Dancing on the Head of a Pin

We've Moved!!!

2006-03-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

We've moved to have our blog on our episcopalians.info server. So update your bookmarks and come on over to:

www.episcopalians.info/blog

Thanks for reading,
Steve+http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Priest Paroled

2006-03-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

Fr. James Tramel, the subject of a blog entry a while ago, was paroled by Gov. Schwarzenegger - Read the story.

Interesting...

2006-03-07T00:51:00.000-05:00

I caught this article in Christianity Today. A Church of God in Christ bishop, Carlton Pearson, has lost 90% of his 5000 member mega-church after preaching universalism. The congregation now meets at an Episcopal parish on Sunday afternoons. Now, I'm not a universalist, but something bothers me about this story. I don't know if it's because I hate to see people get up and leave and a church loses it's building or if it's because of something else. I wonder why the 90% didn't stay and work for change or some positive resolution. Perhaps what bothers me is the fact that for 90%, the church was embodied in the person of Carlton Pearson. If they disagree with him, they leave. What do you think about this story?

Link: Higher Dimensions Worship Center

March Messenger Online

2006-03-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Download the latest newsletter from St Michael's, Waynesboro

Ash Wednesday

2006-03-01T00:09:00.000-05:00

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP)

Some pictures from last night's Shrove Tuesday:

More pictures at our gallery.

Some Religious News

2006-02-27T00:18:00.000-05:00

The Pope names two Americans as cardinals - link.
Court battle over "Da Vinci Code" - link
Communique from Global South Primates - link
AP story on Episcopalian reaction to "The Book of Daniel" - link

You Complete Me

2006-02-24T00:32:00.000-05:00

Today is the Feast of St Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Below is the text of the sermon preached this morning at the Convent of St Helena (preaching to nuns is way different from preaching in a parish!):

God doesn’t seem to like fractions.

God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh; not in two and a half days or in twenty-three and a third. Six days and rested on the seventh.

Enoch lived 365 years. That’s a nice complete number. There are 365 days in year and Enoch lived 365 years, and then God took him to heaven.

After Noah built the ark, it rained 40 days and 40 nights; not 40 days and 39 nights – 40 days and 40 nights.

Jacob had 12 sons that became the 12 tribes.

Those 12 tribes wandered for 40 years in the wilderness with Moses until they came to the Promised Land.

Centuries later St John saw seven seals and seven bowls, and he also saw 12 elders worshipping God in heaven: 12 for the tribes of Israel and 12 for the apostles.

God likes wholeness. God likes completeness.

After the death of Judas the apostles were incomplete. There were only 11. Personally I think 11 is not bad. In my opinion, after you think about all that the 12 men Jesus called went through during their time with Jesus and especially during the Passion of Jesus, losing only 1 is not all that bad.

That is not a single parish in the Episcopal Church that wouldn’t love to that kind of a retention rate. In fact, I’m sure the National Church would love to have that retention rate, only losing one after a crisis. How many members, how many churches have we lost in our own situation over the past 3 years? Certainly more than one, and we haven’t faced anywhere near the kind of adversity the original 12 faced, and they only lost one.

But for a God whose love is perfect and whose mercy is perfect and whose wisdom is perfect, anything incomplete would not do. The Church had to represent the wholeness of God’s salvation. It had to include all the tribes of Israel; it had to include all the people of the earth.

And the Holy Spirit chose Matthias.

We all know who Matthias is, but I doubt most people do. I imagine if we took a poll on Broad Street tonight on who Matthias was, most would probably guess he was a contestant on American Idol.

And Matthias is not presented to us a particularly charismatic figure. He did not preach like Peter or pray like Paul, as the song goes, but he represents to us a most important aspect of God’s nature – God’s desire for completeness and wholeness in all things: the world, the Church, in us.

Because while I may be completely happy with 11 instead of 12, and while the whole world may be satisfied with 90% instead of 100% - God wants us to be complete. God wants us to be whole. After all, that is the story of the Bible. That is the story of our salvation.

Wing and a Prayer

2006-02-23T00:40:00.000-05:00

The above title is a suggestion for the name of a new books and gifts store St Michael's will soon be opening. In 1993, St Michael's purchased the home adjacent to the church with the vision that an ecumenical center for ministry might call the house "home." 13 years later, Wimberly House Ministries, Inc. has many programs including a counseling center, an after-school program, and a senior's day out, but there is so much more than can be done. In hopes to raise money for the center and to raise awareness of the ministry, we will be opening a Christian books and gifts store in the front parlor. We will offer quality books on theology, Church history, devotionals, etc., as well as gifts such as sterling silver jewelry, crosses, icons, and the like. This will be a ministry of St Michael's for the ministry of Wimberly House. Hopefully we'll be able to share our Anglican way in the process.

The thing is, we're struggling for a name. I don't like cheesy religious names for stores and we don't want it to be too "Anglican" because we want Baptists, Presbyterians, and everyone to come to the store.

The best we have is the boring: Wimberly House Books and Gifts or the Wimberly Store. I invite your suggestions!

Steve+

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity

2006-02-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

The above quote is from John Wesley who stole it from someone else. The gist of it is, in the things that are really important, let us agree. In the things that aren't so important, let's live and let live, but no matter what we do, let's love one another. There's been a lot of talk in the Anglican world about essentials and non-essentials. In the Episcopal Church we are in the middle of the debate concerning human sexuality and the relationship of sexuality and church leadership. It's a difficult debate. The word adiaphora has been thrown around (Windsor Report, for one) to identify literally, "things that do not matter" - think non-essentials. The question is, can we agree on what is non-essential? For some a person's sexual orientation is irrelevant, but for others it is very much an important issue. I have no desire to get into all that right now, but I do want to point out two things: 1) we are not in agreement over essentials and non-essentials and 2) until recently, there has not been a lot of love (charity) in "all things." I said until recently.
You may not have heard, for it has been under the radar in my opinion, that Bishop Gene Robinson, the homosexual bishop of New Hampshire, has checked himself into a 28 day program for alcohol abuse. I checked many of the conservative Anglican sites and blogs for their comment and to a blog/site, there were no "See I told you so's!" or "Ha!" but instead I saw people promising to pray and offering their support for the polarizing bishop in his recovery from alcoholism. Now I'm sure there are some who are, shall I say - pleased, at Bishop Robinson's condition, but the main voices in opposition to the Bishop's consecration were - loving.
At the end of the day we may not agree, in fact we may have to agree that we cannot be in communion, but there is hope that real charity can exist between us when we are struggling with the essentials and non-essentials.

Steve+

The Gospel According to Judas

2006-02-20T07:48:00.000-05:00

In a recent beliefnet.com story, a 4th or 5th century Coptic manuscript containing the gnostic gospel of Judas will be published around Easter. This gospel claims to offer some redemption for Judas, the man who betrayed Jesus by handing him over to the authorities. While gnosticism has been declared heresy a long time ago (gnostic comes from the Greek "gnosis" (know-sis) which means knowledge, as in secret knowledge) and the redemption of Judas was condemned by Irenaeus (see article), many have mentioned the sympathetic role of Judas. Was Judas a self-serving weasel who betrayed the Son of God or was Judas fulfilling God's plan for him. After all, if Judas didn't turn him over, would Christ have been arrested and subsequently punished by death on a cross? It's an interesting question that ultimately comes down to free will and predestination. If Judas had no choice, but was carrying out God's plan, then would not some sympathy be appropriate? But if Judas had free will, is his plight so sympathetic?
What about free will in our lives? Do we pick and choose what is free will and what is all in God's plan? Are the two mutually exclusive?

Cardinal Arinze on good liturgy

2006-02-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Cardinal Arinze said the main challenge facing his congregation (for Divine Worship and the Sacraments)is to encourage a spirit of prayer, which must grow out of faith. He said bringing people to Mass regularly is essential, and it hinges largely on two factors: catechesis and high-quality, faith-filled liturgies.
Celebrating Mass well involves lay ministers, but primarily the priest, who sets a tone through every word and gesture, the cardinal said.
"Suppose a priest comes at the beginning of Mass and says: 'Good morning, everybody, did you team win last night' That's not a liturgical greeting. If you can find it in any liturgical book, I'll give you a turkey," Cardinal Arinze said.
Likewise, a priest has to preach well, making sure that his homily offers theological and scriptural enlightenment, and not merely verbal "acrobatics" to show off how many books he's read, he said.
The cardinal said that if done well Sunday Mass will not be experienced as a heavy obligation, but as a spiritual banquet, a celebration appreciated by the faithful who are hungry for spiritual nourishment and want to adore God.
"You should not need a commandment to enter such a banquet hall," he said.
- From the Southern Cross, the newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah

Ha Ha

2006-02-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely.
"The front row please," she answered.
"You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring!"
"Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired.
"No," he said.
"I'm the pastor's mother," she replied indignantly.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked.
"No," she said.
"Good," he answered.

I Love You

2006-02-14T06:06:00.000-05:00

At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under date of 14 February. One is described as a priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern Terni), and these two seem both to have suffered in the second half of the third century and to have been buried on the Flaminian Way, but at different distances from the city. In William of Malmesbury's time what was known to the ancients as the Flaminian Gate of Rome and is now the Porta del Popolo, was called the Gate of St. Valentine. The name seems to have been taken from a small church dedicated to the saint which was in the immediate neighborhood. Of both these St. Valentines some sort of Acta are preserved but they are of relatively late date and of no historical value. Of the third Saint Valentine, who suffered in Africa with a number of companions, nothing further is known.

The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had their origin in a conventional belief generally received in England and France during the Middle Ages, that on 14 February, i.e. half way through the second month of the year, the birds began to pair. Thus in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules we read:

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

from the Catholic Encyclopedia

PS: Pictures from our confirmation this past Sunday are online.

The Episcopal Church Welcomes You

2006-02-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, four people were confirmed and three were received into the Episcopal Church. It was a glorious occassion in which our Assisting Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Charles Keyser laid hands upon each person bringing them into the fellowship and communion of the Episcopal Church and the world wide Anglican Communion.

In seminary, I was taught that confirmation was a practice looking for a theology, in that confirmation as we know it began as chrismation (as the Orthodox still do it) where Bishop lays hands and annoints the newly baptized. But over time as the Bishop held on to the perrogative of laying hands on every baptized person, it became difficult for the bishop to travel to every parish and lay hands on every baptized Christian. Thus the Bishop started coming around every three years, then every seven years, and so on, until the act of the Bishop laying hands became known as confirmation and was done around the 12-14th year. The act of the Bishop laying on of hands was originally a part of the initiation rite that included baptism, and it was all done on the Easter Vigil. It wasn't a particularly theological reason that pushed the laying on of hands back, but a practical one. In any case, I believe the Bishop coming to the parish and bringing each person into the Church is a powerful act. Every Episcopalian has been brought into the Church by the Bishop; the Bishop has called each of our names and we are joined with billions as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

Steve +

PS: St Michael's is seriously considering starting a parish books and gifts store in the Wimberly House, a home we bought 13 years ago for a community ministry center. I don't like hokey names and we want this to have ecumenical appeal (although the inventory will be solidly Anglican). What would be a good name for a books and gifts store? The following names are out: Archangel Books and Gifts, Noah's Ark, Shepherd's Nook, and the like.

