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.

June 22, 2022

I read a short story the other day about a remote monastery that hosted pilgrims visiting the holy shrine cared for by the monks. They also accepted visitors who needed time away, those who might be discerning a call to monastic life, and general tourists drawn to the beauty of the area.

One of the resident monks would get drunk every day which led to any number of issues with the pilgrims, visitors, and aspirants.

Eventually the monk died and some of the faithful expressed their relief to see this problem finally solved.

The abbot told them that, yes, he knew the old monk had died when he saw a battalion of angels coming to collect his soul. The people were amazed at this, sure that he must be mistaken; for how could this alcoholic monk be welcomed into heaven with such an escort?

The abbot explained to them: “This monk was born in a country overrun and destroyed by an invading army. They forcibly conscripted boys of a certain age while initially killing all boys under two. His parents would hide him as an infant and, in order to keep him quiet, put alcohol into his milk so he would sleep and not be found. Because of this he grew up an alcoholic.

“Later in life the man stumbled upon this monastery and told the abbot he was an alcoholic. The abbot welcomed him in and set him on a strict prayer regimen, which included praying for the strength to reduce by one the number of glasses of alcohol he drank. After a year, with struggle and repentance, he managed to reduce by one the number of drinks he had to 19 from 20.

“His struggle continued over the years, slowly reducing the number of glasses, but never reaching sobriety. His struggle finally ended the night he died. While the world saw an alcoholic monk who scandalized pilgrims, aspirants, and tourists, God saw a fighter who fought a long battle to live a life dedicated to God instead of dedicated to his passions and weaknesses.”

How often do we see people like the people in this story saw the monk – only seeing with our eyes what is visibly presented to us or with the vision of prejudice? I'm reminded of the words of the LORD when talking to Samuel about anointing David as king: “. . . for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

How many times have we misjudged a person because of outward appearances; or how many times have we scorned a person for not living up to our standards without understanding their personal struggles?

We all have hidden issues that we are working through. It may or may not be an addiction, like the monk in the story, but we all struggle. May we all learn to be less judgmental in favor of becoming more understanding and forgiving.

As time goes on, maybe we can learn to reduce our daily judgments by one.

Blessings,

June 15, 2022

It's been a long two-plus years. I won't recount everything that has happened over that time, or everything that has changed, because we're pretty familiar with that story by now.

Today I want to write a little about COVID-weariness that seems to affect us all, some more than others.

I don't know if COVID-weariness is an actual, technical, authorized term, but it seems to fit what I've been both witnessing and experiencing. There are people who are simply tired of the whole thing and want to “get back to normal,” where normal means no masks and living/gathering as if COVID were over. There are also people who believe that COVID is not over and we need to be as hyper-vigiliant as we were in the first few months of the pandemic. And then there are people who are somewhere in the middle – continuing to wear masks in public and limiting or weighing the risks of gathering in groups, where catching COVID is not an “if” but a “when,” while doing all they can to limit that possibility.

No matter where you are on the spectrum, we are all tired. We are all weary. I think part of this weariness comes from having to continually adapt, pivot, and change. Granted, adaptation and change are part of life. As someone once said, “The only difference between a rut and a grave is how deep it is and how long you're in it.”

But to have to make the amount of changes we've been making, for as often as we've been making them, is wearisome.

This is one reason why I am grateful to be getting back into a routine of making house calls. Some of these visits are scheduled, while others are more along the lines of “knock and see who's home.” Some of them involve Communion, while others are just time spent in conversation.

This past Monday I spent most of the day in the car as I drove to Mercersburg, over to Chambersburg, and then through Waynesboro visiting some of our parishioners hither and yon. It was a long day. It was hot. I was pretty much exhausted by the time I returned to Hagerstown and closed out the day with Evening Prayer.

