Presentation from National Latino Clergy Gather, SSW, Austin Texas
Introducción: El tema principal y las conversaciones
Hoy tengo por tema para hablarles, el Reto que Confronta el Anglicanismo: la diversidad étnica dentro un cultura diversa.[1]
El tema que he elegido, es resultado de conversaciones que mantuve con el canónigo Jaime Case, nuestros clérigos Latinos (cada uno tiene ideas muy diferentes), libros y conferencias, y específicamente; de mi experiencia con el ministerio y la cultura Latina.
Consiste simplemente, en los pensamientos que tengo en este momento; son pensamientos que están creciendo y cambiando, en parte porque soy un obispo nuevo; pero también, están cambiando porque según yo creo, la iglesia también está cambiando.
En este tiempo, hay muchas conversaciones, muchas ideas dentro y fuera de la iglesia, que son importantes tenerlas en cuenta y reconocerlas, para seguir adelante en nuestra charla.
Algunas de esas ideas o temas de conversación son:
La idea del racismo
Esta idea que los blancos Europeos establecieron, está desapareciendo. Ahora, hay muchas culturas, muchas etnias, muchas razas. Los blancos, los que todavía tienen el poder, continuamente tratan de entender las prácticas de racismo, con una multitud de gente nueva, con muchos trasfondos y antecedentes diferentes.
Para el parroquiano, no es una conversación fácil de abordar, y tampoco es fácil de entender.
También, se está hablando sobre los temas de la colonización de las naciones latinas por España, la colonización de las culturas por los estados unidos, y también se está hablando mucho sobre la colonización de la iglesia Anglicana. Este dato histórico, está estrechamente ligado con el desarrollo de las ideas racistas a través de los siglos desde 1492 (mil cuatro cientos noventa y dos).
Dentro de la comunidad latinoamericana, hay un punto de vista, una visión diferente, que dice que el mestizaje de México es un don de Dios, que creó una comunidad especial, “La Raza.” Otro ángulo del mismo tema, está señalando que hay un nuevo mestizaje, aquí, en los Estados Unidos, y estamos en el curso de la creación de una nueva raza con más poder, con más fuerza y de números mayores.
Para otros, que no comparten la visión de la lucha de poder o de clases; hay otra idea que dice que la gente necesita proteger sus tradiciones y su cultura; y que el mestizaje es peligroso, si es entendido como algo que destruye las características que hacen diferentes a cada cultura.
Estos temas son una realidad, cuando la gente en nuestras iglesias, discute si la liturgia, deben hacerse en español o ingles, o en español e ingles. Si hablamos de planteos de nuevas iglesias, vamos a tener iglesias que tienen orientación a los latinos de una clase o una orientación a los latinos de un país en particular, o simplemente, a los jóvenes.
También se habla dentro de la iglesia, con respecto a la idea de multiculturalismo. ¿Vamos a tener una iglesia sin diferencias étnicas, solamente con colores diferentes, pero todo en inglés con todo el poder en manos de la misma clase de anglosajones que ahora tienen el poder y la voz? O por otro lado, ¿vamos a tener iglesias separadas por clase, cultura o lenguas?
En este momento, también, hay conversaciones políticas en nuestros países, y especialmente aquí en Estados Unidos que nos afectan de dos maneras fundamentales:
1) como los anglosajones van a ser justos con las razas y etnias que están ahora dentro de la iglesia, y como se va a emprender esa misión; y
2) como las culturas inmigrantes o minoritarias, se van a hacer cargo del liderazgo y el poder dentro de la comunidad para ayudar a la iglesia, y de esa manera, lograr los cambios que son necesarios para su propio bienestar.
Estas conversaciones son: la emigración, la migración, y el sistema de salud.
Yo, voy a abordar cada uno de estos temas durante nuestro tiempo juntos. Probablemente, el caso sobre cual vamos a hablar tendrá su resolución final dentro de muchos años en el futuro… tal vez cuando venga el reino de Dios.
Pero creo que tenemos, ahora, en este momento, la posibilidad de aprovechar una oportunidad: la oportunidad de construir una parte de ese reino de Dios.
Anglicanismo: una teología colonial
No es una sorpresa que el Anglicanismo sea una teología colonial, porque es una iglesia global, que empezó con las practicas de colonización Británica.
Como con los temas del rey Enrique – Henry - (los temas de divorcio, políticas, y riquezas), no nos conviene hablar de la colonización de países en que fueron difundidas las prácticas y creencias de su compañera la iglesia Anglicana…En parte, por que hay beneficios por parte de esa misma colonización y el Anglicanismo; beneficios personales y teológicos.
Somos beneficiarios de esa práctica de colonización. Todos nosotros, somos herederos de esa práctica del Anglicanismo. Tenemos hoy nuestras iglesias Episcopales y anglicanas en función a ella. También nuestros hijos son beneficiarios, los miembros de nuestras iglesias, y aquellos que son el destino de nuestra caridad. Tenemos una iglesia a la que amamos. Tenemos una liturgia, música, tradiciones, oraciones, a las que queremos mucho.
Como herederos, también nos enfrentamos hoy, a una iglesia global que tiene una gran diversidad. Una diversidad universal – ¡católica! Relacionado a esto, tenemos una visión del reino de dios. Hay muchas lenguas, muchas tradiciones, y muchos libros de oración que son ejemplos de nuestra diversidad. También tenemos muchas ideas diferentes, acerca de cuales son las características más importantes para nuestra iglesia global y para la iglesia local.
Por otro lado, gracias a colonización, heredamos la idea de que la misión, es central en el trabajo de la iglesia. Esta idea acentúa la idea de la gran comisión en la Biblia, en el evangelio de Mateo.
Este trasfondo con todas sus complejidades es don de Dios. Podemos decir que Dios puede redimir los errores de la colonización, Dios cambia en el poder de su Espíritu Santo a la iglesia global, que tiene riqueza de características étnicas, riquezas teológicas, y una gran cantidad de prácticas litúrgicas.
Es verdad, que cuando soy heredero de las posesiones de mis padres – por ejemplo -- no voy a guardar todo lo que he recibido. No quiero guardar los viejos zapatos de mi padre, aunque fueran botas marca Luchesse, si no son de mi talla y no puedo usarlas.
Sucede lo mismo, y es una gran verdad, sobre nuestra herencia anglicana. Yo creo que hay algunas ideas y tradiciones que no necesitamos guardar para nuestros hijos, para nuestras congregaciones.
Comencemos con la idea de la colonización. Hay partes de la colonización que son importantes, y son fáciles de entender cuando consideramos las ideas básicas de la misma. Tradicionalmente, hay tres razones por las que un país crea una colonia: los recursos naturales; la migración; y la defensa. Por ejemplo:
La primera razón, los recursos naturales, se entiende por el hecho de que una colonia para un país, es una oportunidad de crecer en su economía, al adquirir recursos. También crea nuevos mercados para el país colonizador, para vender bienes en la nueva colonia. Las colonias son oportunidades para ampliar los beneficios de un gobierno.
Un paralelo negativo de ello en la iglesia, es que necesitamos tener más iglesias para ganar más dinero y más miembros, por que nuestras iglesias no están creciendo.
Es fácil de entender nuestra misión de manera simple en el vocabulario de la economía: necesitamos obtener más recursos, no lo hacemos para tener la oportunidad de amar a más personas, o de ser transformados por que estamos en una diálogo más grande. No tiene como fin, el servir a más personas.
Otra razón por la que los países colonizaban, era la necesidad de deportar grupos de personas (criminales, grupos religiosos o cultos, disidentes políticos, o etnias distintas).
El paralelo de ello en la iglesia es que no queremos tener diferentes representaciones dentro de nuestra iglesia, de esa manera vamos a tener iglesias separadas.
Este es, un caso de racismo y discriminación en nuestra iglesia. Hoy en día, conocemos bien la historia de Absalom Jones y los esclavos, pero no hablamos de los trabajadores chinos, y tampoco de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos o de la historia de los indios (los Primeros Americanos); que no encontraron una iglesia que los aceptara y abrazara.
La tercera y última razón de que un determinado país utilizara la colonización, era la guerra. Los países europeos gastaban mucho dinero para defenderse. Entonces, necesitaban buscar riquezas en otros países del mundo para llenar de grandes tesoros sus arcas, con destino a financiar guerras que llevaban adelante.
No tenemos guerras en la iglesia, pero creo que el paralelo es tan negativo como eso. Creo que tenemos interés en las iglesias étnicas si son iguales a nosotros en tradición, música, liturgia, y oración. Creo que las queremos si van a ser más poderosos en el futuro, pero no estamos interesados en ellas, si eso va a costar mucho, si va a ser demasiado caro el precio que tendremos que pagar. Las queremos si esas iglesias étnicas van a proteger nuestro poder. Pero hay un problema con esto, si tenemos en mente que nuestro estado y nuestro país, están cambiando muy rápido. Y en el futuro, no voy a ser parte de la mayoría.
Y además, quiero reconocer que hay dos ideas teológicas más, que son ejemplos del problema de la colonización, específicamente en nuestra iglesia. Hay dos ideas teológicas y Anglicanas que son raíz en tema de la colonización.
La primera, es la mentira sobre que hay una sola tradición, una sola comunidad, y una sola práctica; y que, si las empleamos, vamos a mantener la unidad de la iglesia. En su libro Whose Justice? Whose Rationality?, Alasdair McIntyre escribió que las prácticas, la historia, y la fe de una comunidad nacen de una forma particular dentro de una comunidad, y que nadie puede reproducir el ambiente donde nació, sin el vocabulario adecuado de las prácticas, la historia, y la fe.[2]
El Anglicanismo es un buen ejemplo. Por siglos hemos mantenido que, por nacer con la colonización, todas las prácticas dentro de cada lugar o contexto, en cada país de la colonización, deben de ser las mismas. Pero esto, no es verdad. Cuando los avances en el transporte y la tecnología lograron hacer un mundo donde todos estamos más cerca el uno del otro, descubrimos que sí, que todos somos Anglicanos; pero no tenemos las mismas prácticas y las mismas tradiciones.
Los anglicanos tenemos una tradición de ocupar un lugar en el contexto del país que nos recibe. Y cuando la gente de un país emigra, típicamente existe la idea de que los recién llegados necesitan adecuarse a la gente de la región. Seguramente, con una excepción, la de la conquista.
En otras palabras, los que tienen el poder dentro de un contexto, cuando hay personas nuevas (sean o no anglicanos), hacen que sea un requisito, que los nuevos cambien su tradición para integrarse.
Este es un ejemplo en donde vemos que la idea de una buena misión es la que depende del contexto; pero cuando enfrentamos cambios gigantescos en una comunidad, hay problemas, porque la iglesia local no puede adaptarse a los cambios. Es posible que la estructura de la institución pueda perder por el momento la misión.
Ahora, tenemos uno de estos momentos en la Iglesia Episcopal.
Las estructuras de la iglesia, los que tienen el poder y las autoridades, no están preparados para los cambios que vienen, y esto, porque todavía no ha cambiado nuestra idea de una iglesia de colonización, y no podemos ver las acciones de Dios en nuestro presente.
En los años venideros, vamos a experimentar un gran cambio y los anglosajones, van a ser una minoría dentro de nuestro país. Existe la posibilidad, de que ningún grupo en particular tenga el 51% (cincuenta y uno por ciento) de la población, sino que vamos a vivir en una cultura verdaderamente mezclada, sin mayorías.
Pero creemos, y continuamos practicando la misión colonial, que demanda que la mayoría del futuro necesite integrarse y perder su identidad, en el proceso de someterse en el presente.
Se puede ver esto en la mala interpretación de las ideas de San Pablo sobre el cuerpo de Cristo. Tenemos un concepto en nuestra teología, donde profesamos que la iglesia es el Cuerpo de Cristo. Tenemos muchos ejemplos donde podemos reconocer la realidad de este concepto espiritual.
Es verdad que somos partes del Cuerpo de Cristo. La Iglesia Católica es el cuerpo, una parte del mismo es la Comunión Anglicana, y partes de la comunión son las provincias, y unas partes de esas provincias son las diócesis, y parte de las diócesis son las iglesias y dentro de esas iglesias, están nuestros miembros.[3]
Y podemos decir al mundo que no vamos a tener desconocidos dentro del Cuerpo de Cristo. La suposición es que todos son partes del mismo cuerpo. Pero nadie reconoce las preguntas y cuestiones que afectan esta idea teológica.
Llevamos adelante a nuestra misión, con la idea de que podemos existir en la misma área geográfica, pero al mismo tiempo, alabar en templos separados. De esta manera, evitamos hacer el trabajo más difícil. ¿Cómo vamos a estar juntos cuando no tenemos las mismas ideas, no somos de la misma etnia, y no practicamos nuestra fe con la misma lengua, música, u oraciones?
La presión de este trabajo es muy dura, y en el pasado la iglesia y sus clérigos, no querían hacer este trabajo, entonces, su misión era una que dependía de la integración de la gente, y si no se integraban, decíamos que podían buscar otra iglesia. Pero de esta manera, solamente vamos a tener iglesias que son, por ejemplo, iglesias con anglosajones por un lado e iglesias con latinos por el otro.
Pero Dios esta cambiando nuestro mundo. Y hay dos tipos de trabajo en nuestro camino, dos tipos de misión que necesitamos reconocer.
¿Es posible que los sordos puedan oír, que los mudos puedan hablar o que los ciegos recuperen la vista?
Este discurso me recuerda un pasaje en el leccionario, el Evangelio de San Marcos, que estamos leyendo ahora.
El problema con el leccionario es que no tenemos -- la comunidad no la tiene-- no tiene la oportunidad de leer el evangelio como un todo, como un historia. Leemos por partes, cada domingo.
Pero cuando damos un paso atrás, podemos ver la historia completa y como un todo, podemos ver que San Marcos esta identificando los eventos en una manera que puede ayudarnos con nuestros retos de estos días.
Yo creo que el Evangelio de San Marcos tiene una visión que es posible para la iglesia de hoy. Pero si no aceptamos esta visión, dios quebrará el bloque que hemos creado para descubrir soluciones para los problemas que están presentándose dentro de la iglesia y la cultura.
Yo creo que esta época para la iglesia lleva los mismos peligros y las mismas oportunidades que la iglesia experimentó durante la reforma. La iglesia no podía encontrar nuevas estructuras para lidear con nuevos acontecimientos sociales. El resultado fue la fractura de la iglesia y la proliferación de denominaciones que perdura hasta hoy.
Podemos ver que hay un camino marcado en el evangelio – en los planes de Dios, en el Reino de Dios, en la misión de Cristo Jesús. Hay una camino, y es posible, como le sucedió a los judíos contemporáneos a Jesús, que podamos fallar.
En los primeros capítulos, podemos ver que hay mucha gente que esta interesada en el ministerio de Jesús, primero son los discípulos y después muchos otros judíos se suman. Pero en los siguientes capítulos la gente tiene más confrontaciones con Jesús. Sí, Jesús puede hacer exorcismos y sanar a muchos, pero, se les hace más difícil entender.
Los discípulos tienen, a medida que pasan los capítulos, más y más dificultad en entender lo que está sucediendo a su alrededor, no pueden entender la misión del reino de Dios, no entienden el secreto mesiánico.
En los últimos capítulos del evangelio, podemos leer que los judíos y los discípulos no pueden oír, no pueden ver, no pueden hablar de las cosas del Reino de Dios. Simplemente, no entienden que ha pasado.
En el capitulo final encontramos, ¡y parece imposible! ¡que los discípulos no hablan con nadie!
Dice la escritura: Temblorosas y desconcertadas, las mujeres salieron huyendo del sepulcro. No dijeron nada a nadie, porque tenían miedo.
Pero cuando leemos que está sucediendo con los gentiles tenemos una reacción muy diferente en contraste con los discursos de Jesús y su ministerio.
¡Es con los gentiles! Cuando leemos el evangelio de Marcos, podemos ver que el reino de dios está arraigándose en las vidas de los que están afuera de la religión de los judíos.
Leemos que en sus vidas los oídos pueden escuchar, los ojos están abiertos y pueden ver, y sus lenguas están destrabadas. Como dice en la escritura (Marcos 7): Con esto, Jesús le abrió los oídos al hombre, se le destrabó la lengua y comenzó a hablar normalmente.
Mientras los judíos y los discípulos sufrían un tiempo muy difícil, los gentiles experimentaban una vida nueva. Joel Marcus, un profesor, dice que en cada capitulo de San Marcos es donde se puede con mayor claridad, que el reino de dios tiene mayor fuerza en las vidas de los que están afuera de la comunidad de los judíos.[4]
Y en el último capítulo, el 15 de San Marcos, es el centurión, no los discípulos, el que dice las palabras de fe: Y el centurión, que estaba frente a Jesús, al oír el grito y ver cómo murió, dijo: “¡Verdaderamente este hombre era el Hijo de Dios!”
Yo creo que las escrituras, y el evangelio de San Marcos en particular, tienen un mensaje muy claro para la iglesia, para las estructuras de la iglesia, y este mensaje es que Dios, va a extender su mano y va a abrazar a su pueblo, su gente.
Y la escritura es clara, que Dios va a hacer este trabajo con su Espíritu en Cristo Jesús, y estamos invitados a ser compañeros con Dios en la construcción de su Reino.
Dios va a hacer su Reino, con o sin la iglesia. Y además, creo que muchas veces esto ocurre… a pesar de la iglesia.
El Reto de Dios para las Iglesias Anglicanas
El Reto de Dios que propone Dios a las iglesias anglicanas es que necesitamos usar las partes, los beneficios, lo más bueno de nuestra historia, nuestra tradición, y liturgia para el futuro Reino de Dios.
La realidad, es que Dios nos ha dado un regalo, la oportunidad a hacer la misión del evangelio con una visión que todos que podemos hacer. Y yo creo que es tiempo para aceptar el reto.
Necesitamos tener iglesias que sean multiculturales, con personas diversas de etnias diferentes, representado a la comunidad, trabajando juntos y construyendo el reino de Dios. También necesitamos tener iglesias, en las que la mayoría sean latinos, o chinos, o africanos.
Y que los dos tipos de iglesia trabajen juntos.
De esa manera la iglesia puede responder fielmente al presente. Es la manera que la iglesia puede ser diversa y étnica dentro un cultura variada
El ministerio de la iglesia necesita ser un lugar donde las ideas teológicas, lo mejor del anglicanismo, puedan crecer y construir con Dios, Su reino.
Hay Tropiezos y Peligros.
Hay tropiezos en el camino hacia la resolución de nuestro reto. También hay peligros en ese camino.
Aquí son los más importantes.
Sin la habilidad para superar estas dificultades específicas, no tendremos éxito.
Parte del trabajo es por consecuencia, identificar las piedras con las que tropezaremos, y de esa manera, cuando las enfrentemos, lo sabremos de antemano, las identificaremos, y les responderemos con honradez.
La primera piedra en el camino, son las diferencias culturales entre las iglesias anglosajonas y las latinas, y las iglesias de los latinos, que se autos-segregan por clase y nacionalidad.
Es difícil evitar, que los rumores, las ideas falsas acerca de nuestras culturas y costumbres, o las pláticas política creen cajas alrededor de lo que hacemos y cómo nos relacionamos, los unos con los otros.