Theodicy

2006-02-09T07:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at our Anglican Days program we talked about theodicy; a term coined by Gottfried Liebniz that essentially means "justifying God." Theodicy seeks to justify the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God in the face of suffering, evil, and pain. In other words, how can a loving, powerful, and omniscient God allow a five year old to die of cancer, etc. There is no good answer and there are several approaches to reconcile God's love with evil, such as Divine Incomprehensibility (we can never know), Divine Punishment (we deserve it), Divine Pedagogy (we are learning a lesson), and Process Theology (God is still working it out), to name a few. But one of the most interesting theories comes from the man who coined the phrase himself - Liebniz.
A long time ago on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lt. Worf kept experiencing alternate realities. He kept shifting in and out of realities based upon actions taken or not taken. Think of "It's a Wonderful Life;" Jimmy Stewart seeing the alternate reality that existed in the event that he was never born. Well, Liebniz reconciles God's love, power, and knowledge with pain, evil, and suffering by saying that we all have alternate realities. God's loving providence selects the reality that is best for us. It's not predestination, we still make our choices, but in the vast (infinite - but how can that be?) number of realities, the one that is best for us is the one we experience. To Sci-Fi? It's interesting, nonetheless. At least i got to plug Lt. Work in the blog.
At the end of the day, I have no answer as to "Why Bad things happen to Good People." I am more prepared to say what God does not do than to explain why God does A, B, or C. Any thoughts?

Steve +

Runaway theology?

2006-02-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

Those of us in the Georgia area remember the story of Jennifer Wilbanks, the "Runaway Bride." For those who don't remember, Jennifer took off from Duluth, Georgia and turned up in Albuquerque, NM claiming that she had been abducted. As the facts came into focus, it was discovered that she wasn't abducted and that she just took off. Her pastor was very much involved in the press and was always with the family. It was clear that the family and the pastor were close, or were becoming close. The pastor has now released a book, "Runaway Lives." The pastor says "It's not a book about Jennifer, but it's a book about various issues that we all struggle with that can be rather destructive."

Is this book a little close to the pastoral situation? What do you think? Would you be afraid to come to this pastor for counseling wondering if your story would be in a book?

Lent is approaching and for many this is a time to make a confession. Yes, in the Episcopal Church we can confess to our priest! I will be making the trip to my confessor shortly. One of the things I love about confession is that what I say, no matter what I say, will never be repeated again (or put in a book!). It doesn't matter if I have run away from my family or run away with the church's money - the seal of the confession is absolute (now this doesn't mean my confessor won't strongly encourage me to return to my family or return the money!).
For many Episcopalians, the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is one they'd rather not receive. Consider going to your priest this Lent and receive the sacrament of reconciliation. Whatever you say will never be said again. And there are few things as powerful as confessing the deep dark secrets you were afraid to tell anyone, and then have someone lovingly put their hands on you and tell you that God loves you - and that the Lord has put away your sins.

Steve +

Elevated Speech

2006-02-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

I remember in seminary the liturgics professor commenting that the ancients viewed song as elevated speech and that it was customary for things that were sacred to be whispered or sung, both of which call greater attention to the words. So it is no surprise that there is a rich tradition in the Church of sung liturgy. I remember visiting Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Columbia, SC and hearing the priest sing (chant) every word of the liturgy, save the sermon. It was impossible to worship there and not feel as if everything was elevated and that heaven, or at least a foretaste of it, could be on earth. I am not a singer, except when I'm surrounded by a shower curtain and a bar of soap. However, I recently teamed up with the Choirmaster at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta to "teach" me how to sing - or at least sing the liturgy. Hopefully by Easter (is there a more appropriate time?) we will be able to sing the vast majority of the liturgy at St Michael's.

Out of curiosity - do you/does your priest sing any parts of the liturgy?

Steve +

Love to Distraction

2006-01-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

Today, the feast of St John Chrysostom, I celebrated the Eucharist at the Convent of St Helena. During the homily I brought up the subject of modern preaching - because Chrysostom (goldenmouth) is known as perhaps the greatest preacher in all of Christendom. St John did not pull punches in his sermons. I recalled a first line of a sermon of St John's, "Recently I serverly upbraided you..." Later in that sermon he compared preaching to putting medicine on a wound; it may hurt at first, but give it time and healing will occur. One of my favorite sermons is of St John criticizing his congregation for skipping worship in the summer and complaining it's too hot, etc (not much has changed in 1600 years). Certainly zingers and criticism is abundant in modern preaching. Preaching is power and preachers are given an incredible amount of power. All of us are given the charge at our baptism to preach and build up. Unfortunately preaching is many times perverted as an ecclesial power move with one person speaking with authority (see this week's gospel) manipulating the eager ears in the pews. Did St John Chrysostom do this? I don't think so. In a letter to one of his priests, St John was critical of him for only preaching five times over a long period and for not attending to the responsibilities of worship and pastoral care, but he underlined all of his disappointments by telling the lapsed priest, "I love you to distraction." God knows we are not perfect and most of the time we know we are not perfect. Preaching needs to inform, inspire, and build up. Sometimes it must be a mirror; but it should never be a power play or a soap box for personal agendas. Preaching should be the result of love to distraction.

Steve +

It's Up!

2006-01-26T02:07:00.000-05:00

The new website is up! Check it out. It may not be great, but it's better.

What do you look for in a church web site?

2006-01-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

We are about 10 days or so from re-launching our church website; www.episcopalians.info. As I am adjusting the design and contents I'd like to know: what things do you really like to see in a church site and what things turn you off.

Thanks!
Steve +

The Book of Daniel

2006-01-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

from my column this Wednesday in the local paper (I wonder if this one will get Letters to the Editor?)

Many people have asked what I thought about NBC’s “The Book of Daniel,” a dark comedy about an Episcopal priest and his family. The plot consists of the priest hooked on pain killers who happens to chat with a physical Jesus in the car and in any other place Jesus happens to pop up, an alcoholic wife, three children who are, respectively, dealing drugs, having sex, and one son is gay, power struggles in the church, trying to build a school in which the money raised for its construction was embezzled by a brother-in-law who was found dead in the first episode and his widow is now having a lesbian love affair with her deceased’s secretary, the priest’s father is, presumably, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church who has a wife suffering from Alzheimer’s and is sleeping with the priest’s diocesan bishop who is, by the way, female, and a partridge in a pear tree! As one might imagine, there is a lot of hoopla over the portrayal of this clerical family and groups such as the American Family Association have pushed to have it pulled from NBC’s schedule and even some affiliates have refused to broadcast it because it, according to the AFA website, “mocks Christianity”. Now I consider myself a person who is sensitive to mocking. There are some things I cannot handle and refuse to watch. Many find Comedy Central’s “South Park” wildly entertaining but episodes of Jesus fighting Santa Claus and the Blessed Virgin Mary menstruating are a little much for my sensibilities, so I don’t watch the show. I also cringe at bad theology in television and movies. Theology, certainly, varies upon your religious tradition and what makes me cringe may cause others to celebrate. But for example, I grew up on “Highway to Heaven,” starring Michael Landon. But I don’t think any Christian tradition teaches that humans, upon death, become angels helping others. I enjoyed the Meg Ryan movie, “City of Angel’s” but I don’t think it’s good theology to portray an angel who preferred a few moments of human experience to an eternity of celestial existence. The point is - it appears that certain topics involving faith set groups of people off more than others. If I had to guess the hot button issue in “The Book of Daniel,” it would be homosexuality and drug abuse. It certainly isn’t an ideal portrayal of a priest, but my favorite portrayal of a priest is also the most far-fetched. Remember Bing Crosby as Father O’Malley in “The Bells of St Mary’s” and “Going my Way?” I still want to be Father O’Malley, wearing a straw boater’s hat, playfully arguing with a nun like Ingrid Bergman, and solving everyone’s problems by sitting at a piano and singing a song. But that’s not how life is. Life is also not like “The Book of Daniel,” but in my experience, the truth is somewhere in between. Life involves struggling with substance abuse, issues concerning sexuality, parenting, money, and power – things that can’t be solved by sitting at a piano and singing a song. And yes, even priests, pastors, preachers, ministers, rabbis, and sheiks struggle with these issues. I don’t think “The Book of Daniel” should be the poster movie for the Episcopal Church or Christianity. But I don’t think “The Bells of St Mary’s,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or “Highway to Heaven” should be either. Personally I find a lot of good things in the new NBC show, but you don’t have to watch it and you shouldn’t if you don’t want to. But watch the show or not, we should not ignore the important issues tastefully or distastefully raised, and we should not ignore them in the Church or wherever you happen to worship.

This Week's Attempt at Humor

2006-01-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

Here is today's column from the True Citizen. I was running out of "nothings" to write so I solicited some problems for an advice column:

We have a sprayer who comes in the office. His spittle output does not seem affected by certain words -- it's just constant. To make matters worse, a co-worker always offers him mixed nuts -- then we're hit with brown stuff that resembles the gook babies make on teething cookies. We try backing up, but are always eventually pinned to the wall. Yuck ... what can we do?
- Sprayed and Nuttered

Dear Sprayed,

To find true happiness you must look at each event as an opportunity and not as a problem. What you perceive as a plethora of Planters pounding your personal space (say that five times fast) is really an opportunity to make enough money to quit your current job and be rich enough that you can ban sprayers from ever coming near you. Let’s look at the facts; you have one sprayer, add nuts, and the result is mashed peanuts that a baby would like. Bingo! Do you realize that the Gerber Company makes $712 million per year from baby food alone? But one thing the Gerber Company does not have is an entry-level product designed to introduce babies to peanuts. Pediatricians advise parents not to give their children peanuts due to possible allergies, but if they had something soft and mushy, like what your sprayer is so willing to give, they might be able to safely introduce peanuts to a younger audience! Every morning before you go to work, apply an herbal face mask. When your co-worker comes in, invite him into your personal space and keep feeding him the nuts, the nuttier, the better. As he returns them your way, the “gook” as you so condescendingly called it, will be securely caught by the mask without raising your ick factor because it won’t actually touch your skin. When your sprayer leaves, carefully remove the mask and preserve the new goldmine baby food product. See how quickly a worrisome problem and become a financial opportunity? This will not only benefit you, but think how you will help the larger economy. How many more millions will Georgia peanut farmers make because of your innovation? You may single handedly make the Georgia economy the largest in the United States. This income could bring theme parks and professional sports teams to Burke County. The General Assembly might even move the Capital from Atlanta to Waynesboro, all because you thought positive and took the words of Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu to heart: keeping your nuts close, but your sprayers closer.

PS: A new and improved website will be coming to stmichaelsparish.net in the future. What sort of items do you look for in a church website? What do you want to see and what features do you think are helpful?

Christmas Caroling

2005-12-22T11:08:00.000-05:00

Ross and Jamie Zittrouer
One Trailer Full
The Distinguished Reverend Father
Deck the Trailer with...something
The Pre-Caroling Dinner

For the least, who are the greatest

2005-12-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

Monday and Tuesday 11 youth and 5 adults went to Charleston, SC to paint a day care room for Rural Mission, Inc. Rural Mission is a ministry of the South Carolina United Methodist Church (but is heavily supported by Charleston Episcopalians) for the Low Country Migrant workers and for the Sea Island population. In the past, many migrant workers would put their children in 5 gallon buckets and carry them with them in the fields as they picked tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The room we painted will greet these children as they no longer have to "ride" with their parents in the fields, but can be safe, cool, and surrounded by love. Perhaps the most memorable event for our youth was to participate in a Sea Island Prayer Meeting.
The Sea Island folks are descendents from the Gullahs and still carry that distincitve accent and are the last members of a culture that is quickly dying out. About 8 women, the youngest being 69 and the oldest being 94 gather together every Tuesday for hours to sing spirituals and pray. They amazed us with their double claps (two different rhythms kept with feet and hands) and their songs that were composed from hardship, poverty, and undying faith. Our youth, 11 lily white kids from middle class families, held black hands that had seen 70-90 years of hardship, discrimnation, prayer, and hope through faith. These "spiritual mothers" held some of our youth in their laps and prayer for them and sang of the goodness of God that has brought us all to a new day. Another important aspect of our trip was prayer. Between Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon, we prayed the daily office four times. Before we left we said the Morning Devotions in the Prayer Book. We had Evening Prayer at St Michael's Episcopal Church in Charleston, we had Compline at Rural Mission, and Morning Prayer at the Church of Our Savior on John's Island. For some of the youth, this was the first time keeping "time" with prayer.

