Gathering Life for Eternity

Nashotah House Peru Mission 2009

2009-04-13T17:18:00.002-05:00

Check it out here: http://nashotahmissions.blogspot.com/

Sermon: John 1:1-7 ~ The Light Has Come to Shine Through Us

2009-01-13T16:06:00.002-06:00

Preached at Light of Christ Anglican Fellowship (AMiA), Kenosha, WI on December 27th, 2009
The Light has come to shine through us. Merry Christmas! Here we are on the fourth day of Christmas. Anyone get four calling birds today? Three French hens? Well I mention this Carol because it drives home what is an often lost understanding in modern American culture: Christmas does not end on December 25th, it begins! It’s not a day but a season. Twelve days long. It is a time when we can immerse ourselves in the joyful reality that Jesus has come into the world! We’ve celebrated a season of anticipation and hope in Advent. A season where the Church historically prays "Maranatha!" or “Oh Lord, come!” And now we celebrate His arrival into the world. We have twelve days to immerse ourselves in the truth that the Light has come into the world in order to shine through us.
Today’s Gospel is very familiar to many of us I’m sure: “In the beginning was the Word…” It’s the great prologue to John’s Gospel. Why does the Gospel open with these words? Essentially what John is saying is that when it comes to Jesus “Let us begin at the beginning." And where else do we hear “In the beginning…” in the Scriptures? It is these words which begin God’s message to his people. The Scriptures begin at Genesis 1:1 with “In the beginning…” And John is very intentionally using that same phrase here to indicate that in that very same beginning...Jesus! It’s interesting to note a progression among the Gospels. Matthew starts Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham: the first Hebrew. Luke begins Jesus’ genealogy with Adam: the first man. But what does John begin with? Before the first Hebrew, before the man, before the Creation itself…Jesus.
John uses a unique description for Him too. The Word. Well what does this mean? Why does he call Jesus "the Word"? It comes from the Greek λογος which means “reason” or simply “word.” And the incredible thing about John’s use of this particular description for Jesus is that it communicates effectively to a number of different audiences. For the Greeks, like the Stoic philosophers, they would understand this to mean the principle of order that holds the universe together. So for the Greeks "λογος" means something. What about the Jews or the early Jewish-Christians? Throughout the Old Testament the “Word of God” is understood as the creative force. In the Creation account we have God speaking things into being, “Let there be ____, and there was _____.” The Word is also a message: “The Word of the Lord came to Isaiah” for example. So tied up in this description of Jesus as “the Word”, is this sense of the Creative Power and very essence of God and that which holds the universe together. This Word was with God at the Creation. And He is God.
An interesting thing to note is the parallel this passage of John’s Gospel has with the Nicene Creed. For example the phrase “Begotten not made” certainly is suggested when John begins with “in the beginning” as opposed to Matthew or Luke’s “starting with Adam…” or “starting with Abraham…” We also see it in “through Him all things were made."
What we seem to have in today's Gospel is John building for us the identity of Jesus. He is eternal. He was present in the beginning with God. He is God. He is the medium through which everything was created. And then we come to our next point which is also in the Creed.
Christ is Light. “Light from Light” as the Creed says. Or as our Gospel says “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness…” And this bursting forth of the Light is a wonderful hinge for us in our liturgical life together. We’ve come through Advent, a season of longing for the Light to come into the darkness of our world. With Christmas we celebrate the arrival of the Light. But the journey’s not over because we are moving towards the great Christian Feast of Light: the one from which we get our name (Light of Christ Anglican Fellowship). Epiphany. With Christmas we celebrate the arrival of the Light into the world. With Epiphany we celebrate the Light going forth into all the world.
This procession of the Light of the World into the world brings me to the next important section of today’s Gospel. John the Baptist. As I’ve reflected on John the Baptist it seems to me that, in the American Church, John the Baptist doesn’t get much attention. Two Sundays ago Fr. Eirik brought with him the three-paneled icon called a deisis which has Christ in the center with Mary on his right and John the Baptist on his left. In every Eastern Orthodox Church this deisis with John the Baptist is in the center of the Church, a beautiful wall before the altar. John the Baptist stands before millions of Christians throughout the world before millions of altars. So obviously certain Christian traditions think he’s a big deal. And I think we should too. Why? First, Jesus suggests that he’s the role-model of discipleship. “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28) It’s Jesus paradoxical way of exemplifying John in such a way as to urge us to follow his lead. Second, it’s rather remarkable that in a passage meant to explain who Jesus is that John comes up. Anyone else being mentioned at all seems exceptional to begin with, but then considering that someone is mentioned who might we expect? Mary? One of disciples? An angel? No, rather we find John the Baptist. Somehow, tied to the Light coming into the world is John the Baptist and his ministry. And it’s kind of funny because in this passage just when we think we’ve heard the last about John the Baptist, the John the Evangelist mentions him again in verse 15! It’s like he can’t stop talking about John the Baptist! So based upon Jesus, John the Evangelist and the Eastern Orthodox tradition we have good evidence that John’s a big deal.
So what do we see John the Baptist doing here? Why is he a big deal? He's bearing witness. He has one mission. “To bear witness to the Light, that all might believe through him.” The Light has come. And John knew that the reason the Light came was to shine through him. As he says later in the Gospel John the Baptist knew that “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30) We need to make John our example, our role-model. Just like the beautiful deisis in the Orthodox Churches we need to hold his example before us to remind us that the Light has come in order to shine through us.
