December 28, 2022

Merry Christmas to you!

Today is the Fourth Day of Christmas, and despite most radio stations returning to their regular programming, despite stores having removed Christmas decorations and priced certain items for quick clearance in order to make room for their Valentine's Day product, it is still the Christmas season. It is still the season of joy and light. It is still the season when we recall that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

Between December 25, Christmas Day, and January 6, the Epiphany, there are celebrations for the lives of Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, and Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist (and our patron), as well as the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Christ (which we will celebrate on Sunday, January 1, at 9:30).

There is also today.

Today we commemorate the Holy Innocents, the day we remember the slaughter of children in and around Bethlehem on Herod's order after the wise men departed for home without telling him where they found Jesus and his family. In the midst of the Christmas celebration, we have the remembrance of a horrific event. In some places this day has been turned into “Children's Day,” when children are given authority to rule the household, or for children to play practical jokes, becoming a day of merry making for children. Although in medieval England, children were whipped in bed to remind them of the mournfulness of the day.

Despite this becoming a day of festivities for children, this day still commemorates and reminds us of a horrific event called for by an evil tyrant in an effort to put an end to God's plan by killing innocent children. The festivities are only a weak attempt to cover up the horrors of that day.

This day, as much as Good Friday does, reminds us that the powers and principalities of this world will stop at nothing to crush the light of God. This day reminds us that the rulers of this world will not bat an eye if innocent people are victimized, imprisoned, abused, neglected, and killed, as long as the methods used keep the powerful in power and those under their rule fearful of an invisible “other.”

Holy Innocents is not just about the children killed on Herod's order. It is for all people of color who are victimized by overt and covert actions of white supremacy and systemic racism. It is for all women who are abused and victimized by men. It is for all victims of domestic abuse, both men and women. It is for all those who suffer from mental health issues but can't get help because programs have been cut. It is for all innocent refugees turned away at borders and refused help. It is for lgbtq+ people ostracized and abused for being who they are. It is for anyone who suffers at the hands of those in power because they are seen as an inconvenience or a threat.

But Holy Innocents also reminds us that no matter how much people work against God, God always finds a way to keep the light shining. The Holy Family escaped. There are instances when justice wins. The light continues to shine in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.

Blessings,

December 21, 2022

Christmas Eve and Day are right around the corner. The time we celebrate the birth of Christ, God incarnate, and see God among us with our eyes is upon us.

I picked up several copies of Holy is His Name: Daily Devotions for Advent for people to use during this season of preparation. This devotional is a daily meditation on the Canticles of Luke (the Magnificat, Benedictus, Gloria [a song of the Eucharist with its first lines found in Luke], and Nunc dimittis). As we approach Christmas, I thought today's meditation was particularly appropriate, so I include it here in full for this Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Advent.

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

We will not know the time or day of Jesus's second coming. Early Christians knew that this day could be at any moment. In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, Jesus explains that five of the young women brought oil with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. The other five, however, were foolish and did not bring oil. When the bridegroom was late, the wedding party grew tired and fell asleep. At midnight, a cry came that the bridegroom had arrived at last. The ten trimmed their lamps, so that the flame could burn bright and free of smoke. But the foolish bridesmaids had no oil and had to go and buy more. They stumbled back to a closed door and a bridegroom who did not know them.

We must not assume that we are wise and ready for the day of the Lord's coming. We are all sleepers who must awake and meet Christ with a ready heart. While we profess our belief that Christ will come again, there are things to reconsider. The first Christians devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and to prayer. In taking seriously the teaching of the apostles, they held all things in common, selling their possessions and giving their money away to those in need. Without earthly possessions, the early churches entered into a new economy where every need could be met and satisfied.

The need for new life can be found everywhere. We tire of the status quo that only benefits the 1 percent. Abuse in our churches and communities demand of us better systems of accountability and repentance. Wars started for the sake of ego leave us all broken and bleeding. The deluge of sins can leave us feeling defeated and discouraged. But evil does not tell the complete story.

The church continues to wait for the return of Christ the Bridegroom some 2000 years later. If we take seriously Jesus's promise that his return is still just around the corner, what changes will we make in our lives? How do we enter into God's work to ready a broken and grieving world for salvation?

We have seen the Savior whom God has prepared for all the world to see. How might we make him know to the world around us?

May you have a joyful Christmas and blessed New Year.

December 14, 2022

The last time we used incense during the service was on All Saints' Sunday. This is one of the “big” celebrations of the Church, and it is one of five days marked as especially appropriate for baptisms (First Sunday after the Epiphany, Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saints' Day/Sunday, and at a bishop's visitation).

During the service, our thurifer, Julia, was having some difficulty with the thurible. She said it was sticking and she was having some trouble raising the cover. And then, just before the final procession, the chain came unhooked. So there we were, trying to open a hot thurible to add incense without a) burning ourselves, or b) burning down the church. Thankfully it all worked out.

In preparation for Christmas Eve, I spent some time yesterday cleaning the thurible. The insides had developed a coating of incense tar that had become sticky, making it difficult to raise the top. The chains for the thurible itself had gotten twisted, and the chain for the top needed to be better secured.

So I took a wire brush and steel wool and gave it a good scrubbing. I didn't get all the tar off, but I did get enough off so the top doesn't stick. I untangled the three main chains, and I (hopefully) secured the lift chain so that it won't come off.

It's not perfect, but I think it'll work. And if I keep up on the cleanings and checking the chains, it should be in good shape for quite awhile.

In the Advent season we spend our time preparing. We prepare for the coming of Christ for the first time in a manger in Bethlehem. We prepare for the coming of Christ for the second time in power and glory at a time to yet be determined. We prepare for the first with any number of activities, events, and gift giving. We prepare for the second through self-examination, prayer, and repentance.

If we aren't careful, though, we might find ourselves like my thurible – burnt, sticky, and coming apart in places.

