Bible in Contemporary Language) with a heart open to how we might choose to offer hospitality:

".....Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless - cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he will get all the credit as the One mighty in everything - encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!"

Compared to 90% of the world's population, if you are reading this, you are most fortunate among people - truly affluent in status, finances and it's resultant power. Thanks be to God! You have been blessed with many of life's great material gifts. It is a true blessing that you have such wonderful resources and gratitude is the desired response!

Gratitude is the reservoir from which joy springs forth as we return to others a portion of the gifts we have received. This is the kind of hospitality to which St. Peter refers - "love each other as if your life depends on it." Our spiritual life does, indeed, depend on it. And sometimes the very physical life of another may depend on our gifts of generosity.

This Easter season, how will you show your gratitude? Where will your joy be made manifest in the service of others? Do not delay in showing kindness to others through your words and your deeds so that 'God's bright presesnce will be evident in everything....'

"Connections of Hope": Another Gift of Hospitality

2009-04-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

We have had an enthusiastic response to our "Connections of Hope" initiative at St. Thomas. Many of you, maybe 50, have returned your "gifts of hospitality" offerings - things like simple carpentry, transportation, shopping errands, yard work, minor home repairs, prayers, conversation and lots of casseroles!

I have been mildly surprised at those who have responded. They are the ones who, as I see it, have fewer material possessions to offer, but what they do have they are offering. Amazing and humbling to see, and calls me to a higher standard of giving. Yes, I do believe in the tithe as the standard of giving for Christians. Yet the outcome we are seeing in "Connections" seems to be something more: People without great financial resources are offering themselves, their time and attention and energy and expertise and the gift of their presence to the other.

These small but significant acts of reaching-out to others helps to create a genuine sense of community through hospitality. It is what Jesus calls us to, I think. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is at the heart of following Jesus.

Our response to this command may always be seen as incarnated in our active hospitality.

Practicing Hospitality

2009-04-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hospitality is so much more than greeting the newcomer - it is a way of life for the Christian. St. Paul wrote about hospitality throughout his letters in the New Testament. And Jesus certainly spoke of it when he described how we Christians might be recognized: "by this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another." (John 13: 35) Hospitality is about sharing who we are and what we have with those who have so much less. Hospitality is about visiting the lonely, feeding the hungry, expressing true compassion for the sorrowful, caring for the earth as God's creation, striving for justice and peace, respecting the dignity of every human being, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Sound familiar? This Easter season, let me invite you to re-read The Baptismal Covenant, found on page 304 of your prayer book. Each time we extend ourselves in love and hospitality to the stranger, we get better at it! The more we practice a behavior, the less "foreign" it feels. Let this Easter season be a time of practice for you - invite someone to join you for worship; invite the stranger you meet during coffee hour to come to lunch with your group; visit the widow-lady who lives alone down the street; volunteer at one of the Savannah soup-kitchens providing food for the needy. Practice telling others of your love for them.

The Whole Idea of Hospitality

2009-04-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hospitality: giving generous welcome to guests; the act, practice, or quality of being hospitable.

This is proving to be a glorious Easter season. St. Thomas has been graced by many visitors and guests during the Holy Week and Easter services. As we "shaked folks out of church" after the services, there were new faces with tentative smiles reaching out to shake our hands. Some allowed eye contact and some did not. But each one reached out to be touched by another's extended hand. Reaching out is important - most of us want the kind of human touch which represents welcome and acceptance. The whole idea of hospitality being an "act or practice" is very intriguing and rings true. For most people, I think it may be a bit of a challenge to be outwardly inviting to the stranger among us. We have to step outside our safety zone of familiar friends and reach out to the other. Perhaps we have never done it before....or perhaps we have reached out only to have our invitation ignored or rebuked. Regardless of previous experiences, the idea of "practicing" hospitality really appeals to me. So, what I suggest is that each of us makes a commitment that for the next 2 months we shall use the first 15 minutes of any gathering at our church (coffee hour, Wednesday night suppers, First Sunday breakfasts, S.S. picnics, etc.) to scan the crowd for the faces of a visitor in our midst. And, that we further promise to go to that stranger and offer them a heart-felt welcome to our church family. If the clergy are present, call one of us over and introduce the guest so that we may interact with them too! Let us know how it goes!

Easter Morning

2009-04-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

"Yesterday I was crucified with Christ; today I am glorified in him.
Yesterday I was dead with Christ; today I am sharing in his resurrection.
Yesterday I was buried with him; today I am waking with him from the sleep of death." (Gregory of Nazianzus)

My brothers and sisters: the tomb is empty. He is Risen, The Lord is Risen, Indeed!

