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,

September 10, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Theological Habits

What is a habit?  A habit is a way of doing something regularly and consistently.  It might be the route you take home or what you eat for lunch.  I remember the first time Joelene and I returned to Sheridan, MT, for a visit.  We were going to stay at a friends’ house, but when I got into town I automatically drove to our old house.  Habits.

“Habit” comes from the Latin habitus which means a condition or character.  What we do as a habit, then, is really from the development of our character.  Do we have a habit of cheating at card games?  Do we have a habit of helping people in need?  These are character issues formed by our habits.

A theological habit, then, helps shape your character.  It would mean that you habitually viewed the world through the lens of God.  It would mean that, like Mary, you would see yourself as overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and be the bearer of the Word of God to others.  It would mean that you were open to seeing the mysteries of God all around you.

That theological habit, however, must be practiced day in and day out.  Habits are difficult to form and easy to lose.  Habits don’t just appear out of the blue – they must be worked on, practiced, and developed.  Theological habits don’t form because you attended a church service one day.  They must be formed and developed through daily prayer, through meditating on God’s holy Word, through regular worship attendance, and through a willingness to see God at work in you and the world around you.

We live with the mysteries of faith on a regular basis.  These mysteries aren’t here to be solved but to be lived into.  May you develop a theological habit of encountering God on a regular basis.

Blessings,

September 3, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Liturgy

I was thinking about liturgy yesterday as I attended the graveside service for Dave Hackert.  He was an Army vet, so there was the liturgy of the honor guard, rifles, flag folding, and presentation of the flag to his daughter.  There was the liturgy of the service which incorporated scripture, remembrances, and the obligatory, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”  All this got me thinking about our liturgy.

I love the liturgy of our church.  As a lifelong Episcopalian, the liturgy is a part of who I am.  As a priest, I try to ensure that everything we do is done in a respectful manner, is done in a way that makes sense, and is done with a sense of drawing us in and closer to the mystery of the holy presence of God. 

There are some people who view our liturgy in a negative light because, “You do the same thing over and over again . . . AND . . . you have everything printed in a book.  That doesn’t leave any room for the Spirit of God to work.”

I disagree.

The words of our liturgy infuse our very being.  We don’t have to search for words because we have been saying and praying these words and prayers for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.  When we come to church ecstatic over something in our lives, the liturgy grounds us.  When we come to church overwhelmed by life events, the liturgy wraps around us, comforts us, and calms us.  The liturgy helps ensure that clergy don’t play to people’s emotions but remain focused on the task at hand – offering a worship service that is dignified, steady, and one which becomes a part of our spiritual DNA.  And when I visit people in the hospital or at the end of their life, the words of the Prayer Book and the service they know by heart brings comfort in a difficult time.  The Spirit of God works through all of this to offer guidance and strength.

Liturgies are all around us and in places you might not think of being liturgical at all.  But for me, the liturgy of this church helps define who I am.  I hope you see it in much the same way.

Blessings,