As we draw nearer to Christmas, take some time to untangle yourself if necessary. Take some time to see where you might be overworked and overdone. Take some time to get reattached to places you find important. Take some time for self-care so that you don't accidentally burn yourself or those around you.

Blessings,

December 7, 2022

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.

This is the traditional introit, or entrance, for the upcoming Third Sunday of Advent. And while we don't use that particular setting, this coming Sunday is the Sunday of joy and rejoicing.

The first lesson is from Isaiah and gives us an image of the desert rejoicing and blooming. The prophet speaks of the blind seeing and the deaf hearing, of the lame leaping and the speechless singing. He closes out his image by saying that everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.

The Psalm gives us an image of justice, food, and freedom given to those who are oppressed, hungry, and imprisoned.

And in the gospel, Jesus tells John's disciples to report that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised.

So just what is joy? There are a lot of definitions out there, but joy has a particular meaning when tied to our faith. First of all, joy is not happiness. Happiness is an emotion, or a feeling of pleasure, with which we are all familiar, usually coming from receiving something we want or have worked for. I want my team to win and am happy when they do so. I want a new car and am happy when I'm able to make that purchase. The examples are limitless. But joy is different.

Joy comes from receiving the unexpected. In the story of the Prodigal Son, joy and rejoicing come from the unexpected return of the son. In the examples above from the upcoming readings, joy comes to those who are on the margins when they are returned to fullness. In our Christian faith, we should be in a constant state of joy over the unexpected gifts of the Incarnation and Resurrection.

That's not to say we won't have periods of deep sadness or anger or any other negative emotion/experience, because we will. I'm reminded of the final line of the last burial anthem on page 491 of the BCP: So, then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's possession. That is joy – to remember that in life and death, in good times and in bad, we are the Lord's possession.

As we continue our Advent journey, as we continue to prepare for the already and the not yet, let us reflect on what God has unexpectedly given us in these dual gifts of Incarnation and Resurrection, and let us live joyfully in the Lord.

Blessings,

November 30, 2022

In Advent, we set aside an entire season to prepare for Jesus' birth – Elis Hiu-Mei Lui, Holy Is His Name: Daily Devotions for Advent, pg. 10

Advent is the season of preparation, as we prepare for Jesus' birth. Advent is the season of the already and the not yet, as we prepare for what has already taken place in Bethlehem and the not yet of Christ's return. Advent is the season of slowing down, as we take a step back from the oncoming rush of Christmas and learn to wait, as Mary and Joseph waited for the birth.

Advent is a special season, with the blessed changed of colors to blue (or purple in some churches) after the seemingly forever season of green, with a slower pace (think about the music and other pieces of the liturgy that slow down), and with a recurring theme of, “Prepare and wait,” the Season of Advent calls us to a different way of being than we have been.

As the above quote says, we have an entire season to prepare for Jesus' birth.

But contrary to that season of preparation, of slowing down, of waiting, there is oftentimes a feeling of being overwhelmed. We have trees to put up, gifts to buy, decorations to set out, cookies to bake, letters to be written, cards to be mailed, dinners to be planned, and any number of other committee or board meetings, activity planning sessions, and regular deadlines to be met.

When, exactly, are we supposed to set aside any time for preparation? When, exactly, are we supposed to set aside any time for slowing down? When, exactly, are we supposed to set aside any time to rest in the presence of God?

The ideal Advent – a period of slowing down, of intentional preparation, of calm waiting – might be as much of an unattainable goal as having the perfect Currier & Ives postcard Christmas.

Maybe the ideal Advent isn't found in the activities of preparation. Maybe the ideal Advent isn't about being prepared for whatever this season throws your way. Instead, maybe the ideal Advent is found in our willingness to open up to God and let God prepare us for something new.

In this season set aside for preparation, don't forget to set aside some time for God to prepare you.

Blessings,

November 23, 2022

This coming Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the new year on the Church calendar. This is the season of trying to slow down. It's the season of learning to slow down. It's the season of preparation as we both eagerly and anxiously await the coming of Christ. It is the season of the already and the not yet, as we celebrate what has come and what is yet to come.

As we prepare for the birth of Christ I am always reminded of Mary and her encounter with Gabriel. All angels are messengers of God, but Gabriel is the one to whom really important messages are entrusted. In the Hebrew scriptures, Gabriel appears to Daniel to explain his visions. Gabriel also appears in the Book of Enoch and other Jewish writings. Gabriel appears to Zechariah and Mary when he announces the births of John and Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. And Islam holds that Gabriel was sent to the prophet Muhammad. Most of the time when an angel visits someone they say, “Do not be afraid,” or words to that effect.

What if we used “Do not be afraid” as an Advent theme?

Do not be afraid . . . to scale back Christmas celebrations for the sake of your personal well-being.

Do not be afraid . . . to not have the “perfect” Christmas, knowing that we aren't picture perfect.

Do not be afraid . . . to celebrate in ways that are meaningful (which may mean “different”).

Do not be afraid . . . to try something new or create a new tradition.

Do not be afraid . . . to have fun.

Do not be afraid . . . to grieve if you need to.

Do not be afraid . . . to be yourself.

Do not be afraid . . . to see the face of God in another person.

Do not be afraid . . . to say no sometimes.

Do not be afraid . . . to proclaim the Good News.

Do not be afraid . . . to listen for the voice of God calling you.

Do not be afraid . . . to reply to God as Mary did, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I hope you all have an enjoyable day and weekend. Immediately after that we roll into Advent and begin in earnest the preparations for Christmas. As I mentioned last week, it can be a hectic time. In this time when the hustle and bustle can get to be too much, may you find times of peace and tranquility.

And maybe most importantly, may you be not afraid, knowing that God is with you . . . always.

Blessings,

November 16, 2022

The Holiday Season is fast approaching. Next week is our Thanksgiving Eve service at 7:00 pm followed by our pie social (an e-tidings will go out tomorrow giving a little more information). The HARC Thanksgiving Service takes place this coming Sunday, 11/20, at 4:30, and we have a Taize service scheduled for 6:00 pm that same evening.

