May 28, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Feast of the Ascension

Tomorrow marks 40 days after Easter and is celebrated in the Church as the Feast of the Ascension.  There is only one place in scripture where this event is told in this way – 40 days after Easter – and that is in Acts 1:1-11.  It’s in this section of Acts where we are told Jesus appeared to his disciples over the course of 40 days before ascending to heaven.

One of my favorite images from scripture comes from Acts 1:9-11a:

            When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  While he was going and they were gazing up to toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.  They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you sand looking up toward heaven?"

I have this image of the disciples standing around, looking up to the sky, and saying, “Well, NOW what??”

But then these two angels show up and ask why they are standing there looking up.  Only then does it all sink in, spurring the disciples to action.  From that moment on the disciples devoted themselves to prayer, to proclaiming the gospel, and to living their lives not simply as followers of Christ but as leaders.  This is what Jesus was preparing them for and this is the role they take on.

I wonder how similar we are to the disciples at this point.  We come to church and lift our eyes heavenward as we worship and pray, but do we ever stand here looking up to heaven and wonder, “Now what?”

The Feast of the Ascension makes clear that we have work to do.  It’s not our job to stand here looking up to heaven.  It’s our job to get to work praying and proclaiming the good news of the gospel. 

It’s never too late to start working for the gospel, but if you wait for a couple of angels to show up on your doorstep, you just might miss the opportunity.

Blessings,

May 21, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon

The frequency illusion, or the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, is a cognitive bias event in which a person notices a specific concept, word, or phrase more frequently after becoming recently aware of it.  For instance, if you have just discovered that a baguet is a long, narrow loaf of French bread, you might suddenly begin seeing these in bakeries where you’ve never noticed them before.

This recently happened to me when I was scrolling through some science videos and came across the idea of the Infinite Hotel Paradox, also known as Hilbert’s Hotel.  It’s a mathematical thought experiment demonstrating infinite sets.  In short, you have a hotel with an infinite number of rooms where every room is occupied, and yet it can still accommodate an infinite number of additional guests, which can then be infinitely repeated.

Shortly after watching that video I started reading a book called The Life Impossible, in which the main character references the mathematician David Hilbert who originally presented this paradox in 1925.

Then this week I was casually perusing Basic Writings of Saint Augustine, as one does, and Chapter III of The Confessions was along these same lines.  Augustine writes, “Everywhere God wholly fills all things, but neither heaven nor earth can contain him.”  This chapter is mostly questions about the nature of God, such as:  If God fills all things, is there any part of God left over?  If God contains all things, are there any things that contain God?  If God is entirely everywhere and in everything, is there anything that can contain God entirely?

It can make your head hurt.  But that’s sort of the point – that the vastness of God cannot be explained or comprehended by mere mortals.  This is one reason I like being an Episcopalian, because there is room for mystery that doesn’t have to be explained and controlled.

So now that you know about Hilbert’s Infinite Hotel accepting an infinite number of guests, and Saint Augustine’s musings about God containing all things while also being contained in all things, I hope you experience your own Baader-Meinhof event in which you begin to notice and struggle with all things being filled entirely with God even though all things cannot contain God altogether.

Blessings,

May 14, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Worse than Holy Week?

I learned a long time ago that if you start planning and organizing for Holy Week a month in advance, you’ll have all the hard work completed the week before Holy Week.  This means that all of the bulletins and supplies for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil, and the Easter Day services are ready to go by the time you actually get to Holy Week.  Being prepared for these events is also necessary for the health and sanity of clergy, office staff, and altar guild members.

This week feels as if Holy Week has arrived again, but without all of the advanced preparation.  Monica and I have been working on bulletins and service details for four funerals – two this Friday and Saturday, one in early June, and one in mid-July.  JoAnn Pearson has also been involved as she is organizing the various receptions associated with those funerals.  Added to all of this is the preparation for the Vestry meeting next week, working on details for the Spring Spree, preparing the usual Sunday bulletins, a Meals for the Soul cooking day, and Monica trying to accomplish all this before she leaves on vacation soon, and, well . . . it feels worse than Holy Week.

As Wednesday Words go, this isn’t as much of a spiritual reflection/meditation as it is a place to yell into the void. 

Sometimes, though, you just need that.  Sometimes you just need a good primal yell that serves no other purpose than to act as the safety relief valve on a pressure cooker.

So this is me, just your average small-town priest going, “AAAACCCCKKK.” 

I need to thank JoAnn for all her work, Monica for everything she does, and everyone else who pitches in and helps make this place go in all kinds of circumstances.

Yes . . . I’m fine.  We’re fine.  We’re all fine.

Blessings,

May 7, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . On Death

Monday I received notice that Pitchy Gammon had died.  Yesterday I was informed that Dick Naill had died.  This is shaping up to be a difficult week for Saint Luke’s.

I have been to my share of funerals – most have been services I officiated and fewer have been services I’ve simply attended.  Those services have ranged from very good to very bad.  It has been the bad ones that have remained in my memory as cautionary tales of how not to conduct a funeral.  Because of that I have always worked to balance the needs and desires of families with the rubrics of the BCP.

There are two places I find to be extremely helpful.  The first comes from the opening paragraph on page 491:  Whoever has faith in me shall have life, even though he die.  The second comes from the Note about burial services on page 507:  The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy [and it] is characterized by joy.  This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian.

We grieve at the death of our family and friends, but we are also comforted in the knowledge that we are the Lord’s possession.  It is times like these that our faith and hope in the resurrection offers us both strength and a place surrounded by love.

When it comes to death and dying, there are two things we can do.  The first is to know that we all die and we should make as many advanced plans as possible so that those left behind are not overwhelmed by all that needs to be done.  The second is to be present for those left behind to grieve with them, support them, and remind them that they are not alone.

I will, of course, let you all know when funeral details have been decided.  In the meantime, surround these two families with love and prayers so that they may not be overwhelmed, but have confidence and strength to face the days to come.

The Lord bless them and keep them, the Lord make his face to shine upon them and be gracious to them, the Lord lift up his countenance upon them and give them peace.  Amen.