I write a bi-weekly column for the local newspaper. I'm not supposed to write about religion, so I end up writing silly social commentary stuff (read - I try to be Lewis Grizzard, whom I'm not!). However, I think I'm allowed one religious column every now and then. I would never think that I could come close to Francis Church's editorial in the New York Sun in 1897, but here is my attempt to re-create it:

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say that stores and governments are trying to do away with Christmas. Papa says, “If you see in in the True Citizen, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there really a war on Christmas?
- Virginia O’Hurley

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the inconsistency of an inconsistent age, where people are outraged and insulted for the sake of being outraged and insulted. The words we say and the things we do are at war with one another, Virginia, and not toy stores and Christmas. Christmas is under attack, but not by Wal-Mart or Target, or by Holiday Trees, or by the ACLU. Christmas can never go away because of words. Remember, Virginia, as important as words are, they lose their power when our actions betray them. It doesn’t matter if stores wish you “Happy Holidays” and if courthouses take down their Nativity Scenes. Christmas is not found in governments or in capitalism, it is not found in cards or in presents wrapped with bows. Christmas cannot be suppressed just as your prayers cannot be stopped. For how can someone stop you from praying? Can they enter your heart and mind and sever the connection you have with the One who made you? Christmas is not going away, just as the stars that guide captains and their ships are not going away. For the essence of Christmas is not found in seasons’ greetings or even in earnest displays of Wise Men and shepherds. It’s not found there at all. Yes, Virginia, there is a war on Christmas. But be careful, Virginia, for we tend to show the most outrage over things of which we ourselves are inwardly guilty. We are quick to find fault in the world around us but are slow to participate in change. Would a child your age who is starving rather have a protestor marching against the horrors of poverty or kind hands handing her a plate of food? Your friends are right about one thing, Virginia, there are many people who are greatly concerned about the celebration of Christmas in our country. They are worried that governments are trying to suppress their expression of faith. They mean well, Virginia, but they are blind to the real battles. The generals leading their soldiers in war on Christmas are those who will fight to the end to have “Merry Christmas” written in lights, but will not be present to hold a hymnal or light a candle on Christmas Day. The real tragedy is not stores that are empty of boughs of holly or wishes of “Merry Christmas,” rather it will be the churches that are empty of people on Christmas Day. The real tragedy is the churches that have closed their doors for Christmas. Your friends are right, Virginia, Christmas is a religious celebration, however it is one that will be celebrated by the few who are religious. Christmas is about love and people loving one another. Christmas is about Incarnation; God came to us so that we might come to God. Christmas will always be safe, Virginia, because the truth of Christmas is found in a smelly stable with smelly animals. The truth of Christmas is found in a manger where a child lay in a box meant for horses and goats, surrounded by two parents scared yet secure. This is Christmas, Virginia, and it will always be safe, even if we no longer say “Merry Christmas” to strangers passing in the street. It will even be safe if only a handful of people celebrate the Christ Mass. After all, Virginia, there were just a handful people at the first Christmas. But if your friends are looking for a peace in the War on Christmas, there is a Prince who can grant it.

Bishop Louttit's Apostolic Lineage

2005-12-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Mainly because I was bored late last night and couldn't sleep; I traced my bishop's apostolic succession back to St Peter.

Wanna be a citizen of Bethlehem?

2005-12-12T08:09:00.000-05:00

On December 3, Pope Benedict XVI was granted citizenship to Bethlhem as the first person to take part in the new Open Bethlehem initiative started by the city's mayor. According to a press release, over 400 Christian families have emigrated from Bethlehem. In recent times, Bethlehem has been in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, specifically the Church of the Nativity (the traditional spot of Christ's birth) was used as a "base" for Palestinian forces during a battle a couple of years ago. Trying to reverse the emigration, Bethlehem citizenship is open to you, if you are important and rich. It's website for Open Bethlehem doesn't say that in so many words but citizenship is granted

whether as a benefactor prepared to underwrite a specific initiative or an entrepreneur bringing wealth-creating opportunities to the city. The passport is also open to people of imagination and experience who can bring major events to a city that lives through its visitors

Or if you're not rich, you can just stay there a long time, too. Jesus had a hard time getting into Bethlehem too. Well, he got in okay, but finding a place to stay was difficult. His family wasn't rich or influential and they couldn't promise to stay a while. As Christians we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. For us citizenship is not reserved for those who can bring money to the church or those who can promote large events. Citizenship is open to those who want it. It is open to those who want to know God. Rich, poor, influential, or unknown, citizenship in the Kingdom of God offers more than a leather bound passport - it offers hope and life through the love of God.

Closed for Business...

2005-12-07T09:24:00.000-05:00

As I was eating breakfast this morning, I heard a story on Fox News about many mega-churches not having services on Christmas Day, which this year falls on a Sunday. A spokesperson for Willow Creek Community Church, perhaps the proto-mega-church said the last time Christmas fell on a Sunday only a few people came to pray? So??
She also said,

"If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don't go to church, how likely is it that they'll be going to church on Christmas morning?"

If you go to church, as thousands upon thousands of members of Willow Creek and other mega-churches do, then are you not "churched?" Christmas Day, or the Nativity of our Lord as it is sometimes properly known, is the second most holy day of our Church Year. If only one person comes to celebrate, that warrants the doors being open and the Eucharist being celebrated. If no one comes, then the doors really need to be open to witness to the need and imperative of the worship of God. It's ironic that the celebration of God's Incarnation, of God becoming one of us to save all of us, is the day that an increasing number of Christians view as day not to "embody" the faith. I hope everyone celebrates Christmas Day at Church. Who cares if the crowd is small, it was small in Bethlehem, too.

Steve +

Dying and Rising

2005-12-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

This picture is of the liturgical west end of St Michael's. When you come in the narthex, among the first things you will see is our baptismal font. Directly above the baptismal font is a beautiful 19th century stained glass window of the Crucifixion from the Church of the Atonement in Augusta, GA. Baptism is a great mystery. I don't mean mystery in the sense that we don't know what it means, but I mean mystery in the sense that it's fullness is beyond our complete understanding (as all things of God are). In baptism we are grafted into the Body of Christ. The Prayer Book calls baptism the "Sacrament of new birth." The symbolism of baptism is tied with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. When we go into the water (or the water comes over us) we go into the tomb with Jesus. When we emerge, we are raised with Jesus. We have been given new life, a new birth after we have died to sin and risen in Christ. During the Thanksgiving over the Water, the priest says, "We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection." The window above the font reminds us that in baptism we have died with Christ, when we turn and face east toward the altar, we are reminded that in our baptism we have risen with Christ who is present with us in the Holy Eucharist.

10 Most Fascinating People in Christendom

2005-11-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

Soon, Barbara Walters will have her annual 10 most fascinating people on ABC. A preview of her list includes Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Kanye West, and Jamie Foxx. Almost all of this blog's readers recognize these names, but I wonder if we can come up with a list of 2005's 10 most fascinating people in Christianity. They don't have to be people we agree with, just people that fascinate us. I'll start (in no particular order):
1. Pope Benedict XVI (how will he lead the Roman Church in the future?)
2. Archbishop Rowan Williams (how will he handle the divisions in Anglicanism?)
3. Rod Parsley (where does he get his suits?)
4. Bishop Bob Duncan (what role with the Network play?)
5. Bill Hybels (what is the future of the mega church?)

Who else should be on this list?

Website Updated

2005-11-21T10:46:00.000-05:00

At our website, yesterday's sermon (with audio) and the November newsletter are all online.

Morning Prayer

2005-11-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 1:1-12 (NRSV)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith-being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look!

Where does one draw the line?

2005-11-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

As I have stated in a recent post, this blog is not a political one. So it is with fear and trembling that I ask the following question. In a recent news story, All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena is facing the revocation of their tax exempt status by the IRS. The reason? A former rector (now retired) preached a sermon on the eve of the 2004 Presidential election condemning the war in Iraq and the Bush tax cuts. The news story goes on to say that the website of All Saints condemns the Republican-based propositions that are to be voted on today. Now most people in my neck of the woods (middle Georgia) will shrug it off and say, "That's California." However, I think a deeper question exists - where should priests/preachers/pastors draw the line in the pulpit? I do not and never will endorse or campaign against a political figure from the pulpit, but what if there is a scenario when the Church must speak out? What if there are actions or policies in local, state, or federal governments that are contrary to the teachings of Christ? When I was in the United Methodist Church, I was sent a letter by the higher ups stating that I had to preach a sermon against the proposed state lottery. I did not feel comfortable in directly addressing a piece of legislation so I attempted to weave the overall issue of gambling into the sermon. Should I have been more direct? And what about our tax-exempt status? God knows income tax and property tax would kill (or severely hurt) most churches, but are we subtly tied to censorship? I'm not sure. I am not a political activist for any side. I tend to keep my political discussions internal. At St Michael's, a candidate running for Lt. Gov. came to our men's club gathering and we invited him to join us for the Low Country Boil, but he was not allowed to campaign. But what if, down the road, we need to speak out? At the very least, I hate the bad press the Episcopal Church always gets.

Oldest Church in Middle East Discovered

2005-11-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

With all the news about escaped convicts, tornadoes, and the whole bit, this may have slipped under the major news radar. The oldest (believed) church in the Middle East was discovered by inmates excavating the ground near their prison in preparation for a new prison wing. This discovery is not without irony (at least in my opinion). For the past few weeks at St Michael's, we have been using Eucharistic Prayer D, perhaps the most theologically dense of the Eucharistic prayers. During the anamnesis there is the phrase, "To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners, freedom; to the sorrowful, joy." How wonderful for those who are held captive by their own actions to discover an ancient site where people worshipped the source of all freedom. What hope this must bring to them, that as they were preparing to build another wing to house more prisoners, they, ordinary criminals, made one of the most exciting archeological discoveries. One note to the story, there is the mention of the Greek word for "table" that has baffled the scholar quoted in the article, as they were expecting it to say "altar." My knowlege of early Christian worship before Constantine causes me to think that a table was used in worship before elaborate, permanent altars could be constructed. Also, an Orthodox priest friend sent an email reminding that the Orthodox, who aren't hip to much change, still call their altar the "Holy Table."

Requiem aeternum

2005-11-02T05:41:00.000-05:00

Tonight's All Souls' liturgy.