In this sense we’re like a lamp. We’re meant to contain the Light of Christ so that He can shine though us. Our responsibility as people who celebrate the arrival of the infant Jesus, the Light of the World, is to let Him shine through us. And this has two key elements. First, we have to keep the lens clean in order for the Light which is in us to have its greatest effect. Secondly, we need to direct our light into the darkness. Like John, we need to bear witness to the Light. Jesus says about our Light, "Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:15-16)
Where are you called to bring the Light of Christ? Where am I called to bring the Light of Christ? Look at our relationships first. Our homes. Our families. Our coworkers or our classmates. Friends. Those people we do hobbies or sports with. Then move outward to our communities that we live in. Our State. The World. Henry Blackaby in his book Experiencing God has a great admonition. “Find out where God is at work and then join Him.” Where is God at work in your corner of the world? Pray about where you’re called and then bring the Light of Christ there.
And the Incarnation also informs where we bring the Light. Our Gospel says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God took on human flesh in order to live among us. And the word used for dwell here is the same word used in the Old Testament to describe when God would tabernacle Himself, when His glory would dwell, among His people. Another way to say this is “The Word took on flesh and His glory dwelt among us.”
I’d like to share an example of this theology of the Incarnation from our own Anglican history. In the 19th century in England a revival was occurring in the Church. This revival was known as the Oxford Movement and it has had lasting effects upon, and informs, how we worship today. So what was this revival all about? These Christians were rediscovering the treasures of the Early Church. And central to the foundation of the way the Early Church worshipped and did mission was their understanding of Incarnation, "the Word becoming flesh and His glory dwelling among us." God became matter. And because God became matter, “matter matters.” An early saint of the Church from the 7th century named John of Damascus has a wonderful quote I’d like to share:
"I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake, who willed to take his abode in matter; who worked out my salvation through matter. Never will I cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation!"
The Incarnation, God’s taking on human flesh to dwell among us has dignified it. Jesus has “graced” matter by taking on matter. This is why we as Anglicans reverence the bread and the wine in the Eucharist, it’s why we find value in water and oil which has been set apart for blessing and healing. It’s why we value symbols like the Cross or the colors in the vestments that clergy wear. Not because these things have value in and of themselves but because they represent, they point to, the inner reality of the Incarnation. Christ's dignifying of matter.
Throughout the history of the Church these were important because of what they represented however at the time of the Oxford Movement this theology of the Incarnation had become weak. The Eucharist was celebrated with a small amount of reverence. Clergy didn't vest. Things such as candles, a Cross in Church or even making the sign of the Cross were considered scandalous. A priest could even get thrown in jail for using them. And the Oxford Movement brought back things like frequent celebration of the Eucharist, vestments, candles, etc. But not because they liked playing dress-up. They did this because they thought that matter mattered, because God said so in the Incarnation of His Son, and that worship ought to be beautiful. As the Psalmist says, “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” They wanted to bring the beauty of the Lord and His worship to the drab world of the slums of England.
This lack of “color” in worship common to their day was in some ways symbolic of the drabness that had entered the ministry as well. During this time, for most, going into the priesthood was a career move. The profession of a gentlemen, like becoming a doctor or a lawyer. It was motivated by a desire for income and prestige. The Oxford Movement reclaimed the priesthood and said it was a calling from God which one ought to abandon themselves to completely. Why? The Incarnation. Because Jesus abandoned Himselg completely to the Father's will for our sakes. And because the dignity which Christ brought to matter such as bread, wine, oil, water or symbol paled in comparison to the dignity Christ brought people. Christ’s Incarnation dignified and made present Himself in every human being and was present in "the least of these" in the slums. This was the era of Oliver Twist. Horrendous slums. Children working in factories. Hunger. Three and four families crammed into a small tenement with no heat. Filth in the streets. And it was in these poor that Christ was present. Just as Our Lord says in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, “Whenever you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto me.” These men and women went into the slums to abandon themselves to God's will and bring Christ and the beauty of His holiness to "the least of these."
Another tradition the Oxford Movement recovered was what's called reserving the sacrament in the tabernacle. The tabernacle is a special place to keep the bread of the Eucharist, which is a way to acknowledge Christ’s presence among us and focus our devotion towards Him. One of the defining statements of the Oxford Movement of our Anglican forebears was said by missionary bishop Frank Weston, “You cannot worship Jesus in the tabernacle if you do not pity Him in the slum.” And this drove these priests into the slums of London were they lived and died among the poor: risking cholera during epidemics to minister to people and bring beautiful worship to an otherwise drab world. They wanted to let the Light of Christ shine through them.
This theology of the Incarnation ought to motivate us as well. We cannot claim to honor Jesus in the Eucharist and not have compassion on Him in our neighbors, can we?
Christ is the Light who came into the world to shine through us. May we follow the example of our Anglican Forefathers and honor Jesus in the Sacraments and minister to Him in our neighbors. May we follow the mighty example of John the Baptist and bear witness to the Light. May we embrace the Light which has come and allow it to shine in and through us into the world. And may we make today’s Collect our prayer as we enter into the Celebration of the Incarnation: “Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives…” Amen.

