Earlier this week I came across a story in the news that gave me pause. The story is below.

Pilots Run Out of Fuel, Pray, Land Safely Near Jesus Sign
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — It seemed like an almost literal answer to their prayers. When two New Zealand pilots ran out of fuel in a microlight airplane they offered prayers and were able to make an emergency landing in a field — coming to rest right next to a sign reading, "Jesus is Lord."

Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson, both from the town of Blenheim on the
country's South Island, were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound
when the engine spluttered, coughed and died."My friend and I are both Christians so our immediate reaction in a life-threatening situation was to ask for God's help," Stubbs told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

He said he prayed during the ill-fated flight Sunday that the tiny craft would
get over the top of a ridge and that they would find a landing site that was not
too steep — or in the nearby sea.Wilson said that the pair would have been in deep trouble if the fuel had run out five minutes earlier.

"If it had to run out, that was the place to be," he said. "There was an
instantaneous answer to prayer as we crossed the ridge and there was an airfield — I didn't know it existed till then."After Wilson glided the powerless craft to a
landing on the grassy strip, the pair noticed they were beside a 20-foot-tall
sign that read, "Jesus is Lord — The Bible."

"When we saw that, we started laughing," Stubbs said.Nearby residents provided
them with gas to fly the home-built plane back to base.

One of this things that struck me about this story was the discussion it stirred up on several news blogs. Several people were indignant that this was considered news. To many people this smacked of religious propganda. Several other people defended the newsworthiness of the
above story, but agreed that religious topics were only to be considered news and not
propoganda as long as the story was reported by an "objective" source. Then there was the occasional post by someone quoting scripture (the favorite text quoted was Matt 7:7). The people who thought the entire story was religious propganda were quick to attack anyone who used scripture or said they thought this story was a "miracle."

One of the most common thoughts on the discussion boards went along these lines, "God must have something special for those two since God saved them, but let countless other thousands die that same day." Most expressed that sentiment sarcastically, though there was the very occasional person who thought that literally. In a world filled with drought, earthquakes, cyclones, disease, and many other natural disasters, how do we view the claim by two pilots that God instantaneously answered their prayer for a safe landing? In my opinion, we take it at face value.

As people of faith, it should not seem strange to us that prayers are answered. As people of Christians, we expect God to answer our prayer and so we are actively look for their answer. The same is true with the two pilots in New Zealand, if they had not been actively looking for a place to land, they would have crashed. So it is when we pray for God to be in the midst of the suffereing of this world. Are we actively working towards helping those suffering from natural disasters or other aflictions? If we are, we are able to find God in the midst of the suffering with us. As the Gospel of Matthew says, "‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you."

-David Rose

Mass Appeal

This morning I had a lovely visit with Larry Conrad as we walked through church and he explained the customary liturgical practices as St Timothy's. Some that have great theological reasoning and some that have been done for so long - no one really remembers why! This is, of course, the same in every church. Every worshipping community has their own preference in doing things and even though in the Episcopal Church our worship is universal in terms of the Prayer Book, some churches are high and some are low and some are in between (by high I mean very liturgical, formal, etc. and low being the opposite). This morning's meeting with Larry reminded me of a recent article I read about the changes Pope Benedict XVI has made since his election to the pontificate. No one scrutinizes liturgical changes the way people analyze the pope. Here are some of the differences that might when you points at a trivia contest (from Zenit.org):

"1. The camauro appeared before Christmas, although this Pope does not seem to use the broad Roman hat which matches his red cloak. This made a splash in the news."

2. The Pope seems to use the state stole more than his predecessor."

3. At the meeting with the diplomats for the New Year the Pope used the velvet-and-fur mozzetta (I think this was for winter and seems to have disappeared since Paul VI)."

4. Prelates of honor seem to be resuming the mantelletum and all sorts of clergy are using the biretta, rather openly at papal functions. During the last pontificate these were invisible, although I understand permitted. I do not know what to make of all of this. Is a signal being sent? Is there a move to what my mother called "a touch of class"? Indeed, what are the usual rules for customary "choir dress" for diocesan clergy?”