Exhausted, though, is not wearied. They can be synonymous, but in this context there is a difference. My exhaustion came from a full day's work of traveling to be with parishioners, of spending time with them and sharing conversation, and of being on the road. In that exhaustion I found energy.

Weariness, however, comes from constantly being run down, fatigued, frazzled, and worn out by things which seem beyond our control. One of the Collects in Compline reads, “Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness.”

In this particular phase of COVID, what wearies you? More importantly, what good thing can you do that gives you energy even while exhausting you? And then, as a way to combat weariness, maybe we could find energy in doing that thing that exhausts every now and then.

Blessings,

June 8, 2022

 Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.

The Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer begin with an opening sentence of Scripture, and each Office has its own set of sentences which can be read at different times.

Out of all of the opening sentences, this one is my favorite. If I were to give a reason, I think it's because this sentence sums up all we know about God.

Seek him – Scripture is full of places where we are instructed to actively seek God. We are often in pursuit, or looking for something, whether it be fame, fortune, or prestige. Over and over, from the prophets to the psalms and wisdom literature to the gospels we are encouraged to seek out the Lord. We seek the Lord in prayer, in worship, and in action.

Who made the Pleiades and Orion – We are reminded that God is the maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, both seen and unseen. This is a reminder that, in the beginning when God created, the Pleiades and Orion were part of that creation.

And turns deep darkness into the morning – And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was. God is love and and light, and all that is deep darkness will be turned to morning light, for in him there is no darkness at all.

And darkens the day into night – God made two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. In God's creative powers we have been given both day and night for work and rest.

Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth – Water is necessary for life. We were created in water. Water sustains us. We are baptized in water. Water is life-giving and the image of God pouring out water upon the surface of the earth is an image of a God of abundance.

The Lord is his name – On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, I sit in the quiet of the church and prepare for Evening Prayer. During certain times of the year I can open the south transept door and the cool of the evening breeze enters in. Other times of the year I am able to watch the fading sunlight dance across the walls and altar as it streams through the stained glass windows. But all the time I am reminded that I sit in the presence of the Holy God, and I am reminded that he is the Lord and I am not.

In all we do may we seek him who is the author of creation, who provides our daily sustenance and rest, and who is overly abundant in his creative presence.

Blessings,

June 1, 2022

O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hears the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This is the Collect for Heroic Service which is found on page 839 of the BCP and is used most often on Memorial Day. It's a very good Collect and, as I read it last Sunday, the second sentence stood out to me more than any other year I can remember.

Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom . . .

For all of the talk about this country being “the land of the free,” we can objectively see that it is not. We think that slavery has ended, but many girls and women get taken and sold into sexual slavery. There are many instances where people are not free to pursue careers or dreams because of systems designed to keep people of certain genders or races out. Or, if they get in, are faced with systemic abuse and roadblocks. People of color are still not free to drive or live in certain areas without the fear of being pulled over or questioned about their presence. I could go on, but you get the picture.

and gladly accept its disciplines.

Discipline can be a negative term, as in: I was disciplined for stealing. But discipline can also be used as a positive term. Discipline has the same root as disciple, so the first few people who followed Jesus were under his discipline. People who pursue a rule of life, Benedictines for instance, follow a book of discipline. Christians in general are supposed to have a life discipline (you could argue that ours is the Baptismal Covenant).

After the most recent slaughter of the innocents in the Buffalo grocery store and the elementary school in Uvalde, I again saw a reluctance to live under any sort of discipline. Unfettered freedom seems to be the rallying cry of certain people. Why is it that people want freedoms without disciplines (or responsibilities)? Why is it that people want freedoms for me, but not for thee?

In short, wouldn't we be better off in the long run if we worked to uphold the benefits of true freedom for all people within this country while also accepting its disciplines of living in community?

We have true freedom in Christ (“you will know the truth and the truth will make you free”); but we also live under his discipline (“take up your cross and follow me”).

There's a balance we need to find. It just may be that it's that balance that we are continually searching for.

Blessings,