En el proceso de enfrentar a nuestras diferencias culturales, debemos aprender la cultura de cada uno de los otros. Esto requerirá intencionalidad.
No podemos continuar empleando a clérigos en congregaciones parroquiales, que no gozan y aman la cultura del latino.
No es suficiente aprender español. Podemos hablar español y aún así, inadvertidamente, podemos continuar practicando una misión colonial.
Verdaderamente debemos estar interesados en la cultura, y debemos disfrutar del descubrimiento de los matices y las tensiones que hacen diferente y únicos a los países de Latinoamérica.
Tal franqueza y tal aprecio verdadero, conducirán a una interacción muy auténtica con lo que fue creado por Dios y por él llamado bueno.
La segunda piedra con que tropezaremos en el camino, es que hay falta de confianza o falta de fe, en cada uno de nosotros. Esto está arraigado del lado anglosajón, por las preocupaciones acerca de la inmigración y los números de las culturas y las razas. Por el lado del latino, por el poder de la oficina del obispo que en el pasado, ha cerrado congregaciones, y ha extraído recursos de esas congregaciones parroquiales, succionándolos sin consultarle a la gente. Enmendar nuestro comportamiento es la única manera para restaurar la confianza.
La tercera piedra, es la actitud. No podemos unirnos para afrontar la responsabilidad de responder al reto de Dios en el ministerio, no podemos hacerlo, porque tenemos miedo. No podemos hacerlo solo porque, es lo que debemos hacer. Tenemos que estar unidos para responsabilizarnos por enfrentar el reto de Dios, porque así lo creemos; reconociendo el poder mayor de su gracia, que somos invitados a participar en la edificación del reino de Dios. Debemos hacerlo para glorificar a Dios, al único Dios.
Tenemos que creer en lo que vendemos. Hemos de creer que hay esperanza. Necesitamos creer que no estamos perdidos y siempre hay una resurrección. Todavía nos falta creer que Dios proveerá, lo cual me conduce al siguiente tema.
El cuarto obstáculo es la falta de una red de recursos. La iglesia se vuelve cada vez más dividida y el hecho la desata el poder de relaciones, las conexiones, y el dinero. Vamos a tener que llevar adelante la ardua tarea de conocer a la gente dentro de nuestras comunidades y trabajar en las relaciones, para el beneficio de toda la comunidad. La persona que no es de la iglesia es el mejor recurso, o aún más, el único recurso. Las personas que llegan a nosotros están esperando que nosotros conozcamos a las personas que debemos conocer, que sepamos como hacer las cosas y que sepamos adonde enviarlos en su viaje. No solamente es necesario que hagamos mejores las vidas de las personas en particular. Tenemos que hacer una diferencia en el mundo que está a nuestro derredor. Y, así como centramos interiormente la atención en el trabajo dentro de nuestras congregaciones parroquiales, lo mismo dejar saber la dirección del trabajo que Dios está haciendo en el exterior. Dios ya maneja las redes. Dios ya maneja relaciones. Mi Dios, a través de su Espíritu Santo, se abre paso. Tenemos que salir al camino, y caminar con Jesús en el mundo exterior.
No sabemos como la gente lucha contra las maldades reales. Porque estamos muy desconectados de las comunidades a nuestro alrededor, de la realidad étnica diversa que está tomando forma. No tenemos ni idea acerca de cuales son las necesidades de la comunidad. No podemos hacernos responsables por cada necesidad, ni lo deberíamos hacer. Sin embargo, podemos hacer una diferencia. Hay algo que podemos hacer. Hay algo en los problemas comunitarios donde podemos hacer una diferencia. Dos necesidades, dos derechos, hoy en día, son las grandes preocupaciones para nuestras comunidades latinas. El primero es sueldo básico, y la seguridad de que los que emplean a trabajadores inmigrantes o a los jornaleros paguen lo que le prometen. El segundo es, la asistencia médica para la salud. Nosotros hemos conseguido ocuparnos de los temas de asistencia médica de este país. Hemos conseguido comenzar a escuchar al pueblo de Dios. Ustedes y yo debemos hacer el trabajo que se debe hacer, para descubrir las necesidades reales del pueblo de Dios, y expresarlas al mundo. Y de esa manera, no podemos tener miedo al expresarnos públicamente y hacer una diferencia.
El último obstáculo, es la comunicación. No nos comunicamos bien como una iglesia. No nos comunicamos bien dentro de la comunidad del anglosajón, así es que no es ninguna sorpresa, que tampoco nos comuniquemos bien dentro de la comunidad Latina. Comuníquense, comuníquense, comuníquense. Tenemos que hablarnos el uno al otro. Tenemos que escuchar primero, pero también tenemos que comunicar. Esto es difícil, debido a los desafíos entre las comunidades, en que una lucha por establecerse y la otra esta todavía en transición, y una comunidad cuyas partes integrantes son inmigrantes ilegales. No obstante, la visión de la Sagrada Escritura predica el Evangelio para todo el mundo. Nosotros, hemos logrado comprender el tremendo reto que esto nos plantea.
Como dije más arriba, hay algunos peligros reales que tratarán de detener nuestro camino por el ministerio. Si no somos precavidos, hacia los comportamientos y nuestras propias tendencias pecaminosas, guardaremos la porción del reino que nos toca construir.
Nosotros, los anglosajones, no podemos creer que el ministerio multicultural enmiende el pasado y solucione todos nuestros problemas. No podemos creer que la maldad sutil cree un crisol de culturas donde tenemos previsto mantener el poder. Nosotros en nuestra iglesia, no podemos continuar las costumbres de nuestros antepasados, no podemos mantener la mayoría de liderazgo, y no podemos ignorar la diversidad que crece en nuestras ciudades. No podemos escondernos de las necesidades reales de ministerio que existen en nuestro país, esos que se nos han dado como desafíos por parte de Dios, al continuar requiriendo simplemente la integración en nuestras iglesias.
El ministerio multicultural es sólo una forma de responder a las complejidades del desafío que Dios tiene para nosotros. El multiculturalismo no es una solución para nuestros problemas.
Sólo el poder real compartido, cambios reales en el liderazgo, los cambios reales en la actitud y una conquista de nuestras piedras en el camino, harán una diferencia. A las herramientas multiculturales les gusta que la ayuda del caleidoscopio cumpla los requisitos mínimos del reino de Dios. Debemos buscar participación fuertemente saludable y vibrante para todas nuestras culturas. La mayor entre éstas, son nuestros hermanos y hermanas del mundo latino.
Otro peligro real, es creer que la manera en que hemos hecho misión y en las congregaciones donde ha surtido el efecto, es lo mejor para futuro indicado por la realidad cultural cambiante a nuestro derredor. Hemos tenido algunos errores fundamentales, lo cuál, honestamente debemos reconocer. Algunos de esos errores tuvieron el efecto de hacer congregaciones. Un ejemplo, es el de las parroquias Indias de la Nación India. Ahora tenemos una iglesia muy identificada con las indígenas que es autosuficiente y próspera en el área de Houston. Sin embargo, no es de nuestra iglesia. Debemos buscar las mejores prácticas entre nosotros y sintetizarlas para hacer lo mejor en nuestras misiones y congregaciones. Todos nosotros, debemos estar dispuestos a hacer las cosas de una mejor manera. La excelencia y la belleza glorifican a Dios, y estos rasgos deben ser los rasgos de nuestro ministerio a través de cada etnia. Debemos hacer lo mejor que se pueda, utilizando lo mejor del pasado, adaptándolo para el campo actual de misión y yendo siempre hacia adelante.
Otro peligro, es creer que estamos dispuestos a hacer esto hoy, sin dejar la carga de los pecados pasados. Como anglosajones, debemos encontrar la manera de confesar nuestros pecados de racismo que por siempre han sujetado con grilletes el Reino de Dios, y han sido una piedra de molino, alrededor del nuestros cuellos. Vamos a tener que confesar nuestros pecados en contra de nuestras hermanas y hermanos afroamericanos, sujetados a la esclavitud.
Del mismo modo, también debemos estar dispuestos a disculparnos, a confesarnos, y buscar arrepentimiento para la forma en que tratamos a los pueblos de los indígenas del Suroeste, a los latinoamericanos que se han convertido en la columna vertebral de nuestra vida agrícola, como trabajadores migratorios, esclavos, jornaleros, y sin mencionar la tierra que le hemos quitado poco a poco.
Sin embargo discutiblemente los terrenos y otras formas de explotación fueron dados por acuerdos entre dos poderes colonizadores. No obstante, debemos darnos cuenta de que los pecados del pasado han hecho posibles muchas vidas y muchas personas ricas.
El último peligro que nos acecha, es el peligro de la autodeterminación. Éste fue un regalo brindado en las garantías constitucionales de nuestro país. El regalo del acceso a la autodeterminación y el completar los derechos garantizados por la constitución fue una consigna de 1960. Nuestras estructuras y nuestros líderes del pasado usaron la autodeterminación para decir que no tenemos que molestarnos por las gentes diferentes. En gran parte esta falta de asociación, esta falta de relación, llevó a la destrucción casi completa de la presencia afroamericana dentro de la Iglesia Episcopal. Las personas hoy dirán que nunca hicimos un buen camino con los Americanos de descendencia africana en la Iglesia Episcopal. Eso no es cierto. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo, una mayoría de los africanos americanos se ha convertido en un número del todo pequeño.
Hacemos lo mismo con nuestras congregaciones latinas de hoy en día. Debemos darnos cuenta de la importancia de nuestra asociación. Simplemente no podemos usar la idea y el lenguaje de la autodeterminación y no podemos ayudar a nuestras congregaciones a tomar medidas futuras. Nosotros, los que poseemos el poder, debemos compartir nuestro poder, nuestra autoridad y nuestros presupuestos, para asociarnos con Dios y con las muchas personas a las que él convoca, para ayudar a fortalecer el mismo Reino de Dios.
Debemos construir el Reino de Dios juntos.
Sabemos lo que es preciso hacer. Sabemos que escuchar con cautela es un práctica que debe ser emprendida. Sabemos las actitudes necesarias. Sabemos cual es el nivel de comunicación requerida.
Debemos compartir nuestro poder y debemos involucrarnos en relaciones auténticas los unos con los otros. Debemos enfocarnos en un esfuerzo común en el trabajo que tenemos por delante de nosotros. No podemos dejar a ninguna piedra para tropezarnos, en el medio de nuestro camino. No podemos dejar que ningún peligro perturbe nuestra atención. Con oídos y ojos abiertos, con lenguas destrabadas, debemos construir el reino de dios juntos.
Utilizar las partes culminantes del anglicanismo. Usar lo mejor de nuestra historia. Depender de una misión que es ya global, y en cada contexto entender que es un recurso enorme. En el ministerio debemos buscar las nuevas asociaciones y debemos emprender el trabajo que tenemos por delante.
Tenemos una misión. Debemos ser una iglesia de muchas etnias, culturas y razas. Debemos dejar que la diversidad de nuestro culto, nuestro testimonio, y nuestro ministerio reflejen la gloria de Dios en cada contexto misionero.
Nuestra iglesia debe ser un lugar donde las personas de cada etnia respeten la dignidad, y la oportunidad que el otro representa.
Debemos hacer una diferencia en este mundo.
Nuestras metas
Para llevar a cabo esta visión, creo que tenemos que comenzar a colocar metas en varias áreas.
Ahora tenemos algunas metas propuestas por nuestra iglesia nacional - localmente esas metas se arraigan en el siguiente trabajo.
Debemos tener una evangelización efectiva. Debemos entender que en cada contexto étnico debemos preguntarnos: ¿cuáles son las mejores formas que las personas deben encontrar en nuestra comunidad una vez que pasan a través de la puerta?
Y ademas, les debemos ayudar a crear una puerta de entrada, aumentando nuestra presencia en la comunidad. Tendremos que comenzar a edificar iglesias dondequiera que las personas de Dios estén. Tendremos que tener en claro como vamos a hacer esto y estar dispuestos a abrir diferentes tipos de iglesias.
Debemos construir un sistema encarnacional donde los valores y prácticas mejores probados entre los pueblos encarnarán y trasmitirán el evangelio. No será suficiente una red electrónica – se necesita una red encarnacional. Podemos hacerlo electrónicamente pero el trabajo real está haciéndose con personas reales, cariñosas y hospitalarias. Debemos estar presentes en nuestra comunidad haciendo una diferencia real en las vidas de las personas.
Debemos mejorar nuestras Comunicaciones. Debemos comunicarnos a lo largo y a lo ancho de nuestro campo de misión, en muchas lenguas, a través de muchas redes de medios de comunicación. Debemos usar las publicaciones locales barriales que están en el lenguaje propio de la gente que allí vive. Debemos darnos cuenta de la tarea de comunicar en todas las lenguas, el Evangelio de Cristo. No podemos reprimirnos de este esfuerzo o no podemos caer en la creencia que la habilidad de la iglesia para hablar una y a veces solo dos lenguas, es suficiente. Debemos hacer de cuentas, que el trabajo es el de los misioneros enviados a estas comunidades realmente diversas, teniendo un mayor alcance y sirviendo, comunicándose y estando conectado, esto será esencial si aceptamos el desafío que Dios nos ha dado.
Finalmente, nuestra tercera meta es reunificar el cuerpo de Cristo. Debemos ocuparnos del trabajo de asociar las diócesis y los ministerios el uno con el otro. Intencionalmente debemos permitir pues, la colaboración esmerada, local de la diócesis. No podemos controlar de manera demasiado apretada al Espíritu Santo con nuestras propias necesidades y así garantizar que nuestro poder es protegido. Debemos ser como Jesús, que viajaba de lugar en lugar para mezclarse y conectarse con las personas de las muchas tribus del pueblo de Israel. Y que además, envió al Espíritu Santo para continuar asociando a las comunidades dispares. Pablo, se pondría al día muy bien con ese trabajo, convirtiéndose en un misionero ambulante, conectando cada lugar a través de toda Asia en un solo cuerpo. No un cuerpo que se separó y se dividió en muchas partes. Sino más bien, un cuerpo, un Cristo, un Señor, cuyo trabajo fue impartido en todo el mundo a través de las muchas obras de sus discípulos.
Conclusión
Quiero concluir con dos últimos comentarios. El primero se trata de Jesús.
Jesús es, como celebramos cada Navidad, Emmanuel, Dios con nosotros. La opción de Dios para la humanidad. Él está con nosotros, a lo largo y ancho de nosotros, y, más que eso, es uno de nosotros – hasta cierto punto y probablemente, nunca entenderemos completamente este lado del cielo.
Entonces, no importa lo que enfrentemos, Dios está con nosotros. Dios está en el centro de todo esto o de esta situación, entre estas y las otras personas, y desea que encuentren vida abundante en él.
Ni estamos nosotros solos, como cristianos, en nuestra vocación para hacer una realidad al cuerpo de Cristo, en todas las situaciones y entre todas las personas: Jesús está con nosotros, mientras tratamos de encontrar a otros en sus necesidades; y al establecer contacto con ellos, también deberíamos esperar encontrarle a Él, a Jesús, ya presente allí.
Jesús es el puente entre cielo y tierra, entre ideales eternos y las limitaciones de la realidad práctica. Porque él es, de forma extraña aún, en cierta forma y simultáneamente, ambas cosas, completamente divino y completamente humano.
Por consiguiente, en Jesús nos damos cuenta de que Dios se dispuso a comprometerse con la situación, por decirlo de alguna manera, remangándose la camisa junto con nosotros, y en condición de ensuciarse las manos.
Esto me da confianza, cuándo estoy enfrentado con la complejidad y lo desordenado de la vida.
Y toda esta apertura, crea más preguntas y más desafíos.
Solamente, en Cristo, en este Cristo encarnado, puedo arriesgarme a ensuciarme las manos también, y no puedo sentirme obligado a salir para buscar a algún perfeccionista de la imposibilidad, a un purista, a un curso de acción que sea, como algunos lo han descrito, tan celestial que ha quedado en desuso.
De este modo, Jesús, presente, encarnado, es, sobre todo, el punto de partida de mi compromiso con las realidades de la vida en mi diócesis y, yo creo, en la iglesia.[5]
La segunda idea que deseo compartir con ustedes en el día de hoy es ésta. No podemos volvernos así en amor, tan enamorados, con la idea del multiculturalismo, o cualquier identidad étnica particular, que desatamos el trabajo real.
Los anglicanos tenemos una gran capacidad para ser atrapados por la teología y el hablar, que las palabras y no las acciones se vuelven sagradas. Tendemos a olvidar que Dios se volvió encarnado para ayudarnos, directamente, en una relación real, hacer el trabajo de restaurar la creación y glorificar a Dios.
Como mi amigo, Pat Gahan hace muy poco tiempo escribió: los cristianos adultos tienen por entendido que debemos amar, sin cualquier cambio. Las comunidades cristianas adultas deben amar hacia afuera de ellas mismas, llevando ese amor a personas reales fuera de la comunidad misma, en la vida real. Debemos hacer presente al cuerpo de Cristo en el mundo.
Thomas Merton, el monje católico, una vez dijo que los seres humanos prefieren a la idea del amor, en vez de la realidad de amar, a sus hermanos y hermanas. No podemos amar tanto a la idea del multiculturalismo, que por ello no actuemos y no nos unamos a Dios en la tarea de edificar su reino.
El desafío o el reto del anglicanismo, es nada más y nada menos, que el reto de Dios para construir su Reino.
Dios derribará cada obstáculo, y pasaremos a través de cada puerta que encontremos cerrada. Él no estará detenido por la mayoría de seguidores fieles. Dios tiene la intención de construir el reino de Dios.
Debemos estar abiertos. No más ceguera, no más sordera, nuestros diferentes idiomas deben encontrar soluciones, no podemos paralizarnos, debemos unirnos a Dios en este esfuerzo.
Debemos ayudar a Dios, a construir el Reino.
[1] Glossary for Footnotes: BK Bruce Kay, “Whose Colonialism? Whose Empire?” JD Joseph F. Duggan, “The Postcolonial Paradox: Becoming less than whole(s) producing parts that exclude other parts.” TM Thabo Makgoba, “Politics and the Church: Acting Incarnationally.”
[2] BK
[3] JD
[4] Joel Marcus, Anchor Bible Commentary on Mark.
[5] TM
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
South by Southwest Missionary Opportunity
I need your help. Merrill Wade, rector of St. Matthew's in Austin, has a great idea:
Each spring the South by Southwest Festival is a major event bringing musicians, filmmakers and others to Austin.
One of the facets of the music component of the Festival, apart from the some 1,500 bands that play all over creation, is daily presentations at the Austin Convention Center for the musicians and those in the music industry.
Most of the presentations are in the form of panel discussions. The panel discussions cover almost any music issue you can imagine.
Here is the part we need help with: panel presenters’ make application with South by Southwest and are chosen, in part, by the support the suggested panel receives from the public, in form of votes and comments on the idea.
Merrill Wade has applied to present the following topic, Spirituality for Nomads.
His goal is to use that hour to describe classical spirituality and to lay groundwork for travelling musicians to order their lives around some useful spiritual practices.
Linking to the proposed presentation on the South by Southwest website is a bit tricky, here is our best bet at directing you.
