Tag Archives: #faith

Lost and found

18 Sep
(Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, New York City’s Young Republican Club organized and gathered in Madison Square Park in Manhattan for a vigil in support of the conservative activist. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images)

This post is a homily I delivered to the parish I currently serve as “Deacon Vicar,” St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Somerset Parish, Princess Anne, Maryland on Sunday, September 14 which was the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19.

The Collect of the Day: O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lectionary readings: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, Psalm 14, 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and Luke 15:1-10.

I had a distant uncle (very distant!) whom I met once when I was a teenager.  That was on a trip of a lifetime, which I had zero appreciation for in the moment.  It’s one of those experiences that cannot be replicated.  During the summer in between my sophomore and junior years of high school, my mother, partner and I took a month-long train trip out west.  I know Amtrak has a horrible reputation (a lot of which is ‘deserved’) but if you ever have the opportunity to take a long train ride within the United States, I highly recommend it.   It’s a great way to see our country!

At the time, I was missing my friends, worrying I was going to miss out on something (that was the kind of teenager I was).  My mother and I have recently been ‘revisiting’ that trip, because she routinely goes through our photo albums and brings out photos to show me and guests who happen to be visiting (like what happened at the recent healing service, with that baby picture appearing in a recent Andrewgram).  The pictures of course cannot capture the magnificent, majestic landscapes we are blessed to have.  We visited the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons National Park, among other sites, as well as Salt Lake City, Utah.

That’s where my uncle (Uncle Stew) lived.  And he was a Mormon. He was a pleasant enough fellow.  I do not remember too much about him.  Unfortunately, most of what I remember is how he tried to convert all of us to the Mormon church!  He had us watch countless videos, took us to see some of the Mormon sites (we were not allowed into others because of not belonging to the church, or, at least that’s what he told us). 

(The Salt Lake Temple)

In light of Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Wednesday afternoon, and learning that the assailant, Tyler Robinson, is supposedly a Mormon, I thought of Uncle Stew.  There’s much about the Mormon church that remains a mystery to me.  At its core, however, is the Bible and profession of Christ as God’s Son, “who serves as the Savior.”  And so, I can only imagine the amount of “soul searching” that is currently happening, within Tyler’s family (also purportedly Mormon) and their faith community at large, regarding how Tyler became a lost sheep, who strayed from the commands of Christ, specifically, in this instance, the command to love his neighbor and not to kill or take another life. 

Unfortunately, however, there’s quite a bit of ‘clucking’ happening with respect to his family ‘needing to have done more,’ and the clucking is particularly focused on their failure to keep Tyler from straying and becoming a lost sheep.  But there’s also clucking directed at Charlie Kirk, for either opinions expressed, or regarding the ‘type of faith’ he led and professed.  The crux of all this clucking wants us to acknowledge how much both – Charlie and Tyler – need/needed to repent, and to be counted again amongst the righteous, as both were….. lost sheep.

Before Kirk was killed, I was reminded of the thief on the cross, who hung next to Jesus at the crucifixion, by way of one of my daily devotional books.  As I have watched the horrible social media comments pile here, there and everywhere, I frequently re-read the quote since Kirk’s assassination.  It comes from Makarios the Great, a monk in Egypt, who lived in the fourth century. Because today in the Roman Catholic Church is the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, known as Holy Cross Day in the Episcopal Church (which is transferred to tomorrow since today is Sunday, which takes precedence in our tradition) I want to share it.  Here’s what St. Makarios wrote:

All things are possible for God.

Such was the case of the thief [on the cross].

In one moment he was converted through his faith

and was restored to paradise.

It was for this that the Lord came,

so that he might change our souls, re-create them,

and as scripture says,

“make us sharers in the divine nature.”

He will give to our soul a heavenly soul,

which is the Holy Spirit,

who will lead us into the fullness of virtue,

so that we will even start to live the eternal life,

as far as this is now possible. – Makarios the Great     

Technically, the thief was a not a lost sheep because prior to that moment he had not professed faith in Christ and it’s a conversion story.  But he and those who are lost sheep have one important, very important act to do, before coming or coming back into the fold: profess the Holy Name of Jesus and/or repent, Confess.  But each time we confess, for me, we truly do profess the Holy Name of Jesus.  We’ll shortly pray our Confession with a profession: for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us….

