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Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 5/12/09

Yesterday a member asked a very good question: "Why didn't we celebrate Mother's Day in church?"  The question was not asked in an accusatory way, rather one of curiosity.  With her permission, I said I would answer in today's morning email.

I remember growing up our tradition on Mother's Day was to wear a rose to church.  Many of you know this tradition, a red rose signifies your mother is still living and a white rose means your mother is deceased.  I always enjoyed that tradition and still do. 

Mothers are incredibly special people.  They deserve more than one day of celebration and thanksgiving!  Mother's Day is not, however, on the Church Calendar.  Mother's Day was made an official US holiday in 1914.  It was started by Anna Jarvis in 1912 to honor mothers and their great sacrifice and labor in raising all of us up.  There is a Christian version of this in England.  The 4th Sunday of Lent is known as Mothering Sunday.  It started as a commemoration of "Mother Church" and the Virgin Mary.  Like good old fashioned "homecomings" in the South, worshipers in England would return to their home church for worship.  Over time Mother Church also included mama, and boys and girls off at school were allowed to go home for the weekend (to see mama!).  But even this Church celebration did not start out honoring our biological mamas. 

So why not make the Second Sunday in May a Sunday for Mothers?  We can, but here is another view.  Traditionally the Eucharist has been in two classes - a conventual Eucharist and a votive Eucharist.  The conventual Eucharist is your Sunday morning Eucharist.  It is for all of the people.  The votive Eucharist is for specific intentions or celebrations.  A funeral Eucharist is technically a votive Eucharist because the Eucharist is for the departed.

The Sunday service, the conventual Eucharist for everyone, should be just that.  The Gospel proclamation should always be, as we say, catholic (universal).  I have served churches were the tradition was to honor the oldest mother, youngest mother, etc.  While I think these are fun traditions, I also noticed ladies looking sorrowful because they did not or could not have children.

So while we can wear our roses and take our moms to lunch and pray for them on this and every Sunday, a better celebration of Mothers in the Church would be to have a votive Eucharist, another celebration for the specific purpose of giving thanks and praying for mothers, and to keep the Sunday service rooted in the proclamation of the readings of the day.  The same is true for Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, Veteran's Day, and so forth.  These individuals are worthy of our celebration and prayers.

By the way, if you are completely bored and would like to read a history of the votive Eucharist in the Anglican tradition, here's a paper I wrote for the degree of Doctor of Ministry I'm working on.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
336.765.0294 - office
336.602.0370 - cell

Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 5/11/09

From Ambrose of Milan, a morning hymn:

NOW that the daylight fills the sky,
We lift our hearts to God on high,
That He, in all we do and say,
Would keep us free from harm to-day :

Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife :
From anger's din would hide our life :
From all ill sights would turn our eyes :
Would close our ears from vanities :

Would keep our inmost conscience pure :
Our souls from folly would secure :
Would bid us check the pride of sense
With due and holy abstinence.

So we, when this new day is gone,
And night in turn is drawing on,
With conscience by the world unstained,
Shall praise His Name for victory gained.

All praise to God the Father be ;
All praise, Eternal Son, to Thee ;
All praise for ever, as is meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
336.765.0294 - office
336.602.0370 - cell

Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 5/7/09

If you pay attention to our worship bulletin and newsletter you will frequently see the words WORSHIP, LEARN, CONNECT, and SERVE.  These four highlight our goal to live as four dimensional Christians.  Each week we strive to worship God, learn about our faith, connect with others, and serve Christ in each person.

Continuing with this 4-D worldview, we're adding another "T" to the time-honored triad (say that five times fast) of stewardship: time, talent, and treasure.  Now we are also including Temple.

Stewardship, as we've said many times, is not about money.  At least it is not just about money.  It's about living as stewards to all the things that God has given us.  God has given us time, our talent, our resources ($$), and God has given us the earth and our bodies.  This is where the Temple comes in (as in, 'your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit' 1 Corinthians 6.19-20).

Look for initiatives in the future promoting environmental stewardship (as in all of our worship bulletins are printed on 100% recycled paper) and bodily/health stewardship.  So, eat a salad and walk up the stairs!  Remember the gifts God has given us, and be thankful!   Time, Talent, Treasure, Temple.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
336.765.0294 - office
336.602.0370 - cell

Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 5/6/09

The other day I shared with you the lyrics to a Lyle Lovett song which basically lamented that no one likes him and people have not been liking each other since Cain invited Abel out for a walk.  Relationships are fascinating, really fascinating.

Tonight we are going to look at what may be a completely different way of viewing our relationships.  Instead of viewing conflict, emotional stress, etc. in a cause and effect sort of way - as in a billiard ball hitting another ball, we're going to look at it in terms of how our relationships are arranged - as in how when one pipe bursts in a home, the other pipes are forced to deal with the stress.

We're also going to look at what Jesus and Paul said about dealing with folks.  I'm really excited about this topic because it can lead to amazing transformations in how we live and interact with others.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
336.765.0294 - office
336.602.0370 - cell

Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 5/5/09

This past Sunday we were all enriched by the work and witness of our youth in worship.

In case you didn't hear or would like to hear it again, go here to listen to all three youth sermons.

Have a fantastic rainy day!

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
336.765.0294 - office
336.602.0370 - cell

Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 5/4/09

There's a Lyle Lovett song, They Don't Like Me, with a memorable chorus:

They don't like me
I can feel it
And I don't like them
It's the same old song
They don't like me
I just know it
But I'd be happy
Just to get along

Maybe Lyle read Psalm 41, the psalm for Morning Prayer this morning:

My enemies are saying wicked things about me: "When will he die, and his name perish?"
Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words;
their heart collects false rumors; they go outside and spread them.
All my enemies whisper together about me and devise evil against me.
Even my best friend, whom I trusted, who break bread with me, has lifted up his heel and turned against me.  (41:5-7, 9)

This is one of the jewels of the Bible - honesty.  How many times have we felt like the world and the people in it are out to get us?  Passive aggressiveness, rumors, gossip, etc., etc., etc.  It's there.  Truth be told, sometimes they don't like us, for good reason and bad.  It's the same old song. 

But there is a new verse to the same old song.
"In my integrity you hold me fast, and shall set be before your face for ever." 41:12

Do they not like you?  Hold to what is true.  Know thyself.  Rejoice.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from age to age.  Amen (41:13)

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
336.765.0294 - office
336.602.0370 - cell