There are several questions involved. But first a distinction must be made between liturgical vesture and the non-liturgical vesture that popes traditionally wear and those that form part of papal protocol due to his role as a head of state.

Among traditional papal garments are the camauro (a red, fur-lined cap), the broad red-and- gold trimmed hat, and the several formal stoles and mozzettas used when receiving civil dignitaries.

Their use often depends on papal taste. For example, Pope Blessed John XXIII revived the use of the camauro which his predecessors had largely abandoned. Pope John Paul II rarely used the more formal vestures, and since he was Pontiff for so long perhaps many came to believe that they had somehow been abolished.

This was not the case, however, and Pope Benedict XVI has simply opted to use some of the more formal attire that remains part of papal protocol. Thus he has used both the broad-brimmed hat and the camauro on some occasions. Apart from his personal taste, it must also be remembered that the Holy Father began his ministry when he had already turned 78 and probably needs more protection from heat and cold than the athletic John Paul II did when called to be Peter’s Successor at age 58.

Keeping warm was also a motivation for John XXIII’s use of the camauro. He was also elected as an elderly man.

The increase in some aspects of solemnity in papal liturgies is perhaps even more noteworthy. The Holy Father and his personally appointed master of liturgical celebrations have clearly opted to restore some elements that had fallen into disuse, in order to give more splendor to the rites. This can be seen in the style of albs, surplices and vestments used in the celebrations. In some cases this means using older vestments from the pontifical sacristy such as the magnificent golden miter used in the elevation of new cardinals. This miter, emblazoned with the figure of Our Lady of Guadalupe, had been a gift from Mexican Catholics to Blessed Pope Pius IX.

The violet cope used for this year’s Palm Sunday procession was a new and faithful replica of one that had belonged to the renaissance Medici Pope Leo X. The custom has also been revived of having two cardinal deacons, in miter and dalmatic, accompany the Pope in these processions to hold the cope.

The practice of placing the crucifix at the center of the altar in front of the celebrant is certainly a personal initiative of Benedict XVI.He had already made this suggestion as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in his book “The Spirit of the Liturgy.” For him this practice is a means of creating a “liturgical east” that helps the celebrant to concentrate on the essential meaning of the sacrifice of the Mass even when celebrating facing the people.

Finally, the vesture of cardinals, bishops, canons and other honorary prelates is still determined by the norms emanated by Paul VI in the 1969 instruction of the Secretariat of State “Ut Sive Sollicite,” substantially repeated in the Ceremonial of Bishops, Nos. 1199-1210.

Lord Hear Our Prayer

I remember the Canon to the Ordinary from the Diocese of Georgia saying that when his family would take long road trips, they would recite the Prayers of the People from the Prayer Book. This not only engaged a family in prayer but it also gave a family something to do while they traveled! What a wonderful idea. If you travel this summer, grab a Prayer Book with you. If you don't have one, call me at the church office and I'll make sure you get one. Until then, here's a sampling from the Prayers of the People:

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Defend them Day by Day

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, 823)



Pictures from the 10:30 service of our veterans.

















photo by Tony Hamby

Daddy Day

It’s funny how things work out. Yesterday, Fr. Steve asked if I would be willing to write the blog post for today. A thousand different ideas and topics to post have paraded through my mind since. Finally, this morning when the boys woke up, I knew exactly what I wanted to post.

As several of you know, on Friday I stay home with my boys and we have a “Daddy day.” Jonathan, Micah, Elijah and I are able to spend the day together doing all manner of things – playing outside, going to parks, arts and crafts, watching movies, reading books, “cooking” our meals, and building new tracks for their trains. Of course I spend time with Amy and the boys throughout the week, but spending Friday with my sons is something I look forward to, and I like to think that they look forward to it as well. Friday is a time that has been set apart specifically for me to spend time with the boys. On days like today, by spending time with Jonathan, Micah, and Elijah, I am able to observe them as they grow into their different personalities.

