November 5, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Death

Nobody gets out of here alive.

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking a lot about death.  Last weekend was the triduum of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Faithful Departed (or Day of the Dead).  On Saturday afternoon I attended a gathering sponsored by Hospice advertised as a “Death Café,” where people come to discuss death and dying.  Later that evening I got a call from Mary Fowlkes’ daughter-in-law saying she had taken a turn for the worse, and I’ve been to Amie Holt each day to check in on her and pray with her.  Sunday we commemorated All Saints’ and All Faithful Departed where I read the names of those who have died this past year at the beginning of the liturgy and which included the baptism of the perfectly adorable Astrid Grant.

Death is an unavoidable consequence of life.  Where there is life, there is death.  That has been the case from the beginning and will continue to be the case until the very end.  So, with the biblical exceptions of Enoch, who “walked with God, then he was no more because God took him,” and Elijah, who ascended to heaven in a whirlwind, everyone dies – even Jesus.

But death is not to be feared.  Even though we die, my faith tells me that my Redeemer lives and he will raise me up.  My faith tells me that Christ has destroyed the bonds of death and that we will live in the glory of the resurrection.  My faith tells me that even though all of us go down to the dust we will make our song, “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

Let us remember that we all die.  Let us remember that death is no more to be feared.  Let us do our best to prepare ourselves and our loved ones for that time.  Let us live in a way that emulates Christ.  And, at the last, let us live and die in the hope of the resurrection.

Blessings,

October 29, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Mystery

One of the things I like about the Episcopal church is that we’re okay living into and with mystery.  And when I say, “mystery,” I’m not talking about a Nancy Drew or Agatha Christie whodunit mystery to be solved.  When I talk about mystery in the church, I’m talking about “the deep dimension of life where meaning dwells.”[1]

The Trinity, the dual nature of Jesus, and the Resurrection are all mysteries of our faith.  Other mysteries include Holy Communion, the Incarnation, creation, salvation, forgiveness, and love.  I’m sure that we could come up with more mysteries if we thought about it.

Every Sunday we live into the mystery of the Eucharist.  Every Sunday we have a close encounter with God through Word and Sacrament, through music and liturgy, by being part of this community, and by being present for those who are absent.

This coming Sunday we will experience the mystery of All Saints’ as well as the mystery of baptism.  We will name those who have died this past year and remember those who have died in previous years.  We will remember that we are part of one communion and fellowship of the saints of God – those who have gone before, those who are with us now, and those who are yet to come.  We will join our voices with countless throngs of angels to offer unceasing praise. 

We will also baptize Astrid Grant into this branch of Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  We will pray that she is open to God’s grace and truth.  We will pray that she will be filled with the Spirit of God.  We will pray that she learns to love others as Christ did and that she becomes a witness to that love.  And she will be sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own for ever.

Our faith is full of mysteries not to be solved but to be lived.  May we continually seek and find those deep dimensions of life where meaning dwells.

Blessings,

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[1] Taken from Mysteries of the Faith, pg. 2, by Mark McIntosh which is as good of a definition of “mystery” as I’ve come across.

October 22, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Welcoming Liturgy

As Episcopalians, we believe that the Holy Eucharist is celebrated together as a community, and worship is not whole without the active contribution of every member of the congregation. – Dustin Seo, Cellist

I ran across this quote while reading an article by Mr. Seo entitled, “Worship as an Invitation to Belong.”  In that article he talks about church shopping, being a contract cellist for church music programs where he was seen as simply another vendor, to finally finding a church home.  He found a home in the Episcopal church through the liturgy and through the welcome and hospitality of parishioners. 

Mr. Seo reminds the reader that “liturgy” is a word derived from two Greek words, laos and ergos, and is roughly translated as “the people’s work,” or, “the work of the people.”  We are reminded that everyone has a role to play in the liturgy; none of us are bystanders, spectators, or an audience.  The priest and altar party obviously have the most visible roles, but the congregation also have roles to play – everything from lectors to ushers to ensuring responses are read and said in appropriate places with appropriate vigor.

Part of being a welcoming congregation is to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness with a sense of joy because our joyful worship is contagious and tells visitors that this is a good place to be.

The other part of being a welcoming congregation is to notice when visitors take that bold step to come to worship for the first time.  Our first contact with visitors should not be about swarming them with activities and asking them to lead Sunday school or sign up for coffee hour, but should be about offering a sincere welcome and a willingness to move out of your pew to help guide them through the liturgy.  Because, let’s face it, our liturgy can be complicated with the red book/blue book/stand up/sit down/kneel down/sit down movements.

I love our liturgy and find it is a time when most of us connect with God on a regular and personal basis.  But let us also remember that our liturgy can be a place of welcoming and community for those who are searching.

Blessings,

October 15, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Connections

Our keynote speaker and preacher at Diocesan Convention was the Rt. Rev. Michael Hunn, Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, an area consisting of all New Mexico and southwest Texas.  During his convention talks he told stories about an old Episcopal priest who rode the trains and walked throughout the diocese meeting people, collecting funds for mission work, and establishing churches. 

Bishop Hunn told us about his own shift in understanding episcopal ministry from one of administration to one of connectivity.  He now travels the diocese, camper in tow, visiting with various people of the parishes for several days while parked in the church parking lot.  He’s making connections with his people beyond the standard official visitation.