Advent begins on November 27, a week and a half from today. Christmas falls four Sundays later (an early note: There will be one worship service on Christmas Day at 9:30 am).

In between now and then there will be a St. Nicholas Fair, Christmas caroling, a service of Advent Lessons & Carols, another Taize service, and Christmas Eve services at 4:00 and 10:30/11:00 pm. To top it all off, we will have an Epiphany party potluck and gift exchange on Friday, January 6, at 6:00 pm.

There is a lot going on in those few short paragraphs and I feel like I need a nap. While some of us may think that naps are a luxury we can't afford during this time of year, I would counter that naps may be exactly what we need at this time of year.

Advent is the season of the already and not yet (we recognize that God has come in the person of Jesus, but we also recognize that Christ has not yet come again). Advent is the season of preparation, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus as well as preparing ourselves for that second coming.

We all know that the season before Christmas, or the Holiday Season in general, can be a hectic and stressful time. In the midst of all that, Advent reminds us to both prepare AND to slow down. But how can we slow down when there is so much to do? Here are a few ideas:

Take a walk; sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate while not doing anything; beginning December 1, read a chapter of Luke a day (you'll finish on Christmas Eve); make one night a week “no technology night”; gaze at nature for five minutes; set an alarm on your phone for a time that's normally busy and then stop and pray for two minutes; light an Advent candle and pray the Sunday Collect each night; when you find yourself being busy and moving quickly, stop and recite the Trisagion (Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us); drive the actual posted speed limit.

Things will get done. Christmas will come. Baby Jesus will arrive. The question we need to ask ourselves as we begin to navigate the holiday waters is this: Do we really want to exhaust ourselves trying to make for the “perfect” holiday?

The Holiday Season is almost upon us. Don't forget to care for yourself.

Blessings,

November 9, 2022

This past Sunday we celebrated two baptisms. The nave was filled with the sounds of children, choir, and other participants all taking their part in the worship experience. The nave was also filled with the scent of incense, its rising smoke taking our prayers, and the prayers of all the saints, up to the heavenly throne of God.

As we focused on the baptisms of Daphne and JD, we also remembered our own baptismal vows. Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? 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?

These are promises we make four times a year (Baptism of Christ, Easter Vigil, Pentecost, and All Saints' Day/Sunday). These are promises we should be trying to live into every day of our lives. And yet I can't help but think about all the times we don't.

Our country has somehow descended to a point where outright lies are cast as “alternative facts.” The sins and evils of racism (both individual and institutional), anti-Semitism, Christian Nationalism, and misogyny are on the rise. How willing are we to stand up and speak out in resisting those evils?

In the face of the bad news of the world, do we proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Do we find opportunities to tell people why we are Christians and Episcopalians? Do we offer a message of hope to those who are suffering? Do we strive for justice and respect the dignity of every human being?

I bring this up because I am leading a small-group discussion through the program of Sacred Ground, a program put together by the Episcopal Church to confront issues of racism and white privilege. And while I am aware of how our country was built on stolen land, stolen people, and stolen labor, being aware is only part of the overall picture. It is heartbreaking to see and hear stories of how Native American peoples were systematically wiped out by European settlers. It is heartbreaking hear how the Europeans committed atrocities and used the media of the day to place the blame on those whom they killed. It is heartbreaking to see and hear stories of how Christians in general, and the Episcopal Church in particular, worked to stamp out native culture. And this doesn't even begin to address African people stolen from their land and homes to serve as slaves.

If we are to persevere in resisting evil and to respect the dignity of every human being, we must begin to acknowledge how we participate in and benefit from systems of racism and other evils. This is not easy and it is hard work; but it is also necessary work if we are help usher in the kingdom of God.

Among other things, I pray that the baptismal vows we make four times a year will one day become a lived reality for all people.

Blessings,

November 2, 2022

Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who rose victorious from the dead, and comforts us with the blessed hope of everlasting life. For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens. – Proper Preface for the Commemoration of the Dead

O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children – Collect for All Faithful Departed

Two days ago was Halloween, the day when Christians, armed with the knowledge that Christ defeated death by his passion and rose victorious through his resurrection, would dress up in costumes to mock death.

Yesterday was All Saints' Day, the day set aside to celebrate the great Saints of the Church. This was the day the Church remembered a doctor (Saint Luke), a queen (Mary, Queen of Scotland), a shepherdess (Joan of Arc), a soldier (Martin of Tours), a priest (John Donne), and those slain by fierce, wild beasts (Ignatius, Perpetua, and others). There are certainly other Saints of the Church, but when we sing a song of the Saints of God, these are those of whom that song is remembering.

Eventually people began to remember and commemorate all those Christians who weren't famous, or who didn't perform heroic acts in the name of the Church, and who are unknown to all but God in the wider fellowship of the Church. These are people like Polly, Joan, Bob, Bill, David, Sue and so many others that are known to only a few, but are also known and beloved by God. These are people who, like Matthias, are part of the company of the faithful but are never heard from or were written about. These are people who have simply and faithfully lived the life of a disciple, loving neighbors, caring for those in need, and proclaiming the good news of the Gospel in thought, word, and deed.

Today is the day we remember and commemorate All Faithful Departed, whether well-known or unknown. Today is the day when the words of Revelation 5:11 comes to life. Today is the day when, if we listen carefully, can hear angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven sing, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.”

Today is when we remember all those who have gone before for whom life is changed, not ended.

On this day, may you be comforted in the knowledge of God's loving embrace.

Blessings,

October 26, 2022

We are teaching ourselves to embroider and I did not expect the most difficult part of this to be untangling thread – Twitter post by “Ansley Is Livid

I responded to that tweet by saying, “Untangling is always the most difficult part of everything.”

I mean, sure . . . thread is a pain to untangle. So are extension cords, the chains of a thurible, and knots in long hair. That's why I'm always careful to wind things up nice and neat, or as best I can, so I don't have to deal with untangling in the future.

