This past Sunday, I shared with our community that I'll be out of commission for a while, beginning Wednesday, September 9th. Some of you know that in recent months I've lost the good use of my right hand. At first we thought I'd had a stroke, but further studies showed the problem is in my cervical spine - a serious narrowing, impinging the spinal cord. So, I'm going to have a cervical spinal fusion. This will be at Boulder Community Hospital, where for years I served as Director of Pastoral Care. My docs are all good friends and former colleagues, and I trust them implicitly. More still, I'm trusting God in this one. I don't like it, and confess to a few worries and scares, but at the end of the proverbial day, it's pretty much in God's hands, isn't it?
So I'll be away for the better part of a month or so, and will be pretty limited when I return. No setting up the tables, for a while. No lifting, no vacuuming the church every Sunday morning. We'll kind of need everyone to pitch in for a while. You'll all do that, won't you? I know you will.
And I'll need your prayers, really will, and for that, in advance, thank you, and I love you all.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Choosing
Choice. What a loaded term in our day. I wonder what it first conjures for you?
Our readings yesterday, August 23rd, framed the notion of choice in the most fundamental way: whether we choose God, or another way. In my homily, I tried to illustrate how our alternative choices sometimes (frequently??) tend to go: for self will; for selfish intentions; for indulgence of anger, or greed, or vengeance; for self-flattery; for casting fate to the winds. Some of our human illusions make it easy to confuse the real choices we are making every day with a "sort of, kind of, faithful way of living." We rationalize that a loving God would never judge us for enjoying a moment of (fill in the blank). We justify ourselves in all sorts of contorted ways, rather than squarely reckon with the fact that we have actually, pretty neatly, chosen a way that goes against our God. We've made new, little gods, which make us feel - what? Better?
Oh, for sure, we often choose the Way, the Gospel path that Christ walked and invited us to walk with him. We choose honesty. We choose reconciliation rather than continued strife; we choose compassion; we are moved to acts of kindness. We listen to one another, and try for patience and understanding. These are choices for God, clear and powerful and full of grace.
The meditation I hope we'll all gravitate to is about the simple realization that in the ways we live out our ordinary lives on every average day, we are really making very powerful choices. And these have lasting effects on our outlook, our dispositions, and our readiness to choose for - or against - God, the next time.
Food for thought.
Our readings yesterday, August 23rd, framed the notion of choice in the most fundamental way: whether we choose God, or another way. In my homily, I tried to illustrate how our alternative choices sometimes (frequently??) tend to go: for self will; for selfish intentions; for indulgence of anger, or greed, or vengeance; for self-flattery; for casting fate to the winds. Some of our human illusions make it easy to confuse the real choices we are making every day with a "sort of, kind of, faithful way of living." We rationalize that a loving God would never judge us for enjoying a moment of (fill in the blank). We justify ourselves in all sorts of contorted ways, rather than squarely reckon with the fact that we have actually, pretty neatly, chosen a way that goes against our God. We've made new, little gods, which make us feel - what? Better?
Oh, for sure, we often choose the Way, the Gospel path that Christ walked and invited us to walk with him. We choose honesty. We choose reconciliation rather than continued strife; we choose compassion; we are moved to acts of kindness. We listen to one another, and try for patience and understanding. These are choices for God, clear and powerful and full of grace.
The meditation I hope we'll all gravitate to is about the simple realization that in the ways we live out our ordinary lives on every average day, we are really making very powerful choices. And these have lasting effects on our outlook, our dispositions, and our readiness to choose for - or against - God, the next time.
Food for thought.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sunday's Homily - Bread of Life
Yesterday was the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the readings were on the “Bread of Life” theme which follows on the previous week’s story of the miraculous feeding of the multitude with a few loaves and fishes. In my homily, I was trying to make connections to a few related thoughts: First, that what seemed true of Jesus’ followers is probably often true of us – that we don’t “get it,” that is, we probably don’t grasp the fullness of the gift, or its meaning or potential for our everyday lives. It’s not merely bread to allay physical hunger. It’s a gift of himself - direct, immediate, absolutely present in our lives. In that sense, it's the original "soul food," containing everything we need for the spiritual journey. Does that resonate with you? Do you get it, you think, or is it tough to get your mind around it?
Another point I tried for is that this gift of his own self comes to us not only in communion – in the consecrated bread and wine. It is surely present there, but also in the Word of God we receive in the Scriptures, the homily, the prayers. And it is present in all of us gathered together, Christ present in us. Each of these aspects is as important and integral as the others. Make sense? What do you think of this?
