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+

How Are You Doing This Advent?

Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year C
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster 16 December, 2012

Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness
by Peiter Brueghel the Younger

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Canticle 9 BCP 86, Isaiah 12:2-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18

Here we are at the third Sunday of Advent. How are you doing preparing for the birth of the Saviour? Are you finding something to rejoice about in your life? Are you being gentle to the people you meet? Are you doing better not worrying about things? Are you praying more, and taking your issues and problems to God with a real thankfulness and a belief that he will meet your needs? Are you experiencing in a knowable way that peace of God which passes all understanding? If we are to believe the lessons for today, such measuring sticks ought to be regular parts of our lives.

Christianity is a very practical faith. It is not just an exercise in philosophical reasoning or a denial of the realities around us. Perhaps that is why God chose to reveal himself to us through the incarnation of Jesus. We believe that at Christmas God came down and became one of us. As St. John says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.” That is why the Fathers of the Church worked so hard to verify that all four Gospels were eyewitness accounts before they approved them for continued use in the Church. That is why all of those stories about Jesus sitting down and eating with folks are so essential to our faith. That is why of all the stories that could have been told about the post resurrection appearances of Jesus, Jesus telling Thomas to touch him is so important. Christianity is not just about great ideas or noble beliefs, it is about the reality of God stepping into the physical world to assure us of his love.

Lots of people over the years have used Christianity for lots of things. Some have killed in the name of God. Others have used the faith as a stick to beat others into submission. Some have employed faith to get themselves a pretty comfy berth with good pay, social prestige, and a bit of power over their neighbors. Many have taken a verse or two or three out of context and ridden their partial truth into the ground in ways that caused much suffering and pain. But the mistakes, and sins of fallible men and women in no way negate the fact that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus Christ his only begotten son into the world to save you and me from ourselves and our sins, and to allow us friendship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son in the power of the Holy Ghost.

If today’s second lesson tells us what our attitudes ought to be like, and if the Gospel tells us practically how our lives should change after we meet Jesus, then the Old Testament lesson and Canticle give us a glimpse of what the future holds for those who are in the process of living into friendship with God. It is a practical vision of what the world could be like if we all treated others the way God wants us to treat each other. Imagine, no more war or violence against children like we saw this week in Connecticut and in China. Imagine no more worrying about making ends meet or being alone. Imagine a world where there was no laziness or oppression, and where everyone pulled their weight with a sense of cooperative teamwork and justice. Imagine a world where the most vulnerable among us were protected by all of us, and where everyone believed that human life was sacred and that every human being had a God given right to live decently and to earn the respect of his or her neighbors.

Advent is about getting ready for such a world, and about living in the here and now as if that world were just around the corner. To paraphrase that first paragraph of this sermon about how are you doing, perhaps this would be better. Are you so living in this world that when the new world comes, you won’t have to change a bunch of habits or practices, because you are already doing now what you will be doing then? This life you see, is just practice for the next. Jesus Christ came into this world very physically two thousand years ago so that we could see what it would all look like, and to take the steps necessary for you and me to get another chance with God. We are going to celebrate that first coming in just nine days. Some day, Jesus Christ is coming into this world again just as physically to usher in the promises we heard in today’s Old Testament lesson and Canticle. That is the message of Advent.

Are you ready to meet him when he gets here? Are you in the habit of practicing those attitudes and actions which he modeled for us when he was in a physical body living with the disciples in Judea and Roman Palestine? We have been reminded this week, as we are reminded every week, that there are many people in the world who have not yet started making themselves ready for Christ’s Return, and the world is a worse place for it. God calls all of us who name Jesus as Lord and King to be in the habit of practicing today that which will be the norm when he returns. As we follow him in obedience and faith, as we live in humility and love, all the world will see the wisdom of this better way, this promised way, and the Holy Ghost will use our actions and attitudes to draw many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our true King. This is the real meaning of Advent. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sermon for Christ the King Sunday 2012

Sermon for Christ the King Sunday
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster 25 November, 2012

The idea of celebrating anything to do with a monarchy, any monarchy, seems a little strange, a lot foreign, and rather suspicious. Our national ethos teaches us that kings are part of what our ancestors came here to escape. To most of us, even the nice ones, like they have in the UK or the Netherlands, are expensive diversions without much purpose. And yet on this “Sunday Next Before Advent,” our Holy Mother the Church calls us to celebrate “Christ the King Sunday.” What were they thinking?

Actually, “they” were continuing an ancient tradition of the people of God which allows us to consider anew the nature of God’s covenant with you and me. This covenant runs all the way back to Father Abraham, and even back to Adam and Eve. It was restated to all of us by the blood of Jesus, the blood of the everlasting covenant, and its “earnest money” or “surety” is found in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ on that first Easter. But to more fully appreciate the Covenant of God with his people, we must grasp the concept of kingship as it relates to Jesus, our liege lord and true sovereign.

A king is very different from a president. A president is chosen by people (and from among the people) to hold a particular term of executive office. If the people don’t like the job he or she does, they can vote for a new president. A president is usually bound by the actions of a legislature or court, and by the content of a constitution or body of customary case law. Kings of the biblical sort have no such limitations. At least in theory, their right to reign and rule is granted by God himself and confirmed by providence via lineage or conquest. They are not bound by law or constitution, because their word is the law and their will is the constitution. In a word, their power is absolute and they do not answer to the people they rule.

But they do answer to a higher principle, a form of “noblesse oblige” if you like. With the gift of sovereignty comes a responsibility to govern well with justice, and mercy, and wisdom. Herein lies the basis for the covenant God has provided for us. It actually appears in the Bible in the form of an ancient near eastern suzerainty treaty. It was a well known legal form in the ancient near east, and was very different from a contract, because the signatories were not equal in any way, shape, or form. It usually sounded something like this:

“I am the great and mighty king. I have conquered your armies in battle and seized your cities and herds, thus demonstrating to all the world that my god is greater than your god. My army is stronger than your army. My desire is now your law.”

“Because I am gracious and just and merciful, I will rebuild your cities and provide security for your economic and personal pursuits. I will institute equitable laws and a court system that will enable you to prosper and live in peace. No one makes me do this and you do not necessarily deserve it. I do it because I choose to do it.”

“I expect you to follow the laws I establish and live peaceably with each other. Know that I will not tolerate rebellion of any kind, and I expect you to translate the loyalty you gave to your former king to me, because your former kings are not kings at all.”

“If you follow my expectations, you and your children will live in peace and prosperity. If you do not, I will kill you, destroy your homes, break up your families, and sterilize your land with salt.”

“I am the great and mighty king.”

Now, let me rephrase this covenant form as the everlasting covenant of God with his people:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I created you, loved you, and have given you chance after chance to do the right thing. Although you are a rebellious people, and have turned away from me time after time, I have chosen you for my own reasons to bear the good news of how men and women might be reconciled to me, to all the nations of the world.”

“Because I am merciful and loving, I will set you apart as a special nation of priests and kings who will have the privilege of sharing my love with everyone. I expect you to maintain a particular lifestyle and form of worship that I will prescribe, and I will give you an ability beyond your own to rely on me and accomplish this mission. You will be known as my special people.”

“If you follow in this path to which I have called you and for which I have set you apart, I will bless you richly in this world and in the world to come. You will have persecutions because many will not understand what I call you to do, and many more, who prosper from their rebellion against me in the short run, will see you as a threat to their interests. But in spite of their opposition, I will use you to build my church, and there you will find meaning, and a sense of belonging, and peace.”

“To demonstrate the truth of this arrangement, I will send my only Son to die for the punishments that you deserve for your bad behavior. By his life he will show you how I want you to live and he will demonstrate the attitudes and motives I want you to have. To prove the depth of my love I will do this. To prove that it is all true, after three days, my Son will come back to life, and in him, you will see the sort of existence you will taste in this world, and which you will enjoy in the afterlife.”

