December 19, 2018

Advent III – Rejoice

This past Sunday was Gaudete Sunday, so named because the opening antiphon of the Mass began, “Gaudete in Domino semper,” that is, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Advent, and the whole holiday season for that matter, can be difficult for people. There could be painful memories of family and/or friends who have died. Jobs could be scarce. Finances may be imperiled. Unexpected bills can suddenly appear. There are many reasons why this is a difficult time for so many people.

And yet, with all of those things going on, with the general busy-ness of the season as we prepare for Christmas and the coming of the Messiah, we are called to rejoice in the Lord. We are called to be joyful in the Lord.

This can seem to be problematic, though, because too often we have a tendency to equate rejoice and/or joy with being happy. I heard a sermon recently in which the preacher advocated that people “just get over it” as a way to work toward joy/happiness. But working to “just get over it” is simply a band-aid offered by some who are eager for others to get back to normal. The problem is that what's normal for one person may not be normal for another person.

So . . . back to joy and rejoicing. These two things are not about happiness. They are not about good feelings. It is something much deeper. I think the quote from Frederick Buechner sums it up best, “Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world's greatest need.” When these two things meet, the process of restoration begins – restoration of yourself as well as restoration of the world around you.

Another way to look at it is to answer the question: Where is God calling you?

When we gather to worship God in the beauty of holiness, there is joy. When we welcome people as they are, respecting who they are, there is joy. When we gather for Community Cafe to serve food to our guests, there is joy. When we see a person's potential and encourage them to pursue it, there is joy.

When God is present in what we do and how we do it, there is joy. No, we may not always be happy, but if we are aligned with God, there will be joy. If we are looking to always be happy, we will probably be unhappy. But if we are looking to be joyful and to rejoice, then we need to spend time searching for that place where we and God meet. It will be in that meeting where we find joy, it will be in that meeting that we will rejoice, and it will be in that meeting where we begin to see God's kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice!

Blessings,

December 12, 2018

Advent II – Peace

That's the word hanging from the Advent wreath this week.

It seems as if there is precious little peace in the world right now. Besides the usual wars, famines, natural disasters, and political turmoil that rage around us, there also seems to be the decidedly un-peaceful time of the Advent season as we make our preparations for the celebration of the Incarnation both at church and at home.

What is peace? Is it the absence of conflict, wars, and/or turmoil? Is it a place of quiet? Is it a place of equilibrium? Is it your bathtub?

Peace includes all of the above and more.

Sunday we heard from Baruch. In that reading he is looking forward to the restoration of Jerusalem and says that that city will receive the name, “Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.” He also prophesies that those who have been taken away will return, and mountains and hills made low and the valleys filled up. In this return and in this leveling out, the people will experience peace.

In Luke we heard John proclaiming a baptism of repentance as John prepares for the coming of the Lord. He announces that every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. This is also a form of leveling out as the rough paths are made smooth and all flesh will see the salvation of God.

As I was thinking about this idea of peace and the leveling out, the idea of peace was more than an end to wars, famines, disasters, and turmoil of all kinds. Peace also has to do with how we experience God in our lives.

The Hebrew word Shalom, which is often translated as Peace, delves into this peaceful experience of God.

The root of Shalom is to be safe in mind, body, and/or estate. It gets at the idea of developing an inward sense of completeness and wholeness. Our peace, then, isn't dependent on outside forces (or the lack of them), but is completely dependent upon where God is in our lives – or maybe I should say, where we allow God to be in our lives.

Those mountains and hills that are to be brought low, and those valleys which are to be filled in, are more than making the road to Jerusalem smooth. They are more than the social-political-economic systems of which I preached about on Sunday. They also have to do with our inner turmoils.

As we meditate on the word Peace in this second week of Advent, there may be no better words to contemplate than those spoken at the end of the Rite I Communion service:

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessings,

December 5, 2018

Advent I – Hope

Advent has arrived, probably unnoticed by most of our society. While stores have been selling Christmas decorations for a month or two, and radio stations are beginning to slip Christmas music into their play lists, and cities are putting up holiday decorations and have had tree lighting ceremonies, the church calendar remains purple or blue and declares that we are in the season of Advent.

We are in the season of the already and not yet. It is the season of hopeful expectation. It is the season of learning to slow down in the midst of all the noise and activity. We prepare for the coming of Christ which has already happened in ancient Bethlehem. We prepare and hope for the future coming of Christ that has been promised. We try to find space to breathe when this time of year often takes our breath away.

Each Sunday of Advent has a theme attached to it which is usually attributed to one of the four virtues Jesus brings. When you are at church you can see a banner hanging from the Advent wreath naming the theme of the day; Advent I is Hope.

If you were at church this past Sunday you will recall that the gospel passage came from the apocalyptic portion of Luke (Chapter 21:5-38 if you're following along at home). “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations . . . When you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near . . . Be alert at all times . . .”