All Saints

2005-11-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

Whenever I go to a cemetery, columbarium, or any other such place where persons are buried or entombed, I always notice benches near graves. Obviously this is where people sit near the graves of their friends and family. But why sit? Is it because they are tired and need to take a break? Or is it something more? I also notice letters and notes placed behind a fresh bouquet of flowers on many of the tombstones? Who is the letter to? The groundskeeper? Certainly not. And then I notice people standing near graves talking. The thing is, most of the time they are by themselves. Are they talking to themselves? I don't think so.
Today is the Feast of All Saints. We celebrate the Church Triumphant and especially those who have lived exemplary lives, so much so that the Church has recognized them as holy. For many, the concept of celebrating the lives of saints is one thing, but they get nervous when prayers are addressed to them or when any form of veneration takes place. But remember the scenes in the cemetery. Remember people sitting near the graves of their deceased. Remember the notes left. Remember the conversations that take place. Our celebration of All Saints is nothing more that what most people do already. Most of us, whether we are aware of it or not, talk out loud to our beloved dead expecting them to hear us. Most people believe with all their heart that their beloved dead watches over them. Then why is it so difficult to extend the same belief that St. Stephen, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, St. John, St. Julian, and the vast multitudes of persons the Church calls holy, can hear us?
When persons invoke the saints, they are doing the same thing that a dozen people do to me every single week: they ask for prayers. People without thinking will go to priest or some other church leader and ask them for prayers. Mainly because they think that priests and other clergy have "better access" to God. When we ask for saints to pray for us, we are affirming that we are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses" and that, especially in the Eucharist, the separation between the Church Militant (us on Earth) and the Church Triumphant (those in Heaven) is not as wide as we may think. In fact, it is in the Eucharist that we being one with those who are feasting at the eternal banquet as we are feasting on its foretaste.

Let us give thanks for those holy men and women whose lives continue to guide us by providing the example. And may we rely on the prayers of both those who rejoice in the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant.

Today's Psalm from Morning Prayer

2005-10-31T09:01:00.000-05:00

Have mercy on me, O God, for they trample over me; *
all day long they assault and oppress me.
My adversaries trample over me all the day long; *
many are they that make proud war against me.
In the day of my fear I put my trust in you, *
in God whose word I praise.
In God I trust, and will not fear, *
for what can flesh do to me?
All day long they wound me with words; *
their every thought is to do me evil.
They stir up trouble; they lie in wait; *
marking my steps, they seek my life.
Shall they escape for all their wickedness? *
In anger, O God, cast the peoples down.
You have counted up my groaning;
put my tears into your bottle; *
are they not written in your book?
Then shall my enemies turn back
on the day when I call upon you; *
this I know, for God is on my side.
In God whose word I praise,
in the Lord whose word I praise, *
in God I trust and will not fear:
what can flesh do to me?
To you, O God, will I fulfil my vows; *
to you will I present my offerings of thanks,
For you will deliver my soul from death
and my feet from falling, *
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

PS: yesterday's sermon is now online

Caption Contest

2005-10-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

The Church Times newspaper has (or used to have) a caption contest each week. The above picture was taken at our Blessing of the Animals. The winner of this contest will win nothing except the satisfaction of being recognized as clever! I'll be in NYC all next week, so please keep reading the fantastic blogs linked to the right. Please pray for safe travel (I'm a nervous flyer!)

Steve +

What is Communion?

2005-10-12T18:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I spent the day at the Bishop's home in Savannah. I am new to the Diocese but I understand the Bishop holds several "priest days" at his home during the year. It was a wonderful time to be able to sit in the Bishop's living room and chat for five hours. I'm not sure how many priests in other dioceses have the same opportunity. It was a very gracious invitation and I appreciated it. The main question that was discussed was the perhaps cerebral and theologically profound question, "What is communion?" By communion, the Bishop didn't mean the Eucharist, but communion in the sense that we are "in communion" with one another. Obviously this is referring to the conversation involving the Episcopal Church's status in the eyes of others in the Anglican Communion. The Windsor Report talks about how we might be able to live in communion when we disagree. Bishop Keyser talked about communion at the last clergy conference and what this means. When the Bishop asked us "What is Communion?" my first instinct was, "It doesn't matter what I think, I'm not making the decisions." And in one sense, I'm right. I'm not making the decision for the Episcopal Church. I am not a delegate to General Convention and I have no vote. But as we started talking about communion and what this means, I realized something. We are expecting, or at least hoping, that the Episcopal Church and our sister churches will continue in "conversation" despite our differences and will learn to live together in the midst of severe disagreement. The problem is, I think, we don't do this in the local parish. When we have disagreement in the parish, what typically happens? Someone leaves. In my experience (limited as that might be - 5 1/2 years as a Methodist minister and going on two months as a priest) when there is disagreement, rarely do we continue living together despite or even in spite of our division. Maybe the difficulty I had in the discussion on communion and maybe the problems many people are having understanding the healing and decision making process at the national level is that it is foreign to the local parish. If this is the case, then how can we remedy our relunctance to address this locally? Do we as priests prefer our "problems" go to the Methodist church or the Lutheran church? Does the laity prefer that "problems" ultimately get tired and quit coming to church? Perhaps the question of communion need to be addressed globally and locally. What is communion. What does it mean to be "in" communion?

Steve +

It's Thessalonica, not Thessalonia, Pat

2005-10-10T11:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday in the Adult Sunday School class, a question was raised about the recent hurricanes and earthquakes and God's role in it all. This morning there is a news article quoting Pat Robertson's assertion that the recent events could mean that we are living in the end times. While I never like to take the road of arrogance and say that Pat is absolutely wrong, I would ask Pat and others to think about the history of our planet. We've had an Ice Age. Since we no longer live in an Ice Age, there must have been some significant global warming. South America looks like it could fit right next to Africa, leading most scientists to say that a long time ago there was one land mass over all the earth and that the shifting of plate techtonics caused the land masses to split. The shift of plates causes earthquakes. Furthermore, when two plates collide, one plate must go up and one must go down. The plate that is forced up forms mountains. The point being - when you look at the history of our planet and force a perspective that is much larger than 100 years, one will discover that earthquakes and hurricanes, as horrible and damaging as they are, have been active for a very long time. Pat may be right, we may be living in the end times. But if we are faithful, does it matter?

Steve +

God and Job (not the person...occupation)

2005-10-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Dancing on the Head of Pin is not a political blog. There are many political blogs on the net and there are many religious/political and many Episcopal/poliltical blogs out here. If you want to take a look at some, just hit the "Random" link on the "Blogging Episcopalians" box to the right, and you're bound to find some in two or three clicks. This is not a political blog for many reasons. Among them being the fact that the aim of this blog is to provide daily (or sometimes daily) thoughts and news for the people of St Michael's and all the internet world. Also, politics is a messy arena. Most of us have political views without knowing the details of any given political situation; myself included. So we will not pontificate on what the President or anyone else is doing right or wrong based on a soundbite on the evening news or some other blog. That is not fair. That being said, Judge Roberts made an interesting statement during his confirmation hearings. He said "My faith and my religious beliefs do not play a role in judging. When it comes to judging, I look to the law books and always have. I don't look to the Bible or any other religious source." This is not a partisan commentary, but a broad political one. Politicians on both sides have been accused of bringing their religion into politics. JFK concerned many Protestants because he was Catholic. Joe Lieberman, a Jew, said he would try not to work on the Sabbath as president. George W. Bush has made many comments about faith and prayer. But when asked how their religious views would influence their decision making, all politicians (to my knowledge) make some reference to governing for all people and not letting one aspect of faith dictate or determine their positions. Essentially what Judge Roberts said earlier in this post. You may remember John Kerry saying emphatically that personally he is not a fan of abortion, but that is the law. And we know of many Roman Catholic Dioceses that have refused communion to those who publically support abortion. In 215, the Bishop of Rome - Hippolytus - composed the Apostolic Tradition in which we see the liturgies of baptism and the Eucharist from the early Church. What is interesting is how Hippolytus (and by extension the church) prohibited certain occupations to be included in the Christian life.

They will inquire concerning the works and occupations of those are who are brought forward for instruction. 2If someone is a pimp who supports prostitutes, he shall cease or shall be rejected. 3If someone is a sculptor or a painter, let them be taught not to make idols. Either let them cease or let them be rejected. 4If someone is an actor or does shows in the theater, either he shall cease or he shall be rejected. 5If someone teaches children (worldly knowledge), it is good that he cease. But if he has no (other) trade, let him be permitted. 6A charioteer, likewise, or one who takes part in the games, or one who goes to the games, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. 7If someone is a gladiator, or one who teaches those among the gladiators how to fight, or a hunter who is in the wild beast shows in the arena, or a public official who is concerned with gladiator shows, either he shall cease, or he shall be rejected. 8If someone is a priest of idols, or an attendant of idols, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. 9A military man in authority must not execute men. If he is ordered, he must not carry it out. Nor must he take military oath. If he refuses, he shall be rejected. 10If someone is a military governor, or the ruler of a city who wears the purple, he shall cease or he shall be rejected. 11The catechumen or faithful who wants to become a soldier is to be rejected, for he has despised God. 12The prostitute, the wanton man, the one who castrates himself, or one who does that which may not be mentioned, are to be rejected, for they are impure. 13A magus shall not even be brought forward for consideration. 14An enchanter, or astrologer, or diviner, or interpreter of dreamsb, or a charlatanc, or one who makes amulets, either they shall cease or they shall be rejected.

Now certainly there are historical and cultural reasons as to why many of these occupations are listed. The point of this post is to ask the question: The early church did not see Christianity as divisible between public and private arenas. Has it not become that and if so, what is the result? Of course it is easy for me to post this, I'm a priest. My job is my faith, or my faith is my job. If someone asks me if my religious views influence my decision making in my job, I or course say, YES.

Steve +

Do we really want change?

2005-10-03T08:20:00.000-04:00

In today's daily office Gospel reading, Jesus casts demons out of two men into a herd of swine and (you know the story) the swine went down a cliff and into the sea. What's interesting is that the townspeople all came out to meet Jesus (we would expect this) and they asked him to leave (we wouldn't expect this). Certainly we are on the outside looking in, knowing who Jesus is and judging the situation with a perspective 2000 years old, but I starting thinking as we had Morning Prayer, is the church in some ways like the townspeople? Most, if not all, churches have missions statements of written goals identifying what they as a church want to accomplish for the Kingdom. Most of the time, these goals involve growth.

"We want to grow." "We want to bring people in." "We want to be what God is calling us to be."

But when change actually starts occuring and the swine start running down the hill, do we as the church regret our mission statements or goals? Growth is painful. Change is difficult. Becoming whom and that which God has called us is a process. Jesus met two demoniacs "who were so fierce that no one could pass that way." The neighborhood was held hostage. Jesus cast the evil out and freed the town from being held hostage.

"The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood."

Losing the demoniacs meant also losing their herds. Was that worth it for the swineherds. Obviously not. Is it worth it for the church to lose a herd to gain freedom?
What do you think? If we were to make this story an allegory, who would play what role?

Steve +

Let's pray not

2005-09-30T06:57:00.000-04:00

Gay Bishop Predicts Anglican Split

Feast of St Michael and All Angels

2005-09-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today is the Feast of St Michael and All Angels and is the patronal feast of St Michael's Episcopal Church in Waynesboro. In the earliest days of the church, the congregation needed a patron (usually wealthy widows) to provide a place to worship and to support them financially. Before Emperor Constantine converted the Empire to Christianity, the churches met in homes and were protected by their citizen patrons. As churches were able to exist on their own, patronage continued but more in the spiritual sense. Churches were founded and named under the patronage of a saint or Christ. These churches no longer needed citizen patrons to protect and support them, but they continued with spiritual patrons to spiritually protect and support. Churches have special celebrations on the Feast day of their patron. St Michael's celebrates on Sept. 29, King of Peace in Kingsland, GA celebrates their patronal feast on Christ the King Sunday, and the Church of the Holy Comforter (Holy Spirit) celebrates their patronal feast on Pentecost, to name some examples.