“If you accept these terms, ask forgiveness for your past sins of rebellion and evil toward me and your neighbors, believe that my Son Jesus can enable you to do all of these things, and do your best to live according to my plan, I will bless you while you live and you will be with me forever after your death. If you do not accept these terms and behave like your acceptance is genuine, you will suffer the results of your own plotting and conniving in this world, and after you die, you will be separated from me and from hope forever. You will feel an aloneness that no person has ever known.”

“I am you Creator and your God, and I love you.”

In the diplomatic forms of the ancient Sumerians, that is God’s offer to you and to me. God the Father has designated his Son Jesus to be our Liege Lord and Sovereign King, and has in his mercy sent upon us the Holy Spirit to give us strength to live into this relationship with our King. He has established the Church as the ark of safety, the dispenser of the Sacraments, and the proclaimer of Scripture to teach us and guide us. He has given us each other and every Christian who has ever lived as a supernatural family to help us along the way. In Holy Baptism, the people of God celebrated the fact that we were adopted into this family. In Confirmation, we as adults publicly reaffirmed our decision to implement the promises of our Baptism. In Holy Communion, we receive God’s gift of the body and blood of Jesus to give us grace and strength and assurance to live into this covenant with our king for yet another day. We come to this holy place to say to all the world that we have decided to follow Jesus Christ as our King, to live under his banner that all the world might know the love of God. By our constancy and our attitudes and our behavior people will come to see the truth of what God offers to everyone made in his image.

Are you up to the challenge today? Are you willing to change when some area of your life or some attitude or behavior fails to match God’s expectations? Are you willing to trust God enough to take the risks involved in sharing the love you have found with others in a life of service and ministry in the Name of Jesus? Then stand with me as together we affirm our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed. Kneel with me as we bring our needs before the throne of God. Along with me, confess your sins with a sorrowful heart and an honest desire to change when it is needed. And then join me at this altar of the living God as we renew our allegiance to Jesus Christ the true and living King. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Sermon for 18 November: Hebrews 10:11-25

Sermon for the Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, MMXII
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster 18 November, 2012
Proper 28B: Hebrews 10:11-25

Reconstruction of Solomon's Temple
from The Bible Museum in Amsterdam

Saint John's Episcopal Church, Lancaster, Ohio, USA

God’s love for us is so marvelous, so far reaching, so creative, that he has built into the development of every culture, every people, and every person points of contact which in his providential time might help us to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Pope Gregory the Great understood this when he counseled Abbot Miletus to hold feasts of the martyrs in places where the pagan Anglo-Saxons had worshipped devils- that those who walked in darkness might be more apt to come to the light of Christ. But if God plants the seed of faith in every culture, he planted it most clearly in the history and culture of Israel, and in that faith which scholars name Jewish Temple Worship.

When after his resurrection Jesus walked the road to Emmaus with the disciples, the Bible tells us that their hearts burned within them as he explained to them “in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Lk 24:27) The early Church treasured this teaching of how God revealed himself through prophetic word and sacrament in ancient Israel, and the Book of Hebrews is the Holy Ghost inspired and superintended record of much of what Jesus shared on the road that day as he opened the Scriptures to them and revealed himself in the breaking of bread.

This brief introduction brings us up to today’s second lesson, where we are invited to discover the deeper significance of what Jesus did for you, and for me. It is only fitting that we should discuss the significance of temple worship here at St. John’s, where we figuratively come up the mountain by climbing the long flight of steps at the front of our church, pass between Jachin and Boaz, the great columns at the west end of the temple, and enter this parish church, which shares the same dimensions as King Solomon’s Temple, where the priests described in today’s lesson laboured in the service of God.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews describes in some detail how the daily Rota of the sons of Aaron and Levi served according to the law of Moses to provide that sacred sacrificial link between God and his chosen people, the Jews. With the exception of the seventy years of captivity, these faithful men offered the appointed sacrifices in the appointed way for over a thousand years; sometimes in tabernacle, sometimes in temple, but always according to the plan God had revealed to his servant Moses. They provided for all who would see a picture of God’s plan for reconciling the world to himself. Every day they assembled to do what God had commanded, but every day ended with the need to repeat the sacrifices and rites on the following day, because no amount of blood from beasts could heal the wound of sin that separated men and women from God.

And then Jesus came into the world. He lived among us to demonstrate to all people what attitudes and actions God would have to characterize our lives. He was God of God, because he was the incarnate Second Person of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, the Son. He was uncreated and eternal, and had always been with the Father and the Spirit. And of his own free will and accord, he became one of us to demonstrate the degree to which God the Father loves you and me. He was fully human because of the ministry and vocation of Blessed Mary the Virgin, Theotokos, his mother. And then, he did the most amazing thing. He willingly submitted to an unjust death at the hands of those he came to show this love of God. It was not just the Jewish leaders, or the Jerusalem mob, or the Roman Soldiers who murdered him that day. We were all there because of the sins we have committed against God’s holiness, and his love, and his righteousness, and his justice, and his peace. We were there in a very real sense when the mob cried out “His blood be upon us and upon our children. Crucify him!” The Bible tells us that he could have called it off at any time, but he did not. He willingly took upon himself all of our sins, individual and corporate. There is no evil act, or thoughtless oversight, or uncaring attitude which has ever or will ever occur that was not borne by Jesus on the cross that day.

And when he died he said, “It is accomplished!” And the great veil of the temple, a full hand’s breadth in thickness, which hung just about where I stand, and shielded the sanctum sanctorum, the holy of holies, from all but the high priest, was torn asunder by the miraculous hand of God. And from that day to the end of time, there is no need for the sacrifice of bulls or goats, for the Lamb of God died to take away the sins of the world! “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain…” (see text of lesson) therefore let us approach our Loving God and Heavenly Father with the full assurance that the price of our disobedience has been paid by the blood of Jesus, freely given as the gift of love for you and for me. No more is it necessary to multiply sacrifice upon sacrifice. Circumcision has been perfected in the waters of Baptism and Seder has been completed in Eucharist. And we are set apart as the people of God. Old things are passed away and all things are made new. Our sins have been put away once and for all by the more perfect sacrifice. By the blood of the everlasting covenant we are reconciled to God. The shame and power of our sins have been broken and we can live new lives of hope and change and victory in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And now, the Lamb who was slain lives again in the power of the Resurrection. He calls us who have been baptized and washed in pure water to meet together, which we do this day. He calls us to encourage each other and to provoke each other to love and good deeds. He calls us to live with each other in hope, our lives directed by true hearts filled with that assurance which comes of faith. For today the prophesy of Blessed Jeremiah is fulfilled among us. As we enter this new and everlasting covenant because Jesus has fulfilled the prophesies of the sacrificial system, God writes his law, his motives if you will, upon our hearts and our minds. He fulfills his promise to remember our sins and our lawless deeds no more. He gives us the ability and charges us with the expectation that we will strive to live according to his way, revealed in all of the Scriptures, modeled in the life of Jesus Christ, and seen with regularity among those of us who name the Name of Jesus as our Saviour and our Lord, our Brother and our Friend, and our Master.

Go forth this day in the knowledge that your sins have been put away once and for all by the blood of Jesus, which has ushered the Everlasting Covenant into our lives. Live as did Jesus, in conformity to the teachings of the Bible and in the hope of eternal life. And provoke one another to love and good deeds. In the Name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Ghost. AMEN.

Preparing to Give Thanks

Norman Rockwell's American Icon: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner here in the US.  It is a grand time of year, with low key family gatherings, lots of seasonal food, some time afield, and "Low Sunday" sorts of Church services.  With the passing of Diocesan Convention this weekend, I am starting to gear up for the day.  Next week, I will sit down for an extended lunch with my United Methodist and Roman Catholic colleagues and we will plan our ecumenical service for the year.  There is not much planning involved besides determining who will preach, but it is a wonderful chance to renew friendships and let things run themselves, which is so much in keeping with the spirit of this holiday for so much of rural and suburban America. 

