You and I crave being known and understood. We all long for and treasure someone we can trust, someone who will not recoil when they see and come to know us – warts and all. Being known is as essential as bread and water. It nourishes the soul. Without it, we wither. Like the age-old riddle, “Does a tree falling in the forest make a sound if no one hears it?” – do we truly exist if no one knows us? If no one hears our cry, sees our pain, or celebrates our victories? Years ago, I sat in an open forum and listened to a very “well known” man confess, “No one really knows me.” This person was a legend in the business community, known by everyone – or so it seemed. But his work and place in the community left him feeling isolated. He said he was known only by what people thought him to be, not who he truly was. Here’s the life-giving truth of the gospel: God knows you. “You have searched me, O God, and you know me” (Psalm 139:1). Every hidden part, every unspoken fear, every moment of doubt and failure – God knows it all, and doesn’t flinch. God doesn’t turn away. In fact, God draws closer. God’s love is not based on our performance, our success, or even our faithfulness. It is relentless, unearned, and infinite. God is the ultimate safe presence. In God’s care, we find the courage to face ourselves because we know we are held in perfect love. Grace whispers to us: You are known. You are loved. You are enough. So, may we become like Christ to one another. May we be the kind of people who create spaces where others can breathe, let their guard down, and know they are safe. May we embody the characteristics of safe people – offering both grace and truth, listening without judgment, and loving without condition. And in doing so, may we remind the world that the God who knows us fully and loves us endlessly is as close as our next breath.
And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ – Matthew 25:40 Many of you attended – either onsite or online – this past Sunday’s Faith Forum. It was part of the November series presented by the Outreach & Mission team focusing on our congregational priorities of Faith, Connection, and Wellbeing for All. This month we have chosen to accentuate the FOR ALL part of that. On November 3, we had an interactive conversation examining what connection and wellbeing look like in our own lives. Then, we widened our view to think about what they might look like in the worlds of some of our neighbors who differ from us in age, wealth, ability, race, education, native language, or whatever. Things that we take for granted – heat, groceries, transportation, visitors, etc. – suddenly became more consciously integral to what it means to be well, to be cared for, to be connected. Perhaps our conversation also helped us to see that providing those things for others out of our abundance is integral to our own connection, wellbeing, and yes, our faith, as per Matthew 25:40. This past Sunday, November 10, Laura Konitzer and I hosted a panel discussion on a wholistic approach, with representatives from four more of our partners. We talked about the intersectionality of the issues affecting not just Charlotte, but also our whole country. It is impossible to try to fix the affordable housing crisis without also addressing public education, transportation, affordable childcare, a living wage, food insecurity, good healthcare for all, etc. They are inextricably linked. The phrase “wrap-around services” describes the collaboration efforts of many non-profits in our city to address multiple issues concurrently. For example, Charlotte Family Housing works with Common Wealth to help families increase their financial literacy. Rama Road Elementary partners with Families Forward to provide mentors for students’ families who are stretched thin. Nourish Up and the Diaper Bank work together so that families can obtain the things they need more efficiently. This coming Sunday, November 17, Doug Ey will talk with Erskine Bowles, Nelson Schwab, and others from the Housing Impact Fund on a strategy to preserve naturally-occurring affordable housing. Through the Transforming Hearts campaign, we’ve been able to fund a community health worker to help families find the help they need. On Sunday, November 24, we’ll discuss how faith, connection, and wellbeing have all been nurtured in Beloved Community with our friends from Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church. Recently, I attended a breakfast gathering with Right Moves for Youth from which I had a couple of takeaways. Dr. Virginia Covill of “Leading on Opportunity” talked about the importance of longitudinal relationships in changing the long-term trajectories of people’s lives. Christ Church has room to grow in this area, to develop and maintain relationships for significant periods of time with people who differ from us. The “return on investment” is always amazing. Tutoring, Girl Scouts, Common Wealth, Families Forward, and Right Moves for Youth provide just some of those opportunities. My second takeaway came from Frank Bragg, founder of Bragg Financial. He discussed the difference between addressing the symptoms versus the causes of disparity and inequity. Addressing the symptoms (A) is giving someone a box of food for this week. Addressing the causes (B) is to advocate on behalf of and change policy and practices until there is no one who goes hungry. The more we do (B), the less need there will be for (A) and the world will be just a little more like the Kingdom of God. In the words of Frederick Buechner*, “Our happiness is all mixed up with each other’s happiness and our peace with each other’s peace. Our own happiness, our own peace, can never be complete until we find some way of sharing it with people who, the way things are now, have no happiness and know no peace. Jesus calls us to show this truth forth, live this truth forth. Be the light of the world, he says. Where there are dark places, be the light especially there… Be life-givers to others. That is what Jesus tells the disciples to be. That is what Jesus tells his Church, tells us, to be and do. Love each other. Heal the sick, he says. Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Cast out demons. That is what loving each other means. If the Church is doing things like that, then it is being what Jesus told it to be. If it is not doing things like that – no matter how many other good and useful things it may be doing instead – then it is not being what Jesus told it to be. It is as simple as that.” + _____ *From The Clown in the Belfry, Frederick Buechner, p. 154-155.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year. As a child, I loved dressing up and going door to door for candy. (Who doesn’t?) We lived on a street with sidewalks and kind older people who were glad to remark on my Star Wars costume or the time that my brother dressed up as Maverick from Top Gun. For years, I held onto the plastic hook that was part of my pirate costume. We moved to Charlotte about the time our kids no longer needed us to go trick or treating. This means that every year, my wife and I get to sit on our porch and welcome the ghosts and the Swifties and the characters from the Marvel Universe. We hand out Fun Dip because nobody’s parents will ever let them have Fun Dip. We chat with neighbors we rarely see. And the kids love us because, did I mention that we hand out Fun Dip? You can read the Wikipedia page or a scholarly article about the origins of Halloween as easily as I can. I only want to emphasize that the haunted houses and the creepy decorations and even the masks that we wear all help us to face our fears. On All Saint’s Day, we honor the saints who’ve come before us, and that also means acknowledging the sometimes scary reality of death. Whatever we’re afraid of – a new job, a new town, a new school, the end of a relationship, or the first Christmas without a loved one – can feel a little bit like dying. “I’ll just die if I don’t have any friends at my new school.” “I can’t imagine going on without her at the Christmas dinner.” Whatever our fear or our loss, these feelings of dread are real. And that burden is lighter when it is shared. In handing out sweet treats (like Fun Dip), our wild costumes, and our neighborhood rituals, we are sharing that burden of our fears. We are facing our fear of death together. In our costumes, we can become the scary thing, or we can play the part of the impervious superhero who is never afraid of the scary thing. We put on a costume hoping to become something that remains just beyond our reach. We hand out candy and we delight in each other’s costumes and decorations as a way to share the burden of our fear. Church is the place where you can face those fears without a mask, without dressing up as anything other than yourself: a beloved child of God. We may revel in our annual Trunk or Treat celebration, but that’s only once a year! Every week, the church invites you to be known: not for your costume, but for the unique gifts that God has given to only you. We want to help you discover those gifts, share those gifts, and celebrate those gifts. We want to walk alongside you in your fear and in your loss. And, we want to have fun together! God is in your whole life. It feels like everything in church begins with, “The Lord be with you.” And he is. God is with you. Not just the perfect you (whenever you figure that out). Not just the holy you (in those moments when you get it right). Not just the happy you and not just the mindful, best version of you. The Lord be with YOU. All of you. Unmasked. No special costume required.
Dear Church Family, As we approach the upcoming election, we know that many are feeling a mix of emotions – hope, anxiety, and uncertainty. In this moment, we want to remind you that our church is a home for all. Our unity is found in Christ and we are called to love one another. We encourage you to spend time in prayer – pray for our leaders, our nation, and for each other. Pray that we may all work together for the common good. Our mission remains the same: to love God, care for each other, and serve the world in the name of Christ. Psalm 46 reminds us that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." In the midst of uncertainty, we stand firm on this foundation of God's love, knowing that we are held by a power far greater than anything this world can offer. As we move through this season, let us be a church that models grace, love, and hope to the world around us. Together, let us continue to trust in God's presence and in the peace that surpasses all understanding. In Christ's love and service, The Clergy of Christ Church _______ Nurture Your Wellbeing at Election Time On Election Day and the day after (November 5 and 6), the Chapel, the Church, and the Contemplation Room will be open for silent prayer and meditation. There will be a Wednesday (November 6) Noon Holy Eucharist and Prayers for Healing in the Chapel. Also on Wednesday, November 6, we invite you to come and break bread with your friends at the https://christchurchcharlotte.org/events/wednesday-dinner-buffet/ (5:30 - 7 pm in the Blue Room) and feed your spirit at https://christchurchcharlotte.org/events/the-well/, a contemplative worship experience in the Church.