It occurred to me, though, that other things get tangled up and the most difficult part of it all is getting untangled. Whether that thing is a job, a project, a relationship, sometimes we get so tangled up that we aren't sure how to get untangled.

There's also a difference between being entangled and being entwined. Both of those generate images of two or more things wrapped around each other, or of one thing looped in and over itself. The difference is that being entangled generates a sense of knotted up, or of a mess needing to be straightened out. On the other hand, being entwined creates a sense of togetherness that generates strength.

The suspension cables on a bridge, for instance, are entwined. Good friends may have entwined lives. A good marriage consists of two people entwined together. The three persons of the Holy Trinity are entwined together. Hopefully we are entwined with God.

I hope you find yourself entwined with this community, with family and friends, and with God. And if you find yourself tangled up, I hope you find someone who can calmly and gently help get you untangled.

Blessings

October 19, 2022

Attempting to live like Jesus requires art, not science. – When One Religion Isn't Enough, pg. 4. Duane R. Bidwell

This is a book I picked up while on retreat last July, and this sentence comes from the introduction.

So often it seems that people look for the right rules to follow, or rules to keep them in line, or rules to affirm their own prejudices. For too long, people and clergy espoused a set of rules that, if followed, would ensure a person would get to heaven and keep society prim and proper. For too long, people and clergy espoused a set of rules that would ensure their vision of religion, society, and God were enforced. The Puritans were awfully good at the first (think about requirements for church attendance or enforced behaviors which, if not followed, led to public punishments, or worse). The Southern Baptist denomination was established to uphold the institution of slavery and segregation.

And on and on it goes with rules being created to uphold systems of power and to disenfranchise and shun the Other. Think about how churches have treated, and continue to treat, minorities, gays and lesbians, transgendered, inter-racial marriages, women in general and in leadership in particular.

On my Twitter feed recently, someone asked, “Where does the idea of biblical inerrancy come from?” There were a lot of answers, but I replied, “I'm guessing it probably started when the first guy said, 'The Bible clearly says' and then went looking for proof-texts to shore up his position.”

But while rules are necessary in some (many?) cases, following Jesus, discipleship, is less about rules, or the science of the matter, and more about art, because art can capture our imagination.

Art allows us to imagine the infant Jesus at Mary's breast. Art allows us to imagine Joseph playing peek-a-boo with toddler Jesus. Art allows us to imagine who is our neighbor. Art allows us to imagine finding an empty tomb. Art allows us to imagine Jesus asking us, “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.”

The law (rules) Jesus lived by was twofold: Love God, love neighbor. In his life he constantly looked for ways in which those two laws could be lived out.

I watched a Safe Church module yesterday in which Presiding Bishop Curry quoted Ab. Desmond Tutu: “Without us, God won't. Without God, we can't. Together we can.”

In loving God and loving neighbor there is a lot of room for artistic imagination. In our attempt to live like Jesus, may we put our artistic imaginations to use as we bring the Church to the world around us.

October 12, 2022

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me.” – Is. 6:8

At the dilapidated church of San Damiano, Francis of Assisi prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” Francis heard a reply, “Go and rebuild my church, which, as you see, is falling down.”

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.” – St. Teresa of Avila

Isaiah saw a vision of the LORD in his holy temple and attending seraphs who called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” While in that vision Isaiah realizes God is looking for someone to send and speak a message to his people. Isaiah famously replies, “Here am I; send me.”

Initially Francis thought God was telling him to repair the little church in which he had prayed. Eventually, however, he came to learn that he was being called to repair the larger church which was, at this point in time, close to collapsing due to corruption and strife.

Neither Saint John's nor the wider church is collapsing, but both are in need of attention. As we move out of the COVID pandemic there are challenges we face. We are learning how to be the church in a different world than we were just three years ago, and certainly different than from 20, 30, 40-plus years ago.

As we come out of the pandemic and look to return and minister in ways that are new, different, and the same, the call of Isaiah and Francis are particularly apt for us today. Saint John's has a lot of moving parts, both with our Commissions that offer a variety of ministries, and in a liturgy that offers a variety of opportunities to serve.

This Sunday, October 16, is Commission Sunday. Each Commission will have a table set up after each service with information about what they do and a chance to sign up to participate. You don't have to sign up for everything, but over the next few days I encourage you to prayerfully consider what talents you might offer for the good of the church. Are you a singer? Do you enjoy gardening? Are you a financial whiz? Would you like to play a larger role in the Sunday liturgy? All these and more are areas we are working to build up as we continue to learn how to move forward in our post-pandemic world.

We find ourselves at a time of rebuilding. God is asking, “Whom shall I send?” It has been a difficult 2-1/2 years, and we are being called to rebuild the church. As St. Teresa of Avila reminds us, we are the body, feet, hands, and eyes of Christ, and now is the time to put them to good use.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. And if you can't be with us in person, please return a Time and Talent sheet offering your gifts to the church as we look to actively be the church in the world.

Blessings,

October 5, 2022

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 bread. – BCP 834, adapted from Luke 24:30

All [the disciples] were constantly devoting themselves to prayer – Acts 1:14

“And the four living creatures . . . without ceasing sing, “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” And . . . the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever;” – Revelation 4:8, 10

“The duty of all Christians is . . . to come together week by week for corporate worship . . .” BCP 856

Worship is, above all else, the purpose of the church. There are a lot of things we are commanded to do (see this past Sunday's sermon, for instance); but the main purpose for gathering as a body and community of faith is to worship the Lord.

“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,” says Psalm 29:2 (BCP). Whether that beauty of holiness is in the splendor of the main Saint John's worship space, whether it is in a grand cathedral, whether it is in a tiny and tight-knit community, whether it is at an outdoor chapel that looks out on lake and mountains, or whether it is a small group of people praying Morning or Evening Prayer, the beauty of holiness can be interpreted in many different ways. Certainly the beauty of holiness is found in the visual aspects of the worship space; but the beauty of holiness can also be found where two or three are gathered together in his name.

