Finding Freedom in a Coercive Age

Since returning from Mere Anglicanism Saturday night, I've been doing a lot of thinking in fits and starts.  The weather has been perfect for it- warm and rainy for late January, with glorious storms which make me realize the smallness of my life.  Had there been time, I would have listened to Beethoven and sat motionless, surrounded by my dogs and nursing a snifter of Napoleon's favorite.  But there was no time.  The annual meeting was Sunday morning after church, and then came a service at one of the local nursing homes.  Monday morning was to the doctor with my mother and appointments through Evensong, and I arrived home at about 9:30.  Tuesday was no better in terms of time, and I think the day ended in the neighborhood of midnight.  But along the way, events and conversations drew me into my own thoughts, and gave me pause as I considered my own place within the church, locally and beyond.
Oh to relax "avec l'empereur"

We seem to live in an age of uncertainty and fear, and the outgrowth is generalized distrust and aggravation.  We have forgotten how to engage those with whom we disagree, and unfortunately, there are those of almost every persuasion who consistently do their best to coerce everyone around them to do all things their way.  Of course it is all done in the name of love, or justice, or Christ, or Allah, or the poor, or national security, and it is always "for the children."  I get so tired of "damned whigs" trying to fix me and telling me what to do.  Whether they be on the left or on the right or in-between does not matter.  Some days I just want to lock all three gates and never leave the farm again. 

The Boys Wishing I would Just Stay Home at the Farm!

And then two things came into my life.  The first was Tuesday's exemplification of the Mark Master Degree in the Royal Arch Chapter here in Lancaster.  It reminded me that "the first shall indeed be last and the last first," and that my acceptance by God is all of his grace, and that as I receive the free and unmerited gift of his grace, I am expected to behave in a much more responsible manner than I did before.  In short, I am expected to be more and more like Jesus in my dealings with people, just because it is right, and not for any strategic reason.  The second was a conversation with Tom Hammer, my Senior Warden and longtime friend here at St. John's Church, who reminded me that it is in the Scriptures that God gives us the answers we seek, often when we least expect them.  And the answer I sought he passed on to me from yesterday's daily office epistle lesson, namely that I should be more like Jesus and his Apostles, and not worry so much about the input of human wisdom or practical opportunities.   It is my job simply to be more like Jesus. 
Oh to be like thee!
Jesus Christ my Saviour and Lord.

This may not sit well with the current state of the church or the nation or the world.  It certainly will not make some people happy, but it is the call of Christ to me, and to all of us who name Christ as Lord.  It calls me to remember that prophesy of the day when God's people would do what was contained in the law not because they had to, but because they wanted to.  I pray in all humility that I am beginning to get to that point.  Many thanks to my brothers of the Holy Royal Arch, and to my longtime friend and brother Tom Hammer for helping me to learn anew this eternal lesson about being free in Jesus.

Mere Anglicanism 2013

This evening at about 9:30, I got home from Mere Anglicanism 2013.  It was a glorious experience, with presentations about the Person and Work of Jesus from a team of international scholars.  We were challenged by preachers and teachers alike to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, and to go forth to do his work in the world.  Topics included Christ in the Old Testament and how the message of Paul is the same message as that of the Gospels.  There was a wonderful presentation about how members of non-Christian faith communities around the world view Jesus, and the last presentation by Eric Metaxas about Dietrich Bonhoeffer was so good that I went out and bought his book, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy Thomas Nelson 2010.

But Mere Anglicanism is about so much more than classes and challenges.  Like the camp meetings of old, it is a time and a place to meet new friends and greet old friends.  It is a time to drink in the ambience of Charleston, arguably one of the most gracious and beautiful cities in America.  It is a time to sense the presence of God in worship and sacrament and song, and for one small period of time to realize with profound thanksgiving that I am not alone theologically or culturally.  It is a time to know that God is not through with this wonderful and beautiful thing called Anglicanism.

My thanks to the organizers and hosts of this, my conference of choice.  I hope everyone will plan to join me and so many others in Charleston next January for a rational and faith based examination of science and our faith.  It is a trip and a commitment you will be glad you made.