And finally, I hoped to say to us all: If you’re struggling with faith, with belief, with knowing Christ, it’s ok. We all struggle. Remember, your involvement, your very presence at the table says you are hoping to respond to God, and to hear God’s voice some more. You're in the conversation! Please don’t be hard on yourself, or think you’re just not trying hard enough. “I’m not spiritual enough,” someone said. Nonsense – you’re fine, you’re one of us, you came from God and God is with you. Ask your questions, and become as willing as you can. Belief, and its deeper cousin, faith, will come to us all, each in different ways and at different times. But doubt and struggle are not signs of weakness or failure. What do you think of this idea?
Please, share your comments. And blessings for the day!
Another point I tried for is that this gift of his own self comes to us not only in communion – in the consecrated bread and wine. It is surely present there, but also in the Word of God we receive in the Scriptures, the homily, the prayers. And it is present in all of us gathered together, Christ present in us. Each of these aspects is as important and integral as the others. Make sense? What do you think of this?
And finally, I hoped to say to us all: If you’re struggling with faith, with belief, with knowing Christ, it’s ok. We all struggle. Remember, your involvement, your very presence at the table says you are hoping to respond to God, and to hear God’s voice some more. You're in the conversation! Please don’t be hard on yourself, or think you’re just not trying hard enough. “I’m not spiritual enough,” someone said. Nonsense – you’re fine, you’re one of us, you came from God and God is with you. Ask your questions, and become as willing as you can. Belief, and its deeper cousin, faith, will come to us all, each in different ways and at different times. But doubt and struggle are not signs of weakness or failure. What do you think of this idea?
Please, share your comments. And blessings for the day!
The Appreciation of Priests
Here is a posting from parishioner and choir stalwart and all-around good person Sharon Friedman:
Some of you know that I attend an Evening Prayer group composed of people in Clare Choir http://mscchoir.pergamentum.com/. I do that because it is a green pasture for liturgical musicians (asks little but gives much) who like chant, Latin and such like. If you like the internet radio station “choral treasures” you’ll probably like it.
This group had been meeting at Calvary Episcopal in Golden and moved to Spirit of Christ in Arvada for the future. Tonight was our first night there- meets at 6:15 Sundays.. all are welcome!
Anyway, I find that the Director of Clare Choir, Carma’s homilies are often a counterpoint or blend with the homily from Dave or Stan. Tonight our homily was about the “Year of the Priest” and the feastday of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, on August 4. Now I had not heard of "the year of the priest", since it’s probably an RC thang. She mentioned how we need to let priests know that we appreciate them and give them support, ask them how they are doing, etc. I guess they have two priests there for 2500 families and one of them is ill. My reflections were that in our situation at St. A’s we have 2 for 20-50 individuals. What a blessing!
But I wondered if the fact that they are not full time paid staff of the parish may place them in a situation where we don’t think they need our appreciation and support. I also wonder if perhaps they don’t need it more.. one has another job and one we’re barely paying. I know how blessed I am but I think , well, if I tell Dave it might go to his head.. or I’m too busy… or by the time I want to give feedback on a homily (positive and negative) it is too late, and I figure someone else is doing it. Wow. We have two fantastic priests who don’t get paid very much..I wonder if they know how much they mean to us. We do have a chance to tell them, especially this week. St. John’s feastday is August 4. I think I'll send them a note.
- Sharon Friedman
Thanks to Sharon. Comments, anyone?
Some of you know that I attend an Evening Prayer group composed of people in Clare Choir http://mscchoir.pergamentum.com/. I do that because it is a green pasture for liturgical musicians (asks little but gives much) who like chant, Latin and such like. If you like the internet radio station “choral treasures” you’ll probably like it.
This group had been meeting at Calvary Episcopal in Golden and moved to Spirit of Christ in Arvada for the future. Tonight was our first night there- meets at 6:15 Sundays.. all are welcome!
Anyway, I find that the Director of Clare Choir, Carma’s homilies are often a counterpoint or blend with the homily from Dave or Stan. Tonight our homily was about the “Year of the Priest” and the feastday of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, on August 4. Now I had not heard of "the year of the priest", since it’s probably an RC thang. She mentioned how we need to let priests know that we appreciate them and give them support, ask them how they are doing, etc. I guess they have two priests there for 2500 families and one of them is ill. My reflections were that in our situation at St. A’s we have 2 for 20-50 individuals. What a blessing!
But I wondered if the fact that they are not full time paid staff of the parish may place them in a situation where we don’t think they need our appreciation and support. I also wonder if perhaps they don’t need it more.. one has another job and one we’re barely paying. I know how blessed I am but I think , well, if I tell Dave it might go to his head.. or I’m too busy… or by the time I want to give feedback on a homily (positive and negative) it is too late, and I figure someone else is doing it. Wow. We have two fantastic priests who don’t get paid very much..I wonder if they know how much they mean to us. We do have a chance to tell them, especially this week. St. John’s feastday is August 4. I think I'll send them a note.
- Sharon Friedman
Thanks to Sharon. Comments, anyone?
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