May 12, 2021

Love and hate are traditionally cast as opposites. The bible suggests that the antithesis of love is, in fact, fear. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

Well, since most of us haven’t reached the perfection stage of love in our lives, there is still plenty of room for fear. That’s why the command to “fear not” is in the bible so many times. It’s been said that there are 365 references to fearing not in Scripture – one for each day of the year! Sweet idea, but not exactly true. Still, the invitation to trust rather than fear is all over the Old and New Testaments.

Of course, there is a Perfect Love. As far as I know, He is the only antidote to fear. He is the Driver-Outer. Every single day – including today!

“Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Proper 20 – BCP p. 234)

May 11, 2021

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

I raise an eyebrow when someone says “I have no regrets.” It seems to me that only a sociopath could have no regrets in this life.

Here’s Garrison Keillor, now 78, on regret and guilt. “I carry plenty of guilt around. I am not smug about guilt. I have to joke about it, for my own mental health, but I carry masses of regret…. I have a picture of my ancestors standing in front of their Minnesota farmhouse, which years later caught fire and burned down. My dad was eight years old and watched it burn from the schoolhouse across the road. He remembered his father raking through the ashes, looking for photographs, in grief, knowing the fire was his fault because he had postponed cleaning the chimney. That poor man is very much in my memory and I know how he feels.”

I take comfort in the assurance that God has removed our guilt from us through the cross of Christ. Indeed, He is our refuge.

“Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, grant you to be strengthened with might by his Holy Spirit, that, Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith, you may be filled with the fullness of God. Amen” (Holy Baptism – BCP p. 311)

May 10, 2021

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” (Psalm 98:1)

For some people, change is hard. Other people are always on the hunt to “turn and face the strange.” Who knows what changes are ahead as we emerge from this pandemic? Periods of stasis can comfort you or stupefy you. Either way, they just don’t last.

Sing to the Lord a new song! That’s what the psalmist says. Because he has done (in the past) marvelous things. God and His work remain the constant. So that frees us to do all kinds of new and interesting things in life! I mean, I love to listen to 70’s music on Spotify, but you can’t stay there forever. Newness beckons.

“O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (For Joy in God’s Creation – BCP p. 814)

May 7, 2021

Famed filmmaker Orson Welles’ first feature was Citizen Kane, now recognized as one of the greatest films in history. Welles was 25. After subsequent box office flops, he quipped, “I started at the top and worked my way down.”  (Karmic Fact of the Day: Orson’s favorite meal was two rare steaks and a pint of scotch. He died of a heart attack!)

Downward, rather than upward, mobility is the preferred arc of life in Christ. St. Paul says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12:14-16)

They say it’s lonely at the top. Why not enjoy lots of company at the bottom!

“Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep us, we pray, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with free hearts those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” (Proper 2 – BCP p. 228)

May 6, 2021

Let’s hear from poet Mary Oliver.

“I think this is
the prettiest world—so long as you don’t mind
a little dying, how could there be a day in your whole life
that doesn’t have its splash of happiness?”

That’s from The Kingfisher. A little dying is baked into the bread of life, at least according to Jesus. “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

All the little resurrections that by the grace and power of God follow little d deaths in our lives prepare us for the Big Show that awaits us behind the veil.  The symbiosis between death and resurrection is how this world works, and the next one too.

“O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Sixth Sunday of Easter – BCP p. 225)

May 5, 2021

“Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one." (Isaiah 44:8)

A mark of our finitude is our inability to juggle too many things at one time. Even the most able and most organized of us are defeated from time to time by the unwieldy demands that life places on our shoulders. Conversely, those who feel they are under engaged can slip into languishing. 

The 12 Step wisdom of living one day at a time is balm to the busy. And balm to the idle, who worry about the endless stretch of unfilled days ahead of them.  Either way, you are on solid theological ground living life a day at a time. It’s really one size fits all. God knows what is ahead; you do not. To assume you do is to usurp God’s place.  Do you really want THAT responsibility?!?!

Time to pray.

“This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.” (Prayers for us by a Sick Person – BCP p. 461)

May 4, 2021

 “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.  Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” (Genesis 5:21-24)

In this narrative from Genesis, we read that Enoch “walked faithfully with God.” What does it mean to walk faithfully with God? Given that all human beings are recidivistic sinners, it can’t mean that we are blameless before the Law of God. 