1. Go to the link: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/
2. Once you get to the link, scroll to the bottom and click on the SXSW Music Conference programming proposals link.
3. This is where it gets tricky. There is a Search feature for you to type Merrill's name into to find his actual proposal, (Merrill Wade) which is necessary because the SXSW website constantly scrambles the location of the proposals. You will never find the proposal in the same place twice.
4. Suggestion: that you do NOT use the Search blank but click on the Search Options link just to the right of it, which is more reliable. Type his name into the space for Organizer and my proposal will come up. Click on the proposal title and you can see what I am doing. At that point, you will be required to register in order to vote. It is quick and easy.
5. Help by voting thumbs up as often as you are willing. Also, post comments and questions for me about the proposal itself on the blog space at the bottom of my proposal. And bookmark my page and you don’t have to go through all of the above again.
South By Southwest expects its applicants to show initiative in getting their panel presentations approved. So, please give me a hand!
So, lets get Merrill a place on the ticket....lets get the Diocese of Texas a voice at South by Southwest!
Each spring the South by Southwest Festival is a major event bringing musicians, filmmakers and others to Austin.
One of the facets of the music component of the Festival, apart from the some 1,500 bands that play all over creation, is daily presentations at the Austin Convention Center for the musicians and those in the music industry.
Most of the presentations are in the form of panel discussions. The panel discussions cover almost any music issue you can imagine.
Here is the part we need help with: panel presenters’ make application with South by Southwest and are chosen, in part, by the support the suggested panel receives from the public, in form of votes and comments on the idea.
Merrill Wade has applied to present the following topic, Spirituality for Nomads.
His goal is to use that hour to describe classical spirituality and to lay groundwork for travelling musicians to order their lives around some useful spiritual practices.
Linking to the proposed presentation on the South by Southwest website is a bit tricky, here is our best bet at directing you.
1. Go to the link: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/
2. Once you get to the link, scroll to the bottom and click on the SXSW Music Conference programming proposals link.
3. This is where it gets tricky. There is a Search feature for you to type Merrill's name into to find his actual proposal, (Merrill Wade) which is necessary because the SXSW website constantly scrambles the location of the proposals. You will never find the proposal in the same place twice.
4. Suggestion: that you do NOT use the Search blank but click on the Search Options link just to the right of it, which is more reliable. Type his name into the space for Organizer and my proposal will come up. Click on the proposal title and you can see what I am doing. At that point, you will be required to register in order to vote. It is quick and easy.
5. Help by voting thumbs up as often as you are willing. Also, post comments and questions for me about the proposal itself on the blog space at the bottom of my proposal. And bookmark my page and you don’t have to go through all of the above again.
South By Southwest expects its applicants to show initiative in getting their panel presentations approved. So, please give me a hand!
So, lets get Merrill a place on the ticket....lets get the Diocese of Texas a voice at South by Southwest!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
September Calendar
1 Province VII Hispanic Clergy Conference, Austin
2 10:00 a.m. Program Group, Diocesan Center, Houston
10:30 a.m. SLEHC Grants Evaluation Committee Meeting, Houston
6:00 p.m. Morgan Allen Celebration of New Ministry, Good Shepherd, Austin
4 9:00 a.m. Congregational Development Retreat, Camp Allen
6 10:00 a.m. San Francisco de Asis, Austin CF
8 4:00 p.m. EHS Board of Trustees Meeting, Houston
9 10:00 a.m. Church Corporation Meeting, Diocesan Center, Houston
6:00 p.m. Grace, Georgetown
10 7:30 a.m. SLEHC Board Meeting, Diocesan Center, Houston
12:00 p.m. Mission Funding Advisory Committee Meeting, Diocesan Center
11 9:30 a.m. Initial Planning Meeting/EDOT Strategic Plan, Christ Church Cathedral
13 9:30 a.m. St. Matthew’s, Austin CF
15 1:30 p.m. Community of Hope Meeting, Camp Allen
3:00 p.m. Bishops’ Meeting, Camp Allen
5:00 p.m. Executive Board, Camp Allen
16 10:00 a.m. Executive Board, Camp Allen
6:00 p.m. Dinner with Rising Sr. Seminarians, Camp Allen
17 10:00 a.m. Bishop Quin Foundation Meeting, Diocesan Center
19 9:00 a.m. DOK Assembly – Keynote Speaker, Camp Allen
20 10:45 a.m. St. Mark’s, Bay City CF
4:00 p.m. Christ Church, Matagorda CF
22-23 Blandy Lectures, SSW, Austin
24-October 7 Compass Rose Annual Meeting, London
2 10:00 a.m. Program Group, Diocesan Center, Houston
10:30 a.m. SLEHC Grants Evaluation Committee Meeting, Houston
6:00 p.m. Morgan Allen Celebration of New Ministry, Good Shepherd, Austin
4 9:00 a.m. Congregational Development Retreat, Camp Allen
6 10:00 a.m. San Francisco de Asis, Austin CF
8 4:00 p.m. EHS Board of Trustees Meeting, Houston
9 10:00 a.m. Church Corporation Meeting, Diocesan Center, Houston
6:00 p.m. Grace, Georgetown
10 7:30 a.m. SLEHC Board Meeting, Diocesan Center, Houston
12:00 p.m. Mission Funding Advisory Committee Meeting, Diocesan Center
11 9:30 a.m. Initial Planning Meeting/EDOT Strategic Plan, Christ Church Cathedral
13 9:30 a.m. St. Matthew’s, Austin CF
15 1:30 p.m. Community of Hope Meeting, Camp Allen
3:00 p.m. Bishops’ Meeting, Camp Allen
5:00 p.m. Executive Board, Camp Allen
16 10:00 a.m. Executive Board, Camp Allen
6:00 p.m. Dinner with Rising Sr. Seminarians, Camp Allen
17 10:00 a.m. Bishop Quin Foundation Meeting, Diocesan Center
19 9:00 a.m. DOK Assembly – Keynote Speaker, Camp Allen
20 10:45 a.m. St. Mark’s, Bay City CF
4:00 p.m. Christ Church, Matagorda CF
22-23 Blandy Lectures, SSW, Austin
24-October 7 Compass Rose Annual Meeting, London
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Work of Glorifying God Extends to How We Treat One Another
On the blog experimentaltheology Richard Beck posted a reflection called The Bait and Switch of Contemporary Christianity, wherein he wrote: "The trouble with contemporary Christianity is that a massive bait and switch is going on. ‘Christianity’ has essentially become a mechanism for allowing millions of people to replace being a decent human being with some endorsed ‘spiritual’ substitute."
As an example he recalls waiting tables: "The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth."
Beck’s article implies that the first followers of Jesus were about transformation and being different, better human beings, examples of a better way of treating one another within a larger culture. Perhaps the change has occurred since most of the earliest followers of Jesus were those who served rather than were served, in America the opposite is probably true today. (Beck is the Associate Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University. The entire article can be found at http://www.experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/).
Beck’s observations are not novel, though they may be difficult to internalize. We can either be angry then dismiss the observation, or we can honor them as a reflection of how some Christians act and therefore how many Christians are perceived.
In rereading The Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, I was reminded that the first use of "Christian" in the Bible is as a noun and not as an adjective. Author Rob Bell makes a good case for this. Being a Christian is about being a particular way--a better person--a decent or good human being. Traditionally we have called this "virtue."
It reminded me of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. One of Paul’s shortest, the letter is addressed to the infant church at Colossae in the Lycus Valley in Asia. This was a new congregation started by followers of Jesus, inspired by Paul’s mission to Ephesus and it was in trouble. There was some false teaching going on.
Scholars believe this false teaching distinguished itself within the church community of Colassae directing individuals to hold, act and impart certain teachings in order to be considered true members with the real tradition. The emphasis in Colossae focused on particular practices necessary to receive the unveiling of heavenly mysteries. What strikes me as interesting is in the midst of pressure to discern rightly Paul reminds the Colossians that the traditions that matter are those given by Christ himself and that they should engage in following the traditions embodied in the life of Christ.
Paul teaches them (3:12) the way of Jesus, the manner of being followers of Jesus. Not surprisingly the work Paul offers the Colossians as spiritual disciplines might be the type of spiritual development that would actually make us better, more decent, human beings. Paul says we should be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient. We should think of others and support them. We should forgive one another, in the manner that God forgives us. We should be loving. Paul says that the love of Christ binds everything. Christ’s peace dwells in our hearts if we allow it.
Paul concludes this portion of his letter by saying, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (3.17)
Paul reminds me that the work of the Church is to first, glorify God through the singing of hymns, prayers, psalms, and remembering the breaking of Christ’s body for the world. What we learn from Paul, and soon discover in our own life, is that this work of glorifying God extends to how we treat one another: family, friends, neighbors…waiters, waitresses, and those who wait on us…the servants of all. We participate, as partners with Christ, in the restoration of creation by acting as Christ in the world, that includes restaurants and with people we don’t know.
Becoming a virtuous person, a "decent human being" is our personal Christian work and it is the work of discipleship where we help others live a more virtuous life.
This Fall, let us be willing to engage in spiritual disciplines, ministries and worship that change, that transform who we are…that make us better people. As C. S. Lewis once remarked, let us be about the work of restoring and recreating one another as the embodiment of Christ in the world. That is the work of the Church, each of our congregations and each and everyone of us.
As an example he recalls waiting tables: "The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth."
Beck’s article implies that the first followers of Jesus were about transformation and being different, better human beings, examples of a better way of treating one another within a larger culture. Perhaps the change has occurred since most of the earliest followers of Jesus were those who served rather than were served, in America the opposite is probably true today. (Beck is the Associate Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University. The entire article can be found at http://www.experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/).
Beck’s observations are not novel, though they may be difficult to internalize. We can either be angry then dismiss the observation, or we can honor them as a reflection of how some Christians act and therefore how many Christians are perceived.
In rereading The Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, I was reminded that the first use of "Christian" in the Bible is as a noun and not as an adjective. Author Rob Bell makes a good case for this. Being a Christian is about being a particular way--a better person--a decent or good human being. Traditionally we have called this "virtue."
It reminded me of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. One of Paul’s shortest, the letter is addressed to the infant church at Colossae in the Lycus Valley in Asia. This was a new congregation started by followers of Jesus, inspired by Paul’s mission to Ephesus and it was in trouble. There was some false teaching going on.
Scholars believe this false teaching distinguished itself within the church community of Colassae directing individuals to hold, act and impart certain teachings in order to be considered true members with the real tradition. The emphasis in Colossae focused on particular practices necessary to receive the unveiling of heavenly mysteries. What strikes me as interesting is in the midst of pressure to discern rightly Paul reminds the Colossians that the traditions that matter are those given by Christ himself and that they should engage in following the traditions embodied in the life of Christ.
Paul teaches them (3:12) the way of Jesus, the manner of being followers of Jesus. Not surprisingly the work Paul offers the Colossians as spiritual disciplines might be the type of spiritual development that would actually make us better, more decent, human beings. Paul says we should be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient. We should think of others and support them. We should forgive one another, in the manner that God forgives us. We should be loving. Paul says that the love of Christ binds everything. Christ’s peace dwells in our hearts if we allow it.
Paul concludes this portion of his letter by saying, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (3.17)
Paul reminds me that the work of the Church is to first, glorify God through the singing of hymns, prayers, psalms, and remembering the breaking of Christ’s body for the world. What we learn from Paul, and soon discover in our own life, is that this work of glorifying God extends to how we treat one another: family, friends, neighbors…waiters, waitresses, and those who wait on us…the servants of all. We participate, as partners with Christ, in the restoration of creation by acting as Christ in the world, that includes restaurants and with people we don’t know.
Becoming a virtuous person, a "decent human being" is our personal Christian work and it is the work of discipleship where we help others live a more virtuous life.
This Fall, let us be willing to engage in spiritual disciplines, ministries and worship that change, that transform who we are…that make us better people. As C. S. Lewis once remarked, let us be about the work of restoring and recreating one another as the embodiment of Christ in the world. That is the work of the Church, each of our congregations and each and everyone of us.
Friday, August 14, 2009
2010 Mission Funding Video
Click on the link to download the new Diocese of Texas Mission Funding Video.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A Statement from Anaheim after CO56
I believe we have all had a couple of tough days in the House of Bishops.
We’ve been debating and passed D025, "Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion," in the House of Bishops, and yesterday C056, "Liturgy For Blessings", in a substitute amendment was passed.
I want to say a couple of things about the process.
As a deputation we have worked hard to talk honestly about our responses and feelings to the events surrounding the Convention. We have met regularly for a caucus and for fellowship and for prayer. I believe this has been essential to our life lived together in this place. The deputation is so very diverse that I hope we are modeling how our life can be when we return.
The legislative process has been wholly unsatisfactory for me and a number of other bishops. I spoke to the "discharge" motion yesterday because I believe the House of Bishops has in its power to make decisions and take actions through pastoral letters to the church without the House of Deputies. And, on issues as divisive as sexuality it is imperative that the Bishops be willing to speak to the whole church, the whole flock, across political lines. Win or loose resolutions do not accomplish the unity that Jesus prayed to God to grant his disciples.
On Tuesday, I felt as though there was no place for me that might hear my voice because of the legislative process, I found myself very frustrated. I did not feel that there was room for a moderate voice. I was not the only one and the Presiding Bishop announced that a group of bishops were going to gather that night. I joined in.
It was a diverse group of 26 bishops. We each took turns telling our story and speaking about the unique missionary context in which we do ministry, the repurcusions of our actions, and how we felt about the work before us.
This was an important time for me because it gave me the opportunity to be very clear about who we are in the Diocese of Texas. I shared with them my very clear commitment to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Windsor Process, and the Covenant Process. I also shared with them that we are a diverse diocese in our opinions on sexuality issues, though a clear majority of our members continue to reaffirm a traditional understanding of marriage and a commitment to the processes I outlined above.
The substitute resolution that was written after the group met was not materially different than the original. The words that I felt should be removed in order to continue to honor our commitment to the Anglican Communion were not removed. So, I did not vote in favor.
The process though was helpful and it was a process where by I felt as though people of the broader Episcopal Church were able to hear your voices from within the Diocese of Texas.
I voted against passage of both DO25 and CO56, Dena voted against both, and Rayford voted against DO25 and for CO56.
Both resolutions (DO25 and CO56) will, I am most certain, place strain on the Anglican Communion. Reactions I've received support this belief. However, we need to give the communion time to respond, and we need to listen to our Archbishop as he speaks to us about his thoughts and reflections on the events of General Convention.
My [no] votes represent where I believe the majority of our diocese is right now; though I know it does not reflect the totality of who we are as a community. Press releases, news stories, and magazine articles can never carry the fullness of that reality, nor can they capture my desire to be shepherd to all my sheep in the diocese.
We remain part of the Episcopal Church. That’s my stance. I also intend to maintain the same balance as Don Wimberly, that we also remain active, constituent, members of the Anglican Communion.
I am committed to the Windsor Report recommendations and process which include a moratoria on blessings and elections of partnered gay clergy to the office of bishop.
I am committed to the Covenant and a process.
I do this out of a vocation of my heart.
I support a group of bishops who I believe will make a similar statement. I am writing to you directly.
As the bishop of the Diocese of Texas I am letting you know about my votes and the reasons for my votes. And, I am writing to you that you may know my commitment to our life together as one church. And, that you will know of my very clear intention to continue on the Windsor Path and to engage as a Bishop Diocesan in the Covenant process all as a full and active member in the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church.
We’ve been debating and passed D025, "Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion," in the House of Bishops, and yesterday C056, "Liturgy For Blessings", in a substitute amendment was passed.
I want to say a couple of things about the process.
As a deputation we have worked hard to talk honestly about our responses and feelings to the events surrounding the Convention. We have met regularly for a caucus and for fellowship and for prayer. I believe this has been essential to our life lived together in this place. The deputation is so very diverse that I hope we are modeling how our life can be when we return.
The legislative process has been wholly unsatisfactory for me and a number of other bishops. I spoke to the "discharge" motion yesterday because I believe the House of Bishops has in its power to make decisions and take actions through pastoral letters to the church without the House of Deputies. And, on issues as divisive as sexuality it is imperative that the Bishops be willing to speak to the whole church, the whole flock, across political lines. Win or loose resolutions do not accomplish the unity that Jesus prayed to God to grant his disciples.
On Tuesday, I felt as though there was no place for me that might hear my voice because of the legislative process, I found myself very frustrated. I did not feel that there was room for a moderate voice. I was not the only one and the Presiding Bishop announced that a group of bishops were going to gather that night. I joined in.
It was a diverse group of 26 bishops. We each took turns telling our story and speaking about the unique missionary context in which we do ministry, the repurcusions of our actions, and how we felt about the work before us.
This was an important time for me because it gave me the opportunity to be very clear about who we are in the Diocese of Texas. I shared with them my very clear commitment to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Windsor Process, and the Covenant Process. I also shared with them that we are a diverse diocese in our opinions on sexuality issues, though a clear majority of our members continue to reaffirm a traditional understanding of marriage and a commitment to the processes I outlined above.
The substitute resolution that was written after the group met was not materially different than the original. The words that I felt should be removed in order to continue to honor our commitment to the Anglican Communion were not removed. So, I did not vote in favor.
The process though was helpful and it was a process where by I felt as though people of the broader Episcopal Church were able to hear your voices from within the Diocese of Texas.
I voted against passage of both DO25 and CO56, Dena voted against both, and Rayford voted against DO25 and for CO56.
Both resolutions (DO25 and CO56) will, I am most certain, place strain on the Anglican Communion. Reactions I've received support this belief. However, we need to give the communion time to respond, and we need to listen to our Archbishop as he speaks to us about his thoughts and reflections on the events of General Convention.
My [no] votes represent where I believe the majority of our diocese is right now; though I know it does not reflect the totality of who we are as a community. Press releases, news stories, and magazine articles can never carry the fullness of that reality, nor can they capture my desire to be shepherd to all my sheep in the diocese.
We remain part of the Episcopal Church. That’s my stance. I also intend to maintain the same balance as Don Wimberly, that we also remain active, constituent, members of the Anglican Communion.
I am committed to the Windsor Report recommendations and process which include a moratoria on blessings and elections of partnered gay clergy to the office of bishop.
I am committed to the Covenant and a process.
I do this out of a vocation of my heart.
I support a group of bishops who I believe will make a similar statement. I am writing to you directly.
As the bishop of the Diocese of Texas I am letting you know about my votes and the reasons for my votes. And, I am writing to you that you may know my commitment to our life together as one church. And, that you will know of my very clear intention to continue on the Windsor Path and to engage as a Bishop Diocesan in the Covenant process all as a full and active member in the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
House of Bishop's Passes DO25
DO25 was passed by the House of Deputies today and moved to the House of Bishops this afternoon.
You may read the text of the resolution here:
http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=986&type=Current.
The resolution despite the headlines of a number of news organizations was descriptive and offers a vision of where the Episcopal Church is at this time. It speaks to the fact that we are not of one mind on the issues of sexuality, that there is disagreement within the church on issues of ordination, marriage/unions. I think it reflects the reality that there are differences of opinion on how to deal with our differences.