We only heard a portion of Chapter 21 on Sunday, but that portion, and all of the chapter, make it seem as if the end days are upon us. And in reading this chapter, we may hope to be removed from the trials and tribulations that are to come. We may hope to escape the devastating nature of those last days. We may hope that Jesus comes soon to clean up this mess. But that is less about hope and more of an escapist fantasy.

Are these the end times? As I've said more than once, it's always the end times for someone.

In the end times we hold to hope: hope for a better world; hope for things to come; hope for the kingdom of God to be revealed and fulfilled.

The kingdom of God has come near. This is not the time to hope for an escape or for our miraculous removal. Rather, this is the time to “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

In these end times of the already and not yet, remember that we have a role to play in the coming kingdom – that role is to continue in the fellowship, to persevere in resisting evil, to proclaim the Good News, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to strive for justice, to respect the dignity of every human being.

In other words, that role is to help instill hope.

Blessings,

November 28, 2018

Thank you.

Last week on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I wrote about being at the HARC Thanksgiving service and, especially, the opening remarks by Buddhist monk, Temm Bikle and his litany of thanksgiving for things which we would not normally think as a places to give thanks.

This week on the Wednesday following Thanksgiving, I want to be more specific about things for which I am thankful.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to serve this amazing community of believers.

I am thankful for Mark and his skill and dedication to the overall liturgy and to the music program.

I am thankful for all those in the choir who give of their time and talent that helps make our worship the beautiful experience it is.

I am thankful for the acolytes and LEM's who allow the liturgy to flow seamlessly so that the congregation can worship without distraction.

I am thankful for Joyce and the altar guild who do all the hard, behind the scenes work in preparing for worship.

I am thankful for all those who participate in the liturgy, whether vested or not, who offer their thanks and praise as we worship God together.

I am thankful to the members of the Vestry who give of their time to do the business of the church.

I am thankful to the members of the Service and Outreach Commission who work to find ways to benefit the community around us.

I am thankful for all those who organize, prepare, serve, and clean up at Community Cafe.

I am thankful for difficult and lighthearted conversations that remind us we are all trying to do our level-headed best as we walk this journey.

I am thankful for Melonie's hard work in the office and everything she does, seen and unseen, that keeps us from being a paperwork disaster and, maybe, being arrested.

I am thankful to all those who work with our younger parishioners in so many ways.

I am thankful to all those who look for ways to be the face, hands, and feet of Christ in the world today.

I am thankful to Joelene and Cece who have put up with me and shaped me in so many ways.

I am thankful for where we have been, and hopeful for where we are going.

For all this and much more, I am thankful.

Blessings,

November 21, 2018

Thank you.

What are you thankful for? I would imagine you are thankful for family and friends, a place to call home, health, food to put on the table, and any number of other things.

But as the holiday season begins in earnest with Thanksgiving tomorrow, there also comes stress. The stress of travel, either far or near. The stress of serving meals for more than the usual crowd. Some people experience the stress of extended families.

This past Sunday I attended the annual HARC Thanksgiving service, held this time at John Wesley UMC. Buddhist monk Temm Bikle offered opening remarks. During his time, he said that Buddhists give thanks for everything, not only the good stuff but also the bad. And then he began a litany of sorts of what he/we were thankful for.

We are thankful for gun violence. We are thankful for the opioid epidemic. We are thankful for global warming. We are thankful for racism. We are thankful for these things, he said, because they are reminders of the opportunities we have to work for a better world. We have the opportunity to help control gun violence. We have the opportunity to help reduce dependence on opioids. We have the opportunity to care for God's creation. We have the opportunity to reflect what it looks like when all people are treated with dignity and respect.

We have many things for which to be thankful; both good and bad. And, as Temm reminded us last Sunday, if we are only thankful for the good things, we miss the opportunity to help create a better world.

This Thanksgiving, may you be thankful for all that is around you – from travel issues to burnt stuffing to weird uncles to new babies to seeing old friends and everything in between.

As we begin the holiday season in earnest, what are you thankful for?

Me? I'm thankful for this place and everyone who makes it what it is.

Blessings,

November 14, 2018

“Confirmation is a significant transition moment within the household of God, a moment that both cannot be repeated and yet is always reaffirmed, not least of all in the Daily Offices and holy communion.” – Drew Nathaniel Keane, “A Reconsideration of the Continued Practice of Confirmation in the Episcopal Church,” Anglican Theological Review, Vol. 200, Number 2, p. 263

This Sunday we will welcome Bp. Chilton Knudsen to St. John's. She is our Assistant Bishop and, as part of her primary duties, focuses on western Maryland and small churches. She will be retiring at the end of this year, so this is one of her last official parish visitations.

Lots of things happen when a bishop officially visits a parish – meetings, inspections, conversations, and at the top of the list, Confirmations. We are blessed to have eleven people being Confirmed and one person being Received (that is, officially moving from the Roman Catholic church to the Episcopal church). It's going to be a big day with a big celebration, and I encourage everyone to attend.