In John 5, Jesus asks a man at the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to be made well?” It’s a simple question, yet profound. Wellbeing looks different for each of us, because we all have unique needs and desires. Where in your life do you need hope and healing? As we approach the https://christchurchcharlotte.org/wellbeing/, we reflect on the many ways we each long to be made well, both individually and as a community. This center is more than a building; it’s a space dedicated to nurturing spiritual, emotional, relational, physical, and vocational/work wellbeing for all who come. We are thrilled to invite you to this exciting journey ahead: Friday, October 18 at 7:30 pm: An Evening of Bach & Haydn: Music in a Time of Anxiety, featuring the Christ Church Choir and the Queens University Chamber Orchestra, raising awareness for https://hopeway.org/, an organization committed to mental health. Saturday, October 19 at 6:30 pm: Contemplative Worship with The Reverend Becca Stevens, followed by a reception and open house for The Center for Wellbeing & Care. A time to reflect and connect, grounded in the peace we seek. Sunday, October 20: Blessing Prayers for The Center for Wellbeing & Care at all worship services. Becca Stevens, our Faith Forum guest, will invite us into a deeper conversation on what it means to live well in body, mind, and spirit. This weekend is more than a celebration of a new space. It’s an invitation to embrace wellness – wholeness – in every part of our lives. The journey ahead is full of possibilities for transformation as we continue to support our mission of wellbeing for all. Together, united in love, let’s embark on this adventure of transforming hearts and changing lives. May we always seek to be made well and to bring wellness to others.
You are not alone. We’ve never been more connected – at least that is what we are told. In a moment I can send glowing words on a screen – pixels, data, 1s and 0s – to almost anyone, almost anywhere. You are no doubt reading this right now on a screen as you wait for coffee or nurse your child or wait to hear back from the doctor. In any given moment, I can see regular updates from college classmates and read the 3 am thoughts of celebrities on social media. I can ‘like’ your dinner, your grandkids, your vacation, your reflection on the world’s news as soon as you post them on your account. On the surface, we have never been more connected. And yet, this digital connection only carries us so far. There is still this longing in our fleshly heart to be near the beating heart of another. There is still that primal need buried deep in our bones to be seen and loved by another. We still wake up in a sweat, convinced that we are the only ones on this planet of eight billion with our specific problems or worries or responsibilities. What rose up in you when you read the first sentence of this eDevotion? You are not alone. Did those words resonate? Did they land like the long hoped-for response to your heart’s cry? Do they seem too good to be true because your life experience seems like proof of the opposite? Regardless of your initial reaction, hear this truth: You are not alone. This is the root of our faith. This is the outrageous Good News of the Gospel. We are not alone – in our failures, in our despair, in our lack of faith. We are not alone when our resources run out or when those we love leave. The poet David Whyte writes, “You are not a troubled guest on this earth,/you are not an accident amidst other accidents.” What I know is that in this very moment as you read these words, God is with you. God is as close to you as your next breath. God has called you into being and is holding your cells together through the sheer power of His love for you. The God that was made man in Jesus Christ is not Jiminy Cricket who promises to make all our problems go away. No, God’s name is Presence – I Am, I will be with you, I am in your midst. You are not alone. The oldest trick of the devil is to try to get you to hide; to convince you that you are alone and that God has left you to fend for yourself. We are called to remember what Jesus – with his human heart that beat as he walked the shores of Galilee – spoke to his disciples. That same Jesus is alive in this moment and speaking to you now: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 “I will not leave you orphaned.” – John 14:18 “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20 You are not alone.