Clearly, Tyler needs to do some hard, hard work.  I do pray some sort of prison ministry awaits him and that his heart will unharden.  I know it’s hard, but Tyler needs our prayers.  Even if the shooter ended up being a different race or was indeed part of the transgender community, our prayers are still required.  We are to pray, unceasingly, even when and especially when hearts remain hardened.  It’s quite possible Tyler and even Dylan Roof (the Charleston, Mother Emmanuel shooter) will eventually be part of the fold. Think about that(!).  If (…big if…) Dylan Roof truly does the hard, needed work, Professes and Repents/ Confesses, even after methodically killing 9 unarmed African American Bible study attendees, he would be our brother in Christ.  That’s an uncomforting, unsettling thought.  But to authentically proclaim, may have us be unsettled, uncomfortable, out of our comfort zones (think back to my recent homily about Jesus coming to ‘cause division’).     

And Charlie Kirk?  Well…not doubt it’s going to depend on your perspective and how you perceived him.  Remember this: he professed Jesus and yet, like us, all of us, was a sinner.  The church is comprised of sinners, weekly we confess our sins, because as we prayed in this morning’s Collect, without God, we are unable to please him without the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Because we too can get lost.  You may want to check your bearings; Jesus may indeed be out looking for you right now.  Ask: am I the lost sheep?  We cannot pretend to know what was further required of Charlie Kirk when called to account at the last Great Day, which, unfortunately, for him the last day was this past Wednesday afternoon at around 2:20 p.m. EST.  

I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community.  I admittedly did not pay too close attention to Charlie Kirk because he and I had differing takes with respect to “the gay issue.”  Even with that, I do feel confident he would have sat down with me to have a conversation in the same way Pastor Timothy Keller would have (I spoke about that in a homily that focused on Timothy Keller when he died).  While I do take issue with “love the sinner, hate the sin” ‘approach’ with respect to ‘the gay issue[1],’ I want to highlight two areas of misconceptions that I stumbled across since Kirk died because I’m frankly beyond sick and tired of watching on my phone or laptop someone getting shot and then dying, with having to then watch a wave of celebration erupt after the person dies.

Too many in the ‘celebratory camp’ shared a portion of a quote from Kirk and it was not flattering.  As is usually the case, the entire quote was not shared but clipped.  The quote: 

[clipped quote “I can’t STAND the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new-age term, and it does a lot of damage.”] But the full quote continues “I much prefer the word compassion, and I much prefer the word sympathy. Empathy is where you try to feel someone’s pain and sorrows as if they’re your own. compassion allows for understanding.”  Our Christian canon (NT) was written in Greek; there is an underlining Greek word for empathy, but it’s fairly modern, coming I believe from the field of psychology.  So, I would not necessarily frame empathy as ‘new-age’ but yes, many Bible translations have Jesus being moved with pity… or compassion.

As for ‘the gay issue’: just after Kirk was killed, a gay African American conservative political activist (also a highly decorated Army combat veteran), Rob Smith, shared about a scary, vile experience he had to endure at an event.  Charlie Kirk was there.  From how Smith wrote the description from the evening, even with being an Army combat veteran, he was quite shaken and perhaps scared.  Charlie came to his defense, saying to him: “God loves you, you are a part of this movement, and we’ve got your back.”  I believe since that night, Smith has left the Republican party but still remains committed to conservative causes (though those who know me know that I do not like using these type of labels, i.e. conservative/liberal etc., because it’s now much apart of our polarization and division. But I also know we need to be able to communicate with having a field of reference and that’s why I chose to us the partisan label). He has had multiple posts since that sharing, grieving Charlie Kirk’s death, and condemning the celebratory posts. 

(From Rob Smith’s Facebook page.)

So, again, who is lost?  Who is Jesus looking for?  If you think you know, then I encourage you to get out your compass (Bible), check your bearings, spend some time with God, and maybe even look over your shoulder…Jesus may be walking towards you, looking quite worried.  Because there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

In honor of the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross (Holy Cross Day):

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Amen. 

[1] Meaning, when I finally came to peace with who I am (not what I am) it was due to what we see in Psalm 139 and the beginning of Jeremiah: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  For me, God does not make mistakes.  And as I have stated in a prior homily, I do struggle with aspects of the transgender issue (i.e. permitting children under age 25 to begin the process and permitting sports competition in the claimed gender preference) but I personally know folks who are transgender and remain in dialogue and conversation. 

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Election 2024: The Day After

6 Nov

The following is an email I sent to the parish I serve:

Good morning saints!