I do not believe the house intended the passage of the resolution to be prescriptive. In other words the resolution did not pass same sex blessings, or ordinations of partnered gay and lesbians. It was not a permission giving resolution or a canonical change to our understanding of marriage.
Interestingly enough, DO25 passed in the HOD clergy order by a 2 to 1 margin, in the HOD lay order by a 2 to 1 margin, and in the HOB by a 2 to 1 margin. I do believe this shows some consistency within this body at this time.
The Diocese of Texas Deputation was divided in their vote and so their vote was registered as a "no" vote. This diversity, appointed by the people of the Diocese at Council, reflects who we are as a diocese. I thought our deputies did their discernment well. We shared together over lunch their thoughts and concerns about the church at home. They too felt as though the resolution was descriptive and not prescriptive.
Bishop High, Bishop Harrison and I each voted against the resolution as we have been and continue to be concerned regarding the repercussions throughout the Anglican Communion. And we were concerned with the idea that DO25 repeals BO33 from the 2006 General Convention. I should add most every one of the Episcopal Church's diocese in a foreign country voted against the passage as well. Also, bishops of Dallas, Northwest Texas, Rio Grande and West Texas voted no.
There are several thoughts that seem important when reflecting on the resolution and its meaning for us in our diocese. The Diocese of Texas honors the moratorium not because of DO25 or BO33, but because of our belief that the teachings of the church on sexuality have not changed, that the Windsor Report asks the American church to refrain from election and ordination of a bishop who is living in a partnered relationship, from the development of rites for same sex blessings, and our own resolutions and canons currently have reaffirmed our views on the topic.
The House of Bishops carried on a deep debate of listening ears and open hearts. Bishop Hines once called this the "exquisite pain of being a bishop" -- living and praying through times of great division with your brother and sister bishops. This was very hard work today. I thought that the House deliberated and conversed well, prayerfully, and mindful of those who were not like minded in the room.
God's mission is greater that the passage or defeat of any resolution at this Convention. Regardless of which side of the argument you may find yourself embracing, or what you believe the best way of resolving this situation is, we have a mission that is given to us in partnership with Jesus Christ.
I believe that God intends the restoration of creation and those that live within it. I believe that God intends the incarnational body of Christ in the church to be the chief instrument in this work. God intends the Episcopal Church as a member of the worldwide Communion to be a part of this restoration. No resolution will get in the way of this work, nor can it resend the love and providence of God to offer both blessings and challenges.
I will continue to lead us as a Diocese as a member of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. I have plans to be in London in the Fall for a Compass Rose meeting and believe this will be a good time to get a sense of the communion's response.
I am concerned about how this affects our people in every manner of life and relationship, in every congregation. How will this affect our relationship with one another? Nevertheless, our history tells us that we can move through this together and by continuing to focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have already asked Canon Case, Janie Stevens, and Cecilia Smith to help me design a pastoral and small group program for congregations to respond to the actions of General Convention and enable me and the leadership of the diocese to receive feedback regarding strategies in dealing with the pastoral issues which arise out of the actions of this convention.
The Diocese of Texas has self-differentiated itself by council on the issues of sexuality and the church's teaching on marriage, which is a more traditional stance. I do not believe that the Diocese is prepared to change that stance. It is with greater clarity, I believe that we now see the reality of the church within which and from which we do our ministry.
I should say that the work of this week is not over. We have many more important resolutions to follow. We need to see how the rest of the week continues to play out and what the reactions of the greater communion will be.
Bishop Gary Lillibridge hosted a wonderful gathering for the Diocese of Texas and West Texas deputations. It was a very good time to be together and to have fellowship. Afterwards we had the deputation dinner and broke bread together. This was an important time and while we spoke some of the business of the day, there was also laughter, reconnecting friendships, and new relationships born out of the evening. I think we were again reminded of our deep communion relationships built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will keep our deputation in your prayers as we continue to move through ever longer legislative days.
You may read the text of the resolution here:
http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=986&type=Current.
The resolution despite the headlines of a number of news organizations was descriptive and offers a vision of where the Episcopal Church is at this time. It speaks to the fact that we are not of one mind on the issues of sexuality, that there is disagreement within the church on issues of ordination, marriage/unions. I think it reflects the reality that there are differences of opinion on how to deal with our differences.
I do not believe the house intended the passage of the resolution to be prescriptive. In other words the resolution did not pass same sex blessings, or ordinations of partnered gay and lesbians. It was not a permission giving resolution or a canonical change to our understanding of marriage.
Interestingly enough, DO25 passed in the HOD clergy order by a 2 to 1 margin, in the HOD lay order by a 2 to 1 margin, and in the HOB by a 2 to 1 margin. I do believe this shows some consistency within this body at this time.
The Diocese of Texas Deputation was divided in their vote and so their vote was registered as a "no" vote. This diversity, appointed by the people of the Diocese at Council, reflects who we are as a diocese. I thought our deputies did their discernment well. We shared together over lunch their thoughts and concerns about the church at home. They too felt as though the resolution was descriptive and not prescriptive.
Bishop High, Bishop Harrison and I each voted against the resolution as we have been and continue to be concerned regarding the repercussions throughout the Anglican Communion. And we were concerned with the idea that DO25 repeals BO33 from the 2006 General Convention. I should add most every one of the Episcopal Church's diocese in a foreign country voted against the passage as well. Also, bishops of Dallas, Northwest Texas, Rio Grande and West Texas voted no.
There are several thoughts that seem important when reflecting on the resolution and its meaning for us in our diocese. The Diocese of Texas honors the moratorium not because of DO25 or BO33, but because of our belief that the teachings of the church on sexuality have not changed, that the Windsor Report asks the American church to refrain from election and ordination of a bishop who is living in a partnered relationship, from the development of rites for same sex blessings, and our own resolutions and canons currently have reaffirmed our views on the topic.
The House of Bishops carried on a deep debate of listening ears and open hearts. Bishop Hines once called this the "exquisite pain of being a bishop" -- living and praying through times of great division with your brother and sister bishops. This was very hard work today. I thought that the House deliberated and conversed well, prayerfully, and mindful of those who were not like minded in the room.
God's mission is greater that the passage or defeat of any resolution at this Convention. Regardless of which side of the argument you may find yourself embracing, or what you believe the best way of resolving this situation is, we have a mission that is given to us in partnership with Jesus Christ.
I believe that God intends the restoration of creation and those that live within it. I believe that God intends the incarnational body of Christ in the church to be the chief instrument in this work. God intends the Episcopal Church as a member of the worldwide Communion to be a part of this restoration. No resolution will get in the way of this work, nor can it resend the love and providence of God to offer both blessings and challenges.
I will continue to lead us as a Diocese as a member of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. I have plans to be in London in the Fall for a Compass Rose meeting and believe this will be a good time to get a sense of the communion's response.
I am concerned about how this affects our people in every manner of life and relationship, in every congregation. How will this affect our relationship with one another? Nevertheless, our history tells us that we can move through this together and by continuing to focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have already asked Canon Case, Janie Stevens, and Cecilia Smith to help me design a pastoral and small group program for congregations to respond to the actions of General Convention and enable me and the leadership of the diocese to receive feedback regarding strategies in dealing with the pastoral issues which arise out of the actions of this convention.
The Diocese of Texas has self-differentiated itself by council on the issues of sexuality and the church's teaching on marriage, which is a more traditional stance. I do not believe that the Diocese is prepared to change that stance. It is with greater clarity, I believe that we now see the reality of the church within which and from which we do our ministry.
I should say that the work of this week is not over. We have many more important resolutions to follow. We need to see how the rest of the week continues to play out and what the reactions of the greater communion will be.
Bishop Gary Lillibridge hosted a wonderful gathering for the Diocese of Texas and West Texas deputations. It was a very good time to be together and to have fellowship. Afterwards we had the deputation dinner and broke bread together. This was an important time and while we spoke some of the business of the day, there was also laughter, reconnecting friendships, and new relationships born out of the evening. I think we were again reminded of our deep communion relationships built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will keep our deputation in your prayers as we continue to move through ever longer legislative days.
Monday, July 13, 2009
July 12, 2009
I very much enjoyed the UTO service. The music was wonderful. I thought the sermon on mission had a number of good points, which I twittered, along with the prayers of the people, and UTO ingathering.
I met with the deputation shortly after and we discussed a number of things. The consent for the Bishop of Ecuador Central came up in conversation. This is a major issue in a very divided diocese, where we have been aiding to restore health. The House of Bishops elected a fine man, The Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz. He will bring skills of leadership, transparency, administration and a love of Jesus Christ to the office. He received an almost unanimous vote by the house at our March meeting. I believe that some of the dysfunctional elements of his diocese have attempted to disrupt this process throwing the House of Deputies into some confusion. We will receive the vote tomorrow: the 13th, God willing
We discussed the Title IV revision. A number of very fine brothers and sisters have worked on this revision. I very much believe our current Title IV serves us well. There is also a great deal of continued discussion in several areas of the proposed Title that I just don't feel are yet worked out. We will have to see what the House of Deputies does with this, but I am concerned that the level of structure needed for the new Title will be very burdensome for us, let alone a small diocese with limited resources.
We were back in session in the afternoon and moved pretty steadily through our resolutions. I am very pleased with the resolution on Immigration. We had a healthy discussion and I believe the resolution upholds the church's commitment to respect the dignity of human beings. Along with the Roman Catholic Church we are joining in a call for reform.
I was very proud of our own Mary MacGregor, director of leadership development,who spoke to ECW presidents and members on Sunday to accolades for her passion and expertise.
I had the honor and privilege of toasting (roasting) Bishop Wimberly at the Bishops' dinner tonight. What a great night of celebration for our retiring bishops. I was blessed to be asked and laughed and enjoyed my time listening to stories about the good people who have served with great hearts and a love for their church. I would say that there was a theme. The men who were honored last night were known for their dedication, their love of Jesus, their love of his church, their love for his people, their belief that that love is articulated in mission for the oppressed and those in need. They were also each known as friends in and of the House of Bishops. The histories and stories make me wish to be a servant bishop and a good bishop for the church, diocese, and Jesus.
I met with the deputation shortly after and we discussed a number of things. The consent for the Bishop of Ecuador Central came up in conversation. This is a major issue in a very divided diocese, where we have been aiding to restore health. The House of Bishops elected a fine man, The Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz. He will bring skills of leadership, transparency, administration and a love of Jesus Christ to the office. He received an almost unanimous vote by the house at our March meeting. I believe that some of the dysfunctional elements of his diocese have attempted to disrupt this process throwing the House of Deputies into some confusion. We will receive the vote tomorrow: the 13th, God willing
We discussed the Title IV revision. A number of very fine brothers and sisters have worked on this revision. I very much believe our current Title IV serves us well. There is also a great deal of continued discussion in several areas of the proposed Title that I just don't feel are yet worked out. We will have to see what the House of Deputies does with this, but I am concerned that the level of structure needed for the new Title will be very burdensome for us, let alone a small diocese with limited resources.
We were back in session in the afternoon and moved pretty steadily through our resolutions. I am very pleased with the resolution on Immigration. We had a healthy discussion and I believe the resolution upholds the church's commitment to respect the dignity of human beings. Along with the Roman Catholic Church we are joining in a call for reform.
I was very proud of our own Mary MacGregor, director of leadership development,who spoke to ECW presidents and members on Sunday to accolades for her passion and expertise.
I had the honor and privilege of toasting (roasting) Bishop Wimberly at the Bishops' dinner tonight. What a great night of celebration for our retiring bishops. I was blessed to be asked and laughed and enjoyed my time listening to stories about the good people who have served with great hearts and a love for their church. I would say that there was a theme. The men who were honored last night were known for their dedication, their love of Jesus, their love of his church, their love for his people, their belief that that love is articulated in mission for the oppressed and those in need. They were also each known as friends in and of the House of Bishops. The histories and stories make me wish to be a servant bishop and a good bishop for the church, diocese, and Jesus.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
July 10 at General Convention and BO33
I grew up in an Anglo-catholic family. One of those days that I walked with my father to church I can remember asking him (in the midst of debates over women's ordination) why he didn’t leave the church and find one that agreed with him (that ordains women). My father told me that we were as close to Rome as we could be and as far from Rome as he ever wished to go. For a 10- year old that didn’t make a lot of sense, but what did capture my heart was his reminder that we were part of a historic church and a global church—a church that was missionary and engaged across the entire world. And, I understood that change comes slowly in a church that holds up tradition as a value. This of course was at a time when the House of Bishops was much more progressive than the conservative House of Deputies -- not the situation we experience today.
The idea of a global communion meant a lot to me as a child and it is deeply a part of my spiritual journey and my own spiritual values. It is very much a part of my earliest thoughts about what it means to be an Episcopalian. I know that is not true for everyone, but it is for me. The idea of a global communion is the very reason I will forever remain both an Episcopalian and an Anglican.
Business continued in Anaheim while I was away. The issue of repealing BO33 was discussed at great length on Thursday and again on Friday morning. BO33 is the resolution from the 2006 Convention widely seen as a moratorium on consecrating gay bishops. The committee on World Mission, which received the legislation, heard testimony on Thursday evening on the measure.
I am grateful to Bishop Harrison for her work on this committee. She, along with the other bishops, continue to reflect what I believe is the mind of the House of Bishops, which is that we should not deal with BO33 at this Convention--sentiments echoed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori herself. Despite their efforts, a resolution is being prepared to propose a repeal and may indeed make it out of committee. We will have to wait and see.
I would also like to add my thanks to John Dawson who testified in the House of Deputies on Friday, giving a very personal testimony and offering his wisdom on why we should not repeal BO33. He was given two minutes to speak as part of a lottery system and he did a good job conveying his wish that we not re-address this measure.
There is another resolution making its way through convention. It is the resolution proposing “generous restraint” is granted bishops whose jurisdictions are within states that have passed laws allowing gay marriage. I understand today that it may be referred to my committee – Constitution. The committee on Urban Ministry is referring this and our own Joe Reynolds worked on the resolution in sub-committee.
I think it is important to remind those of you who may be reading that these issues are very difficult ones and not new to the church. They are issues relating to sexuality, however, as I watch the convention and visitors discuss the issues, I am reminded the issues also highlight the differences between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. They highlight vocational and theological differences.
I visited with a number of gay friends last night and they are as ready to move forward as are those friends I visited who are desirous of more time, or to not move forward at all. I feel a great sadness as I listen and observe the pain that is felt by fellow church members who are gay and lesbian, as well as those who love them when we decline to offer the blessing of their unions. I understand the pain that wells up in our own diocese among those churches and progressives who very much support these efforts.
I also understand the pain of those more conservative who do not believe this is what our church should be doing. I know they can feel silenced before a larger majority in the wider church who seem ready to move forward. Deputy Frankie Rodriquez shared his feelings that the church was leaving him behind and closing the door on his ministry as well.
Then there are those friends who have dioceses that are struggling. These actions make it very difficult to maintain a unity of stewardship and mission for them.
I will not be voting to repeal BO33. I believe we struggled with this in 2006 and made the right decision. That decision supports my own desire to maintain a healthy relationship with the greater communion and reflects my hope that a continued moratorium will enable a healing within the communion. It also reflects the current teaching of our church, the Windsor Report, the Covenant relationships with the wider church, and the views of our previous bishops.
I will also not be voting in favor of the measure allowing bishops to allow same sex unions in states where that is legal. I feel this view and my stance is in keeping with the above thoughts.
These issues will continue to unfold before us, the dialogue will continue, and there is yet to be any legislation brought to the floor. We still must wait to see how these issues play out on the floor of two houses.
The idea of a global communion meant a lot to me as a child and it is deeply a part of my spiritual journey and my own spiritual values. It is very much a part of my earliest thoughts about what it means to be an Episcopalian. I know that is not true for everyone, but it is for me. The idea of a global communion is the very reason I will forever remain both an Episcopalian and an Anglican.
Business continued in Anaheim while I was away. The issue of repealing BO33 was discussed at great length on Thursday and again on Friday morning. BO33 is the resolution from the 2006 Convention widely seen as a moratorium on consecrating gay bishops. The committee on World Mission, which received the legislation, heard testimony on Thursday evening on the measure.
I am grateful to Bishop Harrison for her work on this committee. She, along with the other bishops, continue to reflect what I believe is the mind of the House of Bishops, which is that we should not deal with BO33 at this Convention--sentiments echoed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori herself. Despite their efforts, a resolution is being prepared to propose a repeal and may indeed make it out of committee. We will have to wait and see.
I would also like to add my thanks to John Dawson who testified in the House of Deputies on Friday, giving a very personal testimony and offering his wisdom on why we should not repeal BO33. He was given two minutes to speak as part of a lottery system and he did a good job conveying his wish that we not re-address this measure.
There is another resolution making its way through convention. It is the resolution proposing “generous restraint” is granted bishops whose jurisdictions are within states that have passed laws allowing gay marriage. I understand today that it may be referred to my committee – Constitution. The committee on Urban Ministry is referring this and our own Joe Reynolds worked on the resolution in sub-committee.
I think it is important to remind those of you who may be reading that these issues are very difficult ones and not new to the church. They are issues relating to sexuality, however, as I watch the convention and visitors discuss the issues, I am reminded the issues also highlight the differences between the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. They highlight vocational and theological differences.
I visited with a number of gay friends last night and they are as ready to move forward as are those friends I visited who are desirous of more time, or to not move forward at all. I feel a great sadness as I listen and observe the pain that is felt by fellow church members who are gay and lesbian, as well as those who love them when we decline to offer the blessing of their unions. I understand the pain that wells up in our own diocese among those churches and progressives who very much support these efforts.
I also understand the pain of those more conservative who do not believe this is what our church should be doing. I know they can feel silenced before a larger majority in the wider church who seem ready to move forward. Deputy Frankie Rodriquez shared his feelings that the church was leaving him behind and closing the door on his ministry as well.
Then there are those friends who have dioceses that are struggling. These actions make it very difficult to maintain a unity of stewardship and mission for them.
I will not be voting to repeal BO33. I believe we struggled with this in 2006 and made the right decision. That decision supports my own desire to maintain a healthy relationship with the greater communion and reflects my hope that a continued moratorium will enable a healing within the communion. It also reflects the current teaching of our church, the Windsor Report, the Covenant relationships with the wider church, and the views of our previous bishops.
I will also not be voting in favor of the measure allowing bishops to allow same sex unions in states where that is legal. I feel this view and my stance is in keeping with the above thoughts.
These issues will continue to unfold before us, the dialogue will continue, and there is yet to be any legislation brought to the floor. We still must wait to see how these issues play out on the floor of two houses.
For All The Saints Who From Their Labors Rest
I am now returning to Anaheim and taking a few minutes to reflect on the day that is past.
The memorial service for Sue Scott was wonderful. The family and Jim Nelson planned a beautiful memorial service. The hymns were favorites and meaningful to those present. Rachel Suarez, a good friend of Sue’s gave a fine reflection on her life which I thought very much captured her beloved nature and gifts of love, kindness, grace, friendship, and family. Jim followed the reflection with one of his own that honored her and showed the influence she had on many of her clergy peers.
The good people at Good Shepherd were great hosts and the hospitality and kindness they showed to me and the family was what I have come to expect from this wonderful parish.
