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| Me and Oscar at work |
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| In his kennel at my study |
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| Pokiing around at the Church |
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Animal News from Briarwood and Dayspring Farms
Promised pictures of Oscar, courtesy of my friend Peg Merton.
And of the Canter's Scottish Blackface Sheep, to be delivered on Friday.
Friday, April 19, 2013
...e vivi la vitta (...enjoy your life)
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| One of the great joys of spring! |
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| A Speckled Sussex Hen- The Founder of the Feast |
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| "Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" But he protects the flock and thereby fulfills his destiny! |
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
To be preached at St. John Lancaster 21 Apr 2013
Psalm 23
Acts 9:36-43
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-31
Today’s Propers are wonderfully comforting, and they bring the joy of the Easter season clearly into focus. The first lesson speaks of how St. Peter went to the house of Tabitha, or Dorcas in Joppa, just outside the modern Tel Aviv. She was a good woman and what one might call a “pillar of the Church thereabouts.” She had grown sick and died, and Apostle Peter prayed for her and God raised her from the dead. The Twenty Third Psalm is perhaps the most beloved of all the Psalms, and it assures us of God’s love for us. The passage from Revelation ushers us into the very throne room of God, and our hearts stir within us to read of the glory that is and which we shall one day see in heaven. The account from St. John’s Gospel assures us that God’s will for each of us is eternal life, and that Jesus actively works to preserve us in the face of evil and temptation. But there is a deeper aspect of today’s lessons which show us an even more profound revelation of the Easter message. Surely the Easter message is one of restoration and of glory, of love and of deliverance, of resurrection and life; but it is also an acknowledgement that we as Christians have no reason or right to expect that we will be spared the difficulties and vicissitudes of this life. We are not spared, rather we are given the strength to triumph. Even one so holy and good and true as Dorcas died. The Shepherd’s Psalm makes it abundantly clear that we will all walk through “the valley of the shadow of death.” The blessed scene of the heavenly court is given a more serious tone when we realize that all of those who praise God were killed for their faith in their earthly life. And the blessedness which is the assurance of today’s Gospel lesson takes on an almost sinister tone when we read the verse which follows, “Eb’astasan p’alin l’ithous oi I’oudaioi hina lith’asosin.” Literally, “Lifted again stones the Jews that they might stone him.”
You see, the Easter message assures us that God has met our needs and provides us a way to be reconciled to him, forgiven of our sins, strengthened in need, assured of salvation, and empowered for living. But the Easter message never, ever implies that we will escape the difficulties and evils which are so much a part of the human experience. Most of us have probably asked the question at one time or another, “How could a loving God let such a thing happen?” All of us have prayed, as did Jesus, that we might be delivered from the time of evil. I remember ever so clearly when Tristan deployed the second time to Afghanistan praying that he would come home safely. In the midst of my prayers, it occurred to me that many other parents prayed for their sons as well. Tristan came home, not safely, but home and alive. Some others did not. I remember questioning whether my prayer had been the right prayer. Should I have prayed only that God would give him strength and courage, and help him to be a good man and true? Why did my son come home at all when so many did not? I cannot believe that the people praying for those others were somehow further away from God or that he did not hear their prayers. It was all so academic until one of my own was in harm’s way, and then it became more real than I ever imagined it could be.
One of the outgrowths of my dark thoughts about the very real problem of evil in our lives is that while we mean well, many times our theology, what we believe about God, is not based on the Bible or the teachings of Our Holy Mother the Church, but rather on sentimental imaginings that grow out of our deepest fears and inmost desires. Since I can’t bear the idea that my son could be shot and killed, I claim his safety boldly before the presence of a God whom I temporarily conceive to be less than almighty or sovereign- a God whom I expect to submit to my demands. And I back it all up by plucking some scripture out of context or changing its clear understanding. If I do this long enough, and with sincerity, I jettison the God of Scripture and come to trust in a designer god who makes me very comfortable when times are good, but whom I blame for turning his back on me when things go wrong. My own sentiment replaces the teaching of the Church, and I become the person Jean Jacques Rousseau was talking about when he quipped that so many people obviously love God so much, because they are always remaking him in their own image.
And so we have people today who misinterpret the books of Daniel and Revelation to say that all Christians will be taken out of the world before the “great tribulation” occurs. I ask in humility, “When has God ever taken Christians out of tribulation?” We have others who loudly lament the lack of concern that God seemingly has for their suffering, and either stay in the body of believers to receive the misinformed and malformed sympathy of the congregation, or depart from the sacraments and the ark of safety to wallow in their despair… all because they only read half of today’s propers, the half which spoke of deliverance and power and glory.