Seminarian Humor from Yours Truly

2008-12-11T14:42:00.002-06:00

Christmas Gift Ideas

2008-11-30T23:54:00.005-06:00

OK...so I'm not trying to promote capitalistic visions of holiday $hopping. But the fact is, one of the ways we remember God's most incredible gift in His Son Jesus Christ's coming to earth, is by giving gifts to one another for His birthday. That said, I've added some links for Christmas Gift Suggestions in the left side column of my blog. This is all stuff I truly believe in and support: Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, some of my favorite Children's Books (including a few Christmas-specific titles) and Monk E Gifts which I just discovered.
Land of a Thousand Hills is absolutely one of the finest coffees I know of (and I'm a total coffee snob) and they're helping rebuild Rwanda and support Christian ministry with 30% (!) of their sales.
Monk E Gifts is a one-stop resource where numerous monasteries from all over the country who have a specific trade can sell their items. They have tons of cool stuff. I especially think the Spa Gift Basketts are a really nice idea but they have all kinds of chocolates, fruit cakes, music, you name it. Check it out. Your purchases help support real Outposts of Faith and Prayer which are doing good work for Jesus in the world.
Finally, Kid's Books. I love good kids books. And I'm especially a big fan of the lives of Saints for kids. Who better to have as role models than godly "superheroes"? These are some of favorites that I love to share with my Mancub, neices & nephews, god-children and other wee friends. An especially wonderful Christmas book is the story of the real St. Nicholas.
As I've said recently, if we must spend money, why not spend it in places that are doing good work in the world? And while I don't know what kind of charitable work Amazon is doing, they do bless me with a small percentage of your purchases and for that I thank you.
May you enjoy a blessed Advent and and glorious celebration of the birth of the Savior!

Wendell Berry

2008-11-22T22:49:00.003-06:00

OK, so I feel a bit daft. I've just discovered Wendell Berry. How is it I've never come across him before? He is a champion of Crunchy Con sensibilities and...check this out...he was born, raised and lives in the same county my Grandma and Grandpa lived in Kentucky. He's from Newcastle and that's the big town we'd go into to grocery shop, etc when we visited my grandparents tobacco farm.
He's described as a defender of the family, traditional family farms, local economies and rural communities. He's written tons of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. He doesn't own a computer and hand-writes all his work which his wife then edits and types on a typewriter. He still farms and plows with draft horses instead of a tractor and uses an outhouse. (Not unlike my great-granfather in rural Kentucky in the 1960's). I can't wait to start reading his stuff.
I stumbled across his 17 rules for the healthy functioning of sustainable local communities. He summarizes ideals I've tried to live by for a long time. I'm preparing to dive into his Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays and after that would like to check out What Are People For? I've listed his 17 rules here for you:

1. Always ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community? How will this affect our common wealth.
2. Always include local nature - the land, the water, the air, the native creatures - within the membership of the community.
3. Always ask how local needs might be supplied from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbours.
4. Always supply local needs first (and only then think of exporting products - first to nearby cities, then to others).
5. Understand the ultimate unsoundness of the industrial doctrine of 'labour saving' if that implies poor work, unemployment, or any kind of pollution or contamination.
6. Develop properly scaled value-adding industries for local products to ensure that the community does not become merely a colony of national or global economy.
7. Develop small-scale industries and businesses to support the local farm and/or forest economy.
8. Strive to supply as much of the community's own energy as possible.
9. Strive to increase earnings (in whatever form) within the community for as long as possible before they are paid out.
10. Make sure that money paid into the local economy circulates within the community and decrease expenditures outside the community.
11. Make the community able to invest in itself by maintaining its properties, keeping itself clean (without dirtying some other place), caring for its old people, and teaching its children.
12. Sees that the old and young take care of one another. The young must learn from the old, not necessarily, and not always in school. There must be no institutionalised childcare and no homes for the aged. The community knows and remembers itself by the association of old and young.
13. Account for costs now conventionally hidden or externalised. Whenever possible, these must be debited against monetary income.
14. Looks into the possible uses of local currency, community-funded loan programmes, systems of barter, and the like.
15. Always be aware of the economic value of neighbourly acts. In our time, the costs of living are greatly increased by the loss of neighbourhood, which leaves people to face their calamities alone.
16. A rural community should always be acquainted and interconnected with community-minded people in nearby towns and cities.
17. A sustainable rural economy will depend on urban consumers loyal to local products. Therefore, we are talking about an economy that will always be more cooperative than competitive.