And, yes, there are a lot of other things we do as the body of Christ (feed, clothe, shelter, etc.) that many other organizations also do; but what those other organizations don't do is worship. It is our worship that sets the church apart from those other organizations.

I mention all this because today, October 5, is the return of the mid-week worship service in Saint Mary's Chapel at 12:15. The last service of Holy Eucharist held at Saint John's before the pandemic shut everything down was on a Wednesday. The service was always small, but it provided an intimacy that people enjoyed. Because of that small, intimate setting, there was a different feel to the beauty of holiness.

If you participated in that service before COVID struck, I invite and welcome you back. If your life has changed because of COVID in such a way that you are now free in the middle of the week, or if you are new to Saint John's and have time on Wednesdays, I invite you to join us. You are welcome to come and worship with us in the beauty of holiness that this small, intimate setting provides.

Blessings,

September 28, 2022

The weather seems to have suddenly shifted into autumn. The temperature is beginning to consistently drop and even the sunny days have a crispness to them. Morning walks now require a sweatshirt. It can't be long before we start seeing snow.

But between now and that first snowfall on what will probably be a gray, blustery day, we have these early days of autumn. The early days of a seasonal change when we need sweaters or light jackets in the morning, only to forget them at the office because it's warmed up. The early days of autumn when leaves change from the long, green season to the season of reds, yellows, oranges and all shades thereof. The early days of autumn when hot chocolate is a comfort drink rather than a drink of necessity.

This seasonal change is a reminder that change is all around us. By virtue of being alive we are subject to change. We do not live out our lives as toddlers, but we change and learn and grow and, eventually, die. The church lives a yearly cycle of change beginning with Advent and cycling through the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Individual parishes also live through cycles of change throughout its life. As we look back over the life of Saint John's, there have certainly been changes and cycles from our beginning on Mulberry Street to the fire at Antietam and Summit to where we are now.

As we enter this seasonal change, this is a good time to evaluate changes in our own lives. As the trees begin to lose their leaves, are there things we can lose – extra coats or clothes we no longer use, for instance? Before those leaves are lost, they provide the world with radiant colors. How might we provide the radiant colors of God's love to the world around us? Before long, the world will be cold, bleak, and dark. When that change comes, may we be warm, cheerful, and bright.

Blessings

September 21, 2022

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

Most of yesterday was spent in two meetings. The first was an organization meeting of sorts with Circles, USA (https://www.circlesusa.org/), a community based organization designed to help reduce poverty and remove the barriers that stand in the way of that goal. This program is reaching out to local government officials, businesses, and faith organizations. The goal is to have it up and running by November or December. They are looking for what they call Allies to walk with people for 18 months through the program and to have groups volunteer to sign up for one month and serve a meal once a week.

I followed that up by attending the HARC meeting. At that meeting we discussed how HARC could help faith communities work together, how we could support children in the community, how we could work for justice and equality for those who are not treated equally or as less-than, and how we might help each other create stronger houses of worship. I also had a brief conversation with the chaplain at Meritus who said that, because of the shift in how Meritus runs their Spiritual Care Department, they are looking for people willing to be trained as volunteer chaplains.

When I got back to the office I had three messages waiting for me from people who needed financial assistance of one kind or another. And after a few other tasks that needed to get done, it was time for Evening Prayer.

I mention all this not to complain about how yesterday went, but as a reminder.

Doing justice is difficult work and seems never-ending. The work to help people escape poverty is ongoing. The work we do, both with ourselves and in our organizations, toward racial equality and other aspects of unjust systems is ongoing. It is also tiring. It can be exhausting. It is also work the Lord requires us to do.

There are days when the pleas for financial assistance seem never-ending and they come back to back to back. Sometimes it's easy to get frustrated with those requesting help. It's almost always painful to have to turn someone away or come to terms with the fact that I can only help in limited ways. But I must always remember that these people by simply by the nature of their humanity and divinity deserve to be treated with kindness.

And finally, at the end of the day, no matter how difficult the struggle for justice, or how often my patience has been tested, I still need to make time to pray.

Doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with the Lord are not three separate things, but three things intertwined. To do justice means to love kindness; and doing those things over and over again can wear us out. So it's vitally important to remember to walk humbly with the Lord and allow him to have a space in your life.

Blessings,

September 14, 2022

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him – Collect for Holy Cross Day

Know for certain that thou must lead a dying life; and the more a man dieth to self, so much the more doth he begin to live unto God. – The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A' Kempis

Today is Holy Cross Day, one of those days I think we don't pay much attention to. Other than Good Friday, with its Veneration of the Cross, or the weekdays in Holy Week when we walk the Way of the Cross, we tend to avoid it. If I were to guess why that is it would be because we don't like that it reminds us of suffering and death.

To be sure, the empty cross symbolizes Christ's victory over death. Almost every Easter hymn recognizes and celebrates this fact (Christ is alive! Let Christians sing. His cross stands empty to the sky – Hymn 182). But in order to be a symbol over death, you have to have experienced death in the first place – there is no Easter without Good Friday. As much as the cross is that victorious symbol, we are also confronted with the fact that it was an instrument of torture on which Jesus had his hands and feet nailed through and hung in agony for three hours.

So we have a complicated relationship with the cross, in that in order to live we must first die.

Today's Collect leads us in that reflection. Our redemption is a glorious celebration that is achieved through the mystery of the cross and crucifixion. Through the lifting up of Christ on the cross the whole world is drawn to him in that salvific act. As Jesus took up his cross to destroy death, we are also called to take up our cross to destroy that which would destroy us.

Thomas A' Kempis recognized this when he wrote his meditation on the cross. We tend to be selfish creatures. We tend to live for ourselves. But it is in dying to self that allows God to dwell more fully with us. Each time we allow ourselves to get out of the way, we give God room to get in the way. Unfortunately that is neither easy nor painless.