This year is particularly satisfying for us because all of the family is here in Ohio again.  Tristan will be home from University, and Ashley, Matthew, and the girls are just an hour away in Athens.  Everyone is as safe as can be, and the joy of children's laughter rolls through the woods and across the fields as it did two decades ago.  On Wednesday afternoon, Ashley brought the girls up for a visit.  They immediately dived into the dress up bag and came out attired as fairy princesses, complete with tiarras and magic wands for "enchanting" any unfortunate dog, chicken, or horse they happened to encounter.  Then it was "wellies on" and to the barn to feed apples to the equines and to determine what chickens they would take to their farm with them in the weeks and months to come.  From there we wandered over the back pasture and into the woods to visit the old hunting cabin (a marvelous adventure when you are only three feet tall!) Back at the house, we piled into Grammy's garden wagon with "golden Jesus and picture Jesus" (only my grand-daughters are allowed to loot the family chapel with impunity) for a ride around and around and down the lane to collect the mail.  Then, finally, we returned to the house for tea and a story before traveling for dinner to a local Albanian restaurant and then home to Athens. 

Presidential politics and Ecclesial disputes seem so far away here at Briarwood.  The clean air and the occasional smell of wood smoke seem to wash away the cares of the world.  The love of family and the comfort of a faithful dog, the aroma of a newly groomed horse, and the crisp taste of homeade cider make the unrelenting realities of the broader world seem so remote, and clear my heart to concentrate on those things which are truly important: my God, my family, and giving thanks.

Classical Virtues and True Beauty

Rector's Rambling: October 2012


Phidias: The Cavalcade-Balance, Function, and True Beauty

Sitting here in my chapel/study, I am surrounded by memories.  Directly in front of me is a bronze statue of the Minuteman at Lexington (or was it Concord,) presented to me by the members of my regiment upon my retirement.  He stands defiant, rifle in hand, alongside a plow over which is draped a cloak.  The reference to Livy's account of Cincinnatus is inescapable.  On the shelf below the Minuteman are the chief's stripes from my Dad's dress blue Navy Uniform. In the far corner stands another bronze of St. George slaying the dragon, and beneath that stands a stuffed red fox in front of a Joseph Petro print of Bishop Moody blessing the Knox County Hunt (which still needs to be hung after these many weeks.)  Behind me is a plaster cast of a Celtic hound, his collar broken, the oppressor's sword clenched between his teeth, and a broken crown beneath his left front paw.  Dave Harmon gave it to me when we dedicated the chapel here at Briarwood.  Over the altar, in the Romanesque leaded window, stands the Celtic cross my fellow professors presented to me when I left the college to enter chaplaincy and parish work again.  Next to me on the wainscoting ledge sits a picture of Rebecca taken when we were in college, sitting on a wall built by her father.  There is an Icon of Christ, and another of the Romanov martyrs, and small figurines of Generals Lee and Jackson.

There are so many memories in this room, and yet as I think about them, I realize that they all represent a common heritage and a common philosophy.  Tristan expressed it well when he called home last night.  He was in the midst of processing a particularly virulent attack on about everything he believes, and needed a sounding board.  I was it.  The article was a generalized attack on traditional Graeco-Roman concepts of beauty.  It maintained that they were merely long established tyrannies of the historic male hegemony which oppressed women and those who did not meet the traditional sculptor's standard of beauty.  Tristan responded that in design, good form always follows function, and that certain physical attributes are historically valued because they enhanced performance in a particular realm.  Furthermore, to maintain and develop those attributes, certain desirable social qualities are essential, like self-discipline, restraint, hard work, enhanced levels of understanding, and dedication to reaching goals.  He added that the article seemed to be written by a person who was unwilling to practice those "virtues" necessary to exhibit that beauty of form which follows and enables human function in its highest expression.  In short, the writer was, in his opinion, lazy, undisciplined, unwilling to sacrifice, and far too willing to blame their own rejection on the attitudes of others rather than on their own unwillingness to cooperate with those laws of nature which are self evident;  those laws which in an earlier age brought death or slavery to those who ignored them.

I suppose the vast majority of my nick knacks and keepsakes are reminders of what Tristan called "Traditional Values."  They remind me of old comrades, of shared sacrifice and hard work, of heroism and the disciplines which preserved freedoms and built empires-spiritual as well as political or economic.  In a very real sense, they call me to examine my spiritual life, and to realize that my physical and intellectual lives are important expressions of that "spiritual life" which I value so much.  Certainly, my salvation is all of grace.  It is freely given by Jesus Christ through the blood of the everlasting covenant.  I neither deserve it, nor can I do anything to attain it.  But once it becomes the defining feature of my life, I am changed forever, and called to put aside those bad habits of laziness, and thoughtlessness, and selfish lusts of the flesh and mind.  I am called to so discipline myself in grateful humility that I do my best to follow the example of who Jesus is and what he does in history.  The virtues of temperance, self-control, hard work, personal discipline, dedication, and submission to the revealed will of God- along with so many others, enable me by God's grace to be more like Jesus, that his work might be done in this world. 

David Brainerd, the early Puritan missionary to the natives of New England, lamented that God had given him a message to proclaim and a horse from which to proclaim it.  By not taking care of his physical health, he said, "I have killed the horse, and now I have no way to deliver the message."  His words call us all to pay closer attention to the exercise of the traditional virtues in our lives.  God calls us to do our best to develop physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual health that we might be able to serve him more faithfully and fully.  It is true that not all of us start with the same raw materials in every area.  Some of us have found our abilities to develop in one area or another severely limited  by accidents of nature beyond our control or by bad decisions we made in the past.  But whatever our situation, we are called in the here and now to do the best we can with what we possess in the present.  To labour toward that end is to attain true beauty in both the Classical sense and in the Christian sense. 

Thank you Tristan, for reminding me why I kept all of this junk.  In the weeks to come, might we all commit ourselves to the practice of those virtues which will help us to build stronger bodies, stronger minds, stronger relationships with each other, and more intimate relationships with Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, my Master.

Faithfully,
Bill+
  

An Example of True Faith

Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Proper 18B
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster- 9 September, 2012

Jesus and the SyroPhenecian Woman

                                    Mark 7:24-30 / Matthew 15:21-28

“It was, indeed, a pitiful spectacle, a woman crying aloud in so great affliction, that woman a mother, entreating for a daughter, and for a daughter in such evil case.” So spake blessed John of the Golden Tongue (Homilies in Matthew lxx) of today’s Gospel lesson. Any of us who have stood by the hospital bed of our child, waiting for the doctor to arrive, can certainly begin to appreciate the pathos of the situation. It happens somewhere every day, and it is never less compelling, less heart rending, than the time before. Some things we just never quite get used to, and the suffering of a child, especially our own child, perhaps leads that list of things we can never quite bring ourselves to understand or accept.

But if we can empathize with this woman whose daughter suffered this unspeakable evil, most of us have a very difficult time understanding the initial response of our Lord to her calamity. Why would Jesus, the life giver, the health bringer, the Messiah, say something so seemingly heartless to this woman when she first approached him? “…she besought him, that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and cast it unto the dogs.” (Mark 7:26b-27) What an awful thing to say. Such a statement would surely garner low marks regarding bedside manner in Seminary or Medical School.

Allow me a digression here, because it is very important. Article XX of the Articles of Religion of the Church of England, found in the back of the Prayer Book on page 871, says clearly that the Church has no authority to “expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another.” This means that if I read a passage of the Bible, this one or any other, and it seems to say something about Jesus which would confound or deny what the rest of the Bible says about him, I must be misinterpreting the passage, and I need to give it another look. We know that God is love, and that Messiah is the perfect reflection of the Father, for He and the Father are One. We know that Jesus was sinless, and that he came to bring the offer of God’s mercy and forgiveness to everyone. Therefore, we know that he would never just dismiss a person for any reason. And so we look deeper into the passage to understand these seemingly harsh words of Jesus.