My only regret is that my wife Rebecca was not able to travel with me to this year's conference.  We had such a good time together last year.

Holiness Unto the Lord- Rector's Rambling Lent 2013

Rector’s Rambling- February 2012

On Saturday, just two days ago, I put the first seeds of the year into the propagator, which is currently located in my study. I did everything precisely as I have always done, with one exception. Instead of watering with tap water, I used “Root Stimulator: Accelerated Root Growth for Clones and Seedlings,” manufactured by Hydro Gardens and Lights in Columbus, Ohio. When I got home after youth group tonight, I was astounded to find cabbage and broccoli plants already sprouted! Two days from seed to sprout is a record in my experience, and it got me to thinking. When Jesus does a work in my heart, are the results so spectacular or as quick? When the Holy Ghost convicts me of some action or attitude and by God’s grace I sense the need to change my ways, am I put to shame by one of the humblest members of God’s creation, a lowly cabbage seed? I am afraid that sometimes, not always, but more often than I can justify, the answer is yes.

Such thoughts are perhaps good preparation for the holy season of Lent. Until we recognize our own shortcomings, it is doubtful that we will ever truly respond to God’s offer of transformation in our lives. Ultimately, Lent is about transformation- transformation from what we are into what God would have us to be. Wise men taught me in seminary that Christian holiness has two important aspects. The first is positional holiness. Because I am among the baptized and have been marked as Christ’s own forever, I am set apart, or holy, and dedicated to his work. But when properly understood and rightly experienced, this positional holiness must be accompanied by moral holiness. That is, my life must be more like the life of Jesus than it was before I received his grace. If I was a liar, I must stop lying. If a thief, I must stop stealing. If a bigot, I must walk away from my prejudices. If my sexuality was out of control, it must be disciplined and brought within the parameters of what God’s Word allows. The list goes on and on, but the point is clear. When God does his work in us, we are named as his own and dedicated to his purposes, and we are also expected to exhibit change from what we were to what he would have us to be. Our lives, touched by grace, must begin to look more like the life of our Lord, or in all likelihood, our religion is a sham and a hypocritical lie.

When the prophets said that God would take out of his people their hearts of stone and replace them with living hearts of flesh, they said that the day was coming when we would follow the expectations of Scripture not because we had to, but because we wanted to. They never said it would be easy, or that we would always get it right, but they did say that we would be known as a people set apart for God. Like my cabbage and broccoli seeds, we would be transformed from what our own decisions had made us into the people, and into the community of faith, that God created us to be. As we enter this sacred season of preparation for Easter, let us look honestly at our own lives and motives, and commit all of our shortcomings to God’s transformation. The Bible tells us that our God is a miracle worker, and that those actions and attitudes which we seem to be so unable to change can be transformed in an instant by him who raised the dead and caused the blind to see. Might we together take advantage of those Lenten programs and disciplines which will help us to persevere in this life of transformation and holiness, and might we be there for each other in our times of temptation, weakness, and need.

Lenten Programs:

Feb 13^th at noon and 7pm: Ash Wednesday Imposition of Ashes

Feb 17, 24, Mar 10, &17 at 5: Lenten suppers and speakers

Mar 3 at 4: Choral Evensong and simple supper.

All Sundays at 8 & 10:30 and Wednesdays at noon: Holy Communion

Confession: By appointment, call 215-3900

Mar 24 Palm Sunday

Mar 28 at 7: Maundy Thursday

Mar 29 at noon: Good Friday liturgy and Stations of the Cross

Mar 31: EASTER! THE SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION!