Confirmation as we perform the rite is uniquely Anglican in that we have fully separated it from baptism and reserved it for the hands of a bishop. But I don't want to get into various understandings of what it is or isn't here. I want to, instead, focus on the above quote.

When we are Confirmed we reaffirm and agree with what happened at our (usually) infant baptism, and we promise to live into the baptismal vows often spoken for us. And while we are adopted into the household of God at our Baptism, it is at our Confirmation that we are given more rights and responsibilities as members of that household. As Keane said, it is a significant moment of transition, never repeated but constantly reaffirmed.

It's like getting your driver's license: you only get it once, but you are constantly improving/learning through every day driving.

The other aspect of Confirmation is that, by the laying on of hands by the bishop, the Confirmand is connected to the wider body of Christ through apostolic succession. Apostolic succession isn't just from Knudsen to Sutton to Claggett to Seabury to Cranmer to Augustine to Gregory to Clement to Peter. It's also the recognition that we are connected to those very people, and each other, in a significant way.

This Sunday I invite you to attend the 10:15 service to be part of and witness this very important life event for twelve people of our family. If you can't attend, I invite you to pray for those being Confirmed that they will be led by the Holy Spirit into the knowledge and obedience of God's holy word.

And for those who will experience the laying on of hands by the bishop, know that this isn't the culmination of all those Confirmation classes but, like a wedding, ordination, or getting your driver's license, it is only the beginning.

May you continue to grow in God's wisdom and grace, and increase daily with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings,

November 7, 2018

The church as the body of Christ shares in Christ's universal relevance as the place of the gathering of redeemed humanity through whom the whole world are to be reconciled to God. Such an exalted ecclesiology is antithetical to a conception of the church as a ritualistic vehicle to facilitate the private spirituality of individuals, withdrawn from the affairs of the world. – Alexander J.D. Irving, discussing theologian Henri De Lubac, Anglican Theological Review, Vol. 200, Number 2, p. 270

Every Sunday we gather together as the body of Christ to worship God. We come to sing, pray, repent, forgive, and be fed. We also do this at other times, such as Evening Prayer and the Wednesday healing Eucharist. But our primary day is Sunday. We do this, not because we are good people, but because, quite literally, it is (as Rite I says) our bounden duty.

The Catechism states that our duty as Christians is to follow Christ; come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God. This is in line with our baptismal covenant when we promised to continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.

Another way to look at it, and remembering our All Saints' celebration last Sunday, is that we are the physical representation and manifestation of the kingdom of God. When we gather, we gather with angels, archangels, and all the glorious company of the saints in light, both in ages past and those yet to come. This points to the catholicity of our faith – that what we do, we do for all; and that what we do is not individualistic worship among many, but worship by the gathered body for the whole of both church and world.

Worship can be spiritually uplifting. Worship can bring us comfort in difficult times. Worship can bring us a glimpse of the holy mysteries where we touch the thin space between heaven and earth. And worship can remind us that we are the connecting point between all humanity and God.

We do not come together week after week to withdraw or escape from the world. We come together week after week to draw the world to us and to God.

So the next time you are tempted to evaluate worship and the church community based on whether or not it meets your needs, remember that we gather with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven for the reconciliation of the world to God. We gather not to meet our needs, but to meet the needs of the world. We gather as the unified body of Christ, not as a random collection of cells.

This gathering, this body, this manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth, is stronger with you than without you, and we are diminished by your absence.

Blessings,

October 31, 2018

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

This past Monday evening I participated in a service of solidarity at Congregation B'nai Abraham here in Hagerstown in response to the murder of Jewish worshipers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Besides myself, representatives from the Interfaith Coalition, Disciples of Christ, United Methodist Church, Roman Catholic Church, Islamic Society of Western Maryland, Bridge of Life Church, United Church of Christ, and the NAACP participated.

Rabbi Ari Plost pulled this together beginning Sunday evening, and by Monday afternoon both speakers and choir had been organized and would come together for the vigil. The synagogue was standing room only as we listened to the various speakers read and reflect on scripture passages from their various traditions that held some personal meaning, as well as praying for those killed and those who survived.

I chose to read the Baptismal Covenant from the BCP. In my comments, I said that this covenant wasn't just an Episcopal thing or even a Christian thing, but can be used as a guide for all our lives. I didn't say this explicitly, but the point was made that Christians, Muslims, Jews, agnostics, deists, and atheists can all work to love our neighbors as ourselves. We can all work for justice and peace. We can all work to respect the dignity of every human being.

We are living in a time where hatreds are running rampant. Racism and white nationalism are on the rise. White people are calling police on non-whites in record numbers for reasons that aren't even criminal – entering neighborhoods where they live, selling water for fundraisers, creating community gardens, etc. Politicians are using fear of the other and derogatory and divisive language that gives credence to more hateful speech and actions. Stopping THEM before they overtake US is the theme of the day.