Worshiping from the organ bench

2009-04-11T23:52:00.001-04:00

It is not always easy to WORSHIP when it is my JOB to be ready for the next piece of music on the agenda. The choir has much the same problem. Therefore I am especially grateful for the reverence with which Fr. Richard and Deacon Geri treat the Sunday services in general and the Holy Week services in particular...not just same-old, same-old.....but as if each Sunday, and each service in Holy Week, were a new and exciting adventure. Yes, we do the same thing Sunday after Sunday, and the Holy Week services follow the same pattern year after year. But somehow we are drawn into the drama of the Eucharist on each Sunday and, during Holy Week, into the drama of Christ's journey to His death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. It is a true anamnesis.....not simply a ritual or a remembrance, but an actual living into the moment. So I am most grateful to be able to WORSHIP at St. Thomas, even as I am keeping an eye on what must be played next!

Pam

Organist & Choirmaster

Holy Saturday - The Great Easter Vigil

2009-04-11T13:55:00.000-04:00

Imagine standing in total darkness, and along with the community gathered, we wait while the priest quietly and carefully stacks and arranges the wood for the new fire. It is late and our group huddles a bit closer together to ward off the chill which seeps in since the sun has set. The priest strikes the match and lays it to the wood. It catches and our eyes glow as we watch the fire grow higher and higher. Soon, we are very much warmed by the flames.

Then we hear the words - loud and passionately spoken: "Dear friends in Christ: On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which, by hearing his Word and celebrating his Sacraments, we share in his victory over death."

The Paschal Candle is then lighted from the newly kindled fire, and the deacon bearing the Candle, leads the procession to the chancel, pausing three times and singing: "The Light of Christ!" to which the community responds: "Thanks be to God".

The smoke of the incense swirls about the Paschal Candle as the priest swings the full thurible, venerating Our Lord. Whenever I see this ancient liturgy, I know what anamnesis means. In my soul, I am drawn into full participation with our earliest Christian communities as we celebrate the Lord's resurrection and experience our own hope for life beyond the grave.

As the deacon chants the Exsultet, we encounter the mighty works of God throughout all creation. The sanctuary is still darkened as we ponder the majesty of God. It is after this that we extinguish our candles, the lights come up and we begin the Liturgy of the Word. Once more we hear the age-old stories passed down from generation to generation.

It is a magical time...a memorable time...a holy time.
"Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!"

Walking in the Garden

2009-04-11T13:45:00.003-04:00

Yesterday – Good Friday –my dog, Ben, and I took a long walk through beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery. As we both tired slightly, our exercise turned into a lovely afternoon amble, allowing me time to look at names and dates carved on headstones (Ben still preferred the bushes and trees!). Headstone is a misnomer in several cases, as many family plots display quite elaborate monuments, perhaps memorializing an essence of the deceased for the descendents.

As I wandered around the Jewish section, admiring the beauty of the Hebrew engraved headstones, I noticed several crypts. It brought to mind the Triduum, the Three Holy Days from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday. First, I thought of Joseph of Arimathea and his gift of the tomb in which to bury Jesus. He took quite a risk, after all he was a member of the Sanhedrin and this wasn’t likely to advance his political career. Scripture doesn’t tell us what happened to him, although according to the Gospel of Nicodemus, he did spend some time in prison for this. It also brought to mind how often I play it safe when it comes to my faith.

Next, I thought about that part of the creed that states that Christ descended into hell – Holy Saturday, for me is the worst day in the Christian calendar, one usually forgotten, masked by preparation for Easter Sunday. Jews believe that before they can enter Gan Eden (aka, Heaven) where they’ll enjoy the “rays of the Divine Presence” they must first endure a painful, spiritual cleansing, a process known as Gehinom (aka, Hell). So the Light has left the world –symbolized by removing the sanctuary light from the church on Maunday Thursday. Jesus is in Hell, atoning for the sins of humankind, continuing to suffer even after crucifixion. But we are not left in the Dark for long. Thank heaven for Easter!

I looked at each of the crypts. The one thing they had in common was that their doors were closed and locked. Where was the symbol of the rolled away stone, the empty tomb? The Light returns, the darkness of my soul – my tomb – has been redeemed through an incredible and totally unselfish gift of Divine Love. Wow!

Waiting Through Good Friday

2009-04-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

The unexpected "CRACK" of the hammer pounding the nails into the Cross cause us to jump in our seats. The drama unfolds as the clergy prepare to lift the wooden Cross before us. It's a fairly big cross, requiring several hands to lift it. If one does not handle it just right, splinters come off into our fingers. Then...."SLAM"....the priest shoves the cross into the stand made for it. If a human being had been nailed to it, the skin would surely tear from the force of such violence.