We even have patronage in our names. Long ago, a person was named according the date they were born. If I were born on December 26 (which I wasn't), my parents would naturally name me Stephen, for Dec. 26 is his feast day. If I was a girl and born on August 15, my parents might have named me Mary. This is where "patron" saints come in. What is your name? What is the name of your church? Who are your patrons? Even if your name is not of a common "saint," many traditions encourage the taking of a name and putting oneself under the patronage of a saint. Whose life would you like to emulate?

Study Suggests Religion Increases Crime

2005-09-28T06:50:00.000-04:00

An interesting study from the Journal of Religion and Society has suggested that the United States, because of its high percentage of religious adherents, has higher crime rates than any other developed nation. The study, entitled "Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religiosity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies"(what a title) correlates disbelief in evolution with higher crime. While the article has interesting moments, there are certainly too many variables in cultural differences, governments, law, and history among others that influence crime rates and overall societal health. To boil down the cause to disbelief in evolution is silly. Episcopalians affirm that God is the creator of "all that is seen and unseen." How that was done, Episcopalians by and large aren't really concerned. For many on both sides of the debate the question of how the universe was created is the litmus test for other things. It seems as if the authors of this study are trying to show that secular, enlightened European countries are more "evolved" (pardon the pun) than the backward, religious, un"evolved" Americans. On the flip side, many religious leaders/groups will suggest that my statement that perhaps it doesn't matter exactly "how" God created the universe is evidence of heresy and that I'm unfaithful. What's the real issue here? It looks as if were are desperate to identify teams. We want uniforms so we will know whom we are playing with. We want lines drawn in the sand. We want fight songs and pep rallies. We want winners and losers. Certainly there is Truth, I'm not denying that or suggesting otherwise, but as we fight over what may be non-essential, we are ultimately avoiding the real causes of crime: wrath, envy, pride, lust, and those other sins that tend to be deadly. Pointing fingers at those who belief in evolution as the cause of crime just seems to be...so unevolved.

Steve +

It must be the food

2005-09-27T09:23:00.000-04:00

A.L. Addington left us yesterday after two great days in Waynesboro. Of the many wonderful stories and insights he shared with the people of St Michael's and the parish, there is one story he told me over lunch that has stayed with me.

One day A.L. was in a Georgian city and he saw a Greek restaurant. Liking Greek cuisine, A.L. went inside for dinner. It was around 6pm. The place was empty. The room was filthy and the floor crunched as he walked to a table. There were empty wine bottles on the shelves and on the counters. The place needed to see a broom and a mop and perhaps a good dousing with Clorox. When the waitress saw that someone had come in, she immediately ran to A.L. and welcome him and tried to sell him the whole menu. The cook came greeted A.L. personally. Obviously the restaurant was not used to many patrons. A.L. ordered some food and it was actually quite good, but at 6:45pm, the place was still empty. As A.L. payed his bill he asked the waitress why no one ever came to eat at the restaurant. The waitress replied, "People here don't like European food."

It must be the food. Forget the dirty floor, the appearance, and the hundreds of other things that perhaps kept people from eating there. She was focused on what others did to keep themselves from eating there, and not what the restaurant was doing or not doing to invite people to dine in. Do people not come to church because they don't like liturgy or they don't like formality or they don't like this or that? Or could it be the floor is dirty?

Steve +

The Dreaded Stewardship Talk

2005-09-26T06:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Dr. A.L. Addington was with us at St Michael's and delievered the homily and hosted a cottage meeting last night and will host one tonight. The topic: stewardship. Most people I know (including myself) do not like stewardship messages/talks/etc. Most of the time we don't like them because the approach includes something like:

if we don't give more, we can't pay the bills
we're behind budget and we need to dig deeper
we want to do A, B, and C and it is going to cost us D, E, and F

The problem is we view stewardship as giving towards a campaign, paying dues, or contributing to the membership fee and not giving as a natural response of gratitude for God's goodness. The Episcopal Church has established that the biblical tithe of 10% is the norm, or minimum standard in giving. Most communicants give between $2500 and $3100 a year, which suggests two things: 1) the average income is between $25,000 and $31,000 a year or 2) we are not giving a tithe. One of the things A.L. mentioned, and he is right, is that we should not be caught up in percentages and questions of pre-tax, after-tax, and the like. He called this negotiating with God. He tells the story of how he learned to dance. He learned to count, one, two, three, and four, as he moved his feet in the shape of a square as he lead his partner in the dance. Over time, as his buddies were, in his words, "whispering sweet nothings in the ears of their dates," A.L. was counting "one, two, three, and four." In other words, A.L. was so focused on the numbers, on getting it right, that he missed the dance - the joy of the dance, the beauty of the dance, and whom he was dancing with. Giving to God should not be about counting the steps, but about enjoying the dance. How are we doing? The tithe (10%) is not meant to be a stumbling block, but as a reference to help us determine if we are truly enjoying the dance, or if we are standing by the punch bowl.

Steve +

Back!

2005-09-24T06:50:00.000-04:00

I'm back from a three week or so hiatus. I apologize if you have been checking every now and then to find nothing. I have a beautiful 13 month old, Abby, who keeps me busy in the mornings and at night when I am prone to post on this blog. Perhaps more than anything, I've been tired. The past two weeks I have been at a clergy conference in the Diocese of Georgia and a few days vacation with my wife's family in central Florida. Both weeks provided time for rest and some recharging. One thing I realized, thanks to conference speaker Julia Gatta, is that my vocation is one where there is rarely a feeling of completion. This not unique to the priesthood, but it is true there are times when I feel I have finished something. If I finish a sermon, there is another one to write. If I finish a home visit, there is another one to make, and so on. Again, this is not confined to the priesthood, and it is worth nothing the dangers in expecting closure or finitude when there is none to found - at least in the way we expect. Some of the fatigue I was beginning to experience was based mainly on the fact that I felt as if I couldn't keep up with my expectations, visions, and the reality of task at hand. It was nice to have a couple of weeks to catch up and take inventory.
It's good to be back blogging. I hope in the next couple of weeks to update and revise the format. Thanks for checking in.

Steve +

Stay Tuned........

2005-09-15T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have been gone for a few days and I will be gone for a few more. Stayed tuned for posts beginning again on Friday, September 23. Until then, be sure to read Fr. Frank Logue's blog, Irenic Thoughts.

The Here and Now

2005-08-31T21:37:00.000-04:00

In 1982, the sequel to the Mel Gibson movie "Mad Max" hit theatres. This movie was entitled "Road Warrior" and was set in a post-apocalyptic world where gas was the most scarce and sought after commodity. This movie came to mind today when gas prices went over $3 a gallon. In Waynesboro, one gas station had gas at $3.45 a gallon. People were waiting in line, police were manning the Wal-Mart gas station, and many, many people were greatly concerned. What will gas prices be tomorrow? How will we afford the winter bills? Tonight we gathered for our third study group on CS Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters." "Screwtape" is a (obviously) fictional collection of letters between two demons - one seasoned and the other, a novice. Tonight we discussed how dangerous it is for us to get caught up in the future. The seasoned demon, Screwtape, advised his novice nephew to cast his "patient's" attention on the future, instead of the present. The future is uncertain and unknowable. Who knows what will happen with gas prices and energy costs. We cannot afford to avoid, however, the present - the here and now. As we are worried about (and rightly so) about our brothers and sisters in New Orleans and other hurricane devastated areas and our own futures, we can't forget our own spiritual status right now - our connection with God -right now. How we are treating others - right now. As Jesus reminds us - tomorrow will have it's own worries. Let us live today, in the here and now. Let us pray for those who are suffering. Let us be responsible with our energy. Let us not forget our need for daily bread.

Steve +

Most Religious and Secular Colleges/Universities

2005-08-30T11:07:00.000-04:00

In a recent post on Beliefnet.com, Reed College and BYU were voted most secular and religious schools, respectively. Click here for the story.

Maximilian Kolbe

2005-08-29T09:54:00.000-04:00

Sunday's sermon, "Kolbe's Cross" is now online.

Steve +

Our First Encounter with Church

2005-08-24T09:50:00.000-04:00

Last night I spoke to a PTO gathering at a South Carolina elementary school on the importance of a good experience at school. I asked all the parents if they could remember the names of their elementary school teachers. 99% raised their hands, as did I: Ms. Runyan, Ms. Bull, Ms. Roquemore, Ms. Bright, and Ms. Geoly. We remember their names because they represent our first encounter with learning. Ms. Runyan shared the alphabet with me, Ms. Bull taught me how to write, Ms. Roquemore how to write in cursive, and Ms. Geoly taught me to love reading. Their influence, and my experience helped me through high school, college, and graduate school. Had I not had a good first encounter with learning, I would not have wanted to spend 20 years in school. The same is true in the Church. What do our children (or adults for that matter) experience when they come to Church? How will their early encounters with worship, the Bible, and other Christians shape their lives in the future? In all of our parishes we have college students who have moved away from home for the first time and are on their own for the first time. Will they go to Church without mom and dad dragging them? In my opinion - like school, it depends largely on their early encounters. In other words - how can we enhance everyone's encounter with Church?

Steve +

An Anglican City?

2005-08-22T08:28:00.000-04:00

Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan is already the founder of Ave Maria University. Now he is building Ave Maria, Florida. The devout Catholic is spending 200 million dollars in creating a planned city in Collier County, Florida built exclusively for Roman Catholics. Everything about the city will reflect Catholic teaching; from the businesses to the school. The city will be anchored, of course, by a huge church in the center of the town. We are curious here at Dancing on the Head of Pin, if an Anglican had 200 million dollars to invest in an Anglicanville, what would it look like? What do you think?

Steve +

PS: Sunday's sermon "Pretending to Know (and afraid someone will ask)" is now online.

Founder of Taize Murdered

2005-08-17T10:53:00.000-04:00

During the evening prayer on Tuesday 16 August, in the midst of the crowd surrounding the Community in the Church of Reconciliation, a woman - probably mentally disturbed - struck Brother Roger violently with knife blows. He died a few moments later.

In its sorrow, the Taizé Community thanks all those who are supporting it by their affection and their prayer. On the morning of 17 August, after Brother Roger’s death, the following prayer was read in the church:

“Christ of compassion, you enable us to be in communion with those who have gone before us, and who can remain so close to us. We confide into your hands our Brother Roger. He already contemplates the invisible. In his footsteps, you are preparing us to welcome a radiance of your brightness.”

The funeral of Brother Roger will take place on Tuesday 23 August at 14.00.

Each afternoon, from 15.00 to 19.00, his body is placed in the church of Taizé, so that all who wish may go and meditate close by him.

Eight years ago, Brother Roger designated Brother Alois to succeed him, as the person in charge of the community. Brother Alois has entered straightaway into his ministry as servant of communion at the heart of the community.

- from the Taize website.

Click here for a response from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

Steve +

DaVinci Code vs. a Nun

2005-08-16T10:31:00.000-04:00

Quite an interesting story concerning the filming of Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code." A nun, Sister Mary Michael, is protesting the filming of the moving in the Lincoln Cathedral (Church of England). The dean of the Cathedral says this on their website:

The book is not in our view offensive to the Christian faith, merely speculative and far-fetched. It is not blasphemous in that it does not denigrate God in any way. Some of what is said in the book about the church and its teaching is heretical and is based on ideas put forward rather late in the church's history.