Rector's Report 2012: St. John's Episcopal Church

Rector’s Report- 2012

Twenty Twelve has been a blessed year for us at St. John’s. We had six baptisms and four confirmations, and our average Sunday attendance stood at just over 103. Those numbers are well within the average parameters of the years since 2005. But numbers without interpretation are seldom helpful in evaluating who we are, where we have been, or where we are going. And so I offer some other measures which help to round out the picture of life here at St. John’s.
Our finances ended the year in the black.
Average attendance at our weekly Christian Formation events runs in the upper twenties.
We are a regular presence in three nursing facilities and two jails.
Our cooperative meals missions with St. Paul’s Logan involves about 15 parishioners each time.
We give to local pantries and distribute household supplies through the drug court.
We support local schools through job training placement for students and providing cheerleaders a place to practice.
AA and Alanon meet in our undercroft every week.
We participate in community-building activities sponsored by the Mayor’s office, Family Services, and the Fairfield Medical Center.
The Art Walk, community recitals, and the Candlelight Tour allow us to support our community.
Episcopal Parish Health Ministries offers a monthly program here, including a fellowship meal with a speaker, and free blood pressure screening.
We offer three services of Holy Communion and one of Choral Evensong each week, in forms which span the breadth of our Anglican heritage.
Daughters of the King offered a ladies retreat and summer morning prayer in the garden.
Lay readers, altar guild, lectors, ushers, and choristers provide incredible and reliable support for all of our worship services.
Our vestry runs by consensus and votes only where expenditure of funds or canon law requires a recorded vote.
The addition of a Deacon and Licensed Lay Preacher to our preaching rotation has significantly deepened our opportunities to understand the Bible.
Our Vestry does a commendable job staying on budget and planning ahead for the needs of our parish.
Six parishioners from St. John’s participate regularly in Diocesan events and ministries.
We support financially and in prayer several members of parish families who serve as missionaries around the world.
We give regularly to many missions and agencies at home and abroad.
Our office volunteers bring a sense of professionalism and efficiency to our parish operations.
Four members of our parish are actively considering some type of Christian Vocation.
We are one of the few churches in central and southeastern Ohio who worship in the English choral tradition.
We continue to maintain St. John’s building and grounds in a way which shows forth the glory of God and respects the historic nature of Square Thirteen.
We strive to reach out to our community through our website and the rector’s blog.
We remind all who come here of our commitment to Christian unity by welcoming all of the baptized, regardless of denomination, to Holy Communion.
Our parish participates regularly in Deanery and ecumenical activities.
Our youth group meets regularly and has consistent attendance.
You enable me to continue my professional development through annual attendance at “Mere Anglicanism” in Charleston, membership in the Society of St. Alban and St. Sergius, membership in the Communion Partner Rectors, and through regular retreats at the Community of the Transfiguration, an Episcopal Convent in Cincinnati.                                 
We pay all Diocesan asessments in full and on time.
It is my prayer that in the year to come, we might continue to build on this heritage of worship and service, to the glory of God, and to the extension of his kingdom. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Respectfully Submitted,

Bill+

Official Start of the 2013 Garden at Briarwood

This weekend, I brought the propagator in from the shop and started the first plantings of cabbage, broccoli, iceburg and romaine lettuce.  In a week or two, everything should be sprouted, and after a week or two inside under lights for a couple of sets of leaves to develop, it will be into double cold frames in the greenhouse and from there to the long cold frame for growing.  Next come the eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes (In that order and starting about 12 weeks before our last frost date in mid May).  Matthew called yesterday to get my order for replacement hens for the year.  We will stick with the speckled sussex.  They are not the best layers, but they are beautiful birds, and they are considered an endangered rare breed.  I also have plans to add some khaki campbell ducks (if I can find them) for their chicken sized eggs and perhaps a few quail for eggs as well (the last purchase of 50 chicks was a bit excessive even by my standards).

This flurry of activity was jump started by a few days in the low 60's (farenheit), and by son in law Matthew's recent acquisition of a vintage Ferguson tractor.  It is a beauty and I would post a picture, but we had to make some changes to the computer to address a security issue, and I haven't figured out how to get pictures from my computer to the blog given the new configurations. 

In the midst of winter, I hope all of my readers are finding ways to look forward to spring.  Hope is a wonderful thing, and without it our lives can be so very, very terrible.

