Over the past nine days, the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church has been taking place in Austin, TX. Held every three years, General Convention is the national legislative body of our denomination. The Constitutions of both the United States and the Episcopal Church were written around the same time and so you may not be surprised to learn that the governing structures have some similarities....
Today, June 15, we mark the feast day of Evelyn Underhill, a writer, spiritual director, and retreat leader who helped Anglicans recover the gifts of an intentional spiritual life. She was born in 1875, grew up in London, and in her early adulthood struggled over whether to convert to Roman Catholicism. In 1921 she decided to commit to her Anglican roots, while also being what she called a “Catholic Christian.”...
This week we are in the ten days between the Feast of the Ascension and the Feast of Pentecost, which we will celebrate on Sunday, May 20. The Ascension, of course, marks the resurrected Jesus’ withdrawal from this world and his reunification with God and all of creation. And on Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. As I preached this past Sunday, Jesus’ ascension opens up a space among us, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to work creatively in that space. It’s easy for us to let that space get cluttered up with all kinds of junk and distractions -- all of which hinders our ability to see clearly and find ways to do God’s loving work in the world. Just as a good round of spring cleaning in our homes and offices can inspire us to begin new projects and help us find the spaciousness to think more productively, at this time of year we might consider doing a little spiritual spring cleaning as well!...
I’ve been reminded lately, by events in the world and events in the personal lives of those around me, that just because we are in Eastertide doesn’t mean that everyone is happily enjoying new growth and life! After the solemnness and introspection of Lent, and the drama and trauma of Holy Week, we were primed to get right into the celebration of resurrection at Easter. And yet, for some of us, the celebration comes harder some years than others. And sometimes during Eastertide we have an anti-climactic feeling, or it seems that the promised new life is slow in coming or might have passed us by entirely....
Bp Mary Glasspool, Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of New York, recently wrote a meditation about the Lenten Practice of Stations of the Cross. As you may know, the devotion developed out of the practice of early Christians who wanted to literally walk in the footsteps of Jesus as he journeyed in his last hours to the cross.....
I don’t know about you, but over the past year or more I’ve really become a bit of a political news addict. I’ve counseled others who are suffering from this condition to limit their news from their phones and computers and TVs and newspapers and magazines -- and yet on I continue, unabated in my quest to know more, understand more. Unfortunately, it also tends to lead me to be outraged more! And so I’m already thinking that part of my spiritual discipline for Lent will have to be some curtailment of my news habit. And because it is often easier to do something positive rather than stop yourself from doing something negative, I will pay closer attention to my prayer life in the meantime. One of the best antidotes I know for feelings of frustration and despair and outrage and fear is prayer practice that is centered on the love and compassion that God has for us beloved children....
Merry Christmas! How many times have you heard that greeting since December 26? My bet is not very often. I recently read an article about how the idea that there was a “war on Christmas” got started in conservative evangelical Christian circles. As I read, I was reminded that those who exhort us to “say Merry Christmas again” don’t appear to be very interested in the theological meaning and liturgical timing of Christmas! Instead they are much more focused on the trappings, on consumerism and materialism (presents, lights, decorations, prominent Christmas-only displays), and starting as early in the year as possible -- way before Advent, way before Halloween, in fact....
This week the church commemorated All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2, and now properly called All Faithful Departed) – we at Holy Apostles will transfer the commemorations to this coming Sunday, November 5. On All Saints’ Day, we remember all saints, known and unknown. But in practice, there was an increasing desire to make a distinction between the better known, exemplary saints (or Saints with a capital “S”), and those small “s” saints who are mostly unknown (such as friends and family). Hence, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, provision was made to also remember All Faithful Departed on the day following All Saints’ Day. (Many churches combine the days, and transfer them to the nearest Sunday.)...
It is hard to write this meditation this week -- lately the tragedies have been piling up, and there are many weighing on my mind. I fear that we are all feeling a bit of fatigue, and it is hard to process each new event. The continuing crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria especially shouldn’t be forgotten or pushed aside -- even if you have already donated earlier this month or this year, please consider giving again to Episcopal Relief and Development.... It is the mass shooting in Las Vegas, though, that is the most challenging for me to wrap my mind around right now, and to figure out how to respond. We can, and should, always be praying. We can pray for those who have died, for those who are suffering, for the first responders, for those who will continue to respond to the needs after the initial crisis has passed. We can also bear witness to what has happened. Holy Apostles joined many other churches across the country on Tuesday and tolled our solemn bell at noon to remember the victims of this tragedy.
It is a time of endings (of the summer season, of vacation-mode, of leaves already beginning to show signs of turning vibrant color before falling to the ground) but also a time of beginnings (of the Autumn season, of new projects at work and home, of the bountiful time of the fall harvest). What I seem to be most aware of today is the golden quality of the sunlight at this time of year – warming the days after cool nights, softly filtering through the canopy of the trees, helping to ripen the fall fruits...