"We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world."

Not so much. Afterall, it's still Good Friday....not much joy in a world full of the absence of Jesus.

"By this they shall know that you are mine."

2009-04-08T05:00:00.000-04:00

Maundy Thursday has long been one of my favorite liturgies in our Episcopal church. The ritual of washing one another's feet, though it is slightly uncomfortable to offer one's naked foot, is a sweet exercise in humility, and symbolic of our call to servant ministry. Most of us take extra care to wash our feet before the evening service. We trim our nails and some of us even slosh on some fragrant cream and nail polish. We "put our best foot forward", so to speak.

As I think about how we prepare outwardly for this service, the idea of inward preparation comes to mind. One way to make ready is to enter the quiet church 15 or 20 minutes before the service begins. During this holy time just sit in silence and open your spirit to the wonderful expectation of God's presence in the liturgy, and in the words, and in the faces of your brothers and sisters who will join you.

After Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he told them, "Do you know what I have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done." This imperative holds true for us today. We are to serve others in the same way that Jesus served his disciples. Jesus also said "by this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another." When non-Christians watch us interact with others, what do they observe? My hope is that we behave in ways that draw others to the love of Christ as experienced through our gentle words and kind actions of service in the world.

If you have never attended a Maundy Thursday service where the washing of feet is practiced, come and see how you may choose to be drawn into the ritual of giving and receiving the love of servant-hood ministry.

Riding Into Jerusalem

2009-04-07T15:34:00.001-04:00

Sister Joan Chittister writes "rejection is the worst kind of solitude. It plunges us where we would not be, into the empty depths of life."Yes...anyone who has ever felt rejected for almost any reason, can certainly remember how alone you felt. My first reaction to being rejected is to immediately find someone with whom I can commiserate! Someone to whom I can tell my side - to speak of the awful injustice and who will assure me of my value and worthiness. But, what if there is no one to whom we can turn? What if we are truly and utterly alone? Seems to me that it becomes crucial that we develop a kind of companionship with solitude, where we may settle safely into our misery, trusting that we will not die from it, but live through it. When Jesus went into Jerusalem with such knowing in his heart of the outcome...to whom did he turn with the awful rejections he encountered? Jesus certainly walked into the "empty depths of life" so that we might have a companion in our solitude. We will not go where Christ has not gone before us. And, he promised that he would never leave us. Never is a very long time.

Passion

2009-04-05T07:00:00.003-04:00

Let's be honest, when we're told that someone is passionate about something or someone, we think of them having an ardent affection for them. But passion isn't always affectionate; it can be just the opposite, in fact. One can just as easily have a passion for overindulgence (not me, of course!). Passion is really the intense emotion we have for someone or something. So I was surprised to learn that the derivation of the word is the Latin pati, to suffer, from which we also have the word patient. Perhaps it makes more sense when we consider the Passion of Christ, for here we certainly witness the suffering of Jesus and his patient endurance. Henri Nouwen writes that from the moment Jesus was arrested, his active ministry changed to that of being acted upon by external agents or forces, which is actually the third definition of the word, passion, according to Merriam Webster.

For the Sake of Joy

2009-04-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:1, 2)

Jesus’ joy is our salvation. If we ignore the cross, his teachings and way of life lose all their power, making virtually all of his teachings, parables and miracles nonsensical. God in Jesus has a great purpose: what Bishop N.T. Wright of Durham, England, refers to as God “making right” all that is warped, bent and heading towards death. nce we see this great love for us in Jesus’ passion and death we will ... run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Holy Week is a time when we do just that. We don’t merely think about, or read about Jesus; we join the family of the Church in the Holy Week services and enter more deeply into the height and depth of “looking to Jesus.” Come, and see.

Fr. Richard

Rituals

2009-04-03T15:20:00.004-04:00

The thing about rituals is that they are, by nature, repetitive. Repeating rituals means that we become familiar with them; and we all know what familiarity breeds! But rituals do have a purpose. They recall our history. I think there's truth in the saying, we can't know where we're going until we know where we've come from. So it's important to learn why we keep these rituals in order to grow into the faith. After 2000 years, the rituals can seem somewhat archaic and the reason for keeping them can be lost in the dust of centuries. Maybe some of them should be given a decent burial but there are many that still hold poignant meaning for defining who we are as a community of faith. In a way it's stylized storytelling - and who doesn't love a good story?

Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!