Christian discipleship is hard work. It requires steadfastness when we would rather give up. It requires dedication when we would rather take a nap. It requires self-control when we would rather indulge our senses. It requires us to put to death those desires and habits which would keep us apart from God.

On this Holy Cross Day may you reflect on the humility of Jesus as he suffered and died on a cross which now stands empty and leads to the way of life and peace. And may you have the strength and courage to carry your own cross, putting to death that which keeps you from living a full life in God.

Blessings,

September 7, 2022

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame: *

deliver me in your righteousness. -- Ps. 31:1

This past Sunday's sermon revolved around lex orandi, lex credendi, the saying that means praying shapes believing. Our prayer life can inform and shape our wider life if we allow it to do so. During that sermon I had ushers pass out a small Daily Devotional tri-fold taken from the BCP. The devotional leads us through prayers in the morning, at noon day, and in the early evening. There are, of course, other times you can pray, but (as I suggested) if you set an alarm on your cell phone to ring at those times you will be guaranteed three times a day when you settle down and spend some time with God.

Another time to pray is at the close of day. The BCP service for the end of the day is Compline, and the portion of Psalm 31 above comes from there.

My wife and I pray Compline at bedtime almost every night as part of our routine. Within that service there are several Psalms, readings, and prayers from which the Officiant can choose to read. When it's my turn to lead, I will typically alternate readings and prayers, but I will always choose to read Ps. 31.

My reasoning for that is because, for me, prayer and liturgy have a way of seeping into me the more familiar I am with it. Maybe this is why I like being an Episcopalian so much – the service has the same path and the same cadence week after week, month after month, year after year. Far from being rote and monotonous, this familiarity allows the liturgy to become part of me to the point that it keeps me grounded when I feel flustered and anchored when I feel like I'm drifting in the abyss.

In this chaotic world, may we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life find familiarity and strength, solace and comfort, groundedness and security in the routines of regular prayer and worship. And may we never look at these times of prayer and worship as an obligatory duty to be performed but as a privilege to sit with God in spaces that are holy.

Blessings,

August 3, 2022

Two weeks ago I was on my personal retreat at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY. One of the joys of my time there was how often the brothers rang the bell for worship. Every day the bell would ring at 7, 9, Noon, 5, and 8 for Morning Prayer, Holy Eucharist, Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline. The Readings all followed the Daily Lectionary. and this week, Proper 11, we heard from Matthew 26:36-75, the story of Jesus in Gethsemane up through Peter's denial.

The chapel is sparse with white walls, a high ceiling and windows, choir seating for the monks, gallery seating for guests in the back, and a plain altar. The faint smell of incense permeates the air. A large, Eastern Orthodox-style crucifix icon hangs on the east wall behind the altar and is the only adornment in the building.

As I sat in the chair listening to the reading from Matthew's gospel about the arrest of Jesus, I knew what was eventually coming: his crucifixion and death. The week of Proper 12 would tell of his flogging, the ripping of his robe from his just-beginning to congeal body, the crown of thorns driven into his head, the spit on his face, the beating at the hands of the Roman guards, and (even though Matthew doesn't specifically say it) the nails that were hammered through his hands and feet. This was a brutal and painful experience.

While nowhere near the pain Jesus experienced, I was experiencing my own pain as if thousands of white-hot needles were being inserted into my back. The pain made it difficult to sit. It was also difficult to stand and walk as the pain would radiate down my leg and across my back. I sat with my own excruciating pain as I listened to the story of Jesus' betrayal and arrest and thought about his upcoming crucifixion. And I wondered.

Today, depending on when you read this, I will either be preparing for, undergoing, or recovering from back surgery. The increasing pain I have been experiencing will hopefully be coming to an end. In the best of outcomes, there will be no more pain. At this point I would consider an outcome of simply being sore a good outcome. The point is that I believe there is an end in sight to the pain. As Jesus was going through his own journey of physical pain, was he able to see an end to that pain, even if the end was death? Did he finally welcome that outcome as the ultimate relief?

And I wondered about the pain of betrayal. Was the kiss of Judas as emotionally painful as the physical pain of his journey to the cross? Was seeing Peter deny him three times as emotionally painful as the physical pain of hanging on the cross? Was looking around to find he had been deserted by all of his male disciples as spiritually painful as his desertion by God (Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani)? And I wonder if even now he is haunted by the suicide of Judas?

There will be an end to physical pain, and hopefully mine is in the final stretch today. Emotional and spiritual pain, however, can last a lifetime.

With that in mind, may we work to be gentle with others and ourselves. May we give ourselves and others grace when we stumble. And may we, like Peter, return to say, “I love you.”

Blessings,

July 27, 2022

While on retreat last week I read a book called One Thousand Gifts, in which the author makes the argument that it is only through giving God thanks for all things that allows us to relearn to see the presence of God all around us. She is not an Episcopalian, but she stumbles upon the word eucharisteo, the Greek word for thanksgiving. We are obviously familiar with this word through our service of Holy Eucharist. Throughout the book she makes use of this word as the foundation and centrality of giving God thanks in all things.

“What if,” she says, “the Fall wasn't a result of eating the forbidden fruit and blaming the other (Adam blames Eve who blames the serpent), but what if the Fall was a result of our ingratitude to God?” In other words, the serpent said if we ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil our eyes would be opened and we would be like God. What really happened, though, is that the serpent caused us to doubt God's goodness that we could see all around us, and eating the fruit opened our eyes to see what we had NOT been given. We went from being grateful and able to see all of God's gifts, to being ungrateful and focused on what we did not have, or on what we were missing. It was with that new vision of ingratitude or ungratefulness which left its mark on us and with which we now see.

As you all know by now, I am scheduled for my third back surgery next week. I am hopeful that this one will eliminate, or at least relieve, the ever-present pain that makes daily living difficult and Sundays almost unbearable. But in that pain, I'm not sure I have ever given thanks.

After reading this book, I have found a way to be thankful. I am thankful for a new understanding and empathy toward people with chronic pain. I am thankful to have eyes to see things in a new way. I am thankful for moments of painlessness. I am thankful for support. I am thankful I am still walking.