Monks Rock!

2008-11-21T10:48:00.003-06:00

We have to spend money. Therefore it behooves us to be intentional about where we spend it. If you have to buy coffee, for example, why not buy it from a Land of A Thousand Hills which gives 30% of its profits to Rwandan widows and orphans and is helping create a local economy? You need to buy ink and toner for your computer printer? Why not buy them from Cistercian monks who use proceeds to help fund all kinds of wonderful ministries?
Ta Da! Meet Lasermonks! They're cheaper than Officemax, and as I said, you're both helping support a community of men who have committed their lives to prayer and serving Jesus and helping fund good stuff.

You can click here for there website. So next time you need toner, remember...Lasermonks!

Another great monastery is St. Benedict's Abbey in Bartonville, IL. They're friends of mine and I've done some retreats there. As you prepare to do some Christmas shopping, check out their gift shop (click here). They're a great bunch of guys and I'm very to commend them to you (I highly recommend the fruit-cake-in-a-jar and the hot sauce).

Sermon: Psalm 1 ~ Stand as Saints

2008-11-19T10:37:00.003-06:00

Will we choose to stand firmly as a saint or slip away like a scoffer? There’s a quote which has recently become very dear to me. It comes from the Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann, a Russian Orthodox priest and theologian who is a great source of inspiration in my walk with the Lord. If you’re not familiar with his Journals they’re wonderful reading and I highly recommended them to you. The quote is this…

Then how should one live? Gather life for eternity, which means to live life as
being eternal.