How much better it would have been if, instead of developing their concept of God from popular music and movies, or from their own feelings and fears, they had submitted to the clear teachings of God manifested in the Scriptures and the Church. Their theology might not have been as dramatic or as pretty, but it would have acknowledged the fact that bad things do happen to good people, because in this world, the adversary of our souls prowls about, seeking whom he may destroy. They would have understood that angels are not the plump cherubs of Greek mythology, but the armour clad messengers of God, more like the warriors on an Orthodox Iconostasis than the playful romantics on a Valentine’s Day card. They would at least have had some inkling of what Jesus meant when he said “take up your cross and follow me.”
Good theology is important because it ruthlessly strips away our excuses and our druthers and brings us to terms with the realities of life and eternity. It is so easy to construct a god with whom we can be comfortable, but such a god will always fail us because, at the end of the day, it is just another idol. The true God is a God of loving strength, and of merciful accountability. He calls us to the hope of heaven and to find his strength in this life. He comes to us as the Resurrected Christ and the Spirit who rests upon us. He is all powerful, and full of understanding, and has a plan for each of our lives. But it is not a plan that we can expect to be easy or that will separate us from the suffering and pain that is a part of this human experience. He does not remove us from difficulty, but he stands shoulder to shoulder with us in the darkest days of our lives. He gives us a new appreciation for reality, and writes on our hearts a hope and an optimism that by his grace can face the darkest night. Because we know that joy cometh in the morning.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen Indeed!
AMEN.
And now, this is a very important day. Joanna Carr has been preparing for her first communion with her classmates at St. John’s School in Logan. She has worked hard to learn about God and Jesus and the Church. Her teachers and her parents are satisfied that she understands what it means to be baptized and to live as a Christian. And so, Joanna, today we welcome you to the Lord’s table to receive the body and blood of Jesus. May God bless you, and help you to feel the love and happiness of being a Christian today, and may this be the first of many Communions for you. Remember that when you take Communion, God comes to you in a very special way to make you strong and to let you know how much he loves you. Wherever you go, and whatever you do, always take Communion when you have the chance, and God will bless you and give you strength. I’m glad you are here with us today to make your first Communion.
(Sing Doxology)
Psalm 23
Acts 9:36-43
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-31
Today’s Propers are wonderfully comforting, and they bring the joy of the Easter season clearly into focus. The first lesson speaks of how St. Peter went to the house of Tabitha, or Dorcas in Joppa, just outside the modern Tel Aviv. She was a good woman and what one might call a “pillar of the Church thereabouts.” She had grown sick and died, and Apostle Peter prayed for her and God raised her from the dead. The Twenty Third Psalm is perhaps the most beloved of all the Psalms, and it assures us of God’s love for us. The passage from Revelation ushers us into the very throne room of God, and our hearts stir within us to read of the glory that is and which we shall one day see in heaven. The account from St. John’s Gospel assures us that God’s will for each of us is eternal life, and that Jesus actively works to preserve us in the face of evil and temptation. But there is a deeper aspect of today’s lessons which show us an even more profound revelation of the Easter message. Surely the Easter message is one of restoration and of glory, of love and of deliverance, of resurrection and life; but it is also an acknowledgement that we as Christians have no reason or right to expect that we will be spared the difficulties and vicissitudes of this life. We are not spared, rather we are given the strength to triumph. Even one so holy and good and true as Dorcas died. The Shepherd’s Psalm makes it abundantly clear that we will all walk through “the valley of the shadow of death.” The blessed scene of the heavenly court is given a more serious tone when we realize that all of those who praise God were killed for their faith in their earthly life. And the blessedness which is the assurance of today’s Gospel lesson takes on an almost sinister tone when we read the verse which follows, “Eb’astasan p’alin l’ithous oi I’oudaioi hina lith’asosin.” Literally, “Lifted again stones the Jews that they might stone him.”
