April 29, 2020

A Gathering of Leaders

Several years ago I attended a few conferences of Episcopal clergy called the Gathering of Leaders. This was designed for clergy who were under 50-years old, and it was the brainchild of the former bishop of Texas. The overall goal of these conferences was to help shape clergy leaders, make contacts, and help us help our parishes move forward.

While I am well-past being under 50, and I no longer attend these gatherings, I still find myself surrounded by a gathering of leaders here at Saint John's. You're probably tired hearing me tell this story, but one of the biggest reasons I submitted my name to be a part of the search process here was because, as I read the profile, it was clear to me that the people of Saint John's “got it.” Worship was a big part of the life of this parish, but so was the variety of outreach efforts. The people here knew that “church” meant more than Sunday mornings. I still find that to be true.

This COVID pandemic has been tiring for us all. Many of us have been stuck at home for longer than we would care to be. Reports of the infection rate declining are then followed by reports of outbreaks because people got careless, or were allowed to gather prematurely, or, or, or. And as of now, we are limited to gatherings of 10 or fewer, maintaining a 6-foot distance between people, and we have a target date of May 17 when we might be allowed to worship at church again (but, based on current trends, I'm not holding my breath about that timeline).

But even so, as this pandemic has dragged on and we have lived with stay-at-home orders, and are unsure of a realistic time of regathering, leaders of this church have begun to surface. A few people have contacted me about starting a book study, or bible study, or some other adult study. The J2A group meets regularly on Sundays for a game night and again on Thursdays for Compline (affectionately dubbed Zoompline). The Community Cafe group is having a brainstorming session next Tuesday, May 5, to discuss how they can effectively get food and toiletries to those people who have come to depend on the Cafe. And yesterday morning I had a long conversation with Peg Brown about how we might utilize various leaders to help keep us connected, involved, and engaged.

Peg will be reaching out to a few people to see about being the point person for a few small groups. I don't know who those people are, but I am confident that, with the leaders that are gathered here at Saint John's, they will be more than capable. If you get that call, don't be shocked. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to help the people of Saint John's remain connected, involved, and engaged during this time of disconnection, isolation, and loneliness.

As I think about all of this, I am reminded that we are a gathering of worshipers. We are a gathering of disciples. We are a gathering of servants. And we are a Gathering of Leaders.

May we all look for ways to help lead the people around us through this pandemic.

Be well,

Todd+

April 22, 2020

Be Known to Us in the Breaking of the Bread
This coming Sunday, Easter 3, we get the gospel story from Luke about Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  This is one of the great post-resurrection stories we have and is the basis of the short pre-worship prayer, "Be present, be present, O Jesus, our great High Priest, as you were present with your disciples, and be known to us in the breaking of the bread." -- BCP 834

The story of the road to Emmaus also gives us three stations of the Via Lucis (the Way of Light).  This is a relatively new devotional (developed in the '90's and formalized in 2001) that complements and completes the Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis).  Whereas the Stations of the Cross focus on Jesus' Passion, death, and burial, the Way of Light, or Stations of Light, focus on appearances of the risen Christ from the empty tomb through the Day of Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the form of fire).  These stations were designed to be walked especially during Easter week, or anytime during Easter season.

The Fifth Station is the risen Lord being recognized in the breaking of the bread.  Here the two disciples have invited their unknown guest to eat with them and spend the night because it is late.  The risen Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to the disciples.  And it was at this point that their eyes were opened, they recognized Jesus, and he vanished.  They then run back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had just happened.

I love this story because it reminds me that we don't need to see some big, miraculous event to witness the presence of Christ.  I mean, those are nice and all, but sometimes all it takes to see the presence of Christ is sharing a simple meal.  And in these times of physical distancing and quarantine, that can be difficult.

But Christ is present when we deliver a meal to someone who needs help after a hospital stay.  Christ is present when a group of people Zoom together and chat over their favorite desserts.  Christ is present when we try to figure out how to reorganize Community Cafe in order to provide a meal to those in our community.  Christ is present when we remember to give thanks for our food and our families who can share the meal with us.  Christ is present in so many little ways that we just might miss him if we're constantly looking for the Big Event.

As we continue to work our way through the COVID pandemic, let us continue to pray for the presence of Christ.  Let us also look for Christ in all the small things, like the breaking of the bread; because more often than not, it's when all the small things are put together that the big thing is finally revealed.

Be well,

Todd+

April 1, 2020

Stay home.

We have been in various stages of social distancing/quarantines for a few weeks now. Depending on where you live, that has been either “strongly suggested” or mandatory. On Monday, the Governor of Maryland made it mandatory, closing all non-essential businesses and telling people to remain in their homes except for necessary trips (groceries, for instance) and outside exercise (with appropriate distancing). People disregarding this order would be subject to fines and/or arrest.

I have said several times that Saint John's is essential to the mental and spiritual health of the people connected to it. Based on that fact, and doing some digging around, I found enough information to make that case should I have to. I also found . . . for lack of a better term . . . a COVID19 travel document that employers can give to their essential employees that provides proof of essential travel. I made copies for the people in the office just in case.

Melonie and I talked and she will be working from home most days, coming in maybe one day a week just to make sure I haven't burnt the place down or broken anything. We are also working on getting me set up so that I can work from home if needed. Katherine can do everything she needs to from home to ensure our finances are up-to-date. Mark comes into the office to work on the music that he can't do from home. And Dcn. Sue comes in on Mondays as needed. But we are all maintaining proper distancing and following recommended health protocols.

Sunday worship will continue to stream online via our Facebook page. We are working on also setting up a YouTube page so those who don't have Facebook can still watch live. The Sunday services are also posted to our website so that you can watch them at a later time if 9:30 on Sunday doesn't fit your schedule. Again, we are limiting the number of people in the church, and are appropriately distanced. And this is because I feel we are essential to the mental and spiritual health of our parishioners and, hopefully, people beyond our parish boundaries.

All of this is being done so that you can stay home and stay safe. We are following both the bishop's and governor's orders to the best of our ability and following health guidelines to keep us safe. The best thing for you to do is to stay home, follow recommended guidelines, stay connected to family and friends, and remain prayerful.

The Holy Week service schedule will come out later this week.

In this time when we are all classified as shut in, I hope these services and these connections give you comfort and strength. And until we can meet again in joyful reunion, I leave you with this: “Your statutes have been my songs wherever I make my home” – Ps. 119:54.

Stay home, stay safe, and

Be well,

Todd+