It struck me recently that God desires to spend a “Daddy day” with us. Spending a day in retreat with God, doing things that energize your spirit, spending time cultivating your creativity and other spiritual gifts, and allowing space for discovering new insights into all the many ways that you are made in God’s image is something that each of us should plan to do every so often. When was the last time, if ever, you spent a day like that? I am under no illusion that everyone can simply go on retreat whenever they feel they need to. However, setting aside a specific time to be alone with God is something that is not only biblical, but a common practice throughout all of church history.

I am curious to hear what your ideal spiritual retreat would be. How would you spend the day with your “Daddy?”
~ David Rose

Please pass the Advil

Yesterday morning I did something that I thought would be just a grand idea. Accepting a most generous invitation from a person whose name I shall not disclose to protect the guilty, I set the alarm early to join him in a most pleasant exercise experience. At first I thought 5:45am was not unreasonable. I could go and exercise and still have the rest of the morning to do all the things I needed to do. After all, is there a better to start the day than by embracing the morning sun? Well...I will not continue to embarrass myself with the sad details. Just let me say that at one point I was stretched out on a bleacher desperately trying not to be sick as concerned people walked by asking "Are you okay?" All kidding aside (even though every one of the above statements is accurate), the 5:45am program is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church here in Winston. They call it Boot Camp. I didn't know if I was in the Army, but I knew I was no longer in Kansas, Toto. It is a wonderful idea that for me address not only a need to lose weight and stay in shape - but it speaks to the heart (or fat) of stewardship.

For far too long we have looked at the word "stewardship" as meaning 'paying our dues' or 'giving our pledge.' Church giving has been viewed almost as a membership fee or alumni dues. And to be fair, many times churches and clergy have framed stewardship in that way. But stewardship is not fundraising. It is not the fee we must pay to call ourselves Episcopalians. Stewardship is taking care of what God has given us. We are blessed with financial resources, yes, even though gas will soon be over $4 a gallon, we are still the richest, most prosperous place on the planet. How do we take care of our financial resources? How do they glorify God?

Our planet is, as Eucharistic Prayer C says, our 'island home.' How are we taking care of the planet God has given us? How is our stewardship? And the same is true with our bodies. Taking care (and I'm speaking to myself) of our bodies is a part of our universal approach to stewardship. Not wasting, investing, giving back - glorifying God.

I remember reading a book on Eastern Orthodox theology in which author stated that the first priest in the Bible was Adam. God gave Adam and Eve the whole world (at least the Garden of Eden) and his task was to "till it and keep it." He was to take what was given and offer it back to God. That is what priests do. In the Episcopal Church, the priest takes the offerings from the people, specifically the bread and wine, and offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving back to God. In the Old Testament, the priests offered the burnt sacrifices back to God. In the fact that we are all a priesthood of believers, our daily task is to take what God has given us (and God has given us everything) and offer it back to him.

That's stewardship.

The Vatican and Little Green Men

I'm reminded of a line from Contact, a movie based on Carl Sagan's book of the same name, when a character was asked if they believed if extraterrestrial life - "If there's not - seems like an awful waste of space." I'd love to know your thoughts.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."

In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.

Read the whole article.

Virtually Speaking...

My apologies for the lack of entries the past couple of days. I spent much of the weekend unpacking the office and learning where Country Club and Knollwood and Silas Parkway all lead. Now that my 'boots are on the ground' I want to thank all the blog readers and comments thus far. It has certainly helped created a virtual community of sorts. We've had discussions and we've shared thoughts and ideas before we've even met. This is the great thing about technology and this new revolution of communications that we're experiencing. We can communicate and share from any place. We're wireless, our cell phones can book airline reservations, even our refrigerators can order more groceries (mine can't, but I've heard of such wonders!). Technology has allowed those in our community locally and the global community to keep in touch (hello South Korea!) and to learn about St Timothy's - our worship, our faith, and our programs. People can know so much about us before they even turn on Parkway.

But.....technology, no matter how wonderful, how impressive, how convenient, can never and will never take the place of real community. Technology can never improve or replace the mystery of worship, silence, the spoken word, or the chills created when hundreds of voices join together in heartfelt song. Technology can never and will never take the place of the church - the Body - the people, coming together to share, worship, and work.