That is the picture the Psalmist is painting for us in Psalm 1. He is answering the question “How should one live?” Answer? Gather life for eternity. And eternity, this sense of permanence or stability is at the heart of this Psalm. We have two contrasting images. Eternity, permanence or stability on the one hand versus slipping away, a downward spiral or being blown away like chaff on the other.
Another image in Psalm 1 is that of a path. And the Psalmist seems to lay it before us as a choice. He gives these competing images as if to say, “Here are the two ultimate options for your life. Choose.” Interestingly he begins by presenting the negative imagery. “Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!” So he begins by saying what ought to be avoided in order to be happy, or blessed as other translations render it. And you’ll note an interesting pattern here. Those “who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful.” Walked. Lingered. Sat. It’s an incredibly insightful picture of how we can be seduced away from the Lord isn’t it? It’s not as though one day we are completely solid in our walk and the next we’re firmly planted in wickedness. No, it’s a process. And it begins when we’re willing to listen to the “counsel of the wicked”, to be influenced by those whose chief priority is not the Lord. Whether it’s friends, family, the things we listen to on the radio, watch on TV or movies, magazines we read. It’s sitting idly by and allowing those things which are not of the Lord to seep into our soul. This is entertaining the “counsel of the wicked” and we must avoid it. At this point, says the Psalmist, we’re still in motion, we’re walking. But then it degenerates into “lingering in the way of sinners”. We’re not just tolerating ungodly things, we’re spending time there. We’re hanging out there. And then finally we stop and make our home there. We “sit in the seat of the scornful.” Unlike “walking” or “lingering” which imply a passive toleration “to sit in the seat of the scornful” means to actively participate in the mockery of the sacred. We become a mocker, a scoffer. And this is why we have to be so careful to guard where we walk. To guard our path. And I think this is especially pertinent for the young adults among us. To be especially thoughtful about how you spend you’re time, who you spend it with, what you spend it doing.
I’d like to illustrate this with a story about two friends. When they were young men they met shortly after giving their lives to the Lord. They shared their joy in their newfound faith together, partnered in ministry together, shared their new families' lives together and for a number of years seemed to be on the same path. Both of them came from similar backgrounds, had similar struggles and (initially) similar levels of discipleship. Same kind of guys. Same path. You’d think they’d wind up at the same destination wouldn’t you? Sadly, this isn’t the case. Fast forward a decade and these two men, who had started at the same point on the same path, arrived at two very different destinations. One of them became an ordained minister in the Church. The other went through a bitter, painful divorce after succumbing to adultery; declaring bankruptcy and finally found himself hospitalized after alcohol, drug and gambling addictions nearly killed him. How did these two men arrive at such vastly different destinations? One of the key differences was the choice whether to guard their path or not. Again, same kind of guys, similar backgrounds, similar struggles, similar levels of discipleship, same starting point but two different destinations. One clearly identifiable difference was the choice “not to walk in the counsel of the wicked”. Not to allow oneself to receive influence from those things which are not of God. While it may seem like a small choice now not to associate with a certain individual, or avoid certain TV shows or movies, or music, or magazines, or places, or activities I can attest that a small choice not to avoid “the counsel of the wicked” now can lead to a trail of pain and brokenness years ahead. We must guard our path diligently. And I say this especially to you young people. Think carefully about how you spend you time and who you spend it with. It can change the entire course of your life. Because these choices will lead to one of two things. Standing among the saints, or slipping away with the scoffers.
So how do we stand among the saints? How do we gather life for eternity? As I said, first, we need to guard our path. This is our spiritual discipline of abstinence. But what is a discipline of engagement? The Psalmist sums it up with one phrase. “Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night.” This leads to the question, “What does it mean to delight in the law of the Lord?” Innately we all have some sense of what it means, but let’s unpack it a little.
Often when we think of “the Law of the Lord” what do we immediately think of? Rules. The Ten Commandents. The Law of Moses. The 613 mitzvot that pious Jews keep. That certainly is one definition. And we can broaden the scope to the Word of God, the Bible, the Old and New Testaments. To delight ourselves in the reading, studying, “marking and inwardly digesting” of God’s Word. This is very close to what the Psalmist is driving at here but it still comes up a bit short. What the Psalmist is driving at, that thing we ought to delight in, is the entirety of God’s divine will. One commentator summarizes it this way, “It is not merely study and intellectual awareness that bring divine favor. Study of the law is suggestive of the correct attitudes and behavior that should result from an awareness of and commitment to God's moral will.” Not merely study and intellectual but the correct attitude and behaviors that result from a commitment to God's moral will. One translation of this verse puts it this way “he finds pleasure in obeying the LORD's commands.” To delight in the Law of the Lord is to find pleasure in obedience to God’s will. Our greatest delight ought to be in the things of Him.
We ought to do some personal inventory and ask ourselves, “What is it that I delight in?” What are the ways that I find pleasure in obeying God’s will? What are some areas of life that I can work on this? And what are some things that need to go to make room for this?
The other half of this verse rounds it out for us. To “meditate on his law day and night.” So what does this mean? The original language carries the connotation of muttering to oneself, pondering, or speaking to oneself. So this means to speak to yourself God’s will day and night. I’m reminded of Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing”. In the Eastern Orthodox Church one application of Paul’s exhortation here has been manifested in what’s called the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The book the Way of the Pilgrim describes a man who, after hearing the Epistle to the Thessalonians read in Church, wants to learn to pray without ceasing and so is instructed by his spiritual director to pray this prayer daily: first 1,000 times a day; then 3,000; 6,000 and so on. It sounds incredible. [It may beg the question: Is this what Jesus was speaking against in Matthew 6:7 when he says, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words”? No! The key adjective is empty and to pray in the Name of the Lord in faith is never empty.] And as this pilgrim prayed this prayer it trained his mind and his heart to be in a state of constant awareness of, responsiveness to and communion with the Lord. He was meditating on God’s will day and night. So our prayers are one way we meditate on the Law of the Lord.
Another practical way to do this is to memorize the Scriptures and speak them to yourselves throughout the day. Memorize a Psalm. Memorize this Psalm! Μemorize the Beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, a short Epistle. [I suggest Jude!] Fill your mind and your heart with the Holy Scriptures and speak back them to yourselves, pray them to the Lord. Meditate upon Him. Day and night. One of the commentators I read has a great line, “An individual is formed by what one loves and reflects on continually. What delights us invades us.” To be invaded by our delight in the law of the Lord, invaded by our pleasure in obeying His will. What do we know about being invaded? Invaders take over. Isn’t it a wonderful thought to be completely taken over by pleasure in obeying the Lord?
So as we see, one of the hallmarks of the righteous person in this Psalm is consistency. Stability. To stand as a saint requires our consistency. And the Psalmist makes two very clear pictures for us of this. A fruitful tree and chaff blowing away. Why the image of a fruitful tree? Because a tree that is bearing fruit is fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. When we delight in the law of the Lord and meditate upon it day and night, we are fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. We are gathering life for eternity. We are standing firmly as a saint. May we cultivate the discipline of meditating on the law of the Lord, of finding pleasuring in obeying His will, of asking ourselves what we delight in, in guarding our path that we can be found like a tree planted by a stream of water, fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. Amen.