By the way, I found the most promising additions to this years cutting flower garden, all from Burpee seeds.  Their Sunflower Cutting Mix promises single branching stems producing 3-8 inch flowers in reds, golds, yellows, and bicolors. Their 3o inch Zinnia All Summer Cutting Mix ix an all time favorite with its multicolored double blooms.  This year I also found their 30-36 inch Zinnia Peppermint Stick Mix with its flecked appearance in several colors.  I'm looking forward to a grand season!

Sermon: The Baptism of our Lord, Year A RCL

Sermon for The Feast of The Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 43:1-7
Luke 3:15-22

The world was in turmoil When Hezekiah succeeded his father Ahaz on the throne of Judah. When Babylon rebelled against the suzerainty of Sargon and the Assyrians, Egypt took advantage of the shift in Assyrian troop deployments to offer treaties to the Assyrian vassals in the Levant, including Hezekiah’s Judah. The power of the local kings of what we now call the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria seemed to increase and for several years they refused to pay the tribute demanded by their erstwhile overlords. The heady nationalism of those days provided fertile grounds for the re-establishment of the historic religion of Israel. Under the preaching of Isaiah and Micah, many of the people of Judah became much more serious about their faith, and even King Hezekiah took steps to purify the land of idolatry. When Sennacherib succeeded his father Sargon the Great in 705 BC, Merodach-baladan, King of Babylon, renewed his rebellion against his new overlord, and as Assyrian troops again moved east, the western vassals, inspired by Egyptian agitation, rebelled. When the eastern rebellion was crushed, Sennacherib turned his armies on the western rebels, and the devastation was terrible to behold. The events of 701 BC are recorded in II Kings 18, and the details are supplied by the Assyrian annals. Forty Six Judean fortresses were captured and destroyed, the country was devastated, and the Assyrian records boast that “Hezekiah was shut up in his capital like a bird in his cage.” II Kings 19 tells us of how the King of Judah cried out to God and how God delivered the city. Lord Byron tells the story in his poem, “The Destruction of Sennacherib.”

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass’d;
And the eyes of the sleepers wax’d deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still!

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

The Biblical account goes on to tell of the blessings of God in the life of King Hezekiah, and of his decisions, good and bad, which would later so impact the city and people of God. And the story is told in Isaiah 39 of how the foolishness of the generally good King Hezekiah led to that horrible prophesy of destruction and captivity “by the waters of Babylon.” But as God spoke of Judgment and retribution through his prophet Isaiah, he also spoke of deliverance and blessing, and our first lesson today is a part of that greater story. “I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.”

Today, we live in times of uncertainty. Food prices are up; unemployment and underemployment are still disturbingly high. Many wonder how new laws might impact their taxes, their medical coverage, and their retirement plans. While our foreign wars seem to be ending, as a people we seem to have turned on each other with barbaric acts of savagery which bring us sorrow and shock, anger, and fear, and distrust. The choices we have made, the decisions our leaders have made, and the responses that spring from our hearts in the face of good times and bad often take us through some new Red sea, some present day Jordan, or some wide and current filled Euphrates, and we wonder how we will ever survive and if we will ever find stability again. These baptisms in water grow so often out of our own bad choices, and they remind us all too surely of our past sins against God and against each other. We pray and hope against hope that these waters which threaten to overwhelm us will also wash away our sins and give us new life in some new promised land, where we might start anew, beyond the reach of past decisions and events that we would rather forget.

And as we seek this new start spiritually, and emotionally, and personally; we come to John’s baptism of repentance. We know why we are here, and cry out to God that this time it might be for real, and that we might start anew. In the midst of our uncertainty and our desire to repent, the Baptist’s cry is clear and strong, “You come seeking the baptism of repentance; but another is coming, and he will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire!” And then Jesus came among us, submitting to that same baptism we have known, identifying with you and me and demonstrating that he does understand our state and that he does accept us as his own. And to confirm the reality of it all, a voice came down from heaven and said, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