In the next few weeks and months we will continue to improve and expand our place in this technological reality. Communication and information are vital and we will use the great resources available at our virtual fingertips. But we will never diminish what is truly important - real community.

Packed

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in particular _______________]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Travelers, Book of Common Prayer, page 831

Let us pray for those who travel today. I will be traveling Friday - with the boxes for the office!

459 Years Ago

This morning at the Convent of St Helena, we celebrated the First Book of Common Prayer (1549). I remember as a young teenager in the United Methodist Church seeing for the first time the book that only clergy had. It was leather bound and in its pages one could find all the services and ritual of the church. Some of the words were written in red, which added to the mystique of the book. I was fascinated. It seemed secretive as if this is where all the good stuff can be found. As a young lay person, I wanted to know what was in that book. I wanted to know the secrets of the church. Back to that in a second.

At a clergy conference once upon a time, the visiting speaker mentioned something from the Roman Catholic liturgical scholar, Robert Taft. Taft asks us to think of the Sistine Chapel, and more specifically, the image of God the Father reaching out to Adam (the celestial version of E.T.). The gap between God and humanity, as illustrated by Michaelangelo, vanishes in the liturgy. In the liturgy we come into the presence of God. It is mysterious. It is beautiful. It is real. From Morning Prayer to baptism to the Holy Eucharist, the liturgy - the words, the actions, the ritual - bring us into communion with God. I not so sure it's the words or actions themselves that bring about this communion, rather it is what happens when we join ourselves to those words and ritual actions.

What is so wonderful about the First Book of Common Prayer is that those words and ritual actions that for so long were kept in books only for clergy and were viewed with superstitious reverence, were made available to everyone. Everyone could see what the priest said. Everyone could read what happens at baptism and ordination. There are no secrets in the Kingdom of God. The curtain has been torn and access has been given to all. The Book of Common Prayer has given that heritage to Christianity. It helped make prayer for all Christians across all traditions - common.

ERD in Myanmar

from the ERD website:

With estimates of as many as 100,000 people dead in Myanmar, and fears of disease and food shortages on the way, Cyclone Nargis has created a major humanitarian crisis.

Episcopal Relief and Development is responding to this disaster with our Anglican and ecumenical partners. Please find below more information about our response, how you can help, and resources available for churches.

What is Episcopal Relief and Development doing to help?
We are working with Anglican and ecumenical partners to meet the immediate needs of victims by providing food, water and shelter. We have provided monetary support to our partners to obtain and distribute the necessary resources they need to assist victims.

We are reaching people in three affected areas: a suburban area of Yangon (Rangoon) and two areas in the Irrawaddy Division (East Delta and West Delta regions).

What has been accomplished so far?
Because our partners live and work in the affected communities, they were able to respond immediately to the disaster. One partner has already sent three assessment teams to assist and determine needs in the hard hit areas. They have established a relief committee to review the assessments and response required.

Episcopal Relief and Development’s assistance thus far has been to provide financial support to help our partners purchase critical goods and supplies. We know that financial support is crucial at this point so that our partners can secure and distribute emergency assistance.

We are confident that our church partners are reaching people in the affected areas, and will effectively distribute resources to those who need it most.

Has Episcopal Relief and Development been in communication with anyone in Myanmar?
As a result of the damage to infrastructure from the cyclone, it is difficult to count on normal communications at present. At this point, we are in limited communication with our church partner. However, we know from recent correspondence that our outreach work is profoundly appreciated. We will have more specific information about the situation in the hardest hit regions of the country later next week when our partner’s assessment teams return.

Will Episcopal Relief and Development staff be going to Myanmar soon?
We plan to send staff to Myanmar in the next few weeks. During this trip, staff will assist our partner in designing a long-term recovery plan based on the needs evident from the assessment. We also will provide ongoing support for those affected while the long-term recovery plan is being developed.

How long has Episcopal Relief and Development been working in Myanmar?
We have been working in Myanmar since 2006. Our programs have helped people achieve economic stability through education, vocational training, and micro-finance initiatives. We have also provided tools and training to improve the food supply and access to clean water.