For all the saints who from their labors rest,Who Thee by faith before the world confess,Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.Alleluia! Alleluia!
Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old And win with them the victor's crown of gold.Alleluia! Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine,We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.Alleluia! Alleluia!
And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.Alleluia! Alleluia!
The memorial service for Sue Scott was wonderful. The family and Jim Nelson planned a beautiful memorial service. The hymns were favorites and meaningful to those present. Rachel Suarez, a good friend of Sue’s gave a fine reflection on her life which I thought very much captured her beloved nature and gifts of love, kindness, grace, friendship, and family. Jim followed the reflection with one of his own that honored her and showed the influence she had on many of her clergy peers.
The good people at Good Shepherd were great hosts and the hospitality and kindness they showed to me and the family was what I have come to expect from this wonderful parish.
For all the saints who from their labors rest,Who Thee by faith before the world confess,Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.Alleluia! Alleluia!
Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old And win with them the victor's crown of gold.Alleluia! Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine,We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.Alleluia! Alleluia!
And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.Alleluia! Alleluia!
by
William W. How
1823-1897
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Heading Home
Before I left for General Convention two weeks ago I had the pleasure of con-celebrating a home Eucharist with the Rev. Sue Scott. That was not the plan.
It was one of the most grace-filled moments of my ministry (my whole ministry). I always found Sue to be a delightful person, a caring person, a creative person and my experience that day was no different.
The plan had been to take her communion. Ann and I arrived at Sue and Ron's lovely home to find Sue sitting up and visiting with Martha. We joined the conversation, Ron the consummate host offering tea and water on the 106 degree day.
During the conversation we talked about how wonderful the people of Trinity and Good Shepherd had been both in their visits and attentiveness to bring her communion regularly. I thanked them both for allowing me to come and visit. It was in this moment that Ron and I giggled about how communed Sue was, and he offered that it would be wonderful for Sue to celebrate one more time for a host of friends and family.
You know me, I just blurted out, not thinking really of the profound meaning or moment to come, saying that maybe Sue could con-celebrate with me. What an honor that would be!
Sue is known for her profound gifts of love given freely and shared with everyone she ministered to. So, it seemed like a real gift for me.
However, it was in that moment of celebration, of the words of institution, memorial acclamation, and eppiclesis that I was moved at the deepest level. Realizing my presence in that moment as icon of the church I was touched in my soul by the participation of the whole church and its presence in that room with Sue as she continued the service by giving me communion first. All her family and friends were present in that moment, as a friend used to say: all the saints of God where in that home filling the house wall-to-wall.
I have reflected on this moment repeatedly over the last two weeks. Each time, even now in writing this, I am tearful. What a holy moment that was...and in that moment...the recognition of God's love for each of us profoundly and freely given in his son Jesus Christ and in the action of breaking the bread.
I am heading home, writing this in the airport. It was a good thing to be welcomed into the home by Sue and Ron. Sue is home now. It is good to go home to that place where nothing separates us from the love of God. I am grateful, as priest, bishop, as a Christian for Sue's witness of Jesus' love for us. I am heading home. We are all heading home. Blessed is the journey home, and grateful are we for the saints along the way.
It was one of the most grace-filled moments of my ministry (my whole ministry). I always found Sue to be a delightful person, a caring person, a creative person and my experience that day was no different.
The plan had been to take her communion. Ann and I arrived at Sue and Ron's lovely home to find Sue sitting up and visiting with Martha. We joined the conversation, Ron the consummate host offering tea and water on the 106 degree day.
During the conversation we talked about how wonderful the people of Trinity and Good Shepherd had been both in their visits and attentiveness to bring her communion regularly. I thanked them both for allowing me to come and visit. It was in this moment that Ron and I giggled about how communed Sue was, and he offered that it would be wonderful for Sue to celebrate one more time for a host of friends and family.
You know me, I just blurted out, not thinking really of the profound meaning or moment to come, saying that maybe Sue could con-celebrate with me. What an honor that would be!
Sue is known for her profound gifts of love given freely and shared with everyone she ministered to. So, it seemed like a real gift for me.
However, it was in that moment of celebration, of the words of institution, memorial acclamation, and eppiclesis that I was moved at the deepest level. Realizing my presence in that moment as icon of the church I was touched in my soul by the participation of the whole church and its presence in that room with Sue as she continued the service by giving me communion first. All her family and friends were present in that moment, as a friend used to say: all the saints of God where in that home filling the house wall-to-wall.
I have reflected on this moment repeatedly over the last two weeks. Each time, even now in writing this, I am tearful. What a holy moment that was...and in that moment...the recognition of God's love for each of us profoundly and freely given in his son Jesus Christ and in the action of breaking the bread.
I am heading home, writing this in the airport. It was a good thing to be welcomed into the home by Sue and Ron. Sue is home now. It is good to go home to that place where nothing separates us from the love of God. I am grateful, as priest, bishop, as a Christian for Sue's witness of Jesus' love for us. I am heading home. We are all heading home. Blessed is the journey home, and grateful are we for the saints along the way.
Press, Protesters, and People of God
Yesterday, July 8, USA Today (delivered to our rooms) announced "Tense Times for Episcopals."
Attendees had to walk through a line of protesters to get into the convention center.
However, my experience of the day was one of people in real conversations, speaking and listeninng to one another.
It was interesting to hear how a priest and deputy walked up to the protesters and engaged in a civil conversation. She invited one of them to sit for a while, have coffee, and visit. They did, perhaps not changing one another's mind but engaging in being the community of the church.
I experienced a house of bishops in an honest, open, and deliberate conversation. Respecting one another's views but thinking deeply about matters before us. While this occured during a time when visitors were not allowed into the House, I can say that I was keenly aware of a House not divided but living into the Body of Christ we are called to reflect and be.
I can bear witness to the global church that is gathered as a host of bishops from around the communion were introduced to us and the Archbishop led us in a meditation on our mission of stewardship and will lead us this morning in a bible study. These are reminders we are not a church alone in the US but a global communion.
In the exhibition hall, a market of ideas were being shared in many conversaitons as I spent time between meetings.
I visited with young Texans excited about seeing and experiencing the breadth of their church and feeling not only invited to be a part but truly feeling a part of a greater body. Others (James D. and Kevin S. who have been invited to lead the worship at the Young Adult gathering) ready to share the gifts and leadership of the Diocese of Texas with a wider church.
Our deputies have been meeting together and are a diverse group. They reflect us well. They also reflect well the best of the Diocese of Texas as I witness their work of deep listening to one another and attempts to understand their discerning role as our elected leaders.
Our Bishops, Dena and Rayford, are representing us well in their leadership on committees. I am thankful for their partnership and thier work with me and our deputation.
In these few days it has already been a time of renewed friendships from around the church, seeing friends from other ministries and times, it is like a family reunion in that sense of things.
This event as a whole is also an icon of who we are and has the potential for moments of clarity where we can witness the kingdom of God if our eyes can look beyond the headlines, harsh reactions, and into the eyes of our fellow Christians speaking our story and bearing witness to the a living Christ who died that we might truly glorify God in our mission and ministry.
This may be a hard time. However, we should also be proud of our church and the incredible work we do and witness we bear to the world of Jesus Christ's love for God's people.
Attendees had to walk through a line of protesters to get into the convention center.
However, my experience of the day was one of people in real conversations, speaking and listeninng to one another.
It was interesting to hear how a priest and deputy walked up to the protesters and engaged in a civil conversation. She invited one of them to sit for a while, have coffee, and visit. They did, perhaps not changing one another's mind but engaging in being the community of the church.
I experienced a house of bishops in an honest, open, and deliberate conversation. Respecting one another's views but thinking deeply about matters before us. While this occured during a time when visitors were not allowed into the House, I can say that I was keenly aware of a House not divided but living into the Body of Christ we are called to reflect and be.
I can bear witness to the global church that is gathered as a host of bishops from around the communion were introduced to us and the Archbishop led us in a meditation on our mission of stewardship and will lead us this morning in a bible study. These are reminders we are not a church alone in the US but a global communion.
In the exhibition hall, a market of ideas were being shared in many conversaitons as I spent time between meetings.
I visited with young Texans excited about seeing and experiencing the breadth of their church and feeling not only invited to be a part but truly feeling a part of a greater body. Others (James D. and Kevin S. who have been invited to lead the worship at the Young Adult gathering) ready to share the gifts and leadership of the Diocese of Texas with a wider church.
Our deputies have been meeting together and are a diverse group. They reflect us well. They also reflect well the best of the Diocese of Texas as I witness their work of deep listening to one another and attempts to understand their discerning role as our elected leaders.
Our Bishops, Dena and Rayford, are representing us well in their leadership on committees. I am thankful for their partnership and thier work with me and our deputation.
In these few days it has already been a time of renewed friendships from around the church, seeing friends from other ministries and times, it is like a family reunion in that sense of things.
This event as a whole is also an icon of who we are and has the potential for moments of clarity where we can witness the kingdom of God if our eyes can look beyond the headlines, harsh reactions, and into the eyes of our fellow Christians speaking our story and bearing witness to the a living Christ who died that we might truly glorify God in our mission and ministry.
This may be a hard time. However, we should also be proud of our church and the incredible work we do and witness we bear to the world of Jesus Christ's love for God's people.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Archbishop Rowan Williams at General Convention
Archbishop Rowan Williams has joined us at General Convention.
He will be meeting with a diverse group of representatives from across the Episcopal Church.
Evidently his meeting this evening is an open meeting. Tonight (7.08.09) Archbishop Williams will participate ina presentation and panel discussion hosted by both Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori and President Bonnie Anderson. We will gather at the Hilton Anaheim from 6:15-7:30 p.m. (PDT) under the theme "Christian Faithfulness in the Global Economic Crisis."
He will also lead a Bible study during the Thursday Daily Eucharist.
The Archbishop's website is: www.archbishopofcanterbury.org
I am looking forward to our time tonight and believe that we will probably hear the continuing theme of mission priorities.
He will be meeting with a diverse group of representatives from across the Episcopal Church.
Evidently his meeting this evening is an open meeting. Tonight (7.08.09) Archbishop Williams will participate ina presentation and panel discussion hosted by both Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori and President Bonnie Anderson. We will gather at the Hilton Anaheim from 6:15-7:30 p.m. (PDT) under the theme "Christian Faithfulness in the Global Economic Crisis."
He will also lead a Bible study during the Thursday Daily Eucharist.
The Archbishop's website is: www.archbishopofcanterbury.org
I am looking forward to our time tonight and believe that we will probably hear the continuing theme of mission priorities.
July 7, 2008, First Day of General Convention
We began and ended the day with Committee Meetings. Tuesday morning the process of legislation lurched forward as the different committees began to channel work into the different houses.
Our deputies are all here and accounted for. We enjoyed a nice gathering last night in our room. If you are here in Anaheim from the Diocese of Texas please join us at 6 in the Oasis Tower of the Marriot, room 1748.
There was good discussion last night and people shared their different experiences in committees.
We are joined in Anaheim by ECW and Daughters of the King representatives, youth and young adult representatives. I am so very proud of our representation here!
The newcomers to convention have eyes wide open and are taking it all in...
Today we begin with a brief legislative session, followed by an opening Eucharist. JoAnne and the girls will join me for worship.
I understand that we will end the day with the Archbishop of Canterbury visiting with the House of Bishops, then JoAnne and I and the kids will join our class of bishops for dinner.
Keep us in your prayers as we begin our work today.
Blessings,
Andy
Our deputies are all here and accounted for. We enjoyed a nice gathering last night in our room. If you are here in Anaheim from the Diocese of Texas please join us at 6 in the Oasis Tower of the Marriot, room 1748.
There was good discussion last night and people shared their different experiences in committees.
We are joined in Anaheim by ECW and Daughters of the King representatives, youth and young adult representatives. I am so very proud of our representation here!
The newcomers to convention have eyes wide open and are taking it all in...
Today we begin with a brief legislative session, followed by an opening Eucharist. JoAnne and the girls will join me for worship.
I understand that we will end the day with the Archbishop of Canterbury visiting with the House of Bishops, then JoAnne and I and the kids will join our class of bishops for dinner.
Keep us in your prayers as we begin our work today.
Blessings,
Andy
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Baccalaureate: Episcopal High School
The new priest was in the habit of attending daily mass with his rector. Normally one or the other would give the faithful eight a brief reflection on the lessons appointed for the day.
On this particular morning, 7:30 a.m. to be exact, the rector had invited a friend, professor and priest to give a brief homily.
The professor was 10 minutes into the homily on his second point of five delineating the nature of the Godhead when the priest sitting next to the rector first heard the voice of God.
It was deep and mumbling…what was it saying? Where was the voice coming from? He looked out into the cavernous church and over the top of the eight faithful listeners…what was that noise? It suddenly dawned on him it was snoring. Someone was snoring. And, as the professor rounded point three the snoring got louder. But where was it coming from? None of the attendees were asleep. Bored, yes. Asleep, no.
Then he realized the snoring was coming from the sound system.
He slowly turned to his right where his rector was sitting, sound asleep, snoring into his lapel mic.
Somewhere between points three and four the snoring turned into snorting…and now the rector was leaning on him with his head nodding back and forth.
The priest tried to wake him up. He called his name. He tapped his shoulder. Nothing would wake the man.
Finally, well into point four and bravely and loudly competing with the snoring/snorting, the eight faithful giggling, our hero decides to give the priest the strongest, right, jab to the gut he can.
He takes a deep breath. Hauls back and hits him square in the rib cage.
At which upon such a spiritual awakening the rector stands up in the middle of point five and says loudly:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth…(The Rev. Canon Chuck Robertson’s story)
After four years of Episcopal Chapel services, you have arrived. We are here in your last chapel service before you become alums of Episcopal High School. And, I assure you I do not have a five point sermon.
At the inaugural session of the Continental Congress – with the weight of war and the hope of freedom on their minds, on Wednesday, September 7, 1774, Mr. Duché an Episcopal Clergyman was invited to read prayers to the Congress. As it happened the 35th psalm was appointed for Episcopalians as a part of Morning Prayer. So Mr. Duché began, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.” (American Gospel, Jon Meacham, p.65)
June 28, 1836, it was an Episcopal service that accompanied James Madison, our 4th president and founding father, to his grave. (p.230) And, it was Episcopal prayers that accompanied the mourners in their grief.
It was an Episcopal Service of Morning Prayer with hymns that inaugurated the Atlantic Charter between Churchill and Roosevelt on the deck of the HMS Prince Charles on the eve of World War II. (p.160)
April 13, 1943, the Episcopal Presiding Bishop Henry St. George Tucker joined the president and five thousand people to dedicate the Jefferson Memorial with an Episcopal Prayer thanking God for raising leaders up among us. (p.248)
March 4, 1944, it was an Episcopal prayer that was read for our enemies at Roosevelt’s service commemorating his first inauguration in the midst of a nation at war. (p.167)
On August 20, 1965, Jonathan M. Daniels, an Episcopal seminarian, gave his life after following the call of Martin Luther King, Jr. to come to Selma, Alabama. It was there that Daniels lived with an African American family, and helped integrate the local Episcopal church. He found his strength in the vision of God preached in the Episcopal Church and through our prayers.
Three years later in the heart of the Country, Washington D.C., and in the heart of the Jonathan Daniels’ Episcopal Church, the National Cathedral, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. climbed the thirteen steps into the pulpit during an Episcopal service and said, “We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured.” (p203)
On January 14, 2009, then president elect, Barack Obama attended an Episcopal prayer service at St. Johns Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, prior to being sworn in as our 44th president of the United States.
From this nation’s very inception, our leaders have from time to time called upon the wisdom found within our Episcopal heritage of prayers and scripture.
In times of great discernment…In times of celebration…In times of peace…In times of justice…In times of war…and, in times of civil struggle…our leaders, those whose names we know and those whose names we do not know have called upon the strength of daily prayers found in our Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.
Through regular chapel, and Episcopal Prayer, we have hoped to provide you, the graduating class of 2009, with a solid foundation of wisdom, a solid foundation of prayer, a solid foundation upon which you may build a good and virtuous citizenship.
While we have hoped that those of you who are Episcopalians will have found strength and familiarity upon which to continue to build your religious life, we have also hoped that those of you without a church home will have found here your spiritual home. Perhaps you will have found here a place upon which to grow a healthy relationship with God. And we have hoped that those of you of every other denomination, creed, or faith background will have found a faithful and partnering denomination in the Episcopal Church, and a sure and certain knowledge of our friendship with all believers.
We have given this Episcopal heritage to you in order that together we might improve the lives of our neighbors.
President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The real field of rivalry among and between the creeds comes in the rivalry of the endeavor to see which can render best service to mankind.”
Our goals have been through the Academic Pillar, The Art Pillar, the Athletic Pillar and most of all the Religion Pillar that you a diverse student body will reach independently your maximum potential here and in the years to come.
We have given to you the foundations upon which to become honest, moral, and upright members of our society.
That we may outdo one another in kindness and in compassion to our fellow human beings.
Our work has been to provide for you an Episcopal Foundation of Faith.
A foundation that can be drawn upon at times of discernment and when you are unsure of a course of action.
A foundation that can be drawn upon for your celebratory events as in marriages and baptisms, many of which will be done here in this very chapel.
A foundation that you can draw upon when you are in trouble, fearful, or in pain.
A foundation upon which you may find resources for the daily living of life.
A foundation upon which you may with others reshape and make the world a better place tomorrow than it is today.
Each one of you will be a leader, in your home and within your family, you will be leaders in academia, sports, and in the arts, you will be leaders in the marketplace and within our governments.
There will come a time for each one of you when every word will matter, every prayer spoken or silently prayed will count, every thought a necessary component of what comes next, every action an opportunity for change. Into these moments let the wisdom of our worship and prayer and scripture be present for you, uphold you, and sustain you.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I never told my religion nor scrutinized that of another. I never attempted to make a convert nor wish to change another’s creed. I have ever judged the religion of others by their lives. For it is in our lives and not from our words, that our religion must be read.” (p. 34)
May each of you take these next steps into your lives knowing you are well prepared by your faculty, well rounded by each of the pillars, and well grounded in a faith tradition that our country depends upon.
Take these steps into tomorrow, and so act in each of them that the world is changed and made a place where liberty and religion prosper, a place where freedom and goodness and faith are intertwined, a place were hope reigns.
Act so others may see in you what we have seen in you – a great and noble future. Act so that others may see in you the best parts of our faith imparted and the blessings of your formation lived out.
This is how people will know your true religion, your true faith. This is how they will know you are graduates of Episcopal High School.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
On this particular morning, 7:30 a.m. to be exact, the rector had invited a friend, professor and priest to give a brief homily.
The professor was 10 minutes into the homily on his second point of five delineating the nature of the Godhead when the priest sitting next to the rector first heard the voice of God.
It was deep and mumbling…what was it saying? Where was the voice coming from? He looked out into the cavernous church and over the top of the eight faithful listeners…what was that noise? It suddenly dawned on him it was snoring. Someone was snoring. And, as the professor rounded point three the snoring got louder. But where was it coming from? None of the attendees were asleep. Bored, yes. Asleep, no.
Then he realized the snoring was coming from the sound system.
He slowly turned to his right where his rector was sitting, sound asleep, snoring into his lapel mic.