And while the focus has become THOSE OTHER PEOPLE, nobody seems to notice or care that the vast majority by far of terrorist attacks in the US have been committed by white males. This includes the man who killed eleven people at worship in Pittsburgh.

Words have meaning. Words have power. Words matter.

Part of loving your neighbor as yourself means to stand up against people who belittle and attack those who choose hate over love. Part of striving for justice and peace means ensuring that all people are treated equally and calling out those who use their power to do otherwise. Part of respecting the dignity of every human being is to recognize that we are all made in the image of God and to put a stop to words and actions which do otherwise. Part of living into our Baptismal Covenant is to firmly and unequivocally stand against hate and intolerance of every kind.

If anything, the events of this past weekend should make us realize that it is past time for us to see our Baptismal Covenant as just another lovely liturgy of the church and to begin seeing it as a way of life.

I will, with God's help.

Blessings,

October 24, 2018

If I were to remain silent, I'd be guilty of complicity – Albert Einstein

In my last couple of sermons, and in last week's Wednesday Word, I've addressed the issue of abuse in a variety of forms, but primarily the abuse of women. Unfortunately abuse happens in many circumstances – women, children, and the elderly being primary. Abuse can be subtle or overt. And abuse always happens at the hands of those with power over those who have little or no power.

Which is why it is unreasonable to expect those who are abused to end the abuse. There are a myriad reasons why this is not always possible, but the number one reason is due to the power imbalance. Expecting the abused to put an end to the abuse is like telling your six-year old child to go find a better place to eat if they don't like what's for dinner.

Abuse of people will never end until the kingdom of God is fully established. But we can address it, we can help to fight it and hopefully decrease how often it happens. The key is for those of us with the most power – read, white men – to shine a light on this dark practice when it happens.

Certainly this means when we see anything obvious, but it also means stepping up and speaking out at the least obvious times. Everything from boorish behavior to comments about body image to “locker room” talk to boys-will-be-boys excuses need to be brought to light.

We are asked, and we have promised, to live into our baptismal covenant every day; not just on Sundays during a particular liturgy when it's convenient. How is allowing this behavior resisting evil? How is this behavior proclaiming the Good News? How does allowing this behavior exhibit love of neighbor? Maybe most importantly, how does allowing this behavior respect the dignity of every human being?

Yes, doing so is uncomfortable. Yes, doing so may put you on the receiving end of what has been dished out to others. Yes, this is difficult. But again, nobody said following Christ would be easy.

If we allow our fear to drive us, if we are silent because we don't want to cause trouble, then we ourselves are complicit in actions taken, and we ourselves are as guilty as the actual abuser.

In the case of abuse, silence is not golden; silence is insidious.

May God grant you the wisdom to identify imbalances and the courage to fight for equality and respect.

Blessings,

A Safe Space?

We cannot guarantee a safe space – St. Luke's, Boone, NC

I got back from the annual clergy conference yesterday afternoon. For a lot of different reasons it was an intense, draining, and refreshing few days. It was also a good time to catch up with and deepen new friendships I'm beginning to develop here in Maryland.

The main reason for the intensity and draining nature of the conference was that we addressed difficult topics. One of those centered around the church's own #MeToo stories – which I'll get to shortly.

When we began, we were given a list entitled, “Practices for Talking About Things That Matter.” It was developed by our facilitator who is the Rector of St. Luke's in Boone, NC. And it was the last item on that list that got my attention: We cannot guarantee a safe space.

I have often said that St. John's should be a safe space for people. This should not be a space where people feel threatened, objectified, or abused. I still believe that. But this last item on the list pointed out that we are all still human. Given enough time, we can and will say or do hurtful things.

We cannot guarantee this will never happen; therefore, we cannot guarantee that this will always be a safe space. But what we can do is to recognize our imperfect nature and have the courage to say when we've been hurt, as well as have the courage to admit we have done the hurting, to apologize, forgive, and move forward. Otherwise we are just waiting and/or looking for an excuse to end relationships.

It was this topic of saying hurtful things that moved us into our version of #MeToo. The men spent time listening to our sisters in ministry tell stories, sometimes very hurtful stories, of times they have been threatened, objectified, and abused. Stories that happened in the church and some in this diocese.

We also took a few minutes and watched this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTcaAkG86QQ

The most disturbing thing I heard after watching it was when a female colleague said, “And those aren't even the worst things I've heard.”

So . . . I'm in the midst of having my perspective change. As much as I want St. John's to be a safe space, I cannot guarantee that it will always be so; because people will say and do things that are hurtful at one time or another. But what I can do is help cultivate a space where we live fully into our baptismal covenant.

This means we speak up when we have been hurt. It means we acknowledge we have sinned. It means we ask for and offer forgiveness. It means we respect the dignity of every human being who enters our doors.

We may not always be safe; but we can always continue to work at building a community of love.

Blessings,

October 10, 2018

Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? – Luke 15:8

This passage came to mind yesterday morning when we were, yet again, confronted with a missing piece of our lives.