The woman in today’s lesson was a Greek, that is, a non-Jew. More specifically, she was a syrophenician- a dweller in that land which had been pronounced by prophets to be cursed by God in an earlier age for their rejection and persecution of the Jews, those people who had been specially selected by God to bear the Gospel of Salvation to all the nations of the world. Blessed Origen, writing in Alexandria early in the third century, posited that this woman was chosen for this great miracle of God because her nationality was a spiritual sign to all of us. “Think of it this way: Each of us when he sins is living on the borders of Tyre or Sidon or of Pharaoh and Egypt. They are on the borders of those who are outside the inheritance of God.” (Commentary on Matthew 11:16) He says in the same passage: “The Gentiles, those who dwell on the borders, can be saved if they believe…”

There were among the people of Jesus’ time those who saw a stark distinction between the Jews, who had inherited the promises and duties of God, and everyone else, who had not. Surely they must have believed their outlook vindicated when Jesus indicated to this outsider that it would be wrong to take the provisions of God’s elect and make them available to “the dogs”, sic, those outside the Kingdom of God. Indeed, there was plenty for the Messiah to do within Israel as he attempted to gather “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” back into the safety of the sheepfold. Jesus maintained an ongoing disputation with people who believed this way, and in fact he had condemned their actions and beliefs roundly just before this encounter with this woman of whom Calvin said “Ceste femme, profane de nation,” -”that woman, a heathen as to her nation.” (Commentary On A Harmony of the Evangelists. I:269)

You see, God the Father in his infinite providential wisdom brought this woman to Jesus this day so that she might become for all the ages an example of what enduring faith looks like. Her example not only shamed those who held themselves to be the true followers of God, but it taught Christ’s disciples, then and now, a deep truth about the nature of God’s love and what an appropriate response to that love ought to look like.

We should first notice that this woman was not a trained theologian who had the answers before she started. She was from a heathen and cursed land. That, together with the fact that she was a woman, would indicate that she was unlikely to understand Jewish theology in its fulness. She was no scholar of the law. But she did know something of Jesus. According to St. Matthew’s account of this event, she “cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David…” (Matthew 15:22) Even in those times when God’s special provision was given to make Israel a nation which would bear salvation to the world, He had not forgotten the rest of humanity. Even as the rain fell on the just and the unjust, and the benefits of creation and the earth’s beauty and bounty were there for all, so snippets of understanding, imperfect and partial as they may have been, were bestowed upon all people. It was for her much as it was for each of us. We came to Jesus not in our widsom, or knowledge, or intelligence, or ability. We came to him in our need, with some instinctive but incomplete understanding that He was the one who could help us. We did not know where it might lead, but we came in hope, drawn by the Holy Spirit before we knew who the Holy
Spirit was, into the arms of the Christ (who we did not understand or fully appreciate,) and we were reconciled to God, the Father of us all. We do not get ready to approach God by preparing ourselves via some program of study or behaviour. Rather we respond to his effusive grace because he draws us. We come as we are.

Secondly, we should note the yearning persistence of this woman, a persistence born of love. Even though she was not a Jewess, she was a human being, made in the image of God. In that image, she loved deeply. She loved her daughter who suffered so greatly from the demonic forces of hell itself. With people made in God’s image through the ages, she longed for that day “when justice would roll forth like a mighty river,” and plenty and blessing would cover the earth “as waters cover the sea.” God is the God of History, and he has chosen to work within it. He took about 1400 years to prepare Israel for that “fullness of time” that St. Paul speaks of in Galatians. But throughout human history, he led people to see through a glass darkly via those yearnings which are common to us all. It should come as no surprise to us that Aztec warriors heard the prophesies of one who would come to bring salvation, or that even the cruel Vikings were not surprised to hear of a god who died for the people. I remember when I worked in the prison seeing the hardest inmates, who seemingly had no respect for God or men, brought to tears at the mention of a mother or grandmother who was kind to them. Love, you see, is a universal human language, given us as a part of God’s image at creation. As this poor woman illustrates for us today, love enables us to be persistent in persuit of good for those we love. It enables us to wait through the years, to never give up on those we love, and to believe that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose,” even when our prayers seem to go unanswered and our situations seem unchanged. Even when she received the apparent rebuff of being compared to a dog, she did not walk away in anger or disgust or dejection, but persevered.  In the face of this characterization of the special place of the Jews in relation to humanity at large, she patiently and humbly acknowledged that even though Israel held a special place in salvation history, she knew that God’s love went forth to all people. Surely, the persistence born of love displayed by this woman put to shame those Pharisees and scribes with whom Jesus had tangled earlier in the seventh chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel. And I must admit that sometimes her persistence to see deliverance come to one she loved puts my own faith and prayer life to shame as well. Is it any wonder that Jesus said to her in St. Matthew chapter fifteen, “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”

Finally, we should note that when Jesus applauds this woman’s faith, faith which grew from just a spark of understanding and belief, faith that refused to be turned away by disappointment, faith that was the outgrowth of love for her daughter, he also condemns the lack of faith, or the aberration of faith which was displayed by so many of the learned doctors of Israel. Unlike them, she continued to hope for that salvation promised in Messiah, even when his immediate answer to her entreaty seemed to be a resounding “No.” The Reformer John Calvin speaks well when he says, “…faith will obtain anything from the Lord: for so highly does he value it, that he is always prepared to comply with our wishes, so far as it may be for our advantage.” (Commentary of a Harmony of the Evangelists I:269)

How stands your faith today? Is it more like that of those Pharisees and scribes with whom Jesus clashed, or is it more like that of this woman who came to Jesus to beg for the healing of her daughter?  Is it more about being right or about being in love? Does it demand that God do your will now and as you imagine would be best, or is it willing to play a part in his larger providential plan for all people? Does it walk with excessive confidence in your own opinions, and pride, or does it keep company with humility, and expectation, and hope in the promises of God? True faith, which issues in real godly persistence, is a gift born of love, a gift which flourishes when accompanied by that prayer of our Lord “Not my will but thine.” True faith is a gift which flows from the experience of knowing the love of God, and believing that his wish is deliverance, and healing, and salvation for all people. It is a gift born of love, issuing in love, and living in love. Might we all come to this holy altar today seeking more of this sacred gift, illuminated by this woman who came to Jesus in faith. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

The Eve of the feast of St. Mary Magdaline

Today has been a wonderful day.  After a quick round of chores at the barn, I showered and drove to Mingo Lodge in Logan for a planning meeting of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.  It was good to see old friends and to share ideas for the coming year.  The theme for the day was building character and virtue in the lives of the members of our fraternity.  Such a positive time together was a welcome relief from some of the events of the past couple of weeks.

I returned home to check my e-mail and find this wonderful picture of my grand-daughters, Margaret and Helen, taking their snack together.   Then it was out into the garden to pick tomatoes and peaches and cucumbers, some of which made a delightful lunch.  At about 3:30, Tristan called just to say hi.  It was good to hear him sounding so happy and contented.  I think his carefree joy has something to do with some girls he met from Austria.  It is so good to see him experiencing civilian joys in peace and safety.

Then Rebecca and I drove up for Vespers with our friends at Holy Cross Carpathian Orthodox Church in Columbus.  Sometimes it is good to meet God from the perspective of a layman.  Then we finished out the day by eating at "Chick Fil A," as much as a political and moral statement as anything else, but their food is good. (see http://m.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38271 if you need some background on the company and the controversy surrounding them.)

From there it was just home, chores (all eight Speckled Sussex Hens laid an egg today!), some time with Scott's "Fair Maid of Perth" and a wee dram of Sherry on the porch surrounded by the dogs, and now it is almost time for bed.  Such an Eve of the Feast of St. Mary Magdaline I cannot remember!