Somewhere between points three and four the snoring turned into snorting…and now the rector was leaning on him with his head nodding back and forth.
The priest tried to wake him up. He called his name. He tapped his shoulder. Nothing would wake the man.
Finally, well into point four and bravely and loudly competing with the snoring/snorting, the eight faithful giggling, our hero decides to give the priest the strongest, right, jab to the gut he can.
He takes a deep breath. Hauls back and hits him square in the rib cage.
At which upon such a spiritual awakening the rector stands up in the middle of point five and says loudly:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth…(The Rev. Canon Chuck Robertson’s story)
After four years of Episcopal Chapel services, you have arrived. We are here in your last chapel service before you become alums of Episcopal High School. And, I assure you I do not have a five point sermon.
At the inaugural session of the Continental Congress – with the weight of war and the hope of freedom on their minds, on Wednesday, September 7, 1774, Mr. Duché an Episcopal Clergyman was invited to read prayers to the Congress. As it happened the 35th psalm was appointed for Episcopalians as a part of Morning Prayer. So Mr. Duché began, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.” (American Gospel, Jon Meacham, p.65)
June 28, 1836, it was an Episcopal service that accompanied James Madison, our 4th president and founding father, to his grave. (p.230) And, it was Episcopal prayers that accompanied the mourners in their grief.
It was an Episcopal Service of Morning Prayer with hymns that inaugurated the Atlantic Charter between Churchill and Roosevelt on the deck of the HMS Prince Charles on the eve of World War II. (p.160)
April 13, 1943, the Episcopal Presiding Bishop Henry St. George Tucker joined the president and five thousand people to dedicate the Jefferson Memorial with an Episcopal Prayer thanking God for raising leaders up among us. (p.248)
March 4, 1944, it was an Episcopal prayer that was read for our enemies at Roosevelt’s service commemorating his first inauguration in the midst of a nation at war. (p.167)
On August 20, 1965, Jonathan M. Daniels, an Episcopal seminarian, gave his life after following the call of Martin Luther King, Jr. to come to Selma, Alabama. It was there that Daniels lived with an African American family, and helped integrate the local Episcopal church. He found his strength in the vision of God preached in the Episcopal Church and through our prayers.
Three years later in the heart of the Country, Washington D.C., and in the heart of the Jonathan Daniels’ Episcopal Church, the National Cathedral, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. climbed the thirteen steps into the pulpit during an Episcopal service and said, “We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured.” (p203)
On January 14, 2009, then president elect, Barack Obama attended an Episcopal prayer service at St. Johns Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, prior to being sworn in as our 44th president of the United States.
From this nation’s very inception, our leaders have from time to time called upon the wisdom found within our Episcopal heritage of prayers and scripture.
In times of great discernment…In times of celebration…In times of peace…In times of justice…In times of war…and, in times of civil struggle…our leaders, those whose names we know and those whose names we do not know have called upon the strength of daily prayers found in our Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.
Through regular chapel, and Episcopal Prayer, we have hoped to provide you, the graduating class of 2009, with a solid foundation of wisdom, a solid foundation of prayer, a solid foundation upon which you may build a good and virtuous citizenship.
While we have hoped that those of you who are Episcopalians will have found strength and familiarity upon which to continue to build your religious life, we have also hoped that those of you without a church home will have found here your spiritual home. Perhaps you will have found here a place upon which to grow a healthy relationship with God. And we have hoped that those of you of every other denomination, creed, or faith background will have found a faithful and partnering denomination in the Episcopal Church, and a sure and certain knowledge of our friendship with all believers.
We have given this Episcopal heritage to you in order that together we might improve the lives of our neighbors.
President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The real field of rivalry among and between the creeds comes in the rivalry of the endeavor to see which can render best service to mankind.”
Our goals have been through the Academic Pillar, The Art Pillar, the Athletic Pillar and most of all the Religion Pillar that you a diverse student body will reach independently your maximum potential here and in the years to come.
We have given to you the foundations upon which to become honest, moral, and upright members of our society.
That we may outdo one another in kindness and in compassion to our fellow human beings.
Our work has been to provide for you an Episcopal Foundation of Faith.
A foundation that can be drawn upon at times of discernment and when you are unsure of a course of action.
A foundation that can be drawn upon for your celebratory events as in marriages and baptisms, many of which will be done here in this very chapel.
A foundation that you can draw upon when you are in trouble, fearful, or in pain.
A foundation upon which you may find resources for the daily living of life.
A foundation upon which you may with others reshape and make the world a better place tomorrow than it is today.
Each one of you will be a leader, in your home and within your family, you will be leaders in academia, sports, and in the arts, you will be leaders in the marketplace and within our governments.
There will come a time for each one of you when every word will matter, every prayer spoken or silently prayed will count, every thought a necessary component of what comes next, every action an opportunity for change. Into these moments let the wisdom of our worship and prayer and scripture be present for you, uphold you, and sustain you.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I never told my religion nor scrutinized that of another. I never attempted to make a convert nor wish to change another’s creed. I have ever judged the religion of others by their lives. For it is in our lives and not from our words, that our religion must be read.” (p. 34)
May each of you take these next steps into your lives knowing you are well prepared by your faculty, well rounded by each of the pillars, and well grounded in a faith tradition that our country depends upon.
Take these steps into tomorrow, and so act in each of them that the world is changed and made a place where liberty and religion prosper, a place where freedom and goodness and faith are intertwined, a place were hope reigns.
Act so others may see in you what we have seen in you – a great and noble future. Act so that others may see in you the best parts of our faith imparted and the blessings of your formation lived out.
This is how people will know your true religion, your true faith. This is how they will know you are graduates of Episcopal High School.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday Sermon: Lives Lived and Boxes Filled
Click the link to download the podcast.
Sometime in the early 1970’s the pop artist Andy Warhol moved from his studio at 33 Union Square West to a larger one at 860 Broadway.
As he looked at the acquired, comic, sentimental artifacts of culture that he had collected from both personal life and business affairs, he came up with a “crack pot filing system.”
Warhol from the time he was 11 had been fascinated with the 1939 time capsule buried at the New York World’s fair. This would be his idea; he would create time capsules.
So, he began to stuff time capsules with the artifacts of his life. Some required no more thought than emptying the entire contents of his desk drawer. Another devoted entirely to his mother contains articles of her clothing as well as correspondence. There is one which contains the contents collected on a Concorde flight in 1978. Still others contain taxi receipts, wig tape, invoices, a slice of Caroline Kennedy’s birthday cake, a 17th century German book on wrestling, a letter from Dennis Hopper, a valentine from the poet Allen Ginsberg, an invitation to the Vice-President’s house warming party, and an angry letter from his florist regarding an overdue account.
By the time he died in 1987 Andy Warhol had filled 612 boxes with the memories, art, artifacts and refuse of his life.[1]
How many boxes have you and I filled? What are in our boxes?
I imagine lives lived and boxes filled with joyful memories, happy times, blessed moments and hope for a future yet to be filed away.
Then I imagine there are lives lived and boxes filled with unexpressed pain, hidden suffering, wounds inflicted, wounds acquired, abuse of body and the bodies of others, and pointed words which can never return.
Sin and brokenness openly and secretly engaged are then hidden away. Late nights, trips, parties, pornography, alcohol, food, and over indulgence purchased with our lives on credit hoping the creditor never knocks on the door.
Boxes more subtly filled. Scarcity of food and resources globally stored by others on our behalf… boxes of wasted consumption. Boxes and bins filled with the refuse of a green planet now in decay.
Lives lived and boxes filled with vivid moving pictures and recorded sound of events played over and over again paralyzing our lives, relationships, and ministries.
Lives lived and boxes filled with a past we store away, peaking at in darkest hours then locking away again the world only seeing what we want to be seen.
Lives lived, boxes filled, -- stumbling blocks each – stumbling stones in our relationships and in our relationship with God … scattered throughout a life’s journey.
The joyous moments we discover will never be enough. The hope not quite what we thought it would be. The highest moments never quite high enough.
How many boxes? How many shelves of boxes? How many storage units of boxes?
Jesus’ journey into darkness carries with it a mass of boxes, each box, one by one, step by step is carried to Golgotha.
Jesus’ binding and arrest in the garden of Gethsemane binds our boxes of violence, betrayal, and darkest fears to the heart of Jesus.
Jesus’ trial before the high priest puts on trial our boxes filled with religious intolerance, religious abuse of power, religious abuse of authority, our tendencies towards conservative and liberal fundamentalisms, and our willingness to diminish faith into meaningless platitudes of inaction masquerading as concern for our common man.
The handing over to Pilate of Jesus opens for scrutiny our boxes of idolatry, scapegoating, our lack of honor, honesty, and onus. We see in Pilate’s courtyard our own willingness to allow others to sin on our behalf, abuse on our behalf, and falsely accuse and punish that our own consciences may be relieved of any wrongdoing and our feasts not spoiled by the true cost of our wealth.
The mocking of Jesus mocks our boxes filled with just enough faith to be respectable. Instead of the crown of our heart we give Jesus a thorny crown of false adoration. Instead of the throne of our souls we wrap Jesus in a purple robe to hide the wounds and lashings of an inactive faith that fails to make our relationships healthy and whole, the wounds of failed family and friendships, the scars of a faith that leaves people hungry and without shelter.
So painful is the work of Jesus, the picking up and opening of our boxes, one by one, humiliation by humiliation, pain by pain, sin by sin, scar by scar that when forced to look upon him we see all that we keep secret. And we do what we must in order to escape the truth -- we reject him.
When Jesus stands before the seat of judgment, upon the stone pavement, our boxes laid open around him, contents spilled and mingled, we are so ashamed that we must turn from him, we cannot bear our countenance, we cannot bear our humaneness bent down and taken upon him our God and our King.
So we say what we must…hoping to close our tiny boxes…hoping to hide again…we say: crucify him. Crucify him.
Lives lived and boxes locked away into the darkest recesses of our hearts cannot be hid before the suffering of Jesus. They are here and now brought out into the open and picked up and carried by Jesus to Golgotha.
It is so easy not to look now though. As he walks to the place of the skull it is so easy to turn away. Much better not to look at our lives carried up that hill. Perhaps the grey sky and the rain will hide what was once hidden. Maybe the mud will cover the remains of our life laid before him on the cobbled streets of Jesus’ walk to the cross. But they are not.
And so when we dare to look at his walking his caring we see that the weight of the cross is the weight of our lives and our boxes, our memories, art, artifacts and refuse. The weight is of those things done and those things left undone and those things done on our behalf.
Each step, then each nail, is a memory now of our pain, and sin, and brokenness.
For those who look now see something different than the death of a criminal. For those who look now see more than the death of a prophet or a wise man. For those who look now see more than just a man on a cross.
For those who dare to look with Mary and Peter and the few gathered we see the death of all that we have believed keeps us from the love of God. We see the death of every event, every word, and every action taken that has kept us from our God’s embrace.
We see the death of our sin.
We see the death of our hypocrisy.
We see the death of our consumption and the death of our indulgence.
And here we see the commingling of Jesus’ suffering with our suffering.
Here at the cross, with Jesus’ body almost lifeless, the pain a pain we wish not to imagine, the last boxes of lives lived are opened. Here are broken open the boxes filled with our pain inflicted by others. Here are our boxes of suffering from illnesses our bodies cannot fight alone. Here are the boxes of physical and mental abuse perpetrated by others on our lives.
And, here are the boxes filled with the pain we carry in our hearts for the death of our loved ones. Boxes filled with photographs of those lost at war, those lost from disease, those lost in tragedy, those lost with lives before them, and those lost after long lives lived.
We see today, again, perhaps for the first time, the bearing of our sins, pain and our own suffering here in this place.
We see our lives laid bare before us and before Jesus and his cross.
We mourn and we weep for Jesus and we mourn and weep for ourselves.
We must let this Jesus go. We must let him go and carry our lives with him into death. We must let him die and the brokenness of this world and of our lives die with him. We must let him and all of our hidden lives be buried in the tomb. We must let him be buried beneath the earthworks of our sin.
That is all, there isn’t anymore today. We couldn’t bear to see anymore.
So we watch and we listen. We listen for our cue.
And, we hear Jesus say, “It is finished.”
And it is. It is finished.
[1] Box Pop, author unknown, The World of Interiors, December 2008, n 12, p 172.
Sometime in the early 1970’s the pop artist Andy Warhol moved from his studio at 33 Union Square West to a larger one at 860 Broadway.
As he looked at the acquired, comic, sentimental artifacts of culture that he had collected from both personal life and business affairs, he came up with a “crack pot filing system.”
Warhol from the time he was 11 had been fascinated with the 1939 time capsule buried at the New York World’s fair. This would be his idea; he would create time capsules.
So, he began to stuff time capsules with the artifacts of his life. Some required no more thought than emptying the entire contents of his desk drawer. Another devoted entirely to his mother contains articles of her clothing as well as correspondence. There is one which contains the contents collected on a Concorde flight in 1978. Still others contain taxi receipts, wig tape, invoices, a slice of Caroline Kennedy’s birthday cake, a 17th century German book on wrestling, a letter from Dennis Hopper, a valentine from the poet Allen Ginsberg, an invitation to the Vice-President’s house warming party, and an angry letter from his florist regarding an overdue account.
By the time he died in 1987 Andy Warhol had filled 612 boxes with the memories, art, artifacts and refuse of his life.[1]
How many boxes have you and I filled? What are in our boxes?
I imagine lives lived and boxes filled with joyful memories, happy times, blessed moments and hope for a future yet to be filed away.
Then I imagine there are lives lived and boxes filled with unexpressed pain, hidden suffering, wounds inflicted, wounds acquired, abuse of body and the bodies of others, and pointed words which can never return.
Sin and brokenness openly and secretly engaged are then hidden away. Late nights, trips, parties, pornography, alcohol, food, and over indulgence purchased with our lives on credit hoping the creditor never knocks on the door.
Boxes more subtly filled. Scarcity of food and resources globally stored by others on our behalf… boxes of wasted consumption. Boxes and bins filled with the refuse of a green planet now in decay.
Lives lived and boxes filled with vivid moving pictures and recorded sound of events played over and over again paralyzing our lives, relationships, and ministries.
Lives lived and boxes filled with a past we store away, peaking at in darkest hours then locking away again the world only seeing what we want to be seen.
Lives lived, boxes filled, -- stumbling blocks each – stumbling stones in our relationships and in our relationship with God … scattered throughout a life’s journey.
The joyous moments we discover will never be enough. The hope not quite what we thought it would be. The highest moments never quite high enough.
How many boxes? How many shelves of boxes? How many storage units of boxes?
Jesus’ journey into darkness carries with it a mass of boxes, each box, one by one, step by step is carried to Golgotha.
Jesus’ binding and arrest in the garden of Gethsemane binds our boxes of violence, betrayal, and darkest fears to the heart of Jesus.
Jesus’ trial before the high priest puts on trial our boxes filled with religious intolerance, religious abuse of power, religious abuse of authority, our tendencies towards conservative and liberal fundamentalisms, and our willingness to diminish faith into meaningless platitudes of inaction masquerading as concern for our common man.
The handing over to Pilate of Jesus opens for scrutiny our boxes of idolatry, scapegoating, our lack of honor, honesty, and onus. We see in Pilate’s courtyard our own willingness to allow others to sin on our behalf, abuse on our behalf, and falsely accuse and punish that our own consciences may be relieved of any wrongdoing and our feasts not spoiled by the true cost of our wealth.
The mocking of Jesus mocks our boxes filled with just enough faith to be respectable. Instead of the crown of our heart we give Jesus a thorny crown of false adoration. Instead of the throne of our souls we wrap Jesus in a purple robe to hide the wounds and lashings of an inactive faith that fails to make our relationships healthy and whole, the wounds of failed family and friendships, the scars of a faith that leaves people hungry and without shelter.
So painful is the work of Jesus, the picking up and opening of our boxes, one by one, humiliation by humiliation, pain by pain, sin by sin, scar by scar that when forced to look upon him we see all that we keep secret. And we do what we must in order to escape the truth -- we reject him.
When Jesus stands before the seat of judgment, upon the stone pavement, our boxes laid open around him, contents spilled and mingled, we are so ashamed that we must turn from him, we cannot bear our countenance, we cannot bear our humaneness bent down and taken upon him our God and our King.
So we say what we must…hoping to close our tiny boxes…hoping to hide again…we say: crucify him. Crucify him.
Lives lived and boxes locked away into the darkest recesses of our hearts cannot be hid before the suffering of Jesus. They are here and now brought out into the open and picked up and carried by Jesus to Golgotha.
It is so easy not to look now though. As he walks to the place of the skull it is so easy to turn away. Much better not to look at our lives carried up that hill. Perhaps the grey sky and the rain will hide what was once hidden. Maybe the mud will cover the remains of our life laid before him on the cobbled streets of Jesus’ walk to the cross. But they are not.
And so when we dare to look at his walking his caring we see that the weight of the cross is the weight of our lives and our boxes, our memories, art, artifacts and refuse. The weight is of those things done and those things left undone and those things done on our behalf.
Each step, then each nail, is a memory now of our pain, and sin, and brokenness.
For those who look now see something different than the death of a criminal. For those who look now see more than the death of a prophet or a wise man. For those who look now see more than just a man on a cross.
For those who dare to look with Mary and Peter and the few gathered we see the death of all that we have believed keeps us from the love of God. We see the death of every event, every word, and every action taken that has kept us from our God’s embrace.
We see the death of our sin.
We see the death of our hypocrisy.
We see the death of our consumption and the death of our indulgence.
And here we see the commingling of Jesus’ suffering with our suffering.
Here at the cross, with Jesus’ body almost lifeless, the pain a pain we wish not to imagine, the last boxes of lives lived are opened. Here are broken open the boxes filled with our pain inflicted by others. Here are our boxes of suffering from illnesses our bodies cannot fight alone. Here are the boxes of physical and mental abuse perpetrated by others on our lives.
And, here are the boxes filled with the pain we carry in our hearts for the death of our loved ones. Boxes filled with photographs of those lost at war, those lost from disease, those lost in tragedy, those lost with lives before them, and those lost after long lives lived.
We see today, again, perhaps for the first time, the bearing of our sins, pain and our own suffering here in this place.
We see our lives laid bare before us and before Jesus and his cross.
We mourn and we weep for Jesus and we mourn and weep for ourselves.
We must let this Jesus go. We must let him go and carry our lives with him into death. We must let him die and the brokenness of this world and of our lives die with him. We must let him and all of our hidden lives be buried in the tomb. We must let him be buried beneath the earthworks of our sin.
That is all, there isn’t anymore today. We couldn’t bear to see anymore.
So we watch and we listen. We listen for our cue.
And, we hear Jesus say, “It is finished.”
And it is. It is finished.
[1] Box Pop, author unknown, The World of Interiors, December 2008, n 12, p 172.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Called by Grace
Click the Link to read the online discussion about ministry recently printed in the Texas Episcopalian.
I began to think that I might be called into the priesthood at a very early age. There are pictures of me dressed up in robes, from the dress-up bin, performing a burial for one of our family pets. Before me on a makeshift lectern is the Book of Common Prayer. I was 12.