Perhaps to walk faithfully with God is to walk with integrity with yourself. That is to have an ongoing honest reckoning with yourself in light of God’s command to love Him and to love your neighbor. Perhaps it is to daily remember and rely on the blood of Christ shed for you.

“Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, ‘Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you:’ Regard not our sins, but the faith of your Church, and give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly City, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.” (Collect at the Prayers – BCP p. 395)

May 3, 2021

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Here’s some Monday morning happiness from Frederick Buechner’s Telling the Truth. 

“And finally the Gospel as comedy – the coming together of God in his unending greatness and glory and man in his unending littleness, prepared for the worst but rarely for the best, prepared for the possible but rarely for the impossible. The good news breaks into a world where the news has been bad for so long that nobody hears it except for a few. And who are the few who hear it? …. The ones who are willing to believe in miracles because they know that it will take a miracle to fill the empty place inside where grace and peace belong with grace and peace.”

Hope you have a week filled with impossible Gospel comedy!

“Almighty God whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Fifth Sunday of Easter – BCP p. 225)

April 30, 2021

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the tress of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)

Hide and Seek, anyone? It’s funny that the “winner “ of Hide and Seek is the one who stays hidden – isolated, alone, un-found. Just like Adam and Eve, the propensity of the sinner is to hide – hide from God, hide from others, and hide from ourselves. The need to hide our sin from ourselves is so great, that we quickly and self-righteously begin to believe all the cover-up lies we tell.

Thanks be to our Gracious God that we did not and can not win the Great Game of Hide and Seek. Our God seeks us out. Our God seeks us out, not in judgment, but in love. Some churches like to have what they call “Seeker Services.” Yet the true Seeker is Jesus Christ.

And – blimey! -  there is boundless joy in being found!

“O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Fourth Sunday of Easter – BCP)

April 29, 2021

“I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.” (Psalm 31:12)

Thinking today about how broken we all are – including Yours Truly. I wish I had a good synonym for “broken”, because the phrase is now hackneyed. But, if you can get past the familiarity of the term, it still conveys the essential meaning. Something that is broken doesn’t work like it is designed to work. Someone who is broken doesn’t act as he or she is designed to act. We reap the sorry consequences of our collective brokenness every day.

This is the great unifying insight of Christianity, which, ideally, leads to compassion for others. And the beginning of the great hope of Christianity! Great swaths of time and energy are spent in pretending we are not broken – either to others or to ourselves. Jesus invites you to see the playacting for what it is – silly and unhelpful. 

His healing only begins in the unvarnished recognition of your brokenness.

“O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (For Quiet Confidence – BCP p. 832)

April 28, 2021

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:1-5)

God creates. That’s what He did and that’s what He does. In the beginning God created the world from nothing. Where there was only darkness, He brought light. And the light was good.

What will God create in your life? Into what darkness will He bring His light? For God will do that, because that’s what God does. God creates. For the most astonishing instance of creatio ex nihilo, look no further than the resurrection of Jesus.

God creates – out of nothing. So be on the lookout today.

“O God, who didst wonderfully creat4, and yet more wonderfully restore, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Second Sunday after Christmas Day – BCP p. 162)

April 27, 2021

A recent New York times article on the social challenges of emerging from the pandemic commented that it might be okay not to be best friends with your son’s soccer teammate’s dad. Social circles have shrunk and that could be a good thing. In fact, one psychologist said that humans are only capable of having 4-6 truly deep relationships. And that number includes a family member or two.

The scripture says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1) I find there is a deep connection with other believers who share a love for our Savior. Even when you don’t get to Level 5 with others, there is still a well-being you experience when you are all together in worship.

Can’t wait to be back inside Christ Church! Hopefully, soon.

“O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (For the Unity of the Church – BCP p. 818)

April 26, 2021

Here’s a beauty from Robert Capon to start your week. “We are supposed to represent a Lord who came not to judge the world but to save it. Our business should be simply to keep everybody in the net of his kingdom until we reach the farther shore. Sorting is strictly his department, not ours.” 

How glorious it is to be relieved of the burden of judging others! St. Paul says, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. (Romans 14:13)

Such relieving news. Now you can just go about your business and let other people go about theirs. God is the only One who owns a Sorting Hat!