What kind of accountability system do you have?
Since we have an established relationship with our local church partner in Myanmar, we have mechanisms for planning, reporting and accounting.

Will Episcopal Relief and Development be involved in long-term recovery and rehabilitation in Myanmar?
One of the most important features of our disaster relief work is the commitment to long-term recovery. After the first three to six months of a disaster, Episcopal Relief and Development stays in-country when most organizations leave. It generally takes five to eight years for a community to recover from a disaster on the scale of Cyclone Nargis.

We always follow the lead of our local partners in planning response and recovery activities in order to respect unique local context of the country in which we are working.

How can I help?
You can help victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

• Give online at http://www.er-d.org/
  
• Call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129 (Monday- Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EDT)
  
• Mail gifts to: Episcopal Relief and Development “Myanmar and Cyclone Response Fund” P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.

Please be sure to designate all gifts to Episcopal Relief and Development’s “Myanmar and Cyclone Response Fund”

If you would like to make a donation outside of our normal business hours of 9:00am – 5:00pm EDT (Monday – Friday), please visit our website: http://www.er-d.org/ and designate your donation toward the Myanmar and Cyclone Response Fund. You also can mail contributions to our address listed above.

Do you have any resources my church can use to let people know how to help?
Episcopal Relief and Development has a downloadable bulletin insert available for churches to copy and place in their Sunday service leaflets. Please ask your clergy to consider using this on May 11 or May 18.

Come Holy Spirit

Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost - the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and their ministry began. Quite amazing isn't it? A rag-tag bunch of men and women that were not necessarily special; some bureaucrats, fisherman, and some had occupations to insignificant they weren't even mentioned! But yet they were given the charge to spread the revolutionary message of Christ Risen. Pentecost is always a powerful feast for me. It does remind the Church that even though we may not be necessarily special; some bureaucrats, fisherman, and other occupations - we are given the charge to spread the revolutionary message of Christ Risen! Of course we can't do it - not on our own efforts. We pray for the Holy Spirit. Here's a prayer I use every Sunday morning before I leave the sacristy. It's an ancient prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,and lighten with celestial fire.Thou the anointing Spirit art,who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.Thy blessed unction from aboveis comfort, life, and fire of love.Enable with perpetual lightthe dullness of our blinded sight.Anoint and cheer our soiled facewith the abundance of thy grace.Keep far from foes, give peace at home:where thou art guide, no ill can come.Teach us to know the Father, Son,and thee, of both, to be but One,that through the ages all along,this may be our endless song:Praise to thy eternal merit,Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

From this Morning's Scripture readings

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Matthew 8

Some Great Episcopal/Anglican Websites

Here's a sampling of sites I visit regularly....

The Episcopal Church - National Church
The Diocese of North Carolina - Our Diocese
Anglicans Online - a great website with all things Anglican
TitusOneNine - a 'conservative' blog by Canon Kendall Harmon
Fr. Jake Stops the World - a 'liberal' blog by Father Jake
Ship of Fools - a great Anglican/Christian humor site (check out the Mystery Worshiper page)
Online Episcopal Dictionary of the Church - a great condensed version of a must have volume
The Living Church - a weekly magazine with news online
James Kiefer's Hagiographies - learn about the saints in our sanctoral calendar
The Bible Online - I like this one because I can search the NRSV
BeliefNet - a nice site with religious news

Forgiveness, Part II

A couple of years ago I was working at a diocesan summer youth camp where we were spending the week exploring the sacraments. When the day came to talk about the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), we opened the chapel that afternoon for those desiring to make a confession. Making a confession is a wonderful experience, but I will not lie - the first time it is nerve wracking. You are nervous. You aren't sure what to say and how to say it. You worry the person in the stole will be judgmental or will tell or will treat you different later in the day after knowing your deep dark secrets (we won't!!). I didn't expect many (or really any) to take us up on our offer to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. But one youth did. Nervous and unsure the person came and I shared how the rite "works." We began. The person shared sins that are common to all of us - although I would bet that person was convinced they were the only one to commit those particular transgressions. I pronounced God's forgiveness, smiled and took off my stole. "That's it?" the person asked. "That's it," I said. I saw a smile.