Living in Atlanta, I had the privilege of serving several different congregations. One that made a deeply lasting impact on my life was the Church of the Holy Comforter. Holy Comforter is a stunning parish: small, generous, diverse, compassionate, and deeply mission-focused. The congregation of Holy Comforter is very unique with many of its members living with cognitive and developmental delays. During my time there, The Reverend Mike Tanner was Rector and was a deep, faithful, and patient man. Mike’s skill and compassionate capacity to hold in tension the sacred tradition of worship in a room full of people who might yell, scream, or be shuffling about taught me much about how broad and how deep the grace of true worship can be when the whole congregation is welcomed and all gifts and distractions are experienced as holy. One of the most powerful and you-never-know-what might-happen parts of the service was the time of offering. As the piano played and plates were passed, it was not rare for them to return to the altar full of any sort of gifts. Coins? Yes. Dollar bills? Yes. A banana here or there? Yes. Vegetables? Yes. A stick or branch or flower? Yes. You see, the custom of the offering at Holy Comforter was that people provided not only monetarily for the community, but practically. The gifts brought forward at the offertory were used in the food pantry or handed out to the community as was needed at any given time. Most gave as they could. Some took what they needed. But God always provided, through and through. Whenever we enter newly into our Annual Stewardship season at Christ Church, I am always mindful of Holy Comforter. As Laura, Gav, Geneva, and I talk about our family’s pledge to Christ Church, Laura and I explain to our children that our gifts are about far more than simply the money we put in the plate (or give online). They are also about the way in which we choose to give our gifts of time through volunteering or leadership. Or our gifts of talent to the community of Christ Church for the use of God and for the good of the whole. As parents, this conversation is less about the final dollar amount and far more about the practice of faith-filled generosity we hope to inspire in our kids. As you consider what your annual pledge will be this year, I wonder what other gifts you might choose to “put in the plate“ as you make your monetary gift to God? I wonder what fruit might come from an offering of your unique gifts of time through volunteering and service in worship, or in the community in the aftermath of Helene? I wonder what blessing might be received by someone in a small group or Bible study, simply by your wisdom being in the room because showing up is priority? Make no mistake about it, your financial gifts matter. But each person has so much to offer beyond their monetary pledge. Your presence may just matter more. As you walk your personal or family faith journey with generosity this season, I hope you may discover – like I did all those years ago – that the gifts we can offer to God and to others are diverse and deeply meaningful to both the giver and to those who benefit from their generosity. I pray that you may find space this year to give the gift of God in you, for that is the greatest gift of all. Amen.
One of the places that I almost always experience God is in Creation. Which is why I love to hike or walk, work out in my yard, or just be outside. There is something about the beauty, the harmony, the complexity, the paradoxes, the appeal to all the senses, and the proximity as well as the variety of flora and fauna that fascinates me. It draws out the praise and wonder in me. I have been mowing grass and tending yards since I was about eleven. In addition to babysitting and pet/house/plant sitting, it was how I earned money back in the day. It started one Saturday when a neighbor, Mr. Hill, came looking for my older brother to mow his yard. My dad was mowing and I was trimming the edges with the clippers (in the days before string trimmers) and raking up miscellaneous cuttings. My brother wasn’t around, but my dad looked over at me and told Mr. Hill that he would teach me to mow and send me over. Which is what happened. I soon had a thriving business with many of the neighbors. It paid better than babysitting, but it was also a lot more work. I had been trained to my dad’s standards for what a tidy, well-manicured lawn might be, and that meant everything trimmed, raked, and swept with not a stray leaf in sight. Fast forward several decades. I still find a tidy yard attractive, but I am also learning to appreciate letting nature take its course. Not out of laziness, because I actually still really love mowing. It’s very Zen to me: there is instant gratification. But in the last several years, I have learned about the “Leave the Leaves” campaign. It’s an effort to encourage people not to vacuum up every leaf or twig or whatever that falls into their yard and to just leave the leaves. Why? Because an enormous number of insects, invertebrates, birds, and small mammals use that detritus for foraging, nesting, or drinking the rainwater caught in the leaves. It also keeps all the leaf litter out of landfills in places where there is no composting. I started thinking about this as a metaphor for our spiritual journeys. It would be nice to think that life and our relationship with God was neat, trim, tidy, and always on an upward, straight-ahead linear progression. But, at least for me, that is not the case. Life happens, questions arise, storms come along, there are other beings with whom I inhabit this earth. There are so many things – really almost everything – that are not under my control. (And for that we can probably all be thankful!) Life, like the seasons, is cyclical and I believe that our spiritual journeys are as well. Not like a circle, but like a slinky or a spring. We come back around to things that are familiar, but we are not quite the same as we were when we encountered them before. Life has happened. So, what if some of the depth and beauty and joy of our spiritual journey comes out of the loose ends, the seemingly unconnected detritus of life that accumulates like leaves in the fall? What if God is deep at work, like all the little microorganisms in the stuff on the ground, repurposing it, redeeming it, turning it into rich compost to help us grow and flourish? Let’s leave the leaves. Both in our lawns and in our lives.