PS: for those who may wonder, Squirt the Shetland Pony has completely recovered from her brush with founder and is back on pasture with her friend Princess, the Thoroughbred-Arab Cross.

Rector's Rambling- August 2012

The heat is more bearable today, down to a very seasonable 90 degrees from the 105 to 107 degree readings of a week or two ago.  The morning started with about an hour and a half in the garden and at the barn.  I don't do farm work on Sundays unless an emergency is involved, because I really do believe in keeping the sabbath as much as possible.  As a result of my "sabbath observance," the straw bale garden on the north-west side of the barn had gotten a bit dry and a couple of winter squash plants were looking extremely droopy this morning.  The good soaking they received will doubtless have the desired impact by mid-day, but the event gave me reason for reflection.  As a general rule, it is not the great events that distinguish my life, or build my walk with God.  Rather it is the mundane, the repetitive, and even the boring sameness of every day which truly demonstrate my character and bring me success in the spiritual as well as in the secular realm.

Since mid May, those squash plants have been watered nearly every day that it did not rain, and that is most of them.  They are large and flourishing, covered with blossoms and fruit.  And yet missing water for a day and a half could have been fatal to them.  Their health and well being depends on being watered and tended every day.  Continued neglect could not have been corrected by even the most heroic efforts.  It is the same in my life.  If I decided not to return calls or not to go to work for just a few weeks, my reputation and my business would suffer.  If I decided not to pray or read the Bible or receive the Sacrament for half a month, my walk with God would suffer, not because He thought any less of me, but because I had deserted Him.

Someone once said that character is the sum total of many consistant and regular small decisions made over many years.  I believe they are absolutely spot on.  A student who exhibits irregular attendance and only submits every other paper will certainly fail.  A workman who comes to work only when he feels like it will soon find himself on the unemployment line.  A Christian who prioritizes sports or hobbies or sleeping in or another object or person, over time with God in Word and Sacrament and Prayer will soon find his or her faith languishing and withering like my winter squash vines. 

The grace bestowed in Baptism and past Communion received is mighty indeed.  The direction from and intimacy with God that comes from reading the Bible and praying in months or years past should never be devalued.  But the Christian who neglects the regular cultivation of their spiritual life through those disciplines given and modeled by our Lord Jesus Christ is literally endangering their walk with God and giving Satan an entre into their spiritual life.  Before long, attendance on the holy ordinances of God are absent from the person's life.  Other spiritualities and forms of self-reliance replace those life giving springs in which we all agreed to participate in our baptism and at our confirmation.  While the person in question might remain a very nice person and a good neighbor, their faith in the immanence of the Living Christ dwindles, and like my squash vine, their Christian witness withers away and dies.

Jesus often told stories from the natural and the farming and the laboring world to make a spiritual point.  We call these stories his parables.  They have been defined as earthly stories with heavenly meanings.  With all my heart, I believe that they are an indication that a loving Father has built his truth into creation itself, that we might be drawn to him, and empowered to discover his truth.  Scripture tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the Earth shows forth his handiwork.  Even the humble winter squash has so much to teach us about ourselves, and our walk with God.  Let us all open our eyes to the prophetic design which is God's gift to us, and let us labour every day to draw closer to him by making those things which he modeled and commanded a regular part of our lives.

Bill+

PS: It occurs to me that there are real emergencies or situations in our lives which on occasion prevent our daily watering of our souls.  If you find yourself in such a situation, call me at 740/215-3900.  We have a priest, a deacon, and at least four licensed lay eucharistic ministers who can come to your home and help with the watering when real emergencies come into your life.

What Really Matters

General Convention is now over for three more years.  There were some things that saddened me greatly, like the legislative attempts to legitimize scripturally prohibited behaviour by authorizing a liturgy of blessing for same sex relationships, and the several resolutions and canonical changes designed to accept transexual and transgendered behaviour in the church.  More angered me, such as the endorsements of domestic and foreign political movements, and the pronouncements on technology and social organization, any of which might be acceptable for a Christian to hold, but then the opposing political opinions might also be legitimate for a Christian to hold in the eyes of Scripture.  I will never understand why any religious body endorses political or theological opinions upon which the teachings of Scripture are not clear and decisive.   It only drives people away from the Church and the life giving sacraments which are her's to distribute to God's faithful people. There were a couple of bright points, both of which were supported by our bishop, Bishop Breidenthal.  I was glad to see some tenative steps taken to break up or restructure the authority of the National Church hierarchs, although I am doubtful the resolutions will fully answer to their promise.  The one shining example of faith and doctrine to come out of General Convention was the decision by the House of Bishops (accepted reluctantly by the House of Deputies) to affirm the ancient Christian doctrine that Holy Baptism in the Name of the Trinity is the necessary introduction to the Eucharistic Meal.  But if past history is any guide, the question will arise again in three years, and again after that until the representative democracy of the Episcopal Church manages to change even this most ancient of doctrines.  Such is the curse of modern Protestantism.

But that is all in the past now.  Those who favor the changes and resolutions will point to them again and again, and a few will use them to bully those who disagree.  More will ignore what they do not like and blandly repeat the mantra that resolutions are non-binding, and that the canonical changes only acknowledge what is already going on in some places.  A few will leave, but most of the folks who would leave are already gone, along with over a million others in the last 25 years or so.

But the things that really matter in my life are of a different nature.  I spent yesterday at the barn with Squirt, the Shetland pony.  The heat has been oppressive to this little gal, and as ponys are wont to do in extended heat, she began to founder.  Founder is a dreadful condition, which at it's worst can cause the bones of the lower leg to drive through the sole of the hoof.  Fortunately, we caught this case early.  We walked her and kept her up all day, cooled her feet off with cold water from the hose, and the vet came and administered bute, one of those wonder drugs for which horsemen are so thankful in this modern era.  She is fine now, resting in her stall with daily bute applications, hoof cooling soaks, knee deep straw bedding, and no grain until the middle of next week.

And today was Margaret's fourth birthday.  Grammy and I got to skype with her, Momma, and sister Helen tonight.  It is such a blessing to see this small person grow into all that God has created her to be, and every moment spent with her and her sister, electronically or in person, reminds us how blessed of God we truly are.

Church today was full of friends, friends who walked the extra distance occasioned by the annual downtown Corvette show, which took most of our regular parking places.  As I looked across the congregation, I saw folks I baptised and married, whose loved ones I buried, and with whom I had shared the joys and sorrows of this life.  One of the great joys of my life is being able to minister in a single region for so long, first as a professor, then as a prison and military chaplain, and finally as a parish priest.  There is for me a very real sense of belonging here, and for that I give thanks every day.

In the grand scheme of things, what really matters are the relationships that God has given me in the here and now.  Many things on the world stage can aggravate me with regularity, and have the potential to change my life unalterably, but those things which really matter are closer to home.  In this place, I have found contentment, and purpose, and a sense of the living presence of the true God.  How could I ever in good conscience allow those things of the broader world to distract me from the blessings all around me?  It just wouldn't be right.

Dealing with Disappointment

Proper 6B, Third Sunday After Pentecost, Second Sunday After Trinity
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster 17 June, 2012

I Samuel 15:34-16:13
Psalm 92
II Corinthians 5:6-17
Mark 4:26-34

Disappointment, and the grief it produces, can be a terrible thing. Samuel was not the only one to experience that reality. Saul had been everything anyone could want in a king, and Samuel had been especially blessed to have had a role in his call and in his training. The young monarch was good looking, strong, well spoken, and brave. And in the end those things made him trust in himself more than he trusted in God. The results were predictable: pride, followed by arrogation of power both spiritually and personally, followed by jealousy, followed by paranoia, followed by violence, followed by rejection from office by God, followed by death. Along the way, Samuel remembered the good days before all of those things started to happen, and he grieved for Saul, and he grieved, and he grieved. Have you been there? Are you there? The loss of a loved one, bad health, or difficult relationships all have the potential to rob us of joy and preoccupy us with grief over our loss and our changed situation.