People explore their ministries at different points along their journey. However, statistics show that most begin wondering about the work within the church at the same age. The reason why I became a priest is multidimensional but clear. God placed a call upon my heart to work for him and to work for his church. The church affirmed the calling; predominately through the men and women, laity and clergy in my life and later by the commission on ministry and bishop. Clergy serving as directors of summer camp sessions were essential along this journey. And, lastly I decided to follow and listen to Jesus.
The Rev. Laurens “Larry” Hall (Chair of the Commission on Ministry from 1984 to 1999)says you are a priest by the grace of God and you will be a priest by the grace of God. Father Hall is correct. We are called by grace and by grace we undertake our ministries. It is the church’s work to discern the order of the ministry and to help discern the manner in which it is undertaken over the years.
But there is a stumbling block within our system. The problem isn’t with the ordination process but rather with the confirmation process. Today when someone is serious about ministry we send them to a three year program of rigorous study at either a seminary or our Iona School for Ministry. In the first centuries of the Christian movement if you were serious about Jesus you went to a three year program of rigorous study and preparation. Deacons, priests, and bishops were the discerned outgrowth of ministry undertaken. These orders were created and people undertook them for the sake of the life of the community and direction of the mission of the church. One had to fulfill every other minor order in the church before ordination: doorkeeper, lector, exorcist and sub-deacon.
We need to do a better job at preparing people to follow Jesus. We must return to a preparation that allows everyone to find their place in the church. In my mind there are several essential ingredients to solid preparation for the adult journey of faith within the Episcopal tradition:
I began to think that I might be called into the priesthood at a very early age. There are pictures of me dressed up in robes, from the dress-up bin, performing a burial for one of our family pets. Before me on a makeshift lectern is the Book of Common Prayer. I was 12.
People explore their ministries at different points along their journey. However, statistics show that most begin wondering about the work within the church at the same age. The reason why I became a priest is multidimensional but clear. God placed a call upon my heart to work for him and to work for his church. The church affirmed the calling; predominately through the men and women, laity and clergy in my life and later by the commission on ministry and bishop. Clergy serving as directors of summer camp sessions were essential along this journey. And, lastly I decided to follow and listen to Jesus.
The Rev. Laurens “Larry” Hall (Chair of the Commission on Ministry from 1984 to 1999)says you are a priest by the grace of God and you will be a priest by the grace of God. Father Hall is correct. We are called by grace and by grace we undertake our ministries. It is the church’s work to discern the order of the ministry and to help discern the manner in which it is undertaken over the years.
But there is a stumbling block within our system. The problem isn’t with the ordination process but rather with the confirmation process. Today when someone is serious about ministry we send them to a three year program of rigorous study at either a seminary or our Iona School for Ministry. In the first centuries of the Christian movement if you were serious about Jesus you went to a three year program of rigorous study and preparation. Deacons, priests, and bishops were the discerned outgrowth of ministry undertaken. These orders were created and people undertook them for the sake of the life of the community and direction of the mission of the church. One had to fulfill every other minor order in the church before ordination: doorkeeper, lector, exorcist and sub-deacon.
We need to do a better job at preparing people to follow Jesus. We must return to a preparation that allows everyone to find their place in the church. In my mind there are several essential ingredients to solid preparation for the adult journey of faith within the Episcopal tradition:
- Biblical literacy – what is in the bible, its history, and key passages
- Jesus literacy – our church’s basic understanding of his life and ministry
- Church historical literacy -- with a focus on the first councils, creeds and reformation
- Spiritual literacy -- an understanding of the many different forms of spiritual practice in our church
- Liturgical literacy -- understanding of our prayer book and sacraments with particular attention to Baptism and Eucharist
- Stewardship – basic stewardship principals
including spiritual gifts discernment - Mission literacy – the evangelical work of the church to transform lives, and to share the good news of Christ in word and action.
Shaping and forming young adult and adult Christians is not just a matter of curriculum. It is the interweaving of people’s stories with the story of Jesus and our church that deepens our life of faith.
There are many ministries from evangelist to catechist, from altar guild to acolyte, from Christian formation team member to prayer minister. The work of the church is varied and God is sending us people to undertake our work. God provides for us every gift and every person needed to grow and build the kingdom of God. When we are focused on the Gospel, our numbers are added as well and we are able to do more and to reach out into the world more.
The danger is to believe that discernment and the varieties of ministry (more than can ever be described in church law) are limited for the privileged few. We must recapture a sense of abundance. The harvest is ripe, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.
I believe God is also sending us and working on the hearts of those who are to be our future deacons, priests and bishops. Are we listening to them (no matter what age) and taking them seriously, partnering with them, helping them to become disciples, and ultimately raising them up for an ordered life?
This work of preparation of all the faithful and the specific work of preparation of the future clergy is formation that depends not upon the diocese or the clergy. It depends ultimately upon all the people of God.
Formation and the disciplined life of the Christian have to be intentional, life-long development. By God’s grace we take steps into this Christian life. We also must be intentional and deliberate not to squander that grace and instead use it to partner with those around us (young and old) to help them find their way along Christ’s journey into wholeness.
Friday, February 27, 2009
The First Friday In Lent
This morning I got up and headed out to run some errands before I sat down to work for the day. I was listening to a group not known for its Holy or appropriate lyrics, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was listening to Throw Away Your Television, one of my favorite songs. The lyrics are:
Most of the time I hear people say they are giving up one of the following things: chocolate, sweets, alcohol, carbs, or some other such thing.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers and my Woodlands friend made me think though, what would be contemporary disciplines that you and I could give up in Lent that would make a difference in our lives and in our lives with God. If one of the essential works of Lent is to restore our relationship with God, restore the fellowship of the church, and restore our relationship with others what is really in our way?
So, I wondered, what what would it be like to give up:
the news
Television
my cell phone
blogs
movies
internet
negative media messages
Each of these would give us more time to spend with living people. We would be more present with people if we weren't tied to our cell phones. We would be more available for ministries and for church fellowship. We would be more available to our families. We would actually have to interact with people to get information.
Maybe your lenten discipline is leaving you flat or you haven't chosen one yet. Why not try one of these more contemporary disciplines. Give up your connected electronic state and get connected in a different way.
I thought to myself about my lenten discipline and then I thought about the lists of things people are taking on and people are stopping in order to reconnect with God. Then I remembered one of my favorite disciplines shared by a friend in the Woodlands..."I am quitting Facebook for lent." I of course read this on Facebook, LOL...or laughed out loud. But thought that is a very current discipline."Throw away your television time to make this clean decision master waits for it's collision now it's a repeat of a story told it's a repeat and it's getting old Throw away your television make a break big intermission recreate your super vision now it's a repeat of a story told it's a repeat and it's getting old[Chorus:] Renegades with fancy gauges slay the plague for it's contagious pull the plug and take the stages throw away your television now[Chorus] Throw away your television Salivate to repetition 'leviate this ill condition now it's a repeat"
Most of the time I hear people say they are giving up one of the following things: chocolate, sweets, alcohol, carbs, or some other such thing.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers and my Woodlands friend made me think though, what would be contemporary disciplines that you and I could give up in Lent that would make a difference in our lives and in our lives with God. If one of the essential works of Lent is to restore our relationship with God, restore the fellowship of the church, and restore our relationship with others what is really in our way?
So, I wondered, what what would it be like to give up:
the news
Television
my cell phone
blogs
movies
internet
negative media messages
Each of these would give us more time to spend with living people. We would be more present with people if we weren't tied to our cell phones. We would be more available for ministries and for church fellowship. We would be more available to our families. We would actually have to interact with people to get information.
Maybe your lenten discipline is leaving you flat or you haven't chosen one yet. Why not try one of these more contemporary disciplines. Give up your connected electronic state and get connected in a different way.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Word is Living in our Midst
A striking image has stayed with me through Epiphany and seems a theme as I prepare to renew my discipline of life in the season of Lent. The image came from the Christmas readings and echoed as we listened to the story of John the baptist throughout the Epiphany season, it is from the first chapter of John's Gospel, verse 14: "The Word came and lived among us." This living, this dwelling, is described in Greek as like a tabernacle.
What a radical idea that must have been for the first listeners of John's Gospel. That the living Word came and lived out in the world as it had in the tabernacle. People, the first followers of Jesus and those living in John's community, certainly understood that God dwelled in the Tabernacle, in the Temple, in Jerusalem. But people were not acustomed to the idea that God came and dwelled out in the world. The message was clear the living Word was indeed out in the world. It dwelled in the person of Jesus and by his coming near to us it may dwell in us too.
The problem seems to me to be that it is so very hard to recognize the reality that this living Word is present with us and that we have the opportunity to be near it.
Gordon Cosby in Transformed by Grace describes for me this very same difficutly when he wrote "Christian growth is a movement from self to God; it is a progressive growing into a communion with God, into a friendship with God, until we come to the place where we are aware of God's presence…That which hinders us from knowing the reality of his presence is ourselves, our own lack of openness, our own unwillingness to belong totally to another - our resistance to the One who claims us totally for himself."
Today we seek out a tabernacled salvation in our investments, our securities, our plans for safety, our trusts, our work, or in the obviously distructive alchohol or drugs…believing each is our salvation, our key to peace. We convince ourselvs that each is our tabernacled truth. But they ar not, they are simply our own self-want and desires leading us further and further from God. We so easily get off track and when these worldly want-to-be's fail us we are dissappointed, fearful, anxious and sometimes surprised.
We are no different from the very earliest of Christians. They in their wisdom sought to radically make a shift in their living arrangements with God and chose intentionally to observe special seasons and days of devotion. They would repentent and fast. They would invite new members into the faith and join with them in renewing their lives in Christ. Those who had fallen away were given the opportunity to come home and be restored into the community of the faithful. Through this individual work the whole community was reinvigorated for the work of the Gospel and their mission of grace.
Lent is the time of the Christian year when we take upon ourselves the disciplines of the church so that we may overcome our innate tendancies to shut ourselves off from the God who claims us. It is a time when we fast and when we pray intentionally. We engage in repentance, which truly means a turning from the path that takes us away from the Lord's embrace into the arms of God's friendship.
I hope you will intentionally mark your calendar for Ash Wednesday, February 25th. Find a service of the imposition of ashes to attend. I invite you to make this a holy and life changing season. Try daily prayer again, fast on Fridays, change your life and habits that they may draw you closer to the tabernacled Word which is dwelling in your heart. Read and listen to scripture so that you may know how to be in the world and how you are to be a part of changing the world with Christ.
Take intentional and deliberate steps towards your Lord and Savior. Grow in communion with God and all those within his faithful community. Discover God's friendship with you and be transformed by his Grace.
What a radical idea that must have been for the first listeners of John's Gospel. That the living Word came and lived out in the world as it had in the tabernacle. People, the first followers of Jesus and those living in John's community, certainly understood that God dwelled in the Tabernacle, in the Temple, in Jerusalem. But people were not acustomed to the idea that God came and dwelled out in the world. The message was clear the living Word was indeed out in the world. It dwelled in the person of Jesus and by his coming near to us it may dwell in us too.
The problem seems to me to be that it is so very hard to recognize the reality that this living Word is present with us and that we have the opportunity to be near it.
Gordon Cosby in Transformed by Grace describes for me this very same difficutly when he wrote "Christian growth is a movement from self to God; it is a progressive growing into a communion with God, into a friendship with God, until we come to the place where we are aware of God's presence…That which hinders us from knowing the reality of his presence is ourselves, our own lack of openness, our own unwillingness to belong totally to another - our resistance to the One who claims us totally for himself."
Today we seek out a tabernacled salvation in our investments, our securities, our plans for safety, our trusts, our work, or in the obviously distructive alchohol or drugs…believing each is our salvation, our key to peace. We convince ourselvs that each is our tabernacled truth. But they ar not, they are simply our own self-want and desires leading us further and further from God. We so easily get off track and when these worldly want-to-be's fail us we are dissappointed, fearful, anxious and sometimes surprised.
We are no different from the very earliest of Christians. They in their wisdom sought to radically make a shift in their living arrangements with God and chose intentionally to observe special seasons and days of devotion. They would repentent and fast. They would invite new members into the faith and join with them in renewing their lives in Christ. Those who had fallen away were given the opportunity to come home and be restored into the community of the faithful. Through this individual work the whole community was reinvigorated for the work of the Gospel and their mission of grace.
Lent is the time of the Christian year when we take upon ourselves the disciplines of the church so that we may overcome our innate tendancies to shut ourselves off from the God who claims us. It is a time when we fast and when we pray intentionally. We engage in repentance, which truly means a turning from the path that takes us away from the Lord's embrace into the arms of God's friendship.
I hope you will intentionally mark your calendar for Ash Wednesday, February 25th. Find a service of the imposition of ashes to attend. I invite you to make this a holy and life changing season. Try daily prayer again, fast on Fridays, change your life and habits that they may draw you closer to the tabernacled Word which is dwelling in your heart. Read and listen to scripture so that you may know how to be in the world and how you are to be a part of changing the world with Christ.
Take intentional and deliberate steps towards your Lord and Savior. Grow in communion with God and all those within his faithful community. Discover God's friendship with you and be transformed by his Grace.
Ash Wednesday: One is not a Christian alone
"'A Christian alone is no Christian.' And, I think the New Testament gives us every reason for thinking that a single apostle or disciple is no disciple. We cannot do these things alone, and that is why again and again in the New Testament, we find the Lord sending out his representatives and ministers in a group of companions." The Most Reverent and Right Honourable Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, God's Mission and a Bishop's Discipleship, 17-19 July 2008, p18
Someone gave me a copy of the remarks made to the bishops at the Lambeth Conference by Archbishop Williams. I began using the text with my daily meditations prior to my ordination as bishop and have continued to do so in these first months of my episcopate. These particular words of Williams' came back to me as I reflected on a comment I read: "you don't need to be a part of a denomination to practice Lent, in order to spiritually prepare for Easter." Actually I think this is true, anyone can prepare for Easter by practicing a discipline during Lent. Lent is not meant to be a solo journey.
The first Christians very much participated in self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and mediating on God's Holy Word so as to restore themselves. This much is true. But they did these things to restore themselves to the greater community and to restore the fellowship of the church!
I can certainly fast, give up something, or take on another, but this exercise in solitude does not reflect fully the incarnation of Christ in my life. I need others to join with me in this work. I am fasting, but I am fasting with a community of faith that is going through the same discipline at the same day of the week and at the same time of day. I will do the self-examination and repentance alone and then with a confessor, but that is so that I may live more fully with others and see Christ in them. I read and meditate on the Word of God each day in my personal prayer time. However, it is only when others share their ideas about scripture with me that my limited vision is opened up to the greater kingdom. Each discipline serves to renew my life in Christ, but it also serves to renew the community's fellowship and life as the body of Christ.
Sometimes it is actually easier to take on our devotions of Lent privately than it is to take them on publicly. We are not as accountable when we live our spirituality in private. And, the community does not benefit from the observance in quite the same manner. The Benedictine rule offers a sense of daily life ordered by common prayer, discipline, and work. It not only benefits but thrives from this manner of sharing. This year my Lenten discipline was written down and delivered to every home that receives the Houston Chronicle. There will be no anonymity for me this year!
I would offer something new to add to your discipline this year. Take on a discipline. Then tell everyone. Place yourself in a situation where you have to speak about it. Encourage yourself by keeping yourself accountable and encourage others by keeping your discipline and listening to theirs. Make this year's observance of Lent a communal discipline that the Church may be enlivened and enriched by your spiritual work.
Now some will counter that Jesus says to be careful not to practice one's piety in front of others so as not be a hypocrite. I couldn't agree more. The work of a disciplined Lent shouldn't be to bring attention to one's self. Your discipline should though bring you closer into community.
Most communities share anxiety like a virus. Lenten disciplines are a tool by which Christians rediscover hope; hope for one's life and hope for one's community. Remember Lent is about preparing for the resurrection on Easter morning. Imagine the hope that could be shared by contributing to the larger community your disciplined journey through Lent and what you learn as you walk your particular pilgrim way.
Someone gave me a copy of the remarks made to the bishops at the Lambeth Conference by Archbishop Williams. I began using the text with my daily meditations prior to my ordination as bishop and have continued to do so in these first months of my episcopate. These particular words of Williams' came back to me as I reflected on a comment I read: "you don't need to be a part of a denomination to practice Lent, in order to spiritually prepare for Easter." Actually I think this is true, anyone can prepare for Easter by practicing a discipline during Lent. Lent is not meant to be a solo journey.
The first Christians very much participated in self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and mediating on God's Holy Word so as to restore themselves. This much is true. But they did these things to restore themselves to the greater community and to restore the fellowship of the church!
I can certainly fast, give up something, or take on another, but this exercise in solitude does not reflect fully the incarnation of Christ in my life. I need others to join with me in this work. I am fasting, but I am fasting with a community of faith that is going through the same discipline at the same day of the week and at the same time of day. I will do the self-examination and repentance alone and then with a confessor, but that is so that I may live more fully with others and see Christ in them. I read and meditate on the Word of God each day in my personal prayer time. However, it is only when others share their ideas about scripture with me that my limited vision is opened up to the greater kingdom. Each discipline serves to renew my life in Christ, but it also serves to renew the community's fellowship and life as the body of Christ.
Sometimes it is actually easier to take on our devotions of Lent privately than it is to take them on publicly. We are not as accountable when we live our spirituality in private. And, the community does not benefit from the observance in quite the same manner. The Benedictine rule offers a sense of daily life ordered by common prayer, discipline, and work. It not only benefits but thrives from this manner of sharing. This year my Lenten discipline was written down and delivered to every home that receives the Houston Chronicle. There will be no anonymity for me this year!
I would offer something new to add to your discipline this year. Take on a discipline. Then tell everyone. Place yourself in a situation where you have to speak about it. Encourage yourself by keeping yourself accountable and encourage others by keeping your discipline and listening to theirs. Make this year's observance of Lent a communal discipline that the Church may be enlivened and enriched by your spiritual work.
Now some will counter that Jesus says to be careful not to practice one's piety in front of others so as not be a hypocrite. I couldn't agree more. The work of a disciplined Lent shouldn't be to bring attention to one's self. Your discipline should though bring you closer into community.
Most communities share anxiety like a virus. Lenten disciplines are a tool by which Christians rediscover hope; hope for one's life and hope for one's community. Remember Lent is about preparing for the resurrection on Easter morning. Imagine the hope that could be shared by contributing to the larger community your disciplined journey through Lent and what you learn as you walk your particular pilgrim way.
Deacon Ordination Sermon
The Ford Country Squire:
Everything is Created with a Purpose
Sermon on Mark 9.2-9
Last Epiphany B
Diaconal Ordination
By
C. Andrew Doyle
O Lord of the harvest, you entrust to us a share in the mission of Jesus. Place in our hearts the compassion of Jesus and on our lips the Good News of your kingdom, that, with our every word and deed, we may give as a gift what we have received as a gift, your grace. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
What are you created for?
There were Steve McQueen’s two movies The Getaway and the 1968 Thomas Crown Affair. There was the natural thriller: The Twister, about a F4 tornado that hit a drive-in movie theater. The lesser known movies are: Mac and Me and Two for the Road. Then there was James Bond’s Goldfinger, and Al Pacino’s Scarface. And, who could forget, or maybe who wants to remember, National Lampoon’s Vacation with Chevy Chase. Each movie featured the same movie star, perfectly created for the role, perfectly created for the American road: the Ford Country Squire Station Wagon.