You would think that, for as much as we have moved, we wouldn't have this problem. You take all of the “Important Stuff” and put it in its own box, label it, and hand deliver it to where it needs to go. Well, it seems I get the first part of that right, but then we have trouble locating the box or the things that were supposed to go in that box.

To date I/we have lost new credit cards, bills, the checkbook, passbook, and various other needed things. So far, all but one of those things have turned up. And between the, “Have you seen …” and, “Hey! I found it!” there has been a lot of anxiety, some general bad language, and a promise to not do this next time (which, God willing, won't be for a good long while).

We are human. We lose things. Sometimes we lose important things. That loss can drive us into a place of perpetual anxiety. What if someone else finds my credit cards? What if my checkbook falls into the wrong hands? What if I've permanently lost my passbook? What if? What if? What if?

In today's world that is a very real concern with the ever-present possibility of identity theft.

But more often than not, and certainly in my case as we move from Point A to Point B, and in the case of the woman in the parable, what has been lost is “somewhere around here.” It was in a box when we left, it has to be in that box now. I saw it here somewhere. We just need to take some time, slow down, and do a thorough search.

Sometimes our faith journey is that same way. In our spiritual journey things get moved around, put away, or lost. Sometimes we think those are very important parts of our faith. Sometimes they are. And sometimes that loss can send us into an anxiety-driven tailspin about our faith in general.

The trick is to not get so anxious that we quit looking. For it is in the looking that we will find it. It is, after all, a faith journey, not a faith destination.

Blessings,

October 3, 2018

Habit is overcome by habit

Thomas A'Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 21

We all have various routines that we follow, sometimes out of necessity and sometimes of our own making. Our various jobs or levels of education require us to do things in certain ways. For instance, those of us who are still working or in school need to get up this morning, shower, dress, eat, and get out the door by a certain time in order to be at the job or at school at the appropriate time. Our Monday through Friday routines are pretty much set for us.

I have a routine that I perform before every football game that ensures I have everything needed and am free to concentrate on the game.

Habits, though, are something deeper than routines. Habits may start out as routines, but, over time, they become part of who we are. The dictionary defines a habit as, “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.” I think of people who smoke cigarettes, or Joe Morgan's left arm twitch when he was at bat, or my left foot pushing the clutch when coming to a stop sign (even though I now drive an automatic). And there are plenty of other examples we can think of, I'm sure.

Not all habits are good. Not all habits are healthy. Some habits are neutral.

Our pledge campaign is gearing up and we will all be receiving letters asking us to consider how we will support our parish with our time, talent, and treasure. As we prayerfully consider how we can do that, I would also ask us to consider our habits.

We are asked to love God, love neighbor, and change the world. We are asked to be the body of Christ in the world, and to be the face of Christ in our world. And we are asked to proclaim the message of the gospel, bringing hope to the hopeless, food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, love to the outcast.

As we look at all our parish does, and as we are asked to consider how we might participate in the life and ministries of our parish, what would happen if our participation and our routines became habits? What would this place, and the world immediately around us, look like if our routines became involuntary behaviors? In other words, what if we prayed habitually, worshiped habitually, loved habitually, welcomed habitually?

It can be done; but we will need to work hard at replacing our old habits with new.

Blessings,

September 26, 2018

Breath

If you are one of those people who looks forward to waking up to the Wednesday Word in your inbox, my apologies.

September has been one busy month; not only at St. John's, but in my household as well. Besides everything going on at church, by now you have heard that Joelene and I purchased a home (it's over by the Elk's Lodge). I won't bore you with all the details, but just know that we are done moving for a long time.

The weekend of the move I had a football game in Hancock on Friday, and a wedding in Hancock Saturday. Move or not, life goes on.

Work has been hectic. Home life has been hectic. And I know I'm not alone in feeling stressed, pulled, always moving. Many people are dealing with their own personal hecticity (yes, I made that up).

So wherever you are in your own life, whatever stresses you are under, however many different directions you are feeling pulled . . . take some time . . . slow down . . . breath.

Because, really, life works better when we remember to breath.

Blessings,

September 19, 2018

Remember, we are members of his body.

         Ephesians 5:30 (mostly)

I was in Baltimore last Saturday for the priestly ordinations of four people and for a meeting about how a Parish Lay Committee functions with regard to interns. The first event (ordinations) was not mandatory, per se, but since serving in Montana I have tried to live into my former bishop's edict that if there's a clergy event within two hours of you, you will be there. And since Baltimore is only an hour and a half, I tend to go to these things regularly.

The preacher for the ordination service was the Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes, Associate Dean of Students at VTS. Ordination sermons are sort of like wedding sermons, in that you're trying to say a little about what this new life means, how to best live into it, and give the subjects (in this case, the ordinands) one thing they can recall not only years from now, but tomorrow for that matter. Because, like weddings, the people for whom the service is designed, the sermon is the last thing on their minds.