The day before convention I had heard that Nancy had taken a fall so I paid her a visit.  She told me about the accident, how she’s doing, and what she needed at that point.  I came back later that day with several meals from the church freezer.

While at convention I saw many people greet and spend time with friends they may only see once a year.  I talked with several clergy who I’m slowly getting to know.  Joelene made some connections about a topic she’s interested in.  And on our way home, we stopped to visit Allison in Casper.  We had a nice visit and, even though she’s settling into her new home and making connections there, she misses her people in Buffalo.

We are a people of many things, but we should always remember we are a people of connections.  There is a connection in God through the Holy Trinity.  Jesus sent out the apostles connected in pairs.  He told them to stay in one place, making connections with those who lived there.  Our parish is connected to every other parish in the diocese.  The people of Saint Luke’s are connected to each other in a variety of ways, not the least of which is our baptismal promise to “continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship.”

May we always remember our connections and work to ensure that no one is left alone.

Blessings,

October 8, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . There Are No Coincidences

A friend of mine often uses that phrase when a coincidence, usually good, pops up.  Maybe it’s a phone call from an old friend at a particular time, or maybe it’s an unexpected flower delivery, or whatever.  There are times when we need something in our lives and what we need just happens to appear.  My friend will tell you there are no coincidences and that God is doing something remarkable.

This past week was Bar Week – that time of the month when I spend the first weekdays in a different bar in town.  And because the first was on a Wednesday this month, Bar Week started at The Cowboy.  I’ve come to know a few of the regulars there and we generally have a good conversation.  One of them keeps telling me he’s going to invite me to the shooting range, but that hasn’t yet happened and that’s another story.

So last Wednesday I showed up at The Cowboy, sat down at the bar, ordered my usual, and had a conversation with one of the regulars.  I finished up, paid my bill, headed out, and just as I got to the door a guy sitting a few chairs to my left suddenly says, “Are you a pastor?”

Making a U-turn I said, “Yep.  I’m the priest at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church here.  What’s up?”  Then I sat down next to him.

It turns out that he was up here from Arizona overseeing a job for his company and would be going home on Friday.  He was silent for a minute, then told me that he had just found out a close friend of his died suddenly and very unexpectedly from a blood clot.

We talked.  I prayed.  He cried.  Then he said, “Thanks for stopping.”  Sometimes Bar Week is exactly what it needs to be.

There are no coincidences.

October 1, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Michaelmas

This past Monday was the feast day of Saint Michael and All Angels.  Angels play an important part of our Christian faith, even though we may not recognize that in today’s world.

Angels appear in several places in Scripture, but only four are ever named:  Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.  Michael is often depicted carrying a sword and is seen as the commanding general of God’s army.  Michael is considered the greatest of the angels as being the one who defeated Satan in the war in heaven.  This role of God’s warrior is attested to in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

We might be most familiar with Gabriel.  Often depicted with a trumpet, signifying the role of God’s herald, Gabriel announces the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus to Zechariah and Mary respectively.  Gabriel also appears to Daniel to explain his visions.  Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all reference Gabriel by name.

Raphael only appears by name in the Book of Tobit (found in the Apocrypha).  Raphael is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “to heal.”  This is shown in Tobit when Raphael heals Tobit’s eyes.  Because of this, Raphael is also seen as the angel who stirs the waters of the pool in Bethsaida allowing people who stepped in the pool to be healed. 

The fourth archangel is Uriel who appears in the Second Book of Esdras (also in the Apocrypha).  Uriel’s name means, “God is my flame.”  Religious traditions being what they are, Uriel is seen as the angel who guards the entrance to Eden, checked the doors for lamb’s blood during the last plague in Egypt, the one who holds the key to the pit during the end times, and symbolizes the divine presence.

We may not see angels all around us, but we do recognize their presence.  During Communion we say, “Holy, holy, holy Lord . . .” as we join our voices with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. 

May God’s holy angels help and defend us here on earth with the same dedication with which they serve and worship God in heaven.

Blessings,

September 17, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Confirmation

The most recent Confirmation class began this past Sunday.  We have six participants and I’m looking forward to exploring with them their questions about faith and life in general.

The program we are using is called Confirm Not Conform and is a new-to-me format.  In short it values questions over answers and encourages the participants to explore the faith rather than be receptors of what they must believe. 

One part of this program is that it pairs the prospective confirmand up with an adult “mentor.”  The adult is present at four of the sessions throughout the curriculum and gives the youth another resource to explore their faith without judgment and without feeling like they need to ask their priest “the right questions.” 

At our first session the kids and adults paired up with each other and had a series of questions to go over.  As I walked around the parish hall listening and checking in, it was nice to hear each pair move from a simple question and answer period to a time of conversation.  And it was nice to see this intergenerational group having a good time.  Several of the adults, who were at first uncertain about their participation, said they were glad they were asked to be part of this.

The course runs for fourteen sessions, and with Bp. Ousley making his visitation to Saint Luke’s on January 4, that means we will meet almost every Sunday between now and then.  The six kids in the class have made a commitment to attending all fourteen sessions.  Whether they choose to be Confirmed has yet to be determined, but they will have a good foundation from which to make that decision.

In the coming months, please keep this Confirmation class in your prayers as we explore and discuss our faith in the context of the Episcopal church.

Blessings,