You see, the Easter message assures us that God has met our needs and provides us a way to be reconciled to him, forgiven of our sins, strengthened in need, assured of salvation, and empowered for living. But the Easter message never, ever implies that we will escape the difficulties and evils which are so much a part of the human experience. Most of us have probably asked the question at one time or another, “How could a loving God let such a thing happen?” All of us have prayed, as did Jesus, that we might be delivered from the time of evil. I remember ever so clearly when Tristan deployed the second time to Afghanistan praying that he would come home safely. In the midst of my prayers, it occurred to me that many other parents prayed for their sons as well. Tristan came home, not safely, but home and alive. Some others did not. I remember questioning whether my prayer had been the right prayer. Should I have prayed only that God would give him strength and courage, and help him to be a good man and true? Why did my son come home at all when so many did not? I cannot believe that the people praying for those others were somehow further away from God or that he did not hear their prayers. It was all so academic until one of my own was in harm’s way, and then it became more real than I ever imagined it could be.
One of the outgrowths of my dark thoughts about the very real problem of evil in our lives is that while we mean well, many times our theology, what we believe about God, is not based on the Bible or the teachings of Our Holy Mother the Church, but rather on sentimental imaginings that grow out of our deepest fears and inmost desires. Since I can’t bear the idea that my son could be shot and killed, I claim his safety boldly before the presence of a God whom I temporarily conceive to be less than almighty or sovereign- a God whom I expect to submit to my demands. And I back it all up by plucking some scripture out of context or changing its clear understanding. If I do this long enough, and with sincerity, I jettison the God of Scripture and come to trust in a designer god who makes me very comfortable when times are good, but whom I blame for turning his back on me when things go wrong. My own sentiment replaces the teaching of the Church, and I become the person Jean Jacques Rousseau was talking about when he quipped that so many people obviously love God so much, because they are always remaking him in their own image.
And so we have people today who misinterpret the books of Daniel and Revelation to say that all Christians will be taken out of the world before the “great tribulation” occurs. I ask in humility, “When has God ever taken Christians out of tribulation?” We have others who loudly lament the lack of concern that God seemingly has for their suffering, and either stay in the body of believers to receive the misinformed and malformed sympathy of the congregation, or depart from the sacraments and the ark of safety to wallow in their despair… all because they only read half of today’s propers, the half which spoke of deliverance and power and glory.
How much better it would have been if, instead of developing their concept of God from popular music and movies, or from their own feelings and fears, they had submitted to the clear teachings of God manifested in the Scriptures and the Church. Their theology might not have been as dramatic or as pretty, but it would have acknowledged the fact that bad things do happen to good people, because in this world, the adversary of our souls prowls about, seeking whom he may destroy. They would have understood that angels are not the plump cherubs of Greek mythology, but the armour clad messengers of God, more like the warriors on an Orthodox Iconostasis than the playful romantics on a Valentine’s Day card. They would at least have had some inkling of what Jesus meant when he said “take up your cross and follow me.”
Good theology is important because it ruthlessly strips away our excuses and our druthers and brings us to terms with the realities of life and eternity. It is so easy to construct a god with whom we can be comfortable, but such a god will always fail us because, at the end of the day, it is just another idol. The true God is a God of loving strength, and of merciful accountability. He calls us to the hope of heaven and to find his strength in this life. He comes to us as the Resurrected Christ and the Spirit who rests upon us. He is all powerful, and full of understanding, and has a plan for each of our lives. But it is not a plan that we can expect to be easy or that will separate us from the suffering and pain that is a part of this human experience. He does not remove us from difficulty, but he stands shoulder to shoulder with us in the darkest days of our lives. He gives us a new appreciation for reality, and writes on our hearts a hope and an optimism that by his grace can face the darkest night. Because we know that joy cometh in the morning.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen Indeed!
AMEN.
And now, this is a very important day. Joanna Carr has been preparing for her first communion with her classmates at St. John’s School in Logan. She has worked hard to learn about God and Jesus and the Church. Her teachers and her parents are satisfied that she understands what it means to be baptized and to live as a Christian. And so, Joanna, today we welcome you to the Lord’s table to receive the body and blood of Jesus. May God bless you, and help you to feel the love and happiness of being a Christian today, and may this be the first of many Communions for you. Remember that when you take Communion, God comes to you in a very special way to make you strong and to let you know how much he loves you. Wherever you go, and whatever you do, always take Communion when you have the chance, and God will bless you and give you strength. I’m glad you are here with us today to make your first Communion.