God the Father looked upon this free act of Jesus the Christ, this identification with you and me, and declared his pleasure, even his delight. Just as he declared his creation to be a good thing in Genesis chapter one, in today’s Gospel lesson, he declares this new creation that we have found in Jesus Christ through Holy Baptism to be a good thing. Because of his love, he does not expect us to go into the waters of baptism by ourselves, He joins us as we go under the water and deal with the realities of our sins, of our bad choices, and of our fear and separation from God and each other. Baptism is not just some magical act, or some ceremonial rite of passage for those who happen to be born into Christian households. It is that point in our lives when we come face to face with the realities of our separation from God. It is that time when we see ever so clearly the consequences of trying to do things our own way. It is that time when we are forced to acknowledge the pain we have known and the pain that we have brought into the lives of others. And as we face these horrible memories and results of our own behaviour, and the behaviour of our species, Jesus comes to us and takes our hand as we step into the water. We need not fear the darkness as it closes over us nor the waters as they cover us, for Jesus is by our side. “He bears our sins and our iniquities are upon him. And by his stripes we are healed.”

On this feast of the Baptism of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I bid you all, good Christian people, to consider again what happened on the day you were buried with Christ in Baptism. Consider the burdens you carry this day, and in faith know that he dealt with them on that day when he joined us in the waters of Jordan. As you walk by this holy font on your way to the altar of God today, know that your sins are washed away, that Jesus Christ has made you a new creature, and that he is here with you to lift every burden you bear. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN

The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Tristan's New Year's Dinner

Roast Pork Loin with salt, pepper, sage, carroway, anise, and Jaegermeister

German Potato Salad with Fingerling Potato Medley, celrey, onion, bavarian bacon (sauteed,) egg, vinegar, sugar, terragon, Duesseldorf style mustard, salt, pepper, and dill

Pan Seared Green Beans with red bell pepper, sun dried tomato, sliced almonds, crushed red pepper, and parsley

Red and White Sauerkraut mixed with brown sugar sauce

 

Brut Curvee Champaign

Paulaner Salvator

 

Chocolate Mousse, grated milk and dark chocolate,egg, whipped cream, expresso, Captain Morgan Select Rum, and sugar, dimpled and served with assorted liquers (Bailey's, Chambourd, Kahlua, Ettaler,and Cask and Cream Carmel.)  Accompanied by expresso. 

The parties are over and a beautiful blanket of snow covers the ground.  I arose early, cleaned off the sidewalks around the house and to the root cellar, and headed to the barn.  Cleaning stalls is never really that much work, but the chicken house is another matter.  It is always better when it is cold, and today was the day.  Hopefully the girls appreciate it.  After putting out food for the deer and wild birds, and making some mid-winter adjustments in the greenhouse, we cleaned up and went to see "The Hobbit" at our local cinema.  As a Tolkien fan from way back (I think 1967 was my first time through the trilogy,) I was very disapointed.  The plot dragged, the characterizations were forced, and there were way too many computer generated cartooney graphics.  Last night was another story.  We watched "Der Untergang," a telling of Hitler's last days in the bunker from the perspective of staffers inside fortress Berlin.  It was a powerful film which illustrated the evil nature of Nazi belief and practice and the depths to which human nature can fall, and at the same time preserved the essential humanity of the German people involved.  This was not a wooden story about straw men as American films about WWII often are, but a deeply realistic portrayl of how real people find themselves in difficult times, sometimes of their own making, and sometimes far beyond anything they imagined would happen.  I understand this 2005 film was the first time a German actor had played Hitler.  In any event, I reccomend the film highly.  This afternoon, I started (for about the fourth time) the basic Rosetta Stone course in French.  Hopefully it will be better this year.  I've tried the beautiful French language on several occasions since High School, and have always ended in failure.  Perhaps this time will be different!  Tristan's work on German has inspired me to try again.  I will close because it is almost dinner time.  Traditional pork and kraut with the trimmings.  A family like ours with so many Huffmans and Landerfeldts hiding in the wainscotting has no choice but to enjoy German Cuisine at the New Year.  What a way to spend the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  I am ever so thankful that the Second Person of the Trinity decided to identify with us in history and flesh.  We are blessed indeed!  Frohes Silvester!