In his sermon, Bishop Mathes said, “The opposite of remembering is not forgetting; the opposite of remembering is dismembering.”

I got to thinking about what he said. One of the major functions of a priest is to preside over Holy Eucharist, bless the elements, and administer Holy Communion. In that act, we who are many are one. In that act, we have been re-membered into the body of Christ. This was that memorable line that, hopefully, the new ordinands would never forget.

But beyond an ordination sermon for new priests, the Catechism also points us in this direction. “What is the mission of the Church? The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” In other words, the mission of the Church is to re-member all who have been dis-membered.

However that dismembering happens, intentionally or accidentally, may we never forget that we who are many are one body. Some of us eyes, some ears, some hands, some feet. May we never forget that it takes everyone to makeup the whole body of Christ.

As we move forward, let us never forget that our goal isn't to bring new people into our church – but that our goal is to re-member those who have, for whatever reason, been dis-membered from the body of Christ.

Blessings,

September 12, 2018

Life is changed, not ended. -- Commemoration of the Dead, BCP 382

There are lots of quotes about endings and beginnings. There are reflections on endings that are beginnings. Closed doors and open windows. Friends for a season. Good while it lasted. Moving on. And I'm sure you can think of many other quotes and thoughts about endings and beginnings.

But this line from the BCP has always resonated with me; probably even more so now as a clergy person who has dealt with my fair share of transitions – from moves to new people to funerals and much more. Change is inevitable. Anything that is alive experiences many changes. So carrying that understanding forward through our faith can can allow us to see not an ending but a change.

Which brings me to my most current “changed but not ended.”

In two days Joelene and I will sign papers and close the deal on our new house. This is both exciting and terrifying.

It's exciting because we are thrilled to have found a place that symbolizes our comfort and love of being here. It's a symbol of a sense of permanence that we feel about this place. And saying, “We bought a house,” means that looking forward doesn't necessarily entail looking west.

It's terrifying because I can no longer call the landlord/owner and say, “Hey, the garbage disposal is broken, can you please fix it.” I'm reminded of Red Green, who said, “If the women don't find you handsome, at least let 'em find you handy,” and am awfully glad my wife finds me handsome. And I wonder if “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey” changes if I'm looking at the thing from up top or from my back.

We have some big changes ahead. We have been renters for so long that this really is the end of life as we know it. But it's not really the end, it's just one more change in a life of changes.

So the next time you think you're facing the end, I encourage you to recall these words from the BCP: Life is changed, not ended.

Blessings,

September 5, 2018

Some things change, and some things remain the same

Toward the end of July I made the decision to terminate the Youth and Young Adult Minister position primarily due to budget issues. I never like it when things come down to money and the budget, but sometimes they do and decisions need to be made.

For a short period after that many of us were wondering where we would go from here with the parish youth program. While Joelene and Paul have done great things with the teens and J2A, there is more to our overall youth program than just that, and there was a period of uncertainty as we pondered our future.

Right about in the middle of that pondering I received a message from Heidi wanting to talk with me about this very thing. We set up a meeting, along with Susan (current Chair of the Christian Formation Commission), and talked about what we would like to see happen.

In the time that Heidi has been “on staff,” she has done some very good things with Children's Chapel and Sunday school. She will be taking over the acolyte program in October (following her wedding and honeymoon), and she is making plans for coordinating some youth group activities.

Some changes she has made have been good and necessary. Other changes have been simply minor tweaks to things here and there. What has remained the same is that we continue to have an active and engaging Children's Chapel program, and our Sunday school classes continue to be staffed by dedicated and loving volunteers who enjoy working with our children.

In her time at this position, Heidi has also been actively recruiting people to help with Children's Chapel and as classroom aides. I would expect that once October rolls around, she will be actively looking to recruit acolytes and people to help with the youth group.

If you would like to help, or if you would like to contact her to offer encouragement, you can do so via the Youth Minister e-mail. What has changed with that is who it goes to and who will respond (Heidi). What remains the same is the address: youthmin.stjohns@myactv.net

St. John's is blessed to have many people of many talents who volunteer their time and energy to the many ministries we provide, including Heidi. At this particular time, I am very thankful to have her step up and into a ministry she clearly enjoys, and I am looking forward to working with her in this role.

Again, feel free to contact her at youthmin.stjohns@myactv.net if you would like to participate in the youth program, or just to say, “Thank you.” And feel free to say that in person the next time you see her.

Blessings,

August 29, 2018

Pressure, pushing down on me

The opening line to the classic song, “Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie have been on my mind and a part of my life recently.

Today's Wednesday Word is a little different because it's mainly about me. I generally don't like to talk about me or things that keep me up at night with people, let alone a broad audience such as those who read this weekly missive. There are a lot of reasons why this is so, but only one that I will share with you here.

One of those reasons is that I am no different than you. You all have jobs and children and hobbies and responsibilities that push and pull you in many different directions. For me to complain or whine about things going on in my life only serves to minimize and/or devalue what you all experience.