(Sing Doxology)
Springtime Thoughts
Rector’s Rambling- May MMXIII
Spring is perhaps the busiest time of year for me. That has more to do with my gardening schedule than with work at the church. And this year the list of chores is increased substantially by Oscar, the English Cocker Spaniel who has joined our family. It is amazing how much time it takes to get a puppy ready to go to gun dog school, but if he is to hunt like his parents and grandparents, it is the only way. Between the dog, the garden, the greenhouse, the family , and my work at St. John’s, I seldom have to look far for something to do. One of the great benefits of being busy is having a lot to think about. Some of those thoughts are practical and some are more philosophical in nature. But all of them are deeply spiritual, because they call me to give my will over to the revealed will of God, and to live for him. I don’t always do as well as I’d like, but I do try, and I hope you do the same. Here are a few of the thoughts which have been occupying my time as Eastertide moves toward Pentecost and Spring explodes all around me.
*Now that Matthew and Ashley and the children are on their farm above Newark instead of in “the California,” I find myself asking what makes a good grandparent. I’ve thought a lot about examples of grandparents I have known, and considered what is important in this world, and am coming to the conclusion that being there and loving them and acting like a Christian ought to act is perhaps the best thing.
*English field bred Cockers, unlike their American show dog cousins, are known for being very “biddable.” That is, they are sensitive dogs with a deep desire to please the human members of their pack. As I see how hard Oscar works to make me happy, and how quickly he learns, I find myself wondering if I do as well in my relationship to God. How “biddable” am I when it comes to learning to do my Master’s will?
*The bulb beds at Briarwood have been magnificent this year. I find myself going the long way to the barn or to the cars in order to spend a few minutes looking to see what has changed in the beds since my last trip. It has been time well spent. So often we don’t take the time to see the details of God’s handiwork around us. We are the poorer for it.
*One of my most phenomenal Easter meditations this year has been prompted by the ongoing treatment and recovery processes of two of our parishioners, Jessie and John. Easter reminds us all of the promise of new life here and in the world to come. Jesus has overcome death and the grave, and the Bible says that he is become the “first fruits” of what all of us will be. When we look at the resurrected Christ, we get an idea of what we will be like in our resurrected bodies. In the same way, when we receive Communion in Church, we are given a foretaste of that Marriage Feast of the Lamb in which we shall participate after Jesus gathers all of his people home. Just a few years, or even just a few months ago, neither of our friend’s treatments would have been nearly as successful as they have been. Now, by God’s grace and through good science (which is also his gift to us), They are on their way to physical restoration and are smiling again. We ought never to discount the blessings that God offers us in this world. For we are his people, who are called to bear Christ to the nations by believing that his grace really does make a difference for us in the here and now.
*Art has started the fountain in the garden again, and Nancy and Annie have wonderful plans for filling the garden with medicinal herbs from the biblical and monastic traditions. I cannot help but remember as I walk through our parish garden that there is a river which flows from the throne of God, on the banks of which grow trees, the leaves of which are given for the healing of the nations. The beauty of our parish home inspires me and calls me to believe that God’s love, manifested usward by the blood of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Ghost, is everlasting, and is with us in the here and now.
*Like all of you, I have been deeply troubled by the senseless acts of violence which have occurred in our nation over the last few weeks. Gone are the days when we all thought, “That will never happen here.” As I try to make sense of such tragedy, I am disturbed by the response of many of my fellow citizens to the terrible, evil events of this spring. Disturbed because so many of the responses I see or hear seem driven by anger, and passion, and illogic, rather than by the Image of God in all of us. The immediate rush to judgment about guilt and cause and perpetrator by people across the political and cultural spectrum still seems to me to be devoid of rational methodology. It is as if large segments of our populace have become a people totally motivated and driven by feelings and pre-existent political agendas. In effect, many people seem to have torn away that thin veneer which we call civilization and become a mob. Those commitments instilled in me in both public and private educational institutions to scientific method and classical logic, to considering the long term implications of any action, and to considering individuals and arguments on their own merit and not based on the group to which they are perceived to belong, and the realization that genuine thinking empathy is always preferable to emotive sympathy, seem to have been forgotten in so much of our national clamor. I am reminded that reason, along with the capacity for love, the propensity to live in communities built on mutual respect, and the understanding that we really ought to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, are among those qualities which set us apart from the lesser species. We are indeed marvelously and wonderfully made in God’s own image. I honestly don’t understand how or why so many people are so quick to replace reason with feelings, or to shorten and simplify a rational decision making model which has served us so well for so long.
Five of my six rambles this month were very positive, and I am still troubled by the last. I hope you will grant me the liberty of addressing such a serious problem as the peevish emotionalism of our citizenry in a forum usually reserved for pleasant devotional ephemera. There is so much blessing all around us, but we must never shy from honestly identifying the serious problems in our midst.