My family has moved several times in the last few years, which has often made the start of the school year a challenge. Each year, my children have had to figure out new friends, new carpools, new hallways, new teachers, and new teams. This is a lot of adjustment, and it hasn’t been easy. In my first months at Christ Church, a kind soul asked after my kids. I shared a few details, and she replied, "You are only as happy as your least happy child." I hadn’t heard this before, and I haven’t forgotten it. That phrase struck a chord, not just because of its truth in parenting, but because of how it speaks to a larger reality of life in community. This conversation came back to me after Sunday’s https://christchurchcharlotte.org/faith-forum/ where the Christ Church clergy shared stories from our spiritual journeys, speaking about the influences on our faith in our early lives and sharing reflections on times when our wells of faith seemed to run dry. As we talked about those dry seasons, it became clear that the connections we had – whether with God, community, or loved ones – were often what sustained us. Just like my children adjusting to a new environment, we’ve all experienced times when we felt lost or disconnected, only to be drawn back by the love and support of others. Our wellbeing connects to those around us. Our wells run dry when we see others around us suffer. We share in each other's pain and joy, just as much as we share in our own. Paul writes in Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." Our hearts expand and contract with the joys and sorrows of the people around us. While this might seem like a lot to bear – to be only as happy as your least happiest child, or spouse, or neighbor, or friend – it is also the route to wellness. Writer and activist bell hooks once said, "Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation." The peace of Christ flows when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to open up and let others help carry what we can’t carry on our own. That’s where real healing happens – in the messy, imperfect connections we build with others. Wellbeing comes when we allow ourselves to be held in community. Together, we reflect the wholeness of God’s love – a love that heals, comforts, and nurtures. The burdens are lighter, the joy is sweeter, and the love is stronger when we walk with others, participating in God's vision of abundant life for all.
I love sandwiches. There’s something about sandwiches that just brings people together. Maybe it’s the simplicity of a meal that can be both humble and extraordinary, or perhaps it’s the way that a good sandwich can feel like a comforting embrace in the middle of a busy day. As a sandwich fan, I’ve come to appreciate the deeper meaning behind this beloved food and how it connects us in ways we might not always recognize. In town, I have my favorite sandwich spot, a place where the staff knows my order before I even walk in the door. There’s a sense of belonging that comes with being a regular, where not only do they remember how I like my sandwich, but they also notice when I haven’t been by in a while. These small gestures of recognition and care are more than just good customer service – they’re a reminder of the power of community. Paul writes in Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” In the breaking of bread, even in the form of a sandwich, we practice hospitality, we build community, and we experience the love that binds us all together. A sandwich is more than you think. So is whatever you love. When we come together to connect and care for one another it becomes a sacrament – a symbol of grace and connection.
Our daily life is made up of habits. We all have habits that govern our waking hours, days, and weeks. From minor (“I always listen to the same music on the way to work”) to the major (“I always take a vacation with my grandchildren in the summer”), our time is marked by rhythms and patterns – many of them unconscious. James Clear wrote a bestselling book, Atomic Habits, that points out the incredible effect of tiny habits on your overall wellbeing. He writes, “It is only when looking back two, five, or perhaps ten years later that the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent.” As the treadmill of daily life speeds up this fall, I want to offer a bold claim: Making a habit of regular church participation will transform your life. If you make it a priority just to start your week on Sunday at Christ Church, your life will change. If you decide that you (and your family or your circle of friends) are going to jump in with both feet by joining a group for the program year, I promise that you will be amazed before you are halfway through. We see so many negative headlines about increased loneliness, exploding anxiety, especially in our young people, heightened division, and a general lack of hope about the future. We may not have a magic pill that solves these problems, but we do have church. Church is one of the last places we gather intergenerationally to focus on a shared good. Church is one of the only places where your political opinions are not a prerequisite for membership. Church is the last place we gather to sing, to mourn, to celebrate, and to live out our daily lives in community with each other and with God. In other words, church is how God created us to exist. As you start filling in the calendar for this fall, I invite you to make Christ Church a cornerstone habit. Make Sunday the starting point of your week. At the very least, worship can help combat the “Sunday scaries.” Even more, becoming deeply involved in your spiritual home will draw you deeper into the heart of God and give you the space to rest in your belovedness as a child of God. But don’t take my word for it. Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” This is going to be an amazing year at Christ Church. We have a spot just for you. We can’t wait to see you this Sunday at Fall Parish Day.