While we desperately need the rain, I am quite grateful the sun is shining today. My day started as it always does: feeding our six outdoor cats at 6am (after feeding our three in-door cats, who of course think they are nearing death due to not eating since the night before). Admittedly, there are days where I miss my ability to sleep a bit longer. Even with that, I do enjoy being outside, walking around in my yard at that hour. I am quite blessed to have a forest at the edge of my yard. So, it’s quite beautiful and serene to be outside at that hour, to witness the various aspects of God’s creation stretching, yawning and waking up.

I did not burn the midnight oil last night with the election returns. It was quite clear to me by the time I went to bed who was going to win. The only question remaining was the extent of the victory with respect to the legislative branch; that seems to remain unclear as I write this. But before I began my morning devotions, I spent time on social media, which is something I usually do not do. And I saw the hurt, fear and anger that has been expressed by some members of our beloved community. And I saw the counter celebratory response.

My hope going forward is that all of us remember Paul’s counsel from his letter to the Romans: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly…If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

During my morning devotions, I was reminded of the Little Sisters of Jesus. That community’s beginning can be traced to Charles de Foucauld and his seeming failure of establishing a new kind of contemplative life, rooted in the world of the poor and based on the “hidden years” that Jesus spent as a carpenter in Nazareth. In his hermitage in the Sahara, he had conceived of a “fraternity” of men and women who would live among their Muslim neighbors as brothers and sisters, embracing poverty, manual labor, and a spirit of prayer. They would proclaim the gospel not with words, “but with their lives.” For many years Foucauld had patiently prepared the way for followers who never came. In the end he died alone, his message bequeathed to the appreciation of a later generation.

Fast forward to Madeleine Hutin. She came across Foucauld’s biography and the rest as they say is history. She left for Algiers, with few plans if any, determined to trust herself entirely to divine providence. She eventually was able to form the order, the Little Sisters of Jesus. The word “Little” had special meaning for Madeleine, now known as Little Sister Magdeleine. During the early years of her vocation, she had experienced a number of intense visions inspired by her meditations on the Infant Jesus. The humility, weakness, and vulnerability of a baby were the disguises under which the world’s savior first appeared. And it seemed appropriate to her that this baby should also be the inspiration and model for those who wished to bear witness to divine love among the poorest and most powerless of the world.

I encourage you to read more about the Little Sisters of Jesus. Recently, I have been reflecting quite a bit about Foucauld’s witness for reasons I will not detail here, other than to say that Foucauld is just another example included in that long list of those saints I referenced in my election eve note to all of you: he kept going, even when it seemed he was an utter failure. It is my fervent belief that we will rarely see the fruits of our work. And as I detailed in my Monday evening email, St. Andrew’s will continue our work and proclamation within and for the Princess Anne community as the Spirit leads us.

Regardless if we are doubled over in fear or in a celebratory mood, we can also spend time reflecting on Little Sister Magdeleine and her witness. Advent is just around the corner (I know, where has the time gone, right?!). We will again pause as much as we can the busyness of the time to ponder the significance of the coming of God by way of a weak, helpless, suckling babe, lying in a filthy manger, among animals and fleas, within view of the opulence of the grandiose power structures of its day. Some time ago, I read a reflection detailing that Jesus was born within full view of one of Herod’s (the State’s) “White House” of Bethlehem; meaning, the contrast could not have been starker. God did not choose the White House of that time-period to come bursting forth upon the scene. God was quite deliberate in placing him over and beyond the human made power structures. Grant it, Herod was not elected. But we do have a constant theme running throughout Holy Scripture: not by might, nor by power, but by Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).

As I have previously stated in at least one past homily, I lament how politics has become the country’s chief religion, with political candidates propped up in a divine type way, as the designated savior, regardless of party. Many have tried to peg me within secular ways of thinking with respect to our politics in trying to figure out where I land. The secular way of thinking is not my way of thinking, though of course, I have opinions, desires and fears as well. My way of thinking tries to imitate Christ, to transform dualistic modes. Like Christ, that at times includes soothing, pastoral language, at other times, righteous indignation, anger, and language that startles. But with all of that, may we remember we have one savior, who is timeless, beyond elections, who is, who was, and who is to come. And I do not mean to degrade or diminish any of your feelings nor do I think of myself as a cynic. I do think we are to be engaged and look to the welfare of the city (See Jeremiah 29).