I believe today’s lessons provide us with some important guidelines for dealing with the kind of grief that consumes us when we experience some great loss, and I hope you will walk through the Bible Propers with me today with an open heart, that we all might begin to receive that healing God wishes for his people.

First- we must all remember that grief is a normal response to loss. Jesus wept at the grave of his friend Lazarus. It is also an appropriate response to the immanence of a changing situation, one of those things which will change the way we have lived. Jesus, you remember, sweat great drops of blood as he prayed in the garden on that night before he was crucified. You may remember that Jesus also cried out over the city of Jerusalem, and expressed his grief over the coming destruction of the inhabitants of that city. There is nothing wrong with expressing those dreadful feelings that sometimes assail us all. Certainly we are allowed to address our emotions, and sometimes the intensity of our emotions prevents us from healing in a short period of time. I’m not a psychologist, but in one of the dark periods of my life, one told me that human emotional pain can take up to a couple of years to heal, and sometimes our lives can be dominated by grief and sorrow for weeks or even months before we begin to heal and return to some semblance of balance and joy.
With that said, how do we begin the process of returning to some semblance of normalcy after a great loss in our lives? Samuel got a good start when God reminded him that the new reality was here to stay. Saul was rejected- and that was not going to change. Sometimes I really wish I could talk with my dad again, but he is dead and I will not see him until we rise together to meet Jesus in the air. All of the wishing and crying in the world will not bring him back. I did both of those things for a while, and that was normal and ok, but in due time I had to let him go. It is the way of nature- it is the way of God. Sometimes Mom asks me why he had to die. My answer is simple. He was ninety years old and he had cancer and he died. There are many things in this sinful world that I might like to change, but I am not God. (Some of you are probably thinking that that is a good thing- I agree with you.) Reality is something that we can’t really change, and it behooves us to come to terms with it.
After calling the Prophet to a reality check, God gave him a mission. Samuel had several questions about it. He was afraid, and rightly so, because Saul was still the king and would probably see the mission as an act of treason. And Samuel really didn’t know what he was looking for in this brave new world. But God gave him something to do. There comes a time in our grieving process that we must get up and get active. It is not easy, not for Samuel and not for us. But if we sit and mope we become morbid and the willingness to live goes out of us. In the old days, there were set times for mourning where family members wore black and limited their social contacts. At the end of the period of mourning, they changed their clothes and resumed their customary activities. It was not such a bad custom, because it provided a known framework for re-entering regular human activity after setting aside time for seriously mourning the loss of a loved one. Today, we do not have formal guidelines for when we should be getting back in the saddle after a time of grief, but I am told by my friends who claim to know about such things that by the end of three of four months we should be out and active again, even though we realize that things will not be as they were.

And so lets review:
It is normal to grieve when there is a big change in our lives.
After an appropriate time of grieving, we need to come to terms with the reality that our reality has changed. That takes a bit of time, several weeks at the least.
In order to experience a return to wholeness, we should get busy in some purposeful way after an appropriate time of sorrow. While everything will not be back to business as usual, by month four, we should be beginning to return to some sense of productive purpose in our new reality.

But, grieving and facing reality and being purposely busy are not nearly enough to overcome the hurt that accompanies the significant changes in our lives. You know that and so do I. Our second lesson, the one from Second Corinthians, gives us the real secret to moving on with our new reality. It calls us to a renewed faith that God is in control and that he has a plan for each and every one of us. “We are always confident…for we walk by faith, and not by sight…for the love of Christ urges us on…he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” It is not after all about just bucking up and staying busy. That is a very shallow way to deal with grief. Those things had their place in Samuel’s life, and they have a place in ours, but the reason that methodology worked is because Samuel, like Paul, believed that God holds us all in the palm of his hand. He believed that God “keeps us as the apple of his eye and hides us under the shadow of his wing.” His faith and his experience worked together to convince him that God does love us, and that because of his love we are new creatures. In God’s love, we are able to view life with a sense of forward looking optimism which enables us to keep the events of our lives in perspective. We value the past, and we treasure much about it, but because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, we know that the death and sorrow and hurt of our past is redeemed as is his own death and sorrow and hurt. He bore our sorrows on the cross, and brought to us healing and forgiveness and hope, and therefore we live for him. We no longer see people and events in the same light. We see them in a new and blessed light, because “the old has passed away- everything has become new.”

It sounds good, but on a bad day it still hurts so bad. And that is why Jesus said in today’s Gospel that it only takes a tiny amount of faith to begin to walk into this new creation of God. Even faith as small as a single mustard seed is capable of growing into a much larger and more peace giving faith. Jesus loves you, and he wants you to be healthy and functioning, not bound by never-ending grief or morbid inactivity. He does not demand that you get your house in order to receive his gift. He merely says to believe a little, like the mustard seed. Don’t worry about what you don’t have, rather bring what you do have. You believe that Jesus died for you and was raised from the dead. And so now you can live above that human point of view that perhaps has characterized your life. You can accept his gift of new creation. There will still be days when you remember the past with fondness and some sense of sadness, because your disappointment and loss, like that of Samuel, was great. But by God’s gift and grace, you will find a spiritual peace which will enable you to experience that new creation where purpose, and future focus, and peace are the norm. And as you experience this new creation which comes from believing in Jesus, you will sing with the Psalmist our Psalm appointed for today:

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy Name, O most High:

To show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

O Lord, how great are thy works!

Might God do a work in our hearts today that will make each of us abundantly aware that we are a part of his new creation in Jesus Christ. And might each of us heed the practical examples of today’s lessons and respond to his grace
By honestly experiencing our grief
By acknowledging our reality
And by living lives of purposeful activity.

In the Name of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

A Charge to Our Graduates

Charge to the Graduates

I Samuel 8:1-22, 11:14-15

Preached at St. John’s on the second Sunday after Pentecost- Proper 5 B

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. AMEN.

Today we honour those who have graduated from school and stand at a great milestone of their lives. I will be preaching to them, and the rest of you are more than welcome to listen in. Mr Verger, would you please escort our graduates: Ashley, Alana, and Andrew, to the seats prepared for them in the transcept? (here shall the graduates be escorted to their seats.)

I congratulate you today on the occasion of your graduation. You have worked hard, and hopefully had fun, and now you stand at the beginning of the next stage of your lives. It is only fitting that we as the people of God should share with you the wisdom of God as you begin this great adventure. St. Paul wrote to the young Bishop Timothy (II Timothy 3:16) that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God , and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Blessed Archbishop Peter wrote to the Church at large (II Peter 1:21) that “prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And so today we look to God’s word written for direction and comfort as we admonish you on this momentous day. When St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, Wrote to the Church at Corinth (I Corinthians 10:11), he reminded them that the stories of Scripture are given us for “…ensamples, and they are written for our admonition…” St. John the Beloved, writing to the Church at large (I John 5:13) continued this theme by pointing out that “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.”

In this spirit, we come to today’s first lesson from the First Book of Samuel, and there we see in the history of God’s people Israel a poignant lesson about how we ought to order our lives, and how we ought to make decisions about our future. Samuel was a mighty man of God, selected to lead God’s people at a critical time in their history.  As he grew older, he sought to provide for a peaceful transfer of power by establishing his sons Joel and Abiah as Judges in Israel. Unlike their father, they proved to be horrible leaders. “They walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.” (I Samuel 8:3) The leaders of the people came to Samuel with a well intentioned plan for reform, and called for the establishment of a monarchy, “like all the nations.” The old man was crest fallen. He knew that God’s plan was for Israel to be a nation set apart for great things, a nation of priests who would prepare the way for God’s grace to enter the world, to deal directly with God, and to not follow in the ways of power and pride and worldliness. The leaders of the people meant well, but they did not stop to consider the ways of God as they made their decisions, and the unintended consequences of their actions led to tyranny and oppression in Israel, and set the stage for rebellion and suffering in the years to come.

