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,