But as we talked about during our recent study of Amos, we need to look beyond Washington D.C. or Annapolis to perceive what was very much apparent that cold, starry night in Bethlehem to those who were open (the shepherds… who were not among the power brokers of the day) to seeing beyond the extravagance of marble structures. Because that’s the area where we need to give our reverence, worship, time and treasures.

It is fitting that Sunday’s OT lesson is from the first book of Kings and Elijah. You may want to spend time with the second book, chapter two, when Elijah ascends to heaven and Elisha is anointed his successor. This is the type of succession story that Jesus comes from. Elijah’s ascent to heaven is another stark contrast to the report of the royal succession story – a story of failure and disaster – to take us to a scene alive with the news of divine initiative. Elijah’s departure and Elisha’s appointment suggests that God continues to put into play initiatives that can break open patterns of defeat and disappointment. Included with Elijah and Elisha are the company of prophets. Elisha represents the teachings of those who, like his mentor Elijah, value the old religious traditions of Israel (the worship of Yahweh, God of Israel, alone) and the old political traditions (the egalitarian vision of old Israel). The text gets at the importance of communities that can discern faithfulness in public life and policy. From these communities, God calls forth prophets. God forms communities that sustain and sharpen those faithful to God. And fast forward to the Babylonian conquest and exile…who was spared deportation? The “people of the land.” Some suggest that the “people of the land” are the segments of society as represented by Elijah and Elisha, those outside the power structures, those who were not the elites or wealthy.

We at St. Andrew’s are called. We are givers, we are faithful stewards, we are saints. That will remain as long as this ‘red wave’ exists and it will continue to be so once the power pendulum swings back and produces a ‘blue wave.’ Because we are Christ’s wave.

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8

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Become as a Hazlenut

7 Jun

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When I saw an article on Aljazeera titled “US Government Report says Fracking is Safe,” I engaged in what my Star Trek aficionados could probably affectionately dub the ‘Sabas Maneuver’: I rolled my eyes.

With that, I have to admit, it seems hard to believe that I am nearing the end of my Spirit driven U.S. wilderness camino of rest and solitude.  I recently marked the year anniversary of another camino- or path- that of the Camino de Santiago.

Reminiscing with fellow pilgrims brought me great joy.  Of course, adding to the joy was that some of the reminiscing occurred while enjoying my continuing daily morning, multiple cups of java, with the ever so healthy International Delight Hazelnut creamer (no neurologist, not giving it up).  While re-viewing the many photos I snapped while walking, I was a bit surprised at myself of ‘forgetting’ the sheer majesty and brilliance of the various landscapes I encountered.

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Climate focused rhetoric is at its usual velocity within U.S. mainstream circles, with at times interesting approaches.  Within recent months, a climate change denier held a snowball while addressing his fellow members of Congress about the topic.  He is of the “God destroyed the world once by way of water and will never do it again” club…you know the Noah tradition..(no, not the Russell Crowe brand). And so with that, we don’t have to worry about rising sea levels, the world is our oyster!  Huzzah!

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…..“God saw everything that [she] had made, and indeed, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31 (a).

Well now….how in the hell did we make such a mess of things?

Not long ago, I read several devotional readings centering on the Franciscan philosopher and theologian St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1217-1274).  In Bonaventure’s writings, refreshingly missing is the medieval language of fire and brimstone, worthy and unworthy, sin and guilt, merit and demerit, justification and atonement (which has saturated Christianity beyond tolerable measure the last five centuries).

Bonaventure simply states: “Unless we are able to view things in terms of how they originate, how they are to return to their end, and how God shines forth in them, we will not be able to understand.” For Bonaventure, the perfection of God and God’s creation is very simply a full circle: and to be perfect, the circle must and will complete itself.

For Bonaventure, the lynchpin holding it all in unity is the “Christ Mystery,” or the essential unity of matter and spirit, humanity and divinity. The Christ Mystery is then the template for all creation.  To specify further, the crucified Christ, who reveals the necessary cycle of loss and renewal, keeps all things moving toward ever further life.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my service with the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Team (formerly the Aboriginal Justice Team) with Christian Peacemaker Teams.  So many times, I would feel refreshed when I had the ability to connect with the land (landscapes) as well as when I would hear Indigenous teachings with respect to the Earth, air, fire, water, four-leggeds, two-leggeds…all of creation.  About that very full circle Bonaventure wrote about for our ancestors, so many years ago.

Again, how in the hell did we, and let’s specify, we Christians, make such a mess of things?