As you face the next step of your lives, away from mom and dad for the first time, it is fitting that we should examine the failure of these well intentioned people so that you might not make the same mistakes they made, and so that your lives might be lived in keeping with God’s plan for each of your lives.

Today, on this “first day of the rest of your lives,” I would admonish you to consider three things that grow out of their experience, that you might live lives of beauty and faithfulness, and be known as the children of a loving Heavenly Father


First, I admonish you to consider your motives carefully and honestly, that you might make good decisions.
Second, I admonish you to carefully consider the clear commands of Scripture, that none of your decisions would conflict with God’s word written.
Third, I admonish you to remember that you are created in God’s own image, the “Imagio Dei,” and that reason, a significant element of that image, should guide your decisions as you plan and prepare for the remainder of your life.
The children of Israel meant well, but I would submit to you that they did not adequately consider their motives as they sought to be like “all the nations” of the world. The results were disastrous and included conscription, loss of liberty, and eventually rebellion against the God who had so blessed them and set them apart for his own work in the world. Perhaps the greatest model for examining our own motives is found in the traditional marriage ceremony of the Church of England. Three considerations are proposed for those who are determined to enter into Holy Matrimony, which is after a sense one of the greatest decisions any of us can ever be called on to make. (1662 Book of Common Prayer- explanation of Holy Matrimony)
“First, It was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to praise his holy Name.” The first consideration of you motives should be to consider your responsibility to others, and to the community at large. It will never do for a Christian to consider first how much money they should make, or to believe the lie that the end justifies the means, or that their own happiness or wellbeing should come first in the decision making process. That was the mistake made by Samuel’s sons. May you seriously consider where you start your decision making process as you determine your career, or your major, or your actions in the years to come. Your motives should always be determined by your love for God and for your neighbors. It is the responsibility of every Christian.
“Secondly, It (marriage) was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons as have not the gift of continency might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ’s body.” Your motives should acknowledge your weaknesses and you should commit yourself to a life of discipline and hard work. In your studies, and in your personal behaviour, and in your relationships, you should always remember that the easy way, the natural way, and the shortcut, will have many unintended consequences that will affect your life for years to come. The failure to remember these motivating factors was the sin of the people of Israel, and they paid dearly for their desire to be like everyone else, instead of doing the hard work of disciplining themselves to the way of God.
“Thirdly, It (marriage) was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity.” It is only after consideration of others and the development of a sincerely disciplined life that the hope of human fulfillment and happiness is considered. Indeed, it is not stretching the text to say that it is only as we consider our responsibilities and discipline our lives that we can hope to find true happiness and that “peace which passeth all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
No greater pattern for examining your own motives has ever been devised.
Is your first desire truly to consider others and your responsibility to them?
Are you willing to discipline your life to reach your dreams?
Do you realize that it is only by putting others, and God, before yourself that you can find true purpose and joy in living?
Having examined your motives, it behooves you to consider whether or not all of your plans are in accordance with God’s word. Let me take another example from marriage. We human beings are very adept at what psychologists call rationalization. We can talk ourselves into just about anything, and convince ourselves that it is good, or at least ok. Imagine a man or a woman who after several years of marriage decides that they are not happy, and decides that it would be a fine thing to leave their spouse for a newer model, perhaps more physically attractive or with interests more akin to their own. They come up with a score of good reasons to make the change, but adultery, abuse, or desertion are not among them. Whatever their reasons might be, the Bible says that we are to stay married. And so their plan would be a bad one because it contradicts God’s plan and clear teaching. Or consider this: a student at a leading university sees an opportunity to enter a certain business or profession and make boatloads of money. But that business or profession is characterized by actions which destroy the environment, or which treats people made in God’s image as mere objects to be bought and sold for profit, or regularly takes advantage of good people and saddles them with crushing and inescapable debt. The Bible clearly says that Christians ought not to do such things, and therefore such a business or profession would not be appropriate for a follower of Jesus Christ to enter. Always check your decisions against the clear teaching of the Bible. If the Bible forbids the actions you are contemplating, you should do something else. The children of Israel wanted a king, even though God through his prophet said that to trust in a king would ultimately lead them away from reliance on God. They should have known better, but they didn’t stop to consider the consequences of their actions in light of God's stated will.

Finally, remember that you are made in God’s image, and that an important part of that image is reason. Think through the decisions you will make. Don’t live on dreams alone, but consider the consequences of your decisions. Know that all decisions have unintended consequences, and know that a thoughtful man or woman thinks through what those unintended consequences might be before committing themselves to any plan of action. The children of Israel thought it would be great to have a king like all the other nations. Samuel tried to warn them of the unintended consequences. “He will draft your sons into the army, and raise your taxes to fight unnecessary wars, and will force your daughters to be his serving girls. He will confiscate your property and give it to his friends and supporters, and you will in the end be his slaves. And you will cry out to God for deliverance, but it will be too late!” (I Samuel 8:10-18 paraphrased) But they had made up their minds in the heat of passion, and they did not think it through. They refused to listen to the prophet and they paid the price. Never let it be said that you set aside the great gift of reason that God has given to each of you. Employ it thoughtfully and refuse to let anyone drag you along through mere emotion. God has given you a gift. Use it wisely.

And now to recap:
First, I admonish you to consider your motives carefully and honestly, that you might make good decisions.
Second, I admonish you to carefully consider the clear commands of Scripture, that none of your decisions would conflict with God’s word written.
Third, I admonish you to remember that you are created in God’s own image, the “Imagio Dei,” and that reason, a significant element of that image, should guide your decisions as you plan and prepare for the remainder of your life.
Serve God faithfully all your days. Make good decisions. Remember who you are and the God who made you. And may your lives be blessed and bring glory to your loving Heavenly Father. In the Name of The Father, and of The Son, and of the Holy Ghost, one God. AMEN.

　

Peace Amidst the Unexpected

This is not a picture of innocence
Rumbling Thunder, aka "Squirt" as a four year old

There are two rules that country folks take for granted:
1. Good fences make good neighbors.
2. Always close the gate.

As Rebecca and I have developed Briarwood (our home) over the last fifteen or so years, we have tried to be very careful about fencing, but even the best fences cannot do their job if you leave gates open.  Earlier this week, I opened the back gate to the main production plot on the west side of the barn to water the tomatoes, spinach, turnips, potatoes, horseradish, sunflowers, cucumbers, squash, and beans planted there.  From there, I pulled the hose to another location and hooked it into a drip irrigation system and went back to the house. 

When I got home from Columbus later that evening, I noticed that the gate was jammed open against the end of the chicken coop.  I had given her an inch and she had taken a mile.  Squirt had wedged herself between the rail fence and the edge of the barn, managed to make the turn into the production patch in spite of the closeness of the chicken coop to the gate, and proceeded to eat about a third of a row of beans.  She must not have liked them, because then she reversed her location and left without trampling anything else, and when I got home was waiting to come back into the barn for her evening ration of oats and sweet feed. 

When I was a younger man, I probably would have gotten mad, but now I am old, and so I just laughed, replanted the beans, and gave my lovely old pony her grain, along with a bit of a curry.  After all, the mistake was mine.  She was only doing what instinct and curiosity and lack of supervision dictated that she do. 

Very few things in this life are as important as I thought they were when I was younger.  I want to bring a bit of beauty to this place where God has put me.  I want to encourage people to experience the wonders of liberty responsibly and in a manner which is pleasing to God.  I want to live in a way which will encourage my children and grandchildren to want to follow Jesus and get to heaven.  I want to spend every day God gives us with my wife. 

