October 25, 2017

As you are probably very aware, we are in the midst of our annual pledge drive here at St. John's. By now you have received my letter, along with the letter from the Stewardship Commission that included a pledge card, a proportional giving chart, and a return envelope. The goal is to have as many pledge cards as possible returned by November 12, when we we close out the pledge drive with a Celebration Sunday and coffee hour hosted by the Vestry.

In my letter I encouraged you to be bold in Christ. Whether that was by adding St. John's to your personal budget, giving on a regular basis, or becoming a pledger or tither. Another aspect of being bold in Christ is being taken on by several people whom I have asked to present a short talk about their life at St. John's. This past Sunday, Tammy Martinez boldly stepped into the lectern and told us (briefly) about her life in the church.

Today's Wednesday Word is presented by Tammy M:

Praise the Lord, church?!!
Church responds: Praise the Lord!
(**Note: This took a couple of times, but we got it – Fr. Todd)

My name is Tamara. My husband Allan and I have been members for almost four years. My Christian background is uncommon yet interesting, and I don’t believe I’m just here by mere coincidence; so I’d like to share my story on stewardship and why it’s important for me. To illuminate on stewardship's importance I have to tell you a little about myself… I’m from Frederick. I grew up in a Pentecostal church. Yes, we believe in speaking in tongues and the HOLY GHOST. Not the just the Holy Spirit, but THE. HOLY. GHOST. My foundation was rooted in going to church and I loved it. We had the best choir and band, we could sing and we praised the Lord! It was at my little church named “Open Door Christian Community Church of God” where I truly fell in love with God. The Spirit was alive and contagious and it resonated in my soul.

My mother is a holy woman who loves the LORD and she made sure her children did too. We were the kids who were always at church: we were in the choir, we were always at the 1^st and 2^nd service, we were there when other churches visited, and we even stayed to clean up. So tithing, or in Episcopal terms “pledging,” was as common to me as singing in the choir. My mother always paid her tithes no matter what she had or what she didn’t have. I remember when I was a child I asked her why she did it, and she said that when she pledges her rewards are multiplied, and that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7). At first, I didn’t understand. I thought that it meant we would receive money back from God; but as I became older I realized it meant in all ways my rewards would be multiplied …peace, happiness, job security, wisdom, grace … And so I support all our stewardship endeavors because all my help, my happiness, my blessings, this amazing church family of St. John's are not a mere coincidence, and my foundation is the church. Amen.

Thank you, Tammy. And may you and your family continue to both bless and be blessed by the people of St. John's.

October 18, 2017

For the past two days, late Sunday afternoon through early Tuesday afternoon, I was away at the annual diocesan clergy conference which was held at the Claggett Retreat Center just outside of Buckeystown. This was my first in the Diocese of Maryland, as last year at this time, according to Facebook, I was hanging out with a group of friends in Ann Arbor, MI, four days out from our arrival in Hagerstown. It was a couple of days of fun, fellowship, learning, and relaxation.

Our keynote speaker was Bp. Andy Doyle of the Diocese of Texas and his topic, which was unnamed but if I had to title it, was, “Do we know what we are doing?”

Some questions he asked: Do I know what God wants me to do? How am I spending my time? What are our goals? What things do we cut out of church that don't fit our understanding or desires?

Some statements he made: Ferris Bueller's Day Off is really a gospel story about a guy who hangs out with the wrong people and challenges the status quo. A focus on ASA (average Sunday attendance) drives who we focus on as a parish/rector. Are we remembering to focus on people outside of our building – namely the neighborhood around the parish? Jesus' parables weren't meant to be nice morality stories, they were meant to shatter commonplace ideas. We need to constantly look for new ways to communicate with and engage people outside of our walls (Facebook, live streams, twitter). Technology isn't a tool for those under 30, it's an appendage; so stop griping about it.

I'm hoping to use some, or maybe all, of these snippets as a starting point for discussions with the Vestry and various Commissions. What are some new and creative ways we can be the Church? How else might we engage our neighborhood? Do we have a driving mission?

But it wasn't all work.

I got a chance to take a 2-1/2 hour nap on Monday, and then took a walk down to the family graveyard where at least one confirmed but unknown slave was buried. I was able to connect with some people who are becoming friends. I played a card game called Exploding Kittens. I shot some pool, winning three out of four games. And I watched as several of my colleagues sang karaoke and danced, of which both Bp. Eugene and Bp.Chilton, participated. There are photos, and at least one person has video.