Sincerely,
Bill+
Spring is perhaps the busiest time of year for me. That has more to do with my gardening schedule than with work at the church. And this year the list of chores is increased substantially by Oscar, the English Cocker Spaniel who has joined our family. It is amazing how much time it takes to get a puppy ready to go to gun dog school, but if he is to hunt like his parents and grandparents, it is the only way. Between the dog, the garden, the greenhouse, the family , and my work at St. John’s, I seldom have to look far for something to do. One of the great benefits of being busy is having a lot to think about. Some of those thoughts are practical and some are more philosophical in nature. But all of them are deeply spiritual, because they call me to give my will over to the revealed will of God, and to live for him. I don’t always do as well as I’d like, but I do try, and I hope you do the same. Here are a few of the thoughts which have been occupying my time as Eastertide moves toward Pentecost and Spring explodes all around me.
*English field bred Cockers, unlike their American show dog cousins, are known for being very “biddable.” That is, they are sensitive dogs with a deep desire to please the human members of their pack. As I see how hard Oscar works to make me happy, and how quickly he learns, I find myself wondering if I do as well in my relationship to God. How “biddable” am I when it comes to learning to do my Master’s will?
*The bulb beds at Briarwood have been magnificent this year. I find myself going the long way to the barn or to the cars in order to spend a few minutes looking to see what has changed in the beds since my last trip. It has been time well spent. So often we don’t take the time to see the details of God’s handiwork around us. We are the poorer for it.
*One of my most phenomenal Easter meditations this year has been prompted by the ongoing treatment and recovery processes of two of our parishioners, Jessie and John. Easter reminds us all of the promise of new life here and in the world to come. Jesus has overcome death and the grave, and the Bible says that he is become the “first fruits” of what all of us will be. When we look at the resurrected Christ, we get an idea of what we will be like in our resurrected bodies. In the same way, when we receive Communion in Church, we are given a foretaste of that Marriage Feast of the Lamb in which we shall participate after Jesus gathers all of his people home. Just a few years, or even just a few months ago, neither of our friend’s treatments would have been nearly as successful as they have been. Now, by God’s grace and through good science (which is also his gift to us), They are on their way to physical restoration and are smiling again. We ought never to discount the blessings that God offers us in this world. For we are his people, who are called to bear Christ to the nations by believing that his grace really does make a difference for us in the here and now.
*Art has started the fountain in the garden again, and Nancy and Annie have wonderful plans for filling the garden with medicinal herbs from the biblical and monastic traditions. I cannot help but remember as I walk through our parish garden that there is a river which flows from the throne of God, on the banks of which grow trees, the leaves of which are given for the healing of the nations. The beauty of our parish home inspires me and calls me to believe that God’s love, manifested usward by the blood of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Ghost, is everlasting, and is with us in the here and now.
*Like all of you, I have been deeply troubled by the senseless acts of violence which have occurred in our nation over the last few weeks. Gone are the days when we all thought, “That will never happen here.” As I try to make sense of such tragedy, I am disturbed by the response of many of my fellow citizens to the terrible, evil events of this spring. Disturbed because so many of the responses I see or hear seem driven by anger, and passion, and illogic, rather than by the Image of God in all of us. The immediate rush to judgment about guilt and cause and perpetrator by people across the political and cultural spectrum still seems to me to be devoid of rational methodology. It is as if large segments of our populace have become a people totally motivated and driven by feelings and pre-existent political agendas. In effect, many people seem to have torn away that thin veneer which we call civilization and become a mob. Those commitments instilled in me in both public and private educational institutions to scientific method and classical logic, to considering the long term implications of any action, and to considering individuals and arguments on their own merit and not based on the group to which they are perceived to belong, and the realization that genuine thinking empathy is always preferable to emotive sympathy, seem to have been forgotten in so much of our national clamor. I am reminded that reason, along with the capacity for love, the propensity to live in communities built on mutual respect, and the understanding that we really ought to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, are among those qualities which set us apart from the lesser species. We are indeed marvelously and wonderfully made in God’s own image. I honestly don’t understand how or why so many people are so quick to replace reason with feelings, or to shorten and simplify a rational decision making model which has served us so well for so long.
Five of my six rambles this month were very positive, and I am still troubled by the last. I hope you will grant me the liberty of addressing such a serious problem as the peevish emotionalism of our citizenry in a forum usually reserved for pleasant devotional ephemera. There is so much blessing all around us, but we must never shy from honestly identifying the serious problems in our midst.
Sincerely,
Bill+
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