Deaconing with Bp. Godfrey

2008-11-01T20:34:00.012-05:00

As those of you who read this blog know, I spent two weeks in Peru last January visiting the Anglican Diocese of Peru which is under the care of an incredibly inspiring father-in-God, Bishop William Godfrey. This week he was here at Nashotah House to received an honory Doctor of Divinity degree and then speak at our Missions Conference. The Missus, the Mancub and I had a lovely week hosting the Bishop, his wife Judith and their son Fr. Matt. And today I had the joy of serving as deacon for him at the Eucharist, my second ever diaconal liturgy. What a joy and a privilege!

the Ordination of a Deacon

2008-10-25T21:05:00.009-05:00

Here's a quick photo-journal of my ordination on Thursday night.
The six ordinands, or "My six-pack" as our bishop has dubbed us, as we're processing into the Chapel clad solely in our white albs.
Standing before the bishop, seated in front of us, making our vows.
Prostrating ourselves before the altar as the Litany is prayed over us.
The bishop charges us with the responsibilities of our new ministry.
The bishop lays hands upon my head and prays, "Therefore, Father, through Jesus Christ your Son, give your Holy Spirit to Joel; fill him with grace and power, and make him a deacon in your Church."
I am then vested in a deacon's stole.
And then in a dalmatic.
The bishop then places a Bible upon my head and prays, "Receive this Bible as the sign of your authority to proclaim God’s Word and to assist in the ministration of his holy Sacraments."
We are then presented to the congregation as the six newest deacon's in Christ's Christ.
Here we are at the altar as the Eucharist is prepared.
Here we are processing out joyfully singing our Seminary Hymn, now clad in the stole and dalmatic of a deacon.

Our bishop with his "Six Pack" (and the two assisting priests and his chaplain in the back row).

The new deacon with his bishop, father-in-God, mentor, hero and friend.

Here's mancub helping Daddy clean-up after our reception. One of the jobs of a deacon, as outlined in the Acts of the Apostles, is to be a table server. Looks like the Mancub already has a handle on how to be a servant. Praise God!

Becoming a Deacon

2008-10-17T22:34:00.007-05:00

So what is about to happen to me? And how do I feel about it ? Well, I'm terribly excited as this is the realization of many years of longing to serve Our Lord's Church in Holy Orders. I'm also humbled by the huge responsibility I'll be charged with which is best articulated in two places: St. Paul's first epistle to Timothy...

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much
wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith
with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve
as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives1 likewise must be
dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons
each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own
households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for
themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 1
Timothy 3:8-13

And in the Ordination Rite with which the Bishop will ordain me...

My brother, do you believe that you are truly called by God and his Church to the life and work of a deacon?
Answer I believe I am so called.
Bishop Do you now in the presence of the Church commit yourself to this trust and responsibility?
Answer I do.
Bishop Will you be guided by the pastoral direction and leadership of your bishop?
Answer I will.
Bishop Will you be faithful in prayer, and in the reading and study of the Holy Scriptures?
Answer I will.
Bishop Will you look for Christ in all others, being ready to help and serve those in need?
Answer I will.
Bishop Will you do your best to pattern your life and that of your family in accordance with the teachings of Christ, so that you may be a wholesome example to all people?
Answer I will.
Bishop Will you in all things seek not your glory but the glory of the Lord Christ?
Answer I will.
Bishop May the Lord by his grace uphold you in the service he lays upon you.
Answer Amen.

Please do pray for me, as well as the Missus and the Mancub as we prepare to serve the Lord and His Church in this new commitment. Glory to God for the wonderful privilege!

My Diaconal Ordination...Glory to God

2008-10-06T16:07:00.006-05:00

God Willing and the People Consenting,
The Right Reverend Keith Lynn Ackerman, DD, SSC
Eigth Bishop of Quincy will ordain

David Morrison Adams, Jr.
Colin Moore Ambrose
Frank Rosser Dunaway, III
Joseph Robert Hermerding
Rodney Shane Hurst
Joel Allen Prather

To the Sacred Order of Deacons
In Christ’s One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church

Thursday, the Twenty-third of October
In the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Eight
At Five o’clock in the Evening

The Chapel of Saint Mary the Virgin
Nashotah House

Your prayers are requested

Thank You

2008-10-05T23:11:00.003-05:00

As many of you know I just overhauled this blog. One of the things I've added is a counter to see how many folks actually visit and I'm shocked! Apparently I've already had 60 visitors since Oct. 1st. So if you're a regular visitor let me know by leaving a comment on a blog entry you enjoy, I'd love to hear from you.
Also, if you're an Amazon.com shopper and are not currently making purchases to benefit another organization would you consider using my links here? It doesn't cost anything extra and I get 4% of your purchase in Amazon gift certificates which I intend to use to build my pastoral library. Again, thanks to everyone who read this. I hope it's a blessing to you.