Apparently, Sister Mary Michael disagrees. Regardless of your side of the debate, the filming of the DaVinci Code does bring up the question of the role of fiction and faith. Churches seem to split pretty evenly over fiction. Some churches I know have had Harry Potter parties and took midnight youth trips to buy the new book. Other churches, perhaps right across the street, have had services condemning the books all together. The same is true with the DaVinci Code. Is it that fiction is a better read than non-fiction? Recent fictional books that deal with faith have been huge bestsellers: Left Behind, DaVinci Code, and depending on your perspective, Harry Potter. Where, or rather, how do we draw the line between fiction that is good and fiction that is bad. After all, isn't all fiction - "not true?" The bigger question may be: has recent fiction dealing with faith become more authoratative than the "non-fiction" book we bound in leather and read from at least once a week?
What do you think?

Steve +

Not Funny

2005-08-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

Sunday's Gospel text is one that it difficult to deal with - not only the obvious problems of Jesus calling a Canaanite woman a dog, but also the implications of his encounter. It is far too easy for us to be exclusive in our love and service. Christianity, as I view it, is exclusive in the sense that there are demands and requirements that adherents must follow. Jesus was very clear about sheep and goats, good fish and bad fish. But our love and outreach should not be exclusive. It should include everyone, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is not our job (thank God) to divide sheep and goats, good fish from bad fish. It is our job to love everyone, serve everyone, and offer the hope found in Christ to everyone. But that is not always as easy and it may sound.

Yesterday's sermon can be found here.

Steve +

Where have you seen Christ

2005-08-11T16:05:00.000-04:00

Years ago in youth group retreats, I remember a small group segment called, "Where have you seen Jesus?" The idea was to move us to think where we have seen the face of Jesus in actions and love. Some would say they have seen the face of Jesus in children, in elderly women, etc. I mention this because the latest ebay relic of Jesus has appeared in a tortilla shell. There are so many ebay relics and other sightings of Jesus or Mary in wood, food, on wall,and so on. These sightings attract dozens, even thousands of people, and they inspire devotion. While I don't rule out the possibility of winking statues and the like, I still think we are more likely to see the face of Jesus in the places he told us - where were gathered in his name.

Steve+

Habemus Sacerdos!

2005-08-08T12:56:00.000-04:00

We have a priest! I don't know if my Latin is correct, but I know I didn't want to try "We have a Rector," Habemus Rectum? On the feast of the Transfiguration, The Right Reverend Henry I. Louttit, ordained me to the Sacred Order of Priests. It was among the greatest moments of my life. The most surprising event, however, happened as the procession of clergy ended outside the church. As I emerged from the building, the clergy applauded and many knelt to receive a blessing from the newly ordained priest. It was a tradition that caught me by surprise, but it was a gesture that solidified the love and bond shared by those in the priesthood, and really all who are joined together through baptism.

Steve+

Pardon the Posts

2005-08-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

I apologize for my inconsistency in posting this past week. I've been a little busy. On Saturday, the Feast of the Transfiguration, I will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests. For the past six months, I have been serving as a Transitional Deacon. Please pray for me and the church. I will be sure to post pictures of the ordination on this blog and at stmichaelsparish.net.

A nod and a wink

2005-08-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

In Hoboken, NJ, there have been reports of a statue of Jesus that opened his right eye and turned his head. The priest, Fr. Michael Guglielmelli said

"As a priest, I'm always open to everything. Whatever lets a person pray is good. If this is from God, one way or another he will let us know. If not, it will fade away."

Read the story on beliefnet.

The sermon from Sunday mentioned crying statues and other miracles.

Growing inside out

2005-07-31T12:29:00.000-04:00

This is a real tomato that once rested on my kitchen counter. As my wife was about to slice it for supper, she saw something strange just under the skin. When she peeled back the outer layer, this is what she saw. A call to a horticulturist revealed that this is an example of seeds sprouting in the fruit (or vegetable, depending on your view of tomatoes). When all the conditions are right (heat, etc.) this can happen. New life growing from the inside. Sounds spiritual doesn't it? New life coming from within. It brings new light to the words to Nicodemus - "you must be born again." This, too, can happen to us - new life bubbling from within...when the conditions are right.

Bon Voyage!

2005-07-28T09:52:00.000-04:00

Last night members of St Michael's attended a going away party. Who is going away? Ultimately, every one of us! So many times we are reluctant to talk about the end of life - especially the end of our own lives. And when that day comes around (which it will!) many of the difficult decisions are left to our loved ones who may or may not know what to do or what our wishes are. The result is a lifetime of guilt not knowing if the deceased's wishes were fulfilled. We tried to alleviate some of the morbid stress that goes along with planning for our departure. Last night we had a fabulous meal, great fellowship, and a guide to help us determine what we want in our medical directive (living will), our funeral service, and some talk about wills. It shouldn't seem strange to plan for our end of life. After all, we prepare for our baptism and for our wedding, why not plan for our funeral as well? It helps us understand the Christian hope in the face of death, it allows us to pick our beloved hymns and scriptures, and it shows our survivors that we did not face death unprepared or with fear and trembling. The Episcopal Church has put out a wonderful resource to help individuals plan for their end of life. This booklet helps guide you through your medical directive, healthcare proxy, funeral, and will.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a 14-year-old kid

2005-07-24T12:25:00.000-04:00

Today's sermon.

Ockham's Razor

2005-07-21T09:37:00.000-04:00

William of Ockham (Occam) was an English Franciscan friar who is known for coming up with the scientific and philosophical razor that states (essentially) all things being equal, the simplest explanation is the best. This was put into great use this morning at St Michael's. For months we have been suffering from poor air flow in our nave and sanctuary. We have been afraid our air conditioning would need to be replaced or at the very least, major duct work would need to be done. No less than two companies have been to the church to diagnose our problem. This morning, our Junior Warden happened to walk to the units where he noticed a gray box. Curious, he opened the box and lo and behold, there was an off/on switch. One of the units was turned off! All the time, effort, and money was spent looking for the solution, while the simplest, most obvious one was overlooked. How often do we, in our own lives, overlook the simplest, most obvious solution to what troubles us? In our Gospel readings the past few weeks (and this week coming) Jesus kept his descriptions of the Kingdom of God very simply and obvious. The kingdom of God is like seed...is like dough...is like a pearl...is like fish. We don't have to spend hours in the library learning philosophical theories and abstract notions of why we are here and who we are. Look at the seeds that grow. Look at the dough that rises. Look at the pearl that is treasured. Look at the Kingdom of God.

Now in Print

2005-07-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

Today I debut as a columnist for the local paper The True Citizen. I will write a bi-monthly column not about religion. My charge is to write social observations, etc. It is my hope that faith will be evident among the jokes, sarcasm, and witty attempts. You can read the column from our website or you can download the .pdf of the newspaper one week after it is published. Don't look for a Pulitzer!

St Macrina

2005-07-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

Macrina (340-379) was a monastic, theologian and teacher. She founded one of the earliest Christian communities in the Cappadocian city of Pontus. Macrina left no writings; we know of her through the works of her brother St. Gregory of Nyssa (page 181). In his Life of St. Macrina, Gregory describes her as both beautiful and brilliant, an authoritative spiritual teacher. Macrina persuaded her mother Emmelia to renounce their wealthy lifestyle and to help her establish a monastery on the family’s estate. Macrina’s ideal of community emphasized caring for the poor and
ministering to the wider community. She literally picked up young women who lay in the road starving. Many joined her order. Gregory credits Macrina as the spiritual and theological intelligence behind her siblings’ notable careers in the Church. Gregory, and their brothers St. Basil (page 269), St. Peter of Sebaste, and Naucratios went to her often for theological counsel. Macrina frequently challenged her celebrated brothers. She told Gregory his fame was not due to his own merit, but to the prayers of his parents. She took Basil in hand when he returned from Athens “monstrously conceited about his skill in rhetoric.” Under her influence, Basil and Peter renounced material possessions and turned away from secular academia to become monks and theologians. Basil and Peter wrote a Rule for community life, ensuring that Macrina’s ideas for Christian community would have lasting authority. Basil, Gregory and Peter all became bishops, in no small measure because of Macrina’s influence, and became leading defenders of the Nicene faith. Gregory visited Macrina as she lay dying on two planks on the floor. He relates Macrina’s last words as a classical Greek farewell oration imbued with Holy Scripture. In both his Life of St. Macrina and in his later treatise of The Soul and Resurrection, Gregory presents Macrina
admiringly as a Christian Socrates, delivering beautiful deathbed prayers and teachings about the resurrection.

Merciful God, you called your servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of your grace and truth: May we, following her example, seek after your wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

- Lesser Feasts and Fasts, July 19

Nation's Largest (Attendance) Church

2005-07-18T08:13:00.000-04:00

In a recent article on the Augusta Chronicle's website the nation's church with the largest weekly attendance (Lakewood Church in Houston) recently purchased the Compaq Center (a sports arena) and added five stories to it. Lakewood Church has an average of about 32,000 worshippers per weekend. There are two things of interest in this article. The most attended church in America does not have a cross displayed in the church or any other traditional religious symbols for that matter. Recently Fr. Frank Logue from King of Peace posted an article about "sugar glazed theology." What does it mean when the largest attended church in our country doesn't have a cross, the symbol of Christianity, in its worship facility? Is this an example of "sugar glazed theology?" Is this a commentary on the state of the church? The cross certainly is offensive - it was meant to be. The cross is representative of a form of capital punishment. But the cross has been transformed into a symbol of Christ's victory over death. The cross represents (re-presents) the irony of our faith - our victory over death comes when we graft ourselves into Christ who died in order that we might live. In order to live we must die (to self, sin) and through death comes life. It is also to note that the pastor of the most attended Church in American Christendom has never been to seminary. Not that you have to go to seminary to be an educated leader, a faithful disciple, or anything of the sort, but without any denominational accountability, 32,000 people per weekend are listening to and buying the books of a pastor who has never been trained. The article stated that the pastor, Joel Osteen, didn't preach a sermon until a week before his father's death and he took over the leadership of the church. This is not meant to be critical, but to invite thought about how we view our Christian leaders. Would you go to a doctor who has not been to medical school? A lawyer who has not been to law school. Of course not. In the Episcopal Church, there is no national rule (canon) requiring priests to go to seminary (while this is the norm), however, there is a rule that the priest must at least undergo extensive theological training administered by the Diocese. Every parishioner in the Episcopal Church can have confidence that their priest has been trained most likely in an accredited seminary, or by the Diocese. In any event it is always a good idea to learn about the people we listen to on the radio, on television, and whose books we read.

Towering above the Stool

2005-07-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

In Anglican circles, the traditional sources of authority when "doing" theology - that is, thinking, writing, and speaking about God - have been scripture, tradition, and reason. This idea came from the writings of Richard Hooker in "Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity." Later theologians came to describe this way of Anglican theology as a three legged stool. Without one of the legs (scripture, tradition, or reason), the stool would fall down. The idea being, scripture must be in conversation with tradition and with reason. The problem this illustration creates is one of equality - that scripture is equal to tradition and reason. Certainly most Anglicans would not agree with this statement. In the latest edition of the Anglican Digest Nashotah House Dean The Very Reverend Robert S. Munday offers a new illustration - one of the tower.
Instead of a stool where all legs are equal, he suggests we view the sources of authority as creating three ascending levels of a tower.