Sometimes I do think it is hard for us to accept the fact that God, in spite of our sins and our constant return to those sins, forgives us. I think it's sometimes hard for us to accept this because human beings have a difficult time forgiving each other. If we have a hard time forgiving others and others have a hard time forgiving us, then we never really know true forgiveness!

The Rembrandt painting from the last post was of the return of the prodigal son. Jesus' parable is a beautiful window into God's love and God's lavish (and in the eye's of the older brother - rash) forgiveness. Not one of us is innocent. We have all rebelled and we continue to rebel. We fall and we get up. We fall again and we get up again. The sins we've committed that we are sure are unique to us are common to all people. And despite of all of this - because of all of this - God's love never lets us go.

How wonderful would it be for the people of God to model God's forgiveness? How wonderful would it be for God's people to be agents of reconciliation? How wonderful it will be for the lonely and wandering to come to know that God does love us all - all of us. There's nothing we can do to earn it. There's nothing we can do to deserve it.

God loves us. That's it? That's it.

Fr. Steve+

Forgiveness, Part I

One of the many great things about blogs is that it does provide the opportunity for conversation and exploration and growth in terms of ideas and perceptions. Yesterday's post received a wonderful comment addressing a very real concern - how can we feel God's forgiveness? At every Eucharist the priest absolves the congregation saying "Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep you in eternal life. Amen." But sometimes we still feel guilty. We all know people who avoid the church because they do not think they are worthy to step in the door. Being forgiven also means forgiving ourselves. But how do we do that?

What are your thoughts? How do you wrestle with this reality? Post your comments and tomorrow I'll post my thoughts in Part II.

Fr. Steve+

Trivia question - this is a famous painting my Rembrandt. Do you know the subject?

I Love You Anyway

My daughter (3 1/2-year-old) recently informed me in a fit of frustration that I was not her father. I hated to inform her that DNA tests aside, we cannot deny each other. If there was ever a father and daughter that looked alike - we're it. Biting my lip to keep from laughing I told her that I loved her anyway. She was not too pleased.

Aren't we like 3-year-olds? Shaking our fists to the sky in fits of frustration and despair internally (or externally) screaming you are not my God! You do not exist! Of course, spiritual DNA tests aside, we cannot deny each other. If there was a child created in the image of a parent - we're it. And the good news is - God loves us. God loves us anyway.

Fr Steve+

Changed, not Ended

For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens.

The above sentence is from the proper preface in the Eucharist for the commemoration of the dead. Life is changed, not ended. Yesterday I had the honor of sitting with a friend as he was changed, not ended when his mortal body lay in death. Life is a mystery and it is fleeting. Eugene Peterson in his paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, gives us this from the Book of Ecclesiastes: "Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it." We've all had the experience of saying goodbye to those we love. And we always say goodbye too soon. We've all had loved ones die suddenly and sometimes tragically. We've all known those who are by anyone's account, too young to die.

But sitting with my friend yesterday as he was changed illumined a great truth. It is an act of God when we come into this world. A birth is a majestic, wonderful miracle. There is hope and there is happiness and there is so much in store for this new life. And when we die, when we are changed, despite the tears and bodily absence - there is hope and there is happiness and there is so much in store for this new life.

Celebrate today and give thanks. Let us enjoy our relationships and the love that binds us together. Let us remember that life here is but a short while, but life when we are changed - is forever.

Fr Steve+

PS: Ellen won the imaginary prize! Pentecost is 50 days after Easter.

Ascension Day

Today is Ascension Day, the 40th day after Easter, in which we celebrate Christ's ascension to heaven. We many times forget this part of Christ's saving acts. We remember his death and resurrection but skip over his ascension and promised return. You can read the story of Christ's ascension in the Book of Acts by going here. You can also read about the Feast of the Ascension by going here.

And from the Prayer Book:
Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St Timothy's Blog Quiz: What feast is celebrated 50 days after Easter?