Born in 1950 and built by the Ford Motor Company until 1991, the Ford Country Squire was THE premium station wagon. This full-size wagon always featured imitation-wood trim (fiberglass and plastic appliqué) on the doors and tailgate. It could carry up to 9 passengers. The unique side-facing seats fitted into the cargo area were perfect for Tony Montana and his crew to tail a taxi in Scarface, Goldfinger’s henchman Oddjob to insure James Bond’s compliant trip to his lair, or keep the three Doyle brothers entertained throughout the endless hours passed on I45.
Certain versions, like my uncle’s, had an AM/FM-Cassette stereo with a combined and fully-integrated CB two-way radio, and dual-purpose automatic antenna. A folding table with integrated magnetic checkers board and secret lockable safe tricked out his top of the line family cruiser.
In 1966, all Ford wagons introduced the Magic Door Gate which broke all the laws of physics and astounded N.A.S.A. scientists by allowing the tailgate on the vehicle to function as a traditional tailgate that could be lowered, or a door that swung outward for easier access to the seating area. This state of the art space hatch made it easy to access my father’s homemade, four ton camping organizer made out of ¾ inch ply wood and installed in the cargo area for campouts.
The Doyle family never made it to Disney World to see Mickey Mouse. The Doyle’s did not own the Wagon Queen Family Trucker as did the Griswolds in Vacation. However, my parents did own the 1974 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon. It smelled like boys, spilled Mr. Pibb and Tab Cola, melted Hostess Cup Cakes, stale New Fangled Pringles Potato Chips, and long pilgrimages to “family fun.”
All things are created with a purpose. The Ford Country Squire Station Wagon was created for the family pilgrimage.
The question is what are we created for?
There are two epiphanal events in Mark’s Gospel. The first is the baptism of Jesus by John. Upon coming out of the water Jesus alone sees the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending. And only Jesus hears the voice of God, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” This moment is only for Jesus and affirms his status as God’s beloved son: incarnated that all may come to know, love and worship God.
The second event is the transfiguration in our Gospel lesson today, chosen for the last Sunday in Epiphany, Mark 9.2ff.
Jesus, Peter, James and John have gone up to a “high mountain;” echoing the mountain top experiences of Elijah and Moses.
Before the disciples Jesus is transfigured and dawns dazzling clothes of white, the colors of Daniel’s Ancient One, and the color of those martyrs envisioned in the Book of Revelation.
There appears next: Elijah and Moses. They both had epiphanies on mountains at key moments in their ministry. Elijah feeling alone and fleeing into the country-side before he could be killed by authorities hears God’s voice tell him to return, and to call and anoint the two kings and Elisha to join him in his prophetic work. (I Kings 19.11ff)
Moses, having worked tirelessly experiences rejection at the hand of the Hebrews all for the desire of a golden calf. Moses returns to the mountain feeling alone and complains that God has not yet let him know who will go with him. God replies “My presence will go with you and be your partner in this work.” (Exodus 33.12ff)
Jesus comes to this moment after the essential proclamation of his mission: to suffer, be rejected, and be killed. Then he gives his call to discipleship, “If any want to become my followers, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.”
Jesus retires to the mountain as the proclamation of the cross turns Mark’s gospel from Gallilee where his ministry has had power and acceptance to Jerusalem where it will be rejected.
Peter misinterprets the whole thing believing it is about the holy moment of transfiguration and does not realize that this is a recreated moment along the way of Jesus. Elijah received companions to join him in the prophetic work of turning the people to God. Moses receives God’s very presence to turn the people to God. Who will join Jesus?
Remember in the very first chapter of Mark, God promises to Jesus to send a messenger ahead to prepare his way. Here Jesus again invites followers to join him and make his way known.
For here in this epiphany we the reader join Peter, James and John not as outside voyeurs but as participants in the journey. God does not speak privately to Jesus here as he did at baptism, but to us, “This is my Son, the beloved, listen to him!”
We are created and called into being disciples to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. By God’s very words to us we are commissioned to listen and to follow. We are his partners, his companions, to carry the prophetic word to God’s people…to turn them…returning them to God’s loving embrace.
Jesus affirms God’s message to us. As we listen he instructs us that once we understand and have experienced the risen Son of Man, the risen Christ, then we must continue the work of proclamation.
The transfiguration story is not about affirming who Jesus is as God’s beloved Son, so much as it is about affirming who we are as followers along the way.
Christians for centuries listened to Jesus and followed him by taking up their cross, and losing their life. Jesus is depending upon God’s promise that we will be partners and companions along the way.
Christ was incarnated so that we might, through the cross and resurrection, come to know and glorify God.
We on the other hand are created that we might reflect and make known to the world God’s love that all might come to know and glorify him. We are to reflect the transfigured Christ to the World.
Deacons, what are you then created for? After all, today the church is changed and made new by your ordination. What are you created for?
If you are going to be deacons then you must do as Jesus instructed. Be a disciple who follows and emulates the actions of his master laying down his life for others. Serve; and in service find yourself redeemed and transformed; find Jesus there, the living Christ of God.
The actions that you manifest in the liturgy are icons to us all of the church’s own vocation to change the world.
When you hold the New Testament and proclaim the Gospel you do it facing the world outside the church re-calling the words, “Follow me” and “Take up your Cross.”
When you face the altar and pray the prayers of the people you bring the concerns, hurts, pains, joys and thanksgivings from the world into the church and lay them at God’s feet.
When you set the table you remind us of the abundance of God’s grace manifest in bread and wine and offered for all who come to Jesus’ table.
When you call forth the dismissal you send us into the world to proclaim the Gospel as prophets, leaders, and servants.
When we see you do these things, these things you have been created to do, our hearts are quickened and our souls are reminded that we too have been promised by the living God to Jesus as companions in his ministry to turn and return God’s people to his loving embrace. We see your actions and remember that we are to proclaim by word and example the Good news of God in Christ and seek to serve Christ in all persons.
Yet if your ministry is only liturgical then you have simply set up booths or tabernacles that are mere shadows of an unfulfilled vocation.
Your proclamation of the resurrected Lord by action has to manifest itself in the world for the symbols to have meaning inside the church.
The church is a subtle mistress. She is all to eager to have you wear the collar, wear the vestments with your crooked stole, and have you serve in her sanctuary leaving the world behind, and binding your hands to the service of her own needs.
If you do not lay down the status the church is all to ready to give you and go out into the world to meet God’s beloved strangers then your proclamation of the Gospel will remain imprisoned in the book from which you read. The God you serve desires that all might come to know him and to experience his love for them. For the shepherd intends to call each stranger by name.
If you do not leave the comfort and the safety of the sacristy to hold the hand of the dying then your prayers offered on behalf of God’s people will only be names on someone else’s list. God intends to know every sparrow and to count every hair upon the head of his people.
If you do not leave the certainty of where the chalice goes and how the paten sits just correctly on the corporal on God’s table and meet the hunger of God’s people then his people will go unfed. For the God you serve intends to multiply loaves and fishes and call the multitudes to his banquet feast.
If you call for us to go out into the world and make Christ known, but stay behind in the shelter of the church the homeless will never find that place where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. For God intends to gather his people under the shadow of his wing.
Each of you discovered Jesus in your life and along your journey. Each of you found him along the way. Jesus was transfigured in your life and from that transfiguration you discovered your own calling to be deacons.
You discovered that you were created to be servants of the most high God, servants who make the symbols and actions of our liturgy more than words in the Prayer Book.
Last night we surrounded you and we each blessed you. Today I leave you with this blessing and charge. Phyllis, Tracie, Pat, Jody, Barbara please stand.
This blessing is neither unique nor new, I have no pride of authorship, but it is a good blessing for deacons and I hope it will serve you well in your ministry.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart and deep within God’s world.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, addiction, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them, and to turn their pain into joy.
And, may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
You are created to be deacons – and today we make it so --change the church and the world by your ministry.
Everything is Created with a Purpose
Sermon on Mark 9.2-9
Last Epiphany B
Diaconal Ordination
By
C. Andrew Doyle
O Lord of the harvest, you entrust to us a share in the mission of Jesus. Place in our hearts the compassion of Jesus and on our lips the Good News of your kingdom, that, with our every word and deed, we may give as a gift what we have received as a gift, your grace. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
What are you created for?
There were Steve McQueen’s two movies The Getaway and the 1968 Thomas Crown Affair. There was the natural thriller: The Twister, about a F4 tornado that hit a drive-in movie theater. The lesser known movies are: Mac and Me and Two for the Road. Then there was James Bond’s Goldfinger, and Al Pacino’s Scarface. And, who could forget, or maybe who wants to remember, National Lampoon’s Vacation with Chevy Chase. Each movie featured the same movie star, perfectly created for the role, perfectly created for the American road: the Ford Country Squire Station Wagon.
Born in 1950 and built by the Ford Motor Company until 1991, the Ford Country Squire was THE premium station wagon. This full-size wagon always featured imitation-wood trim (fiberglass and plastic appliqué) on the doors and tailgate. It could carry up to 9 passengers. The unique side-facing seats fitted into the cargo area were perfect for Tony Montana and his crew to tail a taxi in Scarface, Goldfinger’s henchman Oddjob to insure James Bond’s compliant trip to his lair, or keep the three Doyle brothers entertained throughout the endless hours passed on I45.
Certain versions, like my uncle’s, had an AM/FM-Cassette stereo with a combined and fully-integrated CB two-way radio, and dual-purpose automatic antenna. A folding table with integrated magnetic checkers board and secret lockable safe tricked out his top of the line family cruiser.
In 1966, all Ford wagons introduced the Magic Door Gate which broke all the laws of physics and astounded N.A.S.A. scientists by allowing the tailgate on the vehicle to function as a traditional tailgate that could be lowered, or a door that swung outward for easier access to the seating area. This state of the art space hatch made it easy to access my father’s homemade, four ton camping organizer made out of ¾ inch ply wood and installed in the cargo area for campouts.
The Doyle family never made it to Disney World to see Mickey Mouse. The Doyle’s did not own the Wagon Queen Family Trucker as did the Griswolds in Vacation. However, my parents did own the 1974 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon. It smelled like boys, spilled Mr. Pibb and Tab Cola, melted Hostess Cup Cakes, stale New Fangled Pringles Potato Chips, and long pilgrimages to “family fun.”
All things are created with a purpose. The Ford Country Squire Station Wagon was created for the family pilgrimage.
The question is what are we created for?
There are two epiphanal events in Mark’s Gospel. The first is the baptism of Jesus by John. Upon coming out of the water Jesus alone sees the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending. And only Jesus hears the voice of God, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” This moment is only for Jesus and affirms his status as God’s beloved son: incarnated that all may come to know, love and worship God.
The second event is the transfiguration in our Gospel lesson today, chosen for the last Sunday in Epiphany, Mark 9.2ff.
Jesus, Peter, James and John have gone up to a “high mountain;” echoing the mountain top experiences of Elijah and Moses.
Before the disciples Jesus is transfigured and dawns dazzling clothes of white, the colors of Daniel’s Ancient One, and the color of those martyrs envisioned in the Book of Revelation.
There appears next: Elijah and Moses. They both had epiphanies on mountains at key moments in their ministry. Elijah feeling alone and fleeing into the country-side before he could be killed by authorities hears God’s voice tell him to return, and to call and anoint the two kings and Elisha to join him in his prophetic work. (I Kings 19.11ff)
Moses, having worked tirelessly experiences rejection at the hand of the Hebrews all for the desire of a golden calf. Moses returns to the mountain feeling alone and complains that God has not yet let him know who will go with him. God replies “My presence will go with you and be your partner in this work.” (Exodus 33.12ff)
Jesus comes to this moment after the essential proclamation of his mission: to suffer, be rejected, and be killed. Then he gives his call to discipleship, “If any want to become my followers, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.”
Jesus retires to the mountain as the proclamation of the cross turns Mark’s gospel from Gallilee where his ministry has had power and acceptance to Jerusalem where it will be rejected.
Peter misinterprets the whole thing believing it is about the holy moment of transfiguration and does not realize that this is a recreated moment along the way of Jesus. Elijah received companions to join him in the prophetic work of turning the people to God. Moses receives God’s very presence to turn the people to God. Who will join Jesus?
Remember in the very first chapter of Mark, God promises to Jesus to send a messenger ahead to prepare his way. Here Jesus again invites followers to join him and make his way known.
For here in this epiphany we the reader join Peter, James and John not as outside voyeurs but as participants in the journey. God does not speak privately to Jesus here as he did at baptism, but to us, “This is my Son, the beloved, listen to him!”
We are created and called into being disciples to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. By God’s very words to us we are commissioned to listen and to follow. We are his partners, his companions, to carry the prophetic word to God’s people…to turn them…returning them to God’s loving embrace.
Jesus affirms God’s message to us. As we listen he instructs us that once we understand and have experienced the risen Son of Man, the risen Christ, then we must continue the work of proclamation.
The transfiguration story is not about affirming who Jesus is as God’s beloved Son, so much as it is about affirming who we are as followers along the way.
Christians for centuries listened to Jesus and followed him by taking up their cross, and losing their life. Jesus is depending upon God’s promise that we will be partners and companions along the way.
Christ was incarnated so that we might, through the cross and resurrection, come to know and glorify God.
We on the other hand are created that we might reflect and make known to the world God’s love that all might come to know and glorify him. We are to reflect the transfigured Christ to the World.
Deacons, what are you then created for? After all, today the church is changed and made new by your ordination. What are you created for?
If you are going to be deacons then you must do as Jesus instructed. Be a disciple who follows and emulates the actions of his master laying down his life for others. Serve; and in service find yourself redeemed and transformed; find Jesus there, the living Christ of God.
The actions that you manifest in the liturgy are icons to us all of the church’s own vocation to change the world.
When you hold the New Testament and proclaim the Gospel you do it facing the world outside the church re-calling the words, “Follow me” and “Take up your Cross.”
When you face the altar and pray the prayers of the people you bring the concerns, hurts, pains, joys and thanksgivings from the world into the church and lay them at God’s feet.
When you set the table you remind us of the abundance of God’s grace manifest in bread and wine and offered for all who come to Jesus’ table.
When you call forth the dismissal you send us into the world to proclaim the Gospel as prophets, leaders, and servants.
When we see you do these things, these things you have been created to do, our hearts are quickened and our souls are reminded that we too have been promised by the living God to Jesus as companions in his ministry to turn and return God’s people to his loving embrace. We see your actions and remember that we are to proclaim by word and example the Good news of God in Christ and seek to serve Christ in all persons.
Yet if your ministry is only liturgical then you have simply set up booths or tabernacles that are mere shadows of an unfulfilled vocation.
Your proclamation of the resurrected Lord by action has to manifest itself in the world for the symbols to have meaning inside the church.
The church is a subtle mistress. She is all to eager to have you wear the collar, wear the vestments with your crooked stole, and have you serve in her sanctuary leaving the world behind, and binding your hands to the service of her own needs.
If you do not lay down the status the church is all to ready to give you and go out into the world to meet God’s beloved strangers then your proclamation of the Gospel will remain imprisoned in the book from which you read. The God you serve desires that all might come to know him and to experience his love for them. For the shepherd intends to call each stranger by name.
If you do not leave the comfort and the safety of the sacristy to hold the hand of the dying then your prayers offered on behalf of God’s people will only be names on someone else’s list. God intends to know every sparrow and to count every hair upon the head of his people.
If you do not leave the certainty of where the chalice goes and how the paten sits just correctly on the corporal on God’s table and meet the hunger of God’s people then his people will go unfed. For the God you serve intends to multiply loaves and fishes and call the multitudes to his banquet feast.
If you call for us to go out into the world and make Christ known, but stay behind in the shelter of the church the homeless will never find that place where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. For God intends to gather his people under the shadow of his wing.
Each of you discovered Jesus in your life and along your journey. Each of you found him along the way. Jesus was transfigured in your life and from that transfiguration you discovered your own calling to be deacons.
You discovered that you were created to be servants of the most high God, servants who make the symbols and actions of our liturgy more than words in the Prayer Book.
Last night we surrounded you and we each blessed you. Today I leave you with this blessing and charge. Phyllis, Tracie, Pat, Jody, Barbara please stand.
This blessing is neither unique nor new, I have no pride of authorship, but it is a good blessing for deacons and I hope it will serve you well in your ministry.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart and deep within God’s world.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, addiction, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them, and to turn their pain into joy.
And, may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
You are created to be deacons – and today we make it so --change the church and the world by your ministry.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Podcasting of Sermons
You can now get my sermons on ITUNES at or via my podcast blog at http://adoyle.libsyn.com/
February Schedule
February 2009
1 9:00 a.m. Visitation and Confirmation – St. John’s, Austin
1:00 p.m. Eucharist, Dedication of Building Addition and Bell Tower – St. Paul’s, Pflugerville
4 10:00 a.m. Program Group Meeting – Diocesan Center
5 10:00 a.m. Church Corporation Meeting - Diocesan Center
7 2:00 p.m. Ordination to Priesthood of Stacy Stringer – Trinity Church, Houston
8 10:00 a.m. Visitation and Confirmation – St. Alban’s, Houston
10-13 SSW Board of Trustees Meeting – Austin
13-14 Diocesan Council - Houston
18 10:00 a.m. Resource Meeting – Diocesan Center
1:30 p.m. Congregational Development Meeting – Diocesan Center
4:00 p.m. EHS Board of Trustees – Houston
19 7:45 a.m. School Visit - Holy Trinity Episcopal School, Houston
20 6:30 p.m. EHS Auction – Houston
7:00 p.m. St. Mark’s Episcopal School Gala - Houston
21 5:00 p.m. Meet with IONA Deacons – Camp Allen
22 12:00 p.m. Deacon Luncheon, Ordination, Reception – Camp Allen
25 12:05 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service – Christ Church Cathedral, Houston
1 9:00 a.m. Visitation and Confirmation – St. John’s, Austin
1:00 p.m. Eucharist, Dedication of Building Addition and Bell Tower – St. Paul’s, Pflugerville
4 10:00 a.m. Program Group Meeting – Diocesan Center
5 10:00 a.m. Church Corporation Meeting - Diocesan Center
7 2:00 p.m. Ordination to Priesthood of Stacy Stringer – Trinity Church, Houston
8 10:00 a.m. Visitation and Confirmation – St. Alban’s, Houston
10-13 SSW Board of Trustees Meeting – Austin
13-14 Diocesan Council - Houston
18 10:00 a.m. Resource Meeting – Diocesan Center
1:30 p.m. Congregational Development Meeting – Diocesan Center
4:00 p.m. EHS Board of Trustees – Houston
19 7:45 a.m. School Visit - Holy Trinity Episcopal School, Houston
20 6:30 p.m. EHS Auction – Houston
7:00 p.m. St. Mark’s Episcopal School Gala - Houston
21 5:00 p.m. Meet with IONA Deacons – Camp Allen
22 12:00 p.m. Deacon Luncheon, Ordination, Reception – Camp Allen
25 12:05 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service – Christ Church Cathedral, Houston
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