"Scripture is the foundation. Tradition, rests on Scripture and is built upon but cannot go where there is no foundation. Reason rests on Scripture and Tradition and builds upon it but, again, cannot go where there is no supporting foundation."

This eliminates the temptation to view scripture and reason as equal. It also provides balance between the extreme Protestant sola scriptura and the Roman primacy of the Magisterium. Many critics of the Episcopal Church argue that we put other things (such as reason) ahead of scripture. Perhaps Munday's tower will offer more clarity into our theological method.

Steve

"Sudden Death?"

2005-07-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

"In silk black-and-gold pajamas, velvety black robe and slippers, James Henry Smith is at rest.

His feet are crossed, his pack of cigarettes and a beer by his side. Steelers highlights are playing on a high-definition TV screen nearby. With the TV remote in his hand, leaning back in his recliner, a Steelers blanket across his legs, it's like a game-day Sunday.

Except that it's not.

It was last night at Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home in Lincoln-Lemington, and family and friends were filing in to pay their final respects to Smith, whom they called one of the biggest Steelers fans in the universe."

You may have heard about the "die" hard Steelers fan mentioned above who was positioned as if he were watching Sunday afternoon football game. You may have laughed when you first heard the report, but after a while, it just seems strange. When we die there are certain rituals and traditions many families do to honor the life of the deceased. Some families lay out pictures of the persons life and family members and friends will gather around and remember good times shared by all. Most families will tell stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, all the while celebrating life. But what is most important when celebrating the life of a deceased person? Is it the fact that we were avid football fans? Or were good cooks? What about our faith? When members in the Episcopal Church die, we celebrate their faith, their inclusion into Christ through baptism, and we celebrate their life eternal. We celebrate that they are "in the arms of God's mercy and into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints of light." We cover the casket or urn with a beautiful white pall, reminiscent of their baptismal garment and we place the pascal candle, the same candle lit during baptisms and during Easter beside them as well. It is important to remember the lives of our deceased loved ones. It is important to remember their interests and what made them happy. But what is more important? Faith. Hope. Love.

The Reverend James Tramel

2005-07-12T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Reverend James Tramel was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church on June 18. The interesting thing about this ordination is that he is serving a life sentence for second degree murder. To learn more about his story, read Prisoners of Hope from the St Michael's sermon archive.

Steve

Wrath

2005-07-11T00:32:00.000-04:00

The wrath of God is a way of saying that I have been living in a way that is contrary to the love that is God. Anyone who begins to live and grow away from God, who lives away from what is good, is turning his life toward wrath. Whoever falls away from love is moving into negativity. So that is not something that some dictator with a lust for power inflicts on you, but is simply a way of expressing the inner logic of a certain action. If I move outside the area of what is compatible with the ideal model by which I am created, if I move beyond the love that sustains me, well then, I just fall into the void, into darkness. I am then no longer in the realm of love, so to speak, but in a realm that can be seen as the realm of wrath. When God inflicts punishment, this is not punishment in the sense that God has, as it were, drawn up a system of fines and penalties and is wanting to pin one on you. "The punishment of God" is in fact an expression for having missed the right road and then experiencing the consequences that follow from taking the wrong track and wandering away from the right way of living.

-from God and the World, Pope Benedict XVI

Open Ended

2005-07-10T09:18:00.000-04:00

There is a story written by Frank Stockton entitled "The Tiger or the Lady?" that leaves the resolution up to the reader. It's not like the "Choose your adventure" books young adults read, but psychologically it is unresolved. It much the same way the parable of the sower is unresolved. Jesus describes things the way he sees them. The resolution is still open. What kind of soil is God's Good News finding in us?
Today's sermon

In light of disaster and terrorism

2005-07-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make Thy ways known unto them, Thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for Thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by Thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians maybe led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to Thy fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted, or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please Thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities; giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, pg. 814-5

Demonic

2005-07-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite movies of all time is "The Exorcist." I don't know why, but I like it. I have it on VHS, DVD, and I've read the book. I haven't watched in quite a while, however. The problem is, I began to really enjoy it. The occult and exorcisms began to fascinate and in the words of one priest friend, they began to titillate. Now I am certainly nowhere near the same strain as Oral and Richard Roberts, identifying demonic activity left and right and expelling with a firm hand on someone's forehead, but I do believe in evil, and I do believe in evil forces. Yes, the Episcopal Church does have a rite of exorcism, but I don't know what it is. Chances are, I'll never know. The bishop alone determines who can perform an exorcism and what liturgy to use. Why not put it in the Book of Common Prayer? The Episcopal Church is not secretive about our belief in evil, but the Church knows that if we invite unprepared people to dabble in and fight against manifest evil, than we are inviting more harm than good. Evil is not something to play with. The Church Fathers have all been clear that one must be spiritual fit to engage evil head on. This is the whole issue with things like ouiji boards, fortune tellers, seances, and other things that "titillate" our fascination with evil, the demonic, and the occult; it may start out as an innocent fascination, but it could quickly grow into something more, and that is the danger.
A case in point is a former president of a Lutheran congregation.

Steve

I love it!

2005-07-06T23:17:00.000-04:00

Tigers massacre Indians

2005-07-06T09:17:00.000-04:00

That might have been the headline in Detroit this morning. Granted, the Detroit Tigers did not massacre the Cleveland Indians, but they did win the baseball game 3-2 last night. But what if the headline did read something like "Tigers kill Indians?" Even if we aren't die hard baseball fans, chances are we understand the context of the headline, especially if it is on the sports page of the newspaper. But what if that headline was buried for hundreds, maybe even two thousand years? What if people on the other side of the world picked up the headline and read that the Tigers killed the Indians? Do you think they would be thinking about a baseball game or is it possible they would assume the reason why Native Americans no longer populate North America is because of a tiger rout. Better yet, could this be seen as a prophecy to the nation of India? Some great Bengal Tiger might come and demolish one of the most populus nations on the planet!

It sounds silly to us because we understand the baseball symbolism. We know that when we are driving down the road and a pickup truck has the number "3" on the back, that he/she is a Dale Earnhardt fan. We know what the numbers 401k and 1099 mean in terms of the IRS. But people two thousand years from now in another culture may not.

This is the point when reading the Apocalypse (Revelation) of St John. The imagery and symbolism must be looked at in regards to culture and time. Does a beast mean the same to us as it did to them? What about horsemen? Locusts? Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My (all of which are NFL teams, by the way). Tonight we are looking at the symbolism in John's Revelation. Some symbols we will never understand. Some, however, we can make a pretty good guess. In either case, reading Revelation is not near as scary as we once may have thought.

Download the handout

Steve

from the Philokalia

2005-07-05T09:01:00.000-04:00

"Love is the consummation of all blessings, since all who walk in it leads and guides toward God, the supreme blessing and cause of every blessing, and unites them with Him; for love is faithful and never fails (1 Cor. 13:8). Faith is the foundation of waht comes after it, namely hope and love, since it provides a firm basis for truth. Hope is the strength of the two pre-eminent gifts of love and faith, since hope gives us glimpses both of that in which we believe and of that for which we long, and teaches us to make our way towards our goal. Love is the completion of the other two, embracing entirely the entire desire of all desires, and satisfying the yearning of our faith and hope for it; for that which we believe to be and which we hope will come to pass, love enables us to enjoy as a present reality."
- Philokalia, Vol. II (p. 170)

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition.

Steve

O Prisoners of Hope

2005-07-03T08:12:00.000-04:00

"Prisoners of hope, arise, and see your Lord appear;
Lo! on the wings of love He flies, and brings redemption near;
Redemption in His blood He calls you to receive;
'Look unto Me, the pardoning God. Believe,' He cries, 'believe!'"
- Charles Wesley

Today's sermon Prisoners of Hope

The Rapture Rupture

2005-07-01T09:28:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday at St Michael's, we took a critical look at the doctrine of the rapture and the "Left Behind" phenomenon. Take a look at our handout to learn a little about the history of the rapture and why this doctrine hurts our belief in the Second Coming and the Christian view of suffering.

Steve

Top Ten Reasons Men Give for not Going to Church

2005-06-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

The following list comes from a book reviewed in the Augusta Chronicle on June 18. The book is called (not surprisingly) "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow. The Top Ten...Letterman style:

10. I don't have time
9. Church just doesn't work for me
8. It's boring
7. It's irrelevant to my life
6. I don't like the pastor
5. I don't want to talk about it
4. It's too long
3. They ask for money too much
2. It's for wimps
1. There are too many hypocrites there

The one reason that peaks my interest is #5 "I don't want to talk about." The fact that it's boring, irrelevant, too long, etc. are superficial reasons that may mask a deeper one - perhaps #5. What is it that men don't want to talk about? Could it be they (we) realize we are wimps and we need God? Is it because they (we) are hypocrites and don't want to join the club? What you do think?

Steve

Morning Prayer

2005-06-29T08:05:00.000-04:00

Starting in July, every Monday at St Michael's will begin with Morning Prayer. The hope is that ultimately, every morning will begin with corporate Morning Prayer. I make every effort to read Morning Prayer each morning when I arrive at the office. There is no better way to pattern our days. For those who can't read the entire Morning Prayer, the Prayer Book offers wonderful, short daily devotions for individuals and familes on pp. 136-140. If you are at the office and can't pull out your Prayer Book, the best site on the web is provided the St Claire Mission .

"Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Steve

Free Katie

2005-06-27T13:59:00.000-04:00

I saw an advertisement for a t-shirt with those words, "Free Katie" the other day. Of course the shirt was referring to Katie Holmes, the fiancee of Tom Cruise. I have tried to avoid the hoopla over Cruise and Holmes, but the insertion of Scientology has peaked my interest. I have long known that Cruise was a Scientologist as are other celebrities including John Travolta. But I'm saddened by Katie Holmes' involvement. According to a recent news story Katie Holmes is a graduate of a Roman Catholic high school and will have to (if she hasn't already) renounce her Christian faith. The news article also listed some of the Code of Honor from the Church of Scientology. There are 15 statements in the Code of Honor which include:
-Do not give or receive communication unless you yourself desire it.
- Never fear to hurt another in a just cause.
- Never disparage yourself or minimize your strength of power.

Reading these sounded familiar to another "code" I once read. Here are some similar statements from a list of 11 "rules."
- Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
- When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.
- Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

Where did this list come from? The Church of Satan.

Steve

The New/Old Creed

2005-06-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

Recently an Orthodox priest friend of mine, Fr Thomas Moore of Holy Apostles' Orthodox Church read our church bulletin and reminded me that that Creed we call the Nicene creed is technically (he would say more than technically) incorrect. The Nicene Creed used in the West contains the following phrase concerning the Holy Spirit: "who proceeds from the Father and the Son." The original wording of the Creed read "who proceeds from the Father." The Council of Toledo (not Ohio) inserted the filioque clause without the consent of the universal church. This is been a major issue for Roman Catholic and Orthodox relations in particular. In 1985, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church recommended the original wording of the Creed upon agreement from the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Consultative Council, two of the important instruments of unity in the Anglican Communion. In 1988 and 1990 the Lambeth Conference and the ACC agreed with the changed and in 1994 the General Convention of the Episcopal Church agreed to make the creedal change with the next Prayer Book revision.