The worship service that begins on pages 323 and 355 of the BCP is titled: The Holy Eucharist. It can also be called The Holy Thanksgiving. The second half of the complete service, the rite of Holy Communion, is sub-titled The Great Thanksgiving. Eucharist, Thanksgiving, is the name of the entirety of the service, with a great thanksgiving occurring in the rite of Holy Communion.

What if we saw this service not as something we do on Sunday, but as preparing us to give thanks in the week to come? What if we saw it as a way of opening our eyes to the goodness of God all around us? What if we saw it as setting the tone for the upcoming week rather than as a brief respite from a fallen world?

This is the call of all God's children: to give thanks and praise in all things, learning to be thankful for all our gifts in all circumstances. In learning to do that, in learning to give thanks in all things, in making a daily practice of giving thanks and praise, it just might lead to a transformation of our selves that relearns to see the world as God created it – very good.

Blessings,

July 20, 2022

O God, make speed to save us:

Our help is in the name of the Lord:

This coming Sunday the Christian Formation Commission is hosting the first Sunday Fun Day and will revolve around prayer. In the upcoming gospel reading the disciples ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray like John taught his disciples.” In response Jesus gives them, and us, what has become known as the Lord's Prayer.

I've been meeting with a couple over the past several months in preparation for their wedding at the end of October. This past session dealt with prayer and we talked about times and styles of prayers. Everything from when to how often to formulas to simple liturgies. I told them a story about a monk who, when asked what was the right kind of prayer, said, “The kind you do.”

In other words, prayer forms and styles and times change over time. The trick is to keep at it. And if one form or style or time no longer works for you, then make a change – but keep praying.

Show of hands: How many of you, when you read the first two lines up there, answered either in your mind or out loud, “O Lord, make haste to help us,” and, “The maker of heaven and earth?”

These are part of the opening lines to Evening Prayer and Compline as found in the Prayer Book. If you pray these Daily Offices regularly you probably automatically filled in the response when you read those opening sentences. That's part of the beauty of the BCP and daily prayer – the words become a part of you.

There's an old saying that goes, “lex orandi, lex credendi.” That is, “what we pray is what we believe.”

Prayer isn't a list of requests we send up to God. Prayer isn't the 75 cents we put into the holy vending machine so we can get item C7. Prayer is the daily conversation, the daily formation, that helps shape our lives. How we pray and what we pray shapes how we interact with those around us. If we pray, “deliver us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge,” on a daily basis, that will most likely have a different outcome than if we pray, “may God utterly demolish my enemies” on a daily basis.

May we all have a set of prayers that grounds us, informs us, and guides us. And may that give us the strength to follow Christ on this difficult road of discipleship.

Blessings,

July 13, 2022

This isn't so much a Wednesday Word as it is a Wednesday Update.

Most of you are aware of my many back issues I've had over the past few years. As a reminder, I have experienced back pain to the best of my memory all of my life – not all of my adult life, but all of my life. That problem was getting progressively worse as I got older.

In 2019, at the recommendation of a physical therapist, I made a visit to a surgeon connected with the University of Maryland Medical Center. After x-rays and consultation, it was decided to perform surgery to correct the excessive spinal curvature as well as improve the spacing between some of my vertebrae. That surgery took place on November 13. And then in July of 2020, for the first time in my life, I was pain-free. That lasted through August.

But then in September I started experiencing pain once again. Without going into all the details, I suffered a collapsed disc immediately below the original surgery point. More appointments and attempts to solve the problem in a variety of other means followed. Unfortunately a second surgery was the ultimate outcome of this; but due to COVID that surgery didn't happen until August 4, 2021.

Another rehab followed. This time, however, I didn't even get to experience two months of painlessness. More x-rays, MRI's followed which showed that I developed a herniated disc immediately below the second surgical site. After more consultations I am going in for my third surgery.

This third (and hopefully final) surgery will take place on August 3 – three weeks from today. The plan is to remove my last disc and insert a cage and supporting hardware which should provide the support needed to prevent anymore collapses and/or problems. Since this is happening at the base of my spine, I am quite literally at the tail end of this.

I have put out a message to clergy colleagues in the diocese letting everyone know of what is happening and asking for supply clergy for the four Sundays in August since I will be taking all month off to recover/recuperate.

I don't normally make my health a topic of conversation, but this was the best way for me to let all of you know what was happening without having to have multiple conversations and possibly miss someone. I also wanted to give you all a heads up as to where I would be come this August.

Deacon Sue and the Pastoral Care Team, amazingly led by Dusty Graham, will be available for pastoral emergencies. Senior Warden, Bob Speelman, and Junior Warden, Deanna Soulis, will also be available to assist as needed. And as always, Melonie Orr, our fantastic Parish Administrator, will be around to help.

Thank you for your prayers and concerns, and I'm hoping that I will finally get to a place of, if not no pain, at least a dull throb.

Blessings,

July 6, 2022

I was talking with a parishioner recently about the state of everything and how easy it is to become discouraged.

From Supreme Court rulings that stripped away a woman's right to bodily autonomy, that allowed for more people to carry concealed weapons, that curbed the EPA's ability to require reductions in power plant emissions thereby valuing profits over people, to the relatively uneventful apprehension of Bobby Crimo (the white man who killed six people in Highland Park, IL), to the Akron police killing the unarmed black man Jayland Walker (who had sixty bullet holes in his body), to the police shooting of John Crawford (another black man) for carrying a toy gun, to the inaction of the Uvalde police department, to the rise of white supremacist groups such as the Proud Boys whose goal is to intimidate people of color, to people and politicians continuing to falsely claim a stolen election, to any number of other actions, it is easy to become discouraged. It's easy to simply barricade yourself inside. It's easy to give up. It's easy to do nothing but cry.

In our lamentation he mentioned that he hoped for a better future. My response was, “We have to be hopeful, because right now that's all we've got.”