St. Francis of Assisi

2008-10-04T22:30:00.005-05:00

Today the Church remembers one of my heroes, St. Francis of Assisi. In a sermon last year I had the privilege to speak of the things I find so inspiring about him. He was a man who deeply desired to be faithful to Jesus and to really live the Gospel. As a result he helped the Western Church find it's true love again and started a reformation that preceeded the Protestant Reformation by 300 years. He's most commonly remembered for his love of creation which I find unfortunate because this pales in comparison to his passion for deep intimacy with Jesus. Another little known fact is his desire to peacefully share Christ with Muslims, evidenced by his crossing enemy lines during the fifth crusade to preach the Gospel to the Sultan who was so impressed that he sent him away with gifts of fruit and ice!
Today I also remember the birthday of my Great Aunt Ida, may she rest in peace and rise in glory, and had the pleasure of spending a wonderful day with her son, my cousin Gordy, and his wife Anne: walking under newly changing leaves along the lake here, touring the chapels at the seminary, ringing the Angelus together (great fun!), going to the local gelateria (fruit? ice? who says gelato isn't a Franciscan devotion!) for gelato and espresso and sharing a dinner together around our table talking about our family, their numerous and wonderful recipes and their ancestral Italy over sausage and pasta. Truly a fitting way to celebrate Aunt Ida and St. Francis.

Escaping from Darkness to the Light of Love

2008-10-03T10:04:00.004-05:00

So as I've mentioned previously I've been intending to read the Brothers Karamazov for way too long and finally begun last week. I'm not far along but am already struck by the depiction of one of the main characters, Alyosha, in Chapter 4. I find it a wonderful description of what living in the manner of Christ can look like:
He was simply an early lover of humanity, and that he adopted the monastic life was simply because at that time it struck him, so to say, as the ideal escape for his soul struggling from the darkness of worldly wickedness to the light of love...In his childhood and youth he was by no means expansive, and talked little indeed, but not from shyness or a sullen unsociability; quite the contrary, from something different, from a sort of inner preoccupation entirely personal and unconcerned with other people, but so important to him that he seemed, as it were, to forget others on account of it. But he was fond of people: he seemed throughout his life to put implicit trust in people: yet no one ever looked on him as a simpleton or naive person. There was something about him which made one feel at once (and it was so all his life afterwards) that he did not care to be a judge of others that he would never take it upon himself to criticise and would never condemn anyone for anything. He seemed, indeed, to accept everything without the least condemnation though often grieving bitterly: and this was so much so that no one could surprise or frighten him even in his earliest youth. Coming at twenty to his father's house, which was a very sink of filthy debauchery, he, chaste and pure as he was, simply withdrew in silence when to look on was unbearable, but without the slightest sign of contempt or condemnation....
Everyone, indeed, loved this young man wherever he went, and it was so from his earliest childhood. When he entered the household of his patron and benefactor, Yefim Petrovitch Polenov, he gained the hearts of all the family, so that they looked on him quite as their own child. Yet he entered the house at such a tender age that he could not have acted from design nor artfulness in winning affection. So that the gift of making himself loved directly and unconsciously was inherent in him, in his very nature, so to speak. It was the same at school, though he seemed to be just one of those children who are distrusted, sometimes ridiculed, and even disliked by their schoolfellows. He was dreamy, for instance, and rather solitary. From his earliest childhood he was fond of creeping into a corner to read, and yet he was a general favourite all the while he was at school. He was rarely playful or merry, but anyone could see at the first glance that this was not from any sullenness. On the contrary he was bright and good-tempered. He never tried to show off among his schoolfellows. Perhaps because of this, he was never afraid of anyone, yet the boys immediately understood that he was not proud of his fearlessness and seemed to be unaware that he was bold and courageous. He never resented an insult. It would happen that an hour after the offence he would address the offender or answer some question with as trustful and candid an expression as though nothing had happened between them. And it was not that he seemed to have forgotten or intentionally forgiven the affront, but simply that he did not regard it as an affront, and this completely conquered and captivated the boys...

New Blog Title

2008-09-30T23:55:00.004-05:00

So I've changed the title of my blog. We'll see if it sticks. The original title "Revelation 4" was taken from my love of this Chapter of the New Testament and how it shapes and informs my worship and my orientation to the world and to Christ's Church. Nonetheless, it's ambiguous. So much of where my heart is at is concerned with how to disengage from the distractions we all face as we live in modern, media-glutted, consumer, over-achieving, Suburban America. So what do I think we're distracted from? Christ. Glory. Family. Virtue. Tranquility. Celebration. Joy. Life. So often we settle for cheap imitations. Schmemann's quote in my previous blog has been resounding in my heart all day and so we'll try it on for size as the new title to this blog. Regardless, I pray my reflections in this blog encourage those who read it to truly gather life for eternity.