That said, I realize it's also important for you to know what is going on, to a point, with me. It doesn't do anyone any good to spend time wondering what's wrong or why I've suddenly disappeared.

That said, here is some of what is causing some of that pressure in my life at the moment:

September.

September is pushing down on me. Purple events throughout the month, a special focus on opioids on 9/16, a movie, parish picnic, the resumption of Monday night classes, a confirmation class, a bishop's visitation, a wedding, and premarital sessions for an October wedding. Individually these aren't all that big of a deal. But, as I looked at my September calendar, they've manged to stack on top of each other very quickly.

A house.

You may have heard that we are looking at buying a house. I spoke with my loan officer yesterday and they need a few more things to get final: three additional bank statements, two letters explaining things that make them uncomfortable, and how we're going to deal with a needed repair. We're close, very close. In fact, he told me that it's basically a done deal, we're just crossing our t's and dotting our i's. And then, of course, the actual move from Point A to Point B.

Again, individually, probably not all that worrisome. But added all together, and on top of September in general, and there's a bit of pressure pushing down.

In the words of Julian of Norwich, “All will be well and all will be well and all manner of things will be well.” This I know to be true.

But I'd still appreciate your prayers this month.

Blessings

August 22, 2018

Thank you

It has been busy around the office over the past few days. We are gearing up for September which will see a silent movie in the nave, the parish picnic, a presentation on the opioid crisis, St. John's Day, the return of our education offerings for all ages, and I can't remember what else.

Football season officially begins next Friday for me with a game at Clear Spring.

Commissions are working on their budgets, and I'm supposed to be going over our employee handbook.

And on and on it goes, the business of the church never ending, and the busy-ness of the church sometimes overwhelming.

Yesterday, amid the business and busy-ness, amid the meetings and writings, amid the various worries of one kind or another, I turned another year older.

And amid all those things I received many birthday greetings, most of which came from the people of this parish. Let me state for the record: one of the best birthday gifts I've received is the gift of you, the people of this parish. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives. Thank you for making me and my family feel at home. Thank you for making this job as wonderful and spiritually fulfilling as almost anything I've ever experienced.

Thank you for being with me on this incredible journey.

Blessings

August 15, 2018

The Response

As expected, the priest of New Creation Anglican Church, Fr. Justin Clemente, responded to my letter to the editor which I included in my Wednesday Word from two weeks ago. I have been asked by a few parishioners if I would respond. My answer is, “No, I will not.”

I won't respond because, among other things, I will not engage in a war of words or religious disputes via 270-word limited personal opinion pieces. Nor will I engage in yet another battle that people on the outside can point to as a reason why they won't attend church.

That said, there is one thing Fr. Clemente said in his letter of last week that I do want to address here: “I do not love what your church has become. And indeed, I would urge you to consider what it has become very carefully.”

What has our church become? After careful consideration, I believe our church has become:

a place that finally realizes there is no more Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, gay or straight, black or white, for all are one in Christ;

a place that values men and women equally (or at least tries to);

a place that engages scripture critically in an effort to learn how God is speaking to us today;

a place that understands the societal context of today is different from the societal context of the ancient near east;

a place that is focused less issues of purity and more on issues faithfulness;

a place that works to include those whom society and religion would work to exclude;

a place that is comfortable with uncertainty and doubt;

a place that welcomes questions over blind adherence;

a place that knows it's easy to enforce laws and difficult to live with nuance;

a place that values inclusion over exclusion;

a place that understands God shows no partiality.

These are but a few ways in how I see our church. And from where I sit, we have nothing of which to be ashamed.

Blessings,

August 8, 2018

Hobbies

I've mused on hobbies before, so forgive me if this is familiar.

I really only have one hobby – officiating football. The season itself is relatively short; two months and maybe ten Friday night games. Other weekday and Saturday games dot the schedule from late August through October. If one is lucky, a playoff game or two is given as a reward and recognition for a job done well.

Before the season begins, though, the officials meet. Here in Maryland we meet much sooner than anywhere else I've been, with our first meeting in May. We discuss plays and rules. We take tests. We go over mechanics (where to stand and move). And then sometime in late July the current rules books are issued and in August the national test is given. Once the new rules book is in my hand, I begin again the familiar task of reading, highlighting, and making notes. My book is a color-coded series of cross-references and notes in an attempt to have a deep knowledge of what to do when all hell breaks loose on the field.

And over the years I've spent my fair share of money on officiating accouterments: hats, shirts, pants, winter gear, flags, whistles, cards, buzzers, shoes, and more.

I'm not alone.

Many of us have hobbies which we do for fun or sanity, or both. Many of us spend time learning the breadth and length and height and depth of that which we love to do. From badminton to tennis, golf to skiing, quilting to knitting, baseball to scrap-booking, we all have something which we enjoy doing and which we will willingly put our time, talent, and treasure into.