From time to time, other ponies break into the garden of my life and make a bit of a mess of things.  I've found it best just to find the humor in it all, make the necessary corrections that I can control, and move on to do what needs to be done.  It is a formulae for contentment in life.

And next time, I'll remember to close the gate!

Blessed George, My Namesake and Patron

A blessed St. George's Day to friends far and wide.  While many of the legends about George stretch the imagination to its limits, we do know that he was a Roman soldier in the Imperial household who manfully resisted the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian, even unto death.  In all probability, he was very generous to the poor, and we know that his example of faithfulness to Christ under persecution led many people to accept the Lordship of Jesus. 

On this day, I cannot help but think of the many Christians who are persecuted today, in many cases even unto death.  May God give them steadfastness in their sufferings, and may their courage, and the evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives lead to the conversion of their persecutors and detractors.  As Christ our King overcame the pains of death, so may they be raised incorruptible to live with him and all of the white robed martyrs in Heaven.  Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

What Can I Do For Jesus?

Christ Jesus feeds the 5,000.  What is he calling us to do?

Rector’s Rambling: May 2012

As I sit down to write the Eastertide edition of this column, Quincy, the West Highland White Terrier, sits belly deep in the overgrown red clover behind our home surveying his domain. Rawley, the Cairn terrier, languishes with me on the back porch in an exile which is completely lost on him. Last night’s encounter with some local wildlife led to a brouhaha which lasted very audibly until about one o’clock in the morning. Like most of his breed, he is not to be trusted. Faithful old Pat, the white hound, sleeps behind me. His arthritic and bony frame reveals his age and condition, but he is still a good friend of long acquaintance. And so here, in the midst of the beauty of the countryside, I sit with my friends to write about the possibilities afforded us by the risen Christ.

Several recent conversations with parishioners have focused on the very issue of possibilities in Christ. Last night at Nicks over pizza, I challenged our middle school youth to be thinking about a service project they could do to show the love of Jesus to someone. We talked about the possibility of doing some yard work for an elderly member of our church, or volunteering to do some painting for someone who can‘t afford to have it done, or planting potatoes and pulling weeds for the Common Friars in Athens (and then staying to pray Evening Prayer with the community!) Ivan and I met after last week’s mission committee meeting and talked about how many of our folks are involved in prison ministry, and what we as a church might do to help released prisoners to reintegrate into society. I received an e-mail today from a friend about how we might support the work of Wycliffe Translators, whose purpose is to provide the Scriptures in every known language on the planet in this generation. Jenn e-mailed over the weekend to ask if I knew anyone who might like to usher at the 10:30 service. I was contacted this week by the Gideons about how we might support their work to provide Bibles free of charge to those who cannot afford them around the world. I met recently with Mike and Barb about how we might continue to support our community’s National Day of Prayer observance where people of faith come together at the behest of our leaders in Washington to pray for and support those individuals and institutions which bring us stability, opportunity, and security. I was on the phone yesterday when Paul came in to collect our weekly donation of food for the local pantry, but his faithfulness reminded me that we can do much to help our neighbors in need. Today, I received a gift catalogue from Food for the Poor, and have been thumbing through it to see what Rebecca and I might donate on behalf of Margaret and Helen, our grand daughters, to help our friends in the Caribbean and Latin America. Perhaps this year we will donate a swarm of bees or some pigs.

The possibilities around us for living out the Easter message are endless. I hope that all of us at St. John’s and beyond might prayerfully consider what God would have us to do to show the love of the risen Christ to those who are made in the image of God, to those for whom Christ died. It is through concrete expressions of our love for each other and for the people around us that those outside the church will be drawn to hear our teaching, to experience our worship, and to give their hearts and lives to Jesus, who by his resurrection offers to us the gift of eternal life. If you are having a hard time making up your mind, I invite you to call me at 740/215-3900, or e-mail me at rector@stjohnlancaster.org. And of course, you can always catch me after church. I would like nothing better than to sit down with you and prayerfully seek how God might have you to serve him.

Faithfully,

Bill+

A Perfect Weekend

The weekend began Friday evening with a casual dinner at the Pub with my Cousins from Cladaugh Council #86, Knight Masons- Irish Constitution.  After a wonderful board with pipe and whistle music to mark St. Patrick's Day, we repaired to the Lodge and conferred the Babylonian Pass on one candidate.  The courage and steadfastness of Zerrubabel and the other Jewish Captives as they sought to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem has always inspired me, and this night was no exception.  We then returned to the pub for convivial fellowship and plenty of time to renew old friendships and make new ones.

Saturday Morning began early at Lancaster Chapter #11, Royal Arch Masons.  Two candidates received the Royal Arch Degree, one of the most sublime in Masonry, and for a change, I was priviledged to sit on the sidelines and see the degree in its entireity.  It was a grand opportunity to reconsider my own dedication to God, and to consider those things that are truly important in life.

The afternoon brought several hours in the garden with my beautiful wife Rebecca.  I divided siberian Irisis and lined the lower north walkway with these diminutive and beautiful plants while Rebecca planted primrose along the east walks as a transition to the conical boxwoods which define our grand-daughters' secret garden.

The evening found me clad in saffron kilt with bottle green socks and tie and day wear jacket at the home of good friends Steve and Camille for their annual Irish dinner.  Beef pie, taties, cabbage and corned beef, lamb, garden peas, and desserts to die for filled the board, and the evening was finished off with cigars and Irish malt, and discussions of faith and fraternity with our hosts and friends Danny and Julie.  Such an evening spent with fellow Anglicans and Freemasons was both uplifting and inspiring.  I returned home with peace in my heart towards all men.

On Sunday morning I preached twice, and on this fourth sunday of Lent considered the life and ministry of Archbishop Rowan Williams, who announced his resignation from the see of Canterbury this week.  While I disagreed with this good man on many things, I have always found in his life and ministry real inspiration and challenge.  In what many might consider this most difficult time for our Communion, he sought to keep us together while providing safe havens for minority faith communities within the communion.  He attempted to lead us into a rational and loving structure which would define our faith and make us more accountable to each other.  And he sought to defend the historic faith received against what at times seemed overwhelming cultural odds.  His gentle counsels were often rejected by those who might have profited the most from hearing them.  I wish him the best as he re-enters the academic life.

After Church, Rebecca and I joined Bill and Nancy, friends and parishoners for a lovely breakfast at Shaw's Restraunt across the street from the church.  The eggs Benedict were splendid, and the asparagus was perfectly steamed.  The conversation strayed from ++Cantaur to the Parish Gardens to the Iraqi Rowing Team, for which Bill is an advisor.  My soul was refreshed by the good work and beauty that surrounds me.

From lunch, we went to the Funeral Home to pay our respects to Jan, the sister of our friend Carole.  Her illness was long and terible and now she is at peace.  Even in times of loss, it is good to see a family where love is so evident in the lives of all.

The day concluded with Choral Evensong at St. John's.  Our choir was joined by choristers from Trinity Newark, St. Paul's Logan, and Holy Cross Carpathian Orthodox Church in Columbus.   The setting, including the Mag and Nunc, was composed by Kathy Heim,  our Choir mistress, and one of the featured hymns was written by Thurlow Weed, our Organist.  To hear the people of so many parishes gathered in worship employing their own original compositions truly gave me a deeper understanding of liturgy as the work of the people.  As we gathered for a light lenten repast in the undercroft, I gave thanks again for God's soverign decision to post me to this place at this time.

I came home to relax on the back porch with a gin and tonic and a bowl of MacBaren's Navy Flake.  The dogs and I watched the lightening show for the better part of an hour and a half, and now we have all retired to the chapel/study to share the weekend with you, my gentle readers.  It is good to dwell in such a place and with such people.  I pray that all who read this post might find such joy in the realities of your own lives.  Surely God is among us here, and we are a people blessed.