Over the course of my life, I’ve prayed countless prayers. “Help. Thanks. Yes! Wow! How long?” and “Why?” are just a few. I have prayed these prayers in the silence of my heart, while weeping at the bedside of friends and family, and in public places all over the globe. Looking back, I can say that often undergirding these prayers is a deep, abiding sense that no outcome is fixed, that God is as engaged in real time with what’s happening as I am, and that often all I have is the hope that what God has said is true; namely, that no matter what I face, I will never walk alone. If you’re anything like me, maybe you too have come to realize that where our feet are planted is often the hardest place to pray. Our minds often get stuck somewhere between the experiences we’ve had and the things we most hope for. But to pray in the now, to be here, to open ourselves all over again to the possibility of divine intervention – that is the holy stuff of faith – tested, proved, and ever being worked out in real time. This dance of hope, real life, and prayer is one of the reasons why I’m a Christian. Without an incarnational and God-can-be-God kind of faith, my spiritual practices and ego would get trapped, rushing forward to thinking the outcomes of my prayers depend on me. But my baptismal priesthood and my vocational priesthood call me to let my prayers be shaped not only by life itself but by life in very specific times and places with faith in a God who can fill them all over again. I wonder, if you pause and look around, or maybe close your eyes and just listen with your heart, what prayer are you yearning to speak today? What are the desires of your heart, or the lament of your soul, or the dreams yet unspoken? What might a prayer sound like that trusts you are not alone and that God can open a way? Try it. Y’all, we know that God is not a God of quick fixes or easy answers. AND, we can and should always pray for the miraculous. After all, if the Bible and the Church stand as witnesses to the presence of a Living God, what else do we really have, other than our faith, our community, and hope in a movement of God’s Spirit yet to be revealed? Amen.
At the most recent vestry meeting, parishioner and vestry member Laurie Howell offered this wonderful and thought-provoking devotion. I’m grateful for her reminder about how our weekly experience of worship calls us to wake up to the reality of God moving in the world and how sometimes re-imagining our beloved words of worship can help us to do just that! Enjoy. I have a confession to make. I often zone out during church. Yes, I do. I said it. I zone out during various points in the service, but I am almost guaranteed to zone out as we recite the Nicene Creed. I think it was during Christian Essentials when our group spent an evening pondering just how surprising it is that we so quickly profess that Jesus was born of a Virgin, was crucified, died, was buried, and then He rose again. We can all recite the rest of the creed. The question for me after saying it is: What do I DO with my faith in this Jesus who was born, crucified, died, and then rose again? What do I do out there in this world where there is so much pain, loss, death, destruction, division, war, violence, and suffering? Some of you may remember that Bishop Sam read from the Prayer Book of the Anglican Church of Brazil during his recent visit for confirmations. Here are the words from the Brazilian profession of faith: We believe in GOD We believe in the gifts of poor people In the audacity of the poets In the boldness of the prophets In the inspiration of the artists We believe in JESUS We believe in the humility to serve In the courage to change In the joy of celebration In the respect of differences In bread for every table In comfort for every sadness We believe in the SPIRIT We believe in the hope to begin again In the beauty of solidarity In justice for every oppression In compassion in the face of pain In love, the human divine gift. I don’t know about you, but I was really floored by these words. They are so meaningful to me; and instructive too. I can recite those words and wonder: Am I recognizing and looking for the gifts of poor people? Am I paying attention to the poets and their audacity? How do the prophets speak boldly to me? What artists in my life inspire me? Do I show humility when I serve? Do I have the courage to change? Do I believe that others can change? Do I show joy when I celebrate? How do I respect differences and encourage others to respect differences? Do I make sure there is bread at every table and appreciate the bread at my own? How do I honor and seek comfort for sadness? Do I look for the SPIRIT? Where is my hope in beginning again? With whom do I seek solidarity? How and when do I demand justice for oppression? When and how do I show compassion in the face of pain? And then there is LOVE. Do I remember daily that love is THE human-divine gift? I’ll be honest again and make another confession. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how much I would prefer for us to recite these words on Sundays. Don’t worry, I am not attempting a liturgical coup here. I am simply exploring for myself how to pay better attention in church. The truth is it is my own work to focus on the words that we DO HAVE in our beautiful book of Common Prayer. So, I am going to try and improve my concentration on Sundays, and I am ALSO going to find a way to incorporate the instructive, meaningful words from the Anglican Prayer Book of Brazil into my own daily life. After all, church isn’t just on Sunday.