2009-03-20T12:47:00.001-04:00

I've just read an article by Barbara Rowley on the Care2 website about multi-tasking. With a touch of humor she's touched a nerve. Is there anyone who doesn't believe they must multi-task to keep up? As Ms. Rowley writes, "There was too much to do for me to devote all my attention to one thing." And for me that includes my prayer life! I find far too often these days my attitude is, "Can we talk about this later, God?" or using travel time as prayer time – not that that's a bad time, but it shouldn't be the only time! According to Edward Hallowell, MD, author of Crazy Busy: Overstretched, Overbooked and About to Snap (Ballantine, 2006) many of us spend a whole lot of time in what he calls the F-state: frenzied, frantic, fearful, forgetful, and frustrated. So what's the solution? Focusing on the task in hand is a start, and sometimes remembering the other 3Rs: rest, relaxation & reflection.

To read Ms. Rowley article in its entirety, click here

Tool for the Journey

2009-03-16T18:39:00.000-04:00

Practice patience as a means to an end.

Trust & Disappointment

2009-03-12T11:27:00.001-04:00

In Henri Nouwen's, A Cry for Mercy, he writes that our petitions (intercessions) are a way of trusting in the fullness of God's goodness. That's thought-provoking. Often my petitions are not answered in the way I expect them to be. I'm sure that's true for everyone at some time or other. So what happens when your expectations aren't met? Are your hopes dashed? Does your faith and trust waiver? Do you question God's goodness? How do you deal with disappointment in God?

JRB

This I believe

2009-03-10T10:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I listened to a very powerful and moving "This I Believe" from NPR. It was about forgiveness. It made me think about all the real and perceived hurts that I'm holding on to, which really binds up the spirit. It's as though my soul is wrapped in barbed wire and a step in any direction causes intense pain. So I stand very, very still, going nowhere. Now I'm not suggesting that any of us remain in abusive situations or continue our own destructive behavior. But what I believe is that we have to let go of the resentments, the hatred, the vengeful spirit, and the self-loathing that keep us bound. Holding on to them only gives them power.

Do you know the story of the young Indian who was harboring these very things against another? He goes to his grandfather to complain of the injustices being perpetuated upon him. "Grandson," the old man said, "There are two wolves inside me. They struggle with each other. One struggles to divide, devour, ravage, to hurt and even to kill. The other struggles to love, give life, nurture and build." The young boy looked at his grandfather and asked, "Which one will win, Grandfather?" "The one I feed," the grandfather replied.

JRB

So, What Are You Giving Up?

2009-03-08T13:41:00.001-04:00

In our Christian tradition, we are in the season of Lent. And who of us has not been asked repeatedly over the last fortnight, "What are you giving up?" Lent is a time of fasting, but surely it's much more than giving up some food item or (bad) habit that we'll go right back to when Lent's over. Vigen Guroian, Armenian Orthodox theologian and educator, said in a recent interview on Speaking of Faith that Lent "is not supposed to be just a time of masochistic self-denial. It's a time in which you put something to rest, when you let go of some of those passions that have disordered your life that led to decisions which were not the best for you or the people around you." I interpret that as meaning that I don't pick them up again when Easter arrives and consequently my life - and those around me -will be changed for good. That makes the choice of what I'm giving up much more serious - and difficult.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

2009-03-07T14:02:00.001-05:00

If you're a parishioner, do you think a parish blog is beneficial to the life and ministry of St. Thomas? If you're not a parishioner of St. Thomas but have experience of blogs in your own faith community, how has it helped/hindered your corporate life and personal faith?

Now Let Us Begin

2009-03-04T17:47:00.004-05:00

I hate clutter, yet I live with it constantly. I recently read - yet another - article on decluttering. According to the author, those of use who are perfectionists - you know us as A personality types, Js on the Myers Briggs, 1s on the Enneagram and just plain annoying - have the most difficulty. The reason being that we believe that the perfect system has to be devised and in place before we begin. Consequently we rarely do or abandon it when we realize that it's not the perfect system afterall. A bit like my prayer life. Surely Lent is the perfect, er, I mean, a good time to work on this. Afterall, acknowledging the problem is the first step, right? Now where should I put that Prie Dieu? And the icons? And I must have votive candles...and...

Jacqui R. Belcher

To Practice: To do a thing with repetition

2009-03-03T15:59:00.001-05:00

I've been practicing playing my guitar with some regularity recently. It is amazing how poorly I play, in large measure because I choose other things....anything....rather than practice.