And we worshiped. Compline on Sunday, Morning and Night Prayer on Monday, and Eucharist on Sunday were all times to gather and worship. It was good to be part of a community that worshiped on a regular basis, and it reminded me of why I offer Evening Prayer and Wednesday Eucharist during the week – because while Sunday Eucharist is good, it's also good to have regular daily worship.

So, what did I take away from all of this? 1) We need to do the hard work of continually questioning, challenging, and reaching out if we are to bring God's presence into the lives of those around us; 2) We need to remember that this IS hard work and it's vital to get some rest; 3) We need to remember those who have gone before; 4) We need to find ways to stay connected; 5) We need to remember to have fun; and, 6) We need to worship often.

Blessings,

October 11, 2017

But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray. – Luke 5:16

Depending on how you count, there are at least seven instances where the gospels record Jesus as going away either alone or with the disciples to pray. It is generally accepted that the earthly ministry of Jesus lasted three years; so we can extrapolate that these times of prayer, either in solitude or with his companions, happened roughly twice a year.

I bring this up because life can be hectic. We get involved in work, or school, or our children's activities, or this or that, and, before you know it, it seems like we have no time for ourselves. I remember as a young child seeing visions of life in the 2000's with images of relaxation, ease, and leisure. Technology and the upward swing of society in general was supposed to make life easier and more fun. That hasn't turned out to be the case; and some might argue that we are more busy than we have ever been. Gone are the days of riding bikes or spending time in the park as long as we were home by dinner. Now it seems that every moment of every day is scheduled with some kind of activity.

I'm not necessarily calling for a return to simpler times, although that would be nice, but I am calling for us to pay attention to our lives – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Like Jesus, we can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our lives; but unlike Jesus, we probably have a tendency to forget to spend time in intentional prayer.

I hope we all pray something at some point every day. Whether that is a rule of morning prayer, prayers over our meals, prayers for safe travel to and from work, or prayers at bedtime, we probably all pray something some time. But is it intentional? Do we make time to “withdraw to deserted places and pray?”

I'm guessing not.

With that in mind, I invite you to come away to a quiet place this Saturday, October 14, for the DOK-sponsored Quiet Day. Like Jesus, these happen roughly twice a year. Like Jesus, it is a time of reflection and quiet prayer as we spend some intentional time with God.

I know life is hectic. I know our schedules are busy. I know it's hard to carve out some time away from all of that to just sit and “be,” but it's also necessary. As Christians we claim to follow and try to emulate the life of Christ. Yes, this is all of the stuff about loving God, loving neighbor, bearing good fruit, and so much else; but it is also about following his example of carving out time away from the rush and crush of our everyday lives to spend time with God.

I invite you therefore, to follow the example of Jesus and withdraw to St. John's this Saturday for some intentional time with God.

Blessings,

October 4, 2017

Tucson, AZ: January 8, 2011; 6 killed, 11 wounded

Seal Beach, CA: October 12, 2011; 8 killed, 1 wounded

Oakland, CA: April 2, 2012; 7 killed, 1 wounded

Aurora, CO: July 2, 2012; 12 killed, 58 wounded

Oak Creek, WI: August 5, 2012; 6 killed, 3 wounded

Minneapolis, MN: September 28; 2012; 6 killed, 2 wounded

Brookfield, WI: October 21, 2012; 3 killed, 4 wounded

Newtown, CT: December 14, 2012; 27 killed, 1 wounded

Washington, DC: September 16, 2013; 12 killed, 3 wounded

Fort Hood, TX: April 2, 2014; 3 killed, 16 wounded

Isla Vista, CA: May 23, 2014; 6 killed, 7 wounded

Charleston, SC: June 18, 2015; 9 killed

Chattanooga, TN: July 16, 2015; 5 killed, 3 wounded

Roseburg, OR: October 1, 2015; 9 killed, 9 wounded

Colorado Springs, CO: November 29, 2015; 3 killed, 9 wounded

San Bernardino, CA: December 2, 2015; 14 killed, 22 wounded

Orlando, FL: June 12, 2016; 49 killed, 58 wounded

Las Vegas, NV: October 1, 2017; at least 58 killed, at least 515 wounded

"This is the price of freedom," Bill O'Reilly.

“My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families,” Donald Trump.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out,” Almost Everyone

“You shall not murder,” God, Exodus 20:18

“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead,” James 2:17

“How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?” Ps. 62:3

How long will we continue to view random killings of innocent people as the price of freedom?

How long will we continue to offer nothing more than condolences, thoughts, and prayers?

How long will we continue to pray for the dead rather than protect the living?

How long will we continue to refuse to put our faith into action?

How long will we continue to assail and batter those we deem unworthy and/or expendable?

How long?