“So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.” - Ephesians 4:25, NRSV “Let’s all stop lying and agree to speak the truth to each other. Because we belong to each other.” - God’s Words, My Voice (GWMV) This past Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians got my attention, and it resonated with others as well. The version from GWMV is what we read at the blended service in All Saints’ Hall. I like how direct and non-churchy it is. The focus of the passage (Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2) is about how we are to live into the future, but predicated on a sure foundation: God’s promises from the past. How we live today, tomorrow, and beyond is our response to the grace, mercy, and love that God has shown us time and again. Our baptismal vows remind us that we are “marked as Christ’s own forever,” and that we are called to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Every human being, not just the ones we choose to call friend or neighbor or family. Why? Because, as the GWMV puts it, we belong to each other. This passage got my attention because it feels to me that our culture has reached a point where people often feel free to say whatever we want, no matter the consequences. No matter whether we have verified the veracity of something we are passing along on social media. No matter what harm it might do to relationships. No matter if it takes attacking the character of our ‘opponent’ or bending the data to fit our needs. I think P.T. Barnum is credited with saying, “If you say it often enough and loud enough, people will start to believe you.” As Christians, we face a challenge and an opportunity to speak the truth because we belong to each other, we are members of one another. Socrates, who lived about 500 years before both Jesus Christ and the author of the Letter to the Ephesians, said that before we speak, we should ask ourselves three questions: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary/helpful? I think both Jesus and the writer of Ephesians would agree. We can still disagree with someone without castigating them to outer darkness. We can enter into conversation with a heart open to becoming less rigid in our perspective. We can truly listen without already considering how we’re going to respond while the other person is still speaking. Even when we don’t see eye to eye, we can still see heart to heart. This world, this country, this city need our witness as Christians that truth matters. John Inazu, the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University will be the Faith Forum guest on Sunday, October 6 at 10 am in All Saints’ Hall. He is the author of Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. Join us for a series of book discussions on Wednesdays August 28, September 25, and October 9 at 7 pm in St. Francis A. May we all be able to feel more connected while still maintaining the strength of our convictions and our faith. +
“I could do anything I wanted.” My 17-year-old Goddaughter was in the middle of telling me about a 48-hour solo outdoor adventure spent without a watch and with minimal provisions on a beach in the Bahamas. I’d asked her how the time felt and what she did with it. This was her reply: “It was so fun to be alone because I could do anything I wanted.” She went on, “I dug a huge hole, and I collected trash and then built a boat, which actually sailed.” A hole? A boat? This was not how I expected the story to go. Further, the more I think of it, the more I realize that she was wrong – she couldn’t do everything she wanted. For these two days, she actually had less capability to do things than at any point in the past many years of her life. With nothing but time in God’s creation, she played. Each Wednesday at noon in our Healing Service and Eucharist, we say A Prayer for Quiet Confidence. It offers focus to those of us who won’t find ourselves on a 48-hour solo adventure. It strengthens us to respond to modern life’s relentless march toward more and more. It reminds us that finding time to play turns out to be a grand source of creativity and a reminder of the expansiveness of God’s creation. Let us pray: O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, p. 832) In this changing season, may you embrace moments of creativity. May you remember that God grants us the freedom to enjoy God’s creation and find joy in the simple things. May you rest in confidence that these spacious times offer us glimpses into the Kingdom of God.