Really, there is great enjoyment and fulfillment in playing, even when I don't hit all the strings very well - which is most of the time. Makes me wonder why I wait so long between practice sessions when it brings such pleasure. And, of course the payoff to practice is that the songs being played sound better and better with each 10 minutes of playing, bringing even more satisfaction.

Prayer is much like this, I think. The more faithfully I come to Jesus in quiet surrender to his presence, the deeper is my joy in being alive. The regularity of the practice of prayer builds the discipline in me for making time for prayer, and the discipline of sitting down and waiting grows my heart and my devotion toward prayer.

There is really no secret to praying. Only time and intent and the invitation for Our Lord to come to us. There are no fancy "church words" we need to say - no special holiness of place or mind other than the simple sacredness of being willing to surrender those few minutes of time to the God of our Creation.

It is sometimes really hard to pray, don't you think? For different reasons some of us find stone wall road blocks to prayer. We may feel dry, empty, wounded, angry. Sometimes the very best we can do is to "show up". I think God especially honors those moments in our lives when we show up for prayer and we really aren't feelin it!

During those times, the practice of prayer must be offered in pure trust that God is present. And as unfulfilling as it might "feel" right at that moment, when we pray something happens. Something good.

God is present in our darkest times and in our most joyous and everywhere in between. It doesn't depend on whether or not I am aware of God's presence because God is the one who acts faithfully. I am just the one sitting in the chair, floor, kayak, or hammock waiting.

Deacon Geri

Communication with God

2009-03-02T11:46:00.003-05:00

We are a communications rich society. At least we have lots of ways of communicating. Of course, the content of the communication is another matter. Have you ever flipped through the Program Guide on your television only to conclude that, despite 200 channels, there is nothing to watch?! For us communication is so easy: telephone, emails, websites, television, radio, podcasts, instant messages, blogs and, if all else fails, face-to-face conversations.

Communication with God is also readily available, and we can use any of dozens of "media" to communicate with God (both 'sending' and 'receiving'). Yet what are we communicating to God, and what are we open to receive from God? I think this is something for us to think about this Lent. Just as in our culture, we can at times communicate just so much noise - a kind of spiritualized banter that is actually quite empty. Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we ought not "heap up empty phrases", thinking that we "will be heard because of (our) many words" (Matthew 5:7). St. Benedict wrote: "We must know that God regards our purity of heart and...not our many words." (Chapter 20, The Rule of St. Benedict). Perhaps this Lent is a good time for you to practice an economy of words in your prayers. Such a discipline may help focus one's mind and soul; it may help one to get closer in touch with one's spiritual priorities.

What are we receiving from God? At times, we can have a largely unrecognized ability to "change the channel" or "move to the spam file" something that God is yearning for us to receive. Even if the "message" is persistent, we can keep "deleting it" just as persistently. One antidote for such unthinking ignoring is to fervently and repeatedly ask God for the openness and patience to truly receive from Him everything that God wants you to receive. Of course, one can hardly ask for such receptivity if trust is not present. Do you trust God enough to receive all that He means to give you?

This is my first blog offering. So if I'm not doing it right, please forgive me. We all learn how to communicate and being a technological nincompoop places me way behind the up-to-date media curve. It is so comforting to me that there is no technological challenges in our communicating with God (neither sending nor receiving). Everyone has the "equipment" to send to and receive from God. All it takes is willingness and practice. I pray that you and I have both - zillions of bytes!

FrRichard

Outward and Visible Sign?

2009-02-22T11:11:00.004-05:00

Elaine and I attended the McCaslin Conference at St. Thomas this weekend. We were taking pictures for the church. The speaker, Dr. Louis Markos, is a renowned Lewis scholar who teaches at Houston Baptist University. He is Professor in English, College of Arts and Humanities. He teaches:

* Victorian Poetry and Prose
* Seventeenth-Century Poetry and Prose
* C. S. Lewis
* Mythology
* Epic
* Film (classics, Hitchcock, Capra, Hollywood Studios, musicals, etc.)

Dr. Markos is a very intense and learned scholar, a powerful lecturer. He was talking about the modern day church as more of a thermometer of the present world than a thermostat. That it does little more than reflect the modern world, rather than regulate it.

As he spoke, I looked up near the altar, where the light from the stained glass chancel window shone down, directly on the gospel cross in its stand. Now I am not one to be quick to shout miracle. I am more likely to say "Wow! What a coincidence!" But I took the picture, raised my hand and pointed it out to Dr. Markos and the audience.

Philip Hodgkins

Welcome!

2009-02-15T23:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our new parish blog! We invite you to add your comments on posts or post your own thoughts. We ask you to be respectful of other people's opinions and beliefs.

Moderator