“O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Fourth Sunday of Easter – BCP)

April 23, 2021

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds.” (James 1:2)

Over a drink with two other dads, the conversation turned to children and disappointment. Not disappointment in our children, but our children experiencing their own disappointments. No parent likes to see his or her child suffer, or fail, or flounder. But the earlier a child is disabused of an entitled attitude, the better. The sooner a child learns that “life is not fair”, the better. 

Ultimately, the sooner a child realizes that God is our true source of strength throughout the ups and downs of life, the better. Parents can’t manufacture that kind of faith in God for their children, but they can pray!

“God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (For Young Persons – BCP p. 829)

April 22, 2021

It’s Earth Day. I love this earth and its beauty. I understand the bumper sticker that has a picture of the earth and the caption “I’m With Her.” But, Mother Earth is also fraught with peril. 

Earlier this week a West Yellowstone backcountry fishing guide was mauled and killed by a grizzly bear. The bear was guarding a moose carcass. When the game wardens came to investigate, the grizzly charged the wardens, who were forced to shoot and kill the bear. It’s not the bear’s fault. It’s not the guide’s fault. It’s not the wardens’ fault. It is just the way it is.

But not the way it will be. Isaiah prophesies about the restoration of all the earth and all that is therein. “In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.” (Isaiah 11:6)

Amen to that.

“We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of the earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.” (For the Beauty of the Earth – BCP p. 840)

April 21, 2021

Comfort food is called comfort food for good reason. Baked spaghetti with meat sauce from Joe’s Inn in Richmond might not be good for the body, but it sure feels good for the soul. You definitely leave the table feeling full rather than feeling empty.

Life can hollow you out. As Dave Matthew’s sings, “there’s an emptiness inside and she’d do anything to fill it in.” The gospel is meant to fill it in, fill you up. The “comfortable words” spoken after the absolution in the communion service are called comfortable words for good reason too. The gospel is comfort food for the soul.

Here’s a comfortable word for you today. “Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.” (Matthew 11:28)

“O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Proper 12 – BCP p. 231)

April 20, 2021

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)

Vagabonding through Europe on our 1986 honeymoon trip, Christie and I discovered that the trains in northern Europe were always on time, while the trains in southern Europe were always late. One of us likes to be punctual (to an obsessive fault) while the other of us enjoys dawdling and more often than not loses track of time. If you know us, it’s not hard to peg who is who.

One of Christie’s favorite sayings is an Irish adage: “When God made time, He made plenty of it.” I’m certain that there are no clocks in heaven, and in this particular case my wife is more sanctified than I. God’s timing is always His timing. His trains rarely arrive on schedule. But they always arrive exactly on time.

“Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of the days and nights, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Compline – BCP p. 133)

April 19, 2021

A friend reminded me that Dostoyevsky described many of his characters as both “sentimental and cruel”. That isn’t your typical pairing, is it? How can sentimentality be cruel?

I agree with my friend’s assessment that sentimentality is love without truth, and cruelty is truth without love. It’s the human condition before it recognizes that grace is truth and that truth leads inexorably to grace.

In Christ we have both grace and truth. St. John says this. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

“Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Noonday Prayer – BCP p. 107)

April 16, 2021

The minute you say, “Well, I’m trying not to get my hopes up”, the truth is that your hopes are already sky high! Our will is a weak disciplinarian of our emotion. Better to recognize that our lives are really lived in the realm of the heart, which is more times than not, obstreperous.

God addresses the real you. Not the you that is curated and tidied up. Therefore, the real you may also address God. The bible tells us so. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16)

So, here we go!

“Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (The Collect at the Prayers – BCP p. 394)

April 15, 2021

“Writing isn’t so hard once you realize there is only one story.” Yesterday we heard from Papa, today from Bill Faulkner. Again, the same is true for preaching. And believing.

The one story is the story of God’s relentless love overcoming all the tragedy, apathy, and counterattack of the world. It has been called The Greatest Story Ever Told. We still await the story’s denouement – the resolution and restitution of all things in Christ. But with Holy Week still close in our rearview mirror, we hold tight to the story’s apex played out on a Friday and a Sunday. 

Here’s a pithy jacket blurb: “Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with God.” (Romans 4:25)

“Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of us all.” (Eucharistic Prayer A – BCP p. 362)