What would happen if we treated church and God as a hobby? Not a hobby that we have on the side to which we simply use for distraction; but as a hobby which we loved, as a hobby which we willingly poured our selves, souls, and bodies into.

I think too many people see church as an obligation, as one more thing that we have to get done during an already busy week.

What if we saw church (in general) and St. John's (in particular) as our hobby? What if this hobby was where we came to have fun? What if this hobby was where we came for some sanity and spiritual recharging? What if this hobby was the place we paid as much attention to as a current rules book or magazine on new knitting patterns?

Do you need a hobby? Try church.

Blessings,

August 1, 2018

Welcome to the spat

Forewarning: Today's Wednesday Word is much longer than normal.

I was approached by several parishioners over the course of this past weekend asking, “Did you see the article in Friday's paper?”

Unfortunately I don't currently receive the paper, and I don't often browse through what's available on their internet site. So, no, I didn't see the article; but I did find and read it on Sunday.

The article in question was written by Janet Heim and told the story of Fr. Justin Clemente, a 35-year old priest serving the evangelical congregation of New Creation Church. You may have seen their billboards that were up along Leitersburg and Sharpsburg Pikes for several months. You may also have noticed that it billed itself as an Anglican church.

What especially brought this article to these parishioners attention (which then was brought to my attention) was this line: As the founding pastor and parish priest for New Creation Church on Leitersburg Pike north of Hagerstown, the Rev. Justin Clemente leads the only Anglican congregation in Washington County.

That was news to us.

The article also states that they are members of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).

In short, ACNA was created after the election of Bp. Gene Robinson (the first openly gay man to be so elected). What arose was a family spat about who could and could not be a bishop in the church, who could and could not get married, the place of women in the church (Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was a particular thorn in their side), who took Scripture more seriously, legal battles over who owned the property, and a whole host of other issues. Several dioceses voted to remove themselves from the Episcopal church (San Joaquin, Ft. Worth, and S. Carolina were three).

ACNA was primarily based in the Global South (Africa and S. America), led by African bishops several US bishops, and funded by the Americans. It began to claim itself as the rightful heir to Anglicanism since we (the US and eventually Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, and even England) were “walking away from the plain teachings of Scripture and traditional Church teachings.”

Part of their plan was to claim the name “Anglican” in the hopes that people would either confuse the two churches or at least see them as legitimate heirs of that name. Another part of their plan was to establish “missionary churches” in the United States, thinking that if they could establish enough churches then the Archbishop of Canterbury and the rest of the Anglican Communion would have to recognize their validity simply by sheer numbers.

You can see this in the article when it is claimed that New Creation Church is the “only Anglican congregation in Washington County.” You can also see it when Fr. Clemente states, “I said I think the Lord is calling me to service in a certain way – planting Anglican churches,” as well as his goal of moving NCC to downtown.

I don't begrudge anyone for finding a place where they are fed spiritually and where they can worship God faithfully. However, part of my job is keeping the people of St. John's informed, and I feel that you need to be informed about this particular priest and parish – a group that sees themselves as the only valid Anglican church in the area.

The article can be seen here: https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/instant/founding-pastor-helps-hagerstown-area-anglican-congregation-grow/article_83292c52-91f4-11e8-a052-975553c38692.html

We are Episcopalians. We were formed by missionaries of the Church of England. We continue to be a sister church of the CofE and remain in full communion with her. Our bishops trace their lineage back to the Archbishop of Canterbury and beyond. We are Anglicans in every sense of the word.

I hand delivered a letter to the editor yesterday morning, and have included it in full below. Among other things, it is intended to inform the readers of the Herald-Mail that the six Episcopal churches in Washington County are, indeed, Anglican.

Blessings,

Todd+

To the Editor:

In Janet Heim's article of July 27, 2018, about Fr. Justin Clemente, this statement was made: “New Creation Church . . . [is] the only Anglican congregation in Washington County.”

Whether made by Ms. Heim or Fr. Clemente, this statement is factually untrue.

Anglican refers to those churches in communion with, and recognizing the leadership of, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Anglicanism is the system of doctrine and practices possessing a religious and theological outlook differing from Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or Protestantism. An Anglican church, therefore, is one of a particular theology and polity which has roots in, and is in communion with, the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

There are six Anglican churches in Washington County, as well as one school and chapel: St. John's, Hagerstown; St. Andrew's, Clear Spring; St. Thomas, Hancock; St. Mark's, Lappans; St. Paul's, Sharpsburg; St. Anne's, Smithsburg; St. James' Episcopal School, Hagerstown. All seven congregations were established in the 1800's and continue today as members of the Anglican Communion in what Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls, “The Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.”

Words and definitions matter. On behalf of my fellow Episcopal clergy and all those who worship with us, I felt it necessary to bring this to the attention of you and your readers, especially in these current times where lies and untruths are spoken with unchecked regularity.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Todd Young, Rector

St. John's Episcopal Church, Hagerstown