Ok, maybe I am being a bit unfair.  Not all Christians.  The ‘Celtic Christian’ tradition offers seven distinctions from popular (secular and even non-secular) assumptions regarding the Christian brand: first distinction is hope – “let’s look for the good rather than the evil in all things.”  Yes! God made everything, and it’s very good indeed!  Alleluia!

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That’s a …good…first step.  But, alas, a steak also tastes mighty good after it meets a Weber grill as well as cheaper gas and oil prices are so very good for wallets and pocket books.  And hey, fracking is good…right?

Bear with me as we head back to medieval times.  During a near death experience in 1373, Julian of Norwich had a series of visions which she called ‘showings.’  Through these experiences, she became convinced that the true nature of God is only love.

One vision involved a hazelnut:

“During this time our [Creator] showed me a spiritual sight of [Her] simple, homely loving.  I saw that [She] is to us everything that is good and comforting to us.  [She] is our clothing, which wraps and embraces us in love.  [She] completely enfolds us in tender love so that [She] might never leave us, being to us everything that is good, as I see it.

In this [She] showed me a little thing, the size of a hazelnut in the palm of my hand, and it was as round as a ball.  I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding and I thought, ‘What can this be?’

And it was generally answered thus: ‘It is all creation.’

I marveled at how it might continue to exist, for I thought it might suddenly fall into nothingness because it was so small.

And again I was answered in my understanding, ‘It lasts, and ever shall, because God loves it, for all things have their being by the love of God.’

In this little thing I saw three properties: the first is that God made it, the second is that God loves it and the third is that God keeps it.  How am I to understand this maker, keeper and lover I am not sure.  But until I am made one with God in my very essence, I will never have complete rest or true peace; that is to say, until I am so fastened to [Her] that there absolutely is no created thing between God and me.

We must understand the littleness of creatures, and to count as nothing all of creation, in order to love and to have God, who is not a creature.  This is the reason why we are not fully at ease in heart and soul: for we seek rest in these little things, wherein there is no rest, and do not know our God, who is almighty, all wise, and all good.  [She] is true rest.

… These words are truly loved by the soul, and most closely touch the will of God and [Her] goodness.  For [Her] goodness encompasses all [Her] creatures and all [Her] blessed works and overpasses everything without end, for [She] is true endlessness.” (taken from A Revelation of Divine Love, Julian Norwich rendered by Walter William Melnyk).

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Medieval missives may indeed still be off-putting, even with gender tweaking (cue Indigo Girls).  But let’s focus on the message: let us not seek rest in the little things (i.e. tasty steaks or what it takes to get cheaper oil prices) but let’s remember our smallness; we are very much part of creation, part of the circular repetition of loss and renewal.  What we choose to do (or not do) inevitably affects the symbiotic whole, to include our very own God.

To put it another way, let me turn to an Indigenous voice: “Humankind did not weave the web of life.  We are but one strand within it.  Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves” (Chief Seattle, 1786?-1866).  While continuing to think solely in terms of buying and selling, we only continue to enslave ourselves.  As Seattle noted, “How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?  The idea is strange to us…Every part of this earth is sacred to my people.  Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experiences of my people…We are part of the earth and it is part of us.”

Many people probably don’t realize that Chief Seattle and many in his community converted to Christianity in 1830.  Putting aside questions as to what prompted that decision, and how totally “free and informed” it was, in reviewing his life and credited statements, he clearly saw the similarities between what I’ll term the two traditions.  When will we begin to look to our ancestors, to include Julian of Norwich and St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, who continue to remind of us what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ? Why do we continue to make it so damn complicated and self-destructing?  Having dominion was supposed to be about collaboration and relationship with God for the care of our world, not wreaking havoc.  The world is not so much for us as we are for the world.  As Christ taught us, “On Earth, as in Heaven.”

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Let’s seek to know and be at one with our God, our Daughter and Son, our Holy Spirit, who is “all wise and all good….all is true rest”..rest….or the Biblical Shalom referenced countless times by our very own prophetic ancestors.

By becoming one with God, we become intimately linked with the circular camino with all creation, whether it be vegetation, plants, yielding seed, birds, sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, such as cattle, creeping things and other wild animals (See Genesis 1:1-25).

We can start by thinking of ourselves as and becoming little bitty hazlenuts.

And hey, speaking of, would you like to try some of my good sweet tasting International Delight Hazlenut coffee creamer during coffee hour?

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Selah.

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