Why all the fuss? The "double procession" of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, leads one to believe that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son. Orthodox (correct) teaching on the Trinity asserts enthusiastically that in the Trinity "none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal." This comes from the Creed of St Athanasius found on pg. 864-5 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Steve

The Ultimate Subject

2005-06-19T22:52:00.000-04:00

By ultimate subject, I mean the final subject. In other words: death. Friday a beloved member of St Michael's entered the Church Triumphant. Death is always difficult for us who are living. Fitzgerald Bates lived 73 years on earth. She was a school teacher, a cradle Episcopalian, and the first African-American member of St Michael's Episcopal Church in Waynesboro, Georgia. She was intelligent, funny, and wise. For the last few years of her life she was confined to a wheelchair. For Fitz, it didn't matter. Her life was full because God filled her life. On May 22, Fitz and I shared her final Eucharist from her hosptial bed. We joined in praise and thanksgiving along with the angels and archangels in heaven. In other words we mere mortals here on earth were mystically joined with the saints in heaven as we were united in doing what we were created to do: worship God in spirit and truth. At her funeral on Wednesday, we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist. We in the church of St Michael's - the church militant - will join our praise and thanksgiving with the saints in heaven - the church triumphant. In other words, we will be united with those who worship God in heaven for all eternal. Fitz Bates included. May her memory be eternal.

Archbishop of Canterbury on Blogs

2005-06-16T09:27:00.000-04:00

The Calling of Matthew

2005-06-04T22:43:00.000-04:00

Sunday's Gospel Lesson focuses on the call of St Matthew. There is so much involved with his call - his social status as a "sinner," the nature of the disciples of Christ, etc. Sunday's sermon focuses on another aspect of Matthew's call - the fact that he got up and followed in the first place.

DaVinci Code Can't Unlock this Church Door

2005-06-03T22:35:00.000-04:00

According to "The World Over," the weekly news program on the Eternal Word Television Network (Roman Catholic), the leadership of Westminster Abbey (Church of England) has denied producers of the movie "The DaVinci Code" access for filming scenes from the book. The reason for the denial rests on the fact that the book, written by Dan Brown which suggests Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children (whose lineage can be traced to France), is "theologically unsound."

A little R & R

2005-05-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

Typically at Dancing on the Head of a Pin, R&R means religion and reflection, but for the next seven days, it will mean rest and relaxation. Your humble blogger will be on vacation until next Thursday seeking to become a darker shade of pale. To keep your R&R (religion and reflection) up, try the Rev. Frank Logue's blog. If I can find an internet connection in sunny Florida, I'll post something, but until then, I'll see you next week.

Steve

What Book of the Bible Are You?

2005-05-25T10:05:00.000-04:00

For those who have a lot of spare time, there are those who create all sorts of quizes. I found this one "What Book of the Bible Are You?" At the very least, it is interesting...I turned out to be Romans.

You are Romans.

Steve

Sunday's Sermon

2005-05-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Trinity Sunday. St Augustine once said that

"If you don't believe in the Trinity you will lose your soul, but if you try to understand the Trinity you will lose your mind!"

The Trinity is a mysterium tremendum - a tremenous mystery. In the sermon on Trinity Sunday, there was no explanation of how God is three in one - one nature shared by three persons, or how each hypostatsis relates to the other (yikes)...instead we focused on the creative power of the Trinity. God, out of sheer love, created the universe and all that exists therein. God, out of sheer love, calls us to him, so that we may emerge as new creations - dead to rebellion, alive to love.

Click the title for the link.

The Trinity

2005-05-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

St. Gregory of Nazianzus, also called "the Theologian", entrusts this summary of Trinitarian faith to the catechumens of Constantinople:

"Above all guard for me this great deposit of faith for which I live and fight, which I want to take with me as a companion, and which makes me bear all evils and despise all pleasures: I mean the profession of faith in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I entrust it to you today. By it I am soon going to plunge you into water and raise you up from it. I give it to you as the companion and patron of your whole life. I give you but one divinity and power, existing one in three, and containing the three in a distinct way. Divinity without disparity of substance or nature, without superior degree that raises up or inferior degree that casts down. . . the infinite co-naturality of three infinites. Each person considered in himself is entirely God. . . the three considered together. . . I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendour. I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me. ."

- From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Theologia Habitus Est

2005-05-20T21:44:00.000-04:00

If I were to claim a motto, it would most likely be the above Latin phrase, "theologia habitus est" - theology is a way of life. The word "theology" comes from two Greek words, "theos" (God) and logos (word). Theology, therefore, is words about God. The task of theology involves thinking, speaking, and writing about God. When should we think about God? When should we speak about God? When should we write about God? The goal is that this task would permeate our life in such a way that it is second nature; it is a way of life. This is one of the reasons this blog exists - to engage words about God daily. This blog serves one purpose in two ways - it hopefully promotes your thoughts about God and it helps me focus on a habitual engagement of the Divine. Theology is not something reserved for seminary graduates or people in long, flowing robes - it is a task for each of us. With God's help, it will be a task we seek out as it because our way of life.

Steve

The Blessed Virgin Mary and All Thy Saints

2005-05-19T20:02:00.000-04:00

This week Anglicans and Roman Catholics released a document that clarified the role the Virgin Mary occupies in both Churches. The document for the most part affirmed agreement between the largest Christian body (Roman Catholics) and the third largest Christian body (Anglicans) about the person of and devotion to, Mary. The main difference lies in the word dogma. Anglicans may, if they desire, believe that Mary was born without the stain of original sin, and that she didn't die but was assumed into heaven like Enoch and Elijah. But Anglicans do not have to and Anglican Churches certainly do not say this belief is necessary for salvation. Roman Catholics, on the other hand, hold these doctrines to be dogma "definitive teaching of the church which is to be believed by the members of the church" (An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church).

One interesting comment in the document concerned the intercession of Mary (and other saints for that matter) in prayer. The document states: "Asking the saints to pray for us is not to be excluded as unscriptural, though it is not directly taught by the Scriptures to be a required element of life in Christ." The idea of asking saints to pray for us is typically rejected immediately by Protestants, but think about this: do we not ask others in our church, family and friends to pray for us? Upon close reflection, we might come to the conclusion that there is not much difference. Furthermore, most everyone I know has talked to a deceased loved one - either at their grave site of in some other context. If we think our deceased love ones can hear us and care for us in heaven, surely Sts Peter, Paul, Stephen, and the rest (including the Virgin Mary) hear and care for us as well.

For Anglicans, this is certainly not required and will never be imposed on anyone. But it is the traditional practice of the church, and deserves a second look.

Steve

Was Moses at the Last Supper?

2005-05-12T09:52:00.000-04:00

According to an article on beliefnet.com, 1 out of 10 high school students thinks so. The article aruges that there are so many biblical references in Western culture that a working knowledge of the Bible is necessary for students to understand classic literature and Western symbology. The article uses the opening line of "Moby Dick" as an example: "Call me Ishmael." Unless students understand that Ishmael was the son of Abraham and his wife's servant who was ultimately banished, they are immediately lost on the first page. Biblical literacy is not important only for high school or college students - it is important for all Christians. I remember very vividly getting my haircut in an old fashioned baber shop five years ago where the gentlement beside me and his barber started talking about religion. The gentlemen getting his haircut said with pride,"I don't know much about the Bible, but I believe every word of it!" I'm not sure God wants us to approach our faith in that manner. God wants us to love him because we know him. If we are illiterate about the Bible, we are illiterate about God. Dust off that leather bound book and read a few pages. You might be surprised what you find. Click the title for the link to the story.

Steve

When in Rome....

2005-05-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

For the past five weeks we have provided a study on what it means to be an Episcopalian. We have called it the "Mirror Course," because in this study we are essentially looking in a mirror and discovering where we came from, what we believe, how we live, and why we do the things we do. At noon and at 6pm we will look at our traditions and customs. Why do we make the sign of the cross? Why do we kneel when we pray? Why are our services so structured? For many persons entering an Episcopal service for the first time, these questions may dominate their experience. As we will explore today and tonight, there is a reason why we have kept these customs and traditions. Similar to sacraments (our topic last week) these traditions and customs are outward, visible, tangible acts that speak to a deeper spiritual truth. To fully understand the Episcopal ethos, it's important to understand our "manual acts" of prayer. We meet at 12 noon and 6pm in the parish hall. For .pdf copies of our handouts, click the title to link to our website.

Steve

No such number...(Return to Sender)

2005-05-10T09:57:00.000-04:00

Archeologists have discovered an ancient manuscript of St John's Revelation and noticed the traditional number of the beast, 666, is actually 616. This isn't exactly new. There have always been texts of John's Revelation that read 616. Numbers were also associated with letters in Roman society. A = 1, B = 2, and so on. 666 was thought to correspond with Caesar Nero. According to an article on beliefnet.com, 616 corresponds with Emperor Caligula. In any event, the interesting bit in the article was from the high priest in the Church of Satan, 'By using 666 we're using something that the Christians fear. Mind you, if they do switch to 616 being the number of the beast then we'll start using that.' In other words, it's not about numbers or letters, it's about opposition to God. Click the title of this post for the link to the article.

Out of date

2005-05-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me an email concerning the lack of entries on this blog. He was right. Keeping a blog up to date every other week or so does little good for anybody. The same is also true for our faith. Keeping it up to date every now and then is not what God has in mind. It is very easy for us to update our faith once a week on Sunday, or every other week. But what happens Monday thru Saturday? How are we connecting with Christ constantly? There is a wonderful Russian classic about a man who heard a sermon on St Paul's statement that we should "pray without ceasing." The Russian pilgrim took it seriously and spent years trying to discover what this meant, traveling all over the country seeking wisdom from holy people. This was his life mission and nothing else was important. The story is a great example of taking our faith seriously and daily, not just every now and then.

On the spot...

2005-04-12T13:50:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending Rotary today. As I arrived I was quickly asked by a Rotarian if I would give the program. Do what? I wasn't prepared, I had nothing to talk about (except myself) and I barely knew the crowd. I did the program, anyway. Such is the life of faith; finding ourselves in situations in which we are not prepared and are expected to perform and/or respond. On television last night, there was a sitcom rerun in which the actors were playing a game that provided situational questions, like "What would you do if...." It is an interesting concept when applied to faith. What would we do if...
In what situations do we find life, faith, and love challenged or challenging. How do we respond?
It's a good question.

Steve

Dancing on the Head of a Pin

We've Moved!!!

Priest Paroled

Interesting...

March Messenger Online

Ash Wednesday

Some Religious News

You Complete Me

Wing and a Prayer

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity

The Gospel According to Judas

Cardinal Arinze on good liturgy

Ha Ha

I Love You

The Episcopal Church Welcomes You

Theodicy

Runaway theology?

Elevated Speech

Love to Distraction

It's Up!

What do you look for in a church web site?

The Book of Daniel

This Week's Attempt at Humor

Christmas Caroling

For the least, who are the greatest

Yes Virginia

Bishop Louttit's Apostolic Lineage

Wanna be a citizen of Bethlehem?

Closed for Business...

Dying and Rising

10 Most Fascinating People in Christendom

Website Updated

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Where does one draw the line?

Oldest Church in Middle East Discovered

Requiem aeternum

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Caption Contest

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Let's pray not

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It must be the food

The Dreaded Stewardship Talk

Back!

Stay Tuned........

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Maximilian Kolbe

Our First Encounter with Church

An Anglican City?

Founder of Taize Murdered

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Nation's Largest (Attendance) Church

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The Reverend James Tramel

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Open Ended

In light of disaster and terrorism

Demonic

I love it!

Tigers massacre Indians

from the Philokalia

O Prisoners of Hope