Paul wrote, “Faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.” But I wonder if hope isn't foundational to everything.

Paul also wrote, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Which is true when speaking about God. We patiently hope for a resurrection we do not see. We have not yet seen the fulfillment of God's kingdom, but we hope for its arrival and wait patiently for its coming.

But to hope for better days without acting on those hopes, or refusing to act out of fear, is nothing more than by and by pie in the sky wishful thinking. To see basic rights continually stripped away, to watch as our citizen's health is seen as an inconvenience, or to witness the resurgence of white supremacy without doing anything but hoping for better days, makes us complicit in those crimes.

Paul also wrote: Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor,. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, extend hospitality to strangers.

Hope for better days, hope for full equality, hope for full inclusion, hope for an end to hatred and abuse are all worthwhile goals. But our hope for those things must be tied to actions which will work to ensure all people experience the rights and privileges espoused by this country's founding documents and which all people should experience by virtue of being created in the image of God.

Let us hope for better days. But let us also be willing to work to make that hope a reality.

Blessings,

June 29, 2022

 Last week the Supreme Court made two rulings that will endanger the lives of many people. The first was to overturn New York's law limiting who was allowed to carry a concealed weapon. This ruling makes it much easier for people to carry weapons under any circumstances, in effect stating that individuals should have the right to choose to carry weapons without interference from the state.

The second was the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This decision removed a woman's right to bodily autonomy and free choice in favor of allowing the state to have control over those choices.

In these two decisions the Supreme Court has ruled the state cannot limit your choice to carry a concealed weapon, while simultaneously ruling the state can limit a woman's bodily choice.

When I heard the ruling on loosening the restrictions for concealed carry, I was extremely disappointed, especially in light of the ongoing gun violence in our nation, our cities, our communities, our churches, and our schools. When I heard the news on the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I was heartbroken.

I was heartbroken for the girls and women who will be forced to birth a baby who is the result of rape, either by a stranger or by a family member. I was heartbroken for the girls and women who develop ectopic pregnancies and will be forced to birth a baby whose life-span is measured in weeks, not years. I was heartbroken for those same girls and women whose pregnancies will become life-threatening and now have no means of care other than thoughts and prayers.

I fear for girls, women, and healthcare providers who now may (will) face murder charges in the name of pro-life. I fear for the girls and women living in states considering travel bans as a basis for premeditated murder. I fear for those people who face laws allowing them to be sued for aiding and abetting abortions. I fear for the girls and women who will fall into physical danger at the hands of men who want no part of having to care for another life.  Most importantly, I fear for the girls and women who will take matters into their own hands.

To be clear, the Episcopal church for years has “opposed abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere convenience.”

While the official church policy states that abortion should never be used for mere convenience, the church recognizes there are instances when that choice must be made. The 2018 General Convention called for “women's reproductive health and reproductive health procedures to be treated as all other medical procedures.” The Convention declared “that equitable access to women's healthcare, including women's reproductive healthcare, is an integral part of a woman's struggle to assert her dignity and worth as a human being.”

Outlawing abortions and punishing women will not end abortions, but it will continue to punish women. It will harm women. It will lead to more deaths, not life. Unfortunately this decision and these laws do nothing to address the role men play in pregnancies and single motherhood, once again laying blame and responsibility on women and girls.

Furthermore, this decision will negatively impact poor and minority women more than others. Girls and women unable to travel for medical care will be forced into any number of bad choices, or have decisions forced upon them, while those who can travel will receive the assistance needed. And those with the right connections will still receive abortions under the cloak of privileged secrecy.

Let's be honest: this ruling is not about pro-life, but about controlling women and establishing forced-birth laws. If this were a pro-life issue, prenatal care would be free. If it were a pro-life issue, the medical fees associated with giving birth would cost $0. If it were a pro-life issue, diapers, formula, baby food, healthcare, and childcare would be free or greatly subsidized. It if were a pro-life issue, 192 Republicans wouldn't have voted against giving financial aid to the FDA to help with the recent baby formula shortage.

I said I was afraid for the girls and women who are the targets of this ruling, and I am; but I am also afraid for others as this ruling is only the tip of the iceberg.

Justice Clarence Thomas, in a follow-up piece, wrote that the court should reconsider rulings on access to birth control, as well as the validity/legality of same-sex relationships and marriages. Obviously I can't predict whether this will happen or, if those rulings are revisited, whether existing laws will once more be struck down in favor of religious intolerance. But if ever there were a time to be worried, it is now.

With that in mind, let me say now to all lgbtq+ people who are beloved members of our community:

If you don't have a will, get one.

If you don't have an advanced directive, make one.

If you haven't designated a medical and/or financial power of attorney, do so now.

If you haven't designated a beneficiary on your life insurance policy, do so now.

If you don't have a hospital visitation directive, get one.

Personal freedoms are coming under attack ever day now, and not just from the Supreme Court. More people have become emboldened to use threats, intimidation, and terrorism to silence those whom they oppose. Things we once took for granted are being attacked and recalled in some vague attempt to make this country great. But what makes this country great is the welcoming and lifting up of people different from us, not their constant abuse and marginalization. Equality is never freely handed out to the powerless and minorities by those in power or the majority. It needs to be challenged and fought for, because for some people equality is frightening.

Finally, Episcopal clergy in every diocese received a note from the Office of the Presiding Bishop that states:

“We have received information from federal authorities of credible security threats against clergy and churches around the...release by the US Supreme Court of its abortion decision. There is concern that clergy who have advised parishioners about abortion access and their reproductive rights may face threats or violence.

“The guidance we are hearing is for religious communities to encourage peaceful responses to the decision...in the days following the decision and also in weeks to come... while remaining vigilant about potential security threats.”

With that in mind, we must remember that standing with the outcast, the marginalized, and the other has inherit risks, but standing in love and support with those whom the larger society wants to eliminate or marginalize is what our faith calls us to do.

May God grant us wisdom and courage for the facing of these days.