Gather Life for Eternity

2008-09-30T10:42:00.006-05:00

A great quote from the Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann dated Monday, September 23,1974:
Then how should one live? Gather life for eternity, which means to live life as being eternal. To sow perishable goods, so that "after" death they would rise up indestructable. But one can choose to live "gathering death," to live by "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16) which is already a torture, already death. One can choose to submit to daily bustle, to empty one's soul, to serve idols - a dead end - death...
It seems this is the question that Americans especially, and all people, have before us. Do we fill our soul's by gathering life for eternity or do we gather death by submitting to the daily bustle, serving idols?

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

2008-09-24T15:34:00.010-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I need to read more great literature (and have been saying this for far too long). I'm drawn to Russian literature, art, worship, culture, you name it...maybe it's the Kievan blood my great-grandfather Dmente Prokopenko, a.k.a. David Prokof, has given me. Anyhow, I've been enjoying reading the Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann and he writes about his friendship with Solzhenitsyn. This lead me to read Solzhenitsyn's 1978 Harvard Address and in it he makes a statement which resonates deeply with me which I'd like to share. I think it captures the spirit of some of my recent posts.
He is speaking here of the suggestion that the United States might offer a cultural model for the oppressed Russian people. The struggle for "three decades for the people of Eastern Europe" hits home for me, I can remember as a little kid the friends and family coming to the U.S. from Communist Poland to my great-grandma's house and telling us stories of the endless lines one had to stand in for food and the political suspicion they constantly lived under.
I most like this excerpt from Solzhenitsyn's speech because he shows the danger of becoming shallow when we're immersed in leisure and plenty. Of course, we should give abundant thanks to God for all we have, however, this prosperity does not absolve us from pursuing "whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy."
But should someone ask me whether I would indicate the West such as it is today as a model to my country, frankly I would have to answer negatively. No, I could not recommend your society in its present state as an ideal for the transformation of ours. Through intense suffering our country has now achieved a spiritual development of such intensity that the Western system in its present state of spiritual exhaustion does not look attractive...
Six decades for our people and three decades for the people of Eastern Europe; during that time we have been through a spiritual training far in advance of Western experience. Life's complexity and mortal weight have produced stronger, deeper and more interesting characters than those produced by standardized Western well-being. Therefore if our society were to be transformed into yours, it would mean an improvement in certain aspects, but also a change for the worse on some particularly significant scores. It is true, no doubt, that a society cannot remain in an abyss of lawlessness, as is the case in our country. But it is also demeaning for it to elect such mechanical legalistic smoothness as you have. After the suffering of decades of violence and oppression, the human soul longs for things higher, warmer and purer than those offered by today's mass living habits, introduced by the revolting invasion of publicity, by TV stupor and by intolerable music.

Books I've Been Reading Lately

2008-09-18T12:25:00.005-05:00

In light of my last post, I've spent exponentially more time reading. Here's what I've been reading...
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
A gift from my buddy Jeff in Omaha. Hilarious, superby written humour with the perfect quirky character.
Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships by Randy Frazee
I heard this author talking about "Hebrew Day Planner" and was intrigued. He champions the Convivium; or nightly family dinner with conversation, maybe some spiritual devotions, maybe just a boardgame...but having the Table be the center of the day, the home and the family. Good stuff.
Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God by Voddie T. Baucham Jr.
I saw him with my father and brothers-in-law at a men's conference. Τhe theme is how to create a family with multi-generational faithfulness to Jesus. Inspiring reading.
the Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann by Alexander and Julianna Schmemann
Ahhh...Schmemann. Like a cold drink of sweet tea after spending the day in the dry, hot sun. He understands what life in Christ and the Church should be. Truly an inspirattion to read. Themes are life, light, joy and beauty in Christ in the mundane things of the world.
Suprised by Hope and For All the Saints by N.T. Wright
Fantastic! Both are about what a proper, biblical understanding of "life after death" is (and how most of the culture, including Christians, has it wrong) and how having a proper understanding of this reorients our lives.

Saints, not Suburbanites

2008-09-03T11:25:00.011-05:00

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are

just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ~ Phil 4:8

Mediocrity...suburban American malaise....the frog in the pot...becoming a lemming... lack of inspiration: these are things I fear have characterized the last year for me.

The symptoms of the disease?: Too much television, not enough reading. Too much Jim Belushi-George Lopez-Ray Romano-Homer Simpson, not enough Fess Parker and Ben Cartwright. Shopping at the Big Box where I don't know anyone vs. the Ma 'n Pa shop where I know Ma and Pa. Eating dinner at McTacoBee's vs. our family dinner table. Sitting at an air-conditioned, halogen lit Charbucks for a $6 grande no-fat extra-dry half-caff' mocha-latte-cheeno instead sitting in the fresh air breeze in my front yard in glorious rural WI with cup of coffee from my kitchen with my neighbors.

A lot of different things, including what I've written above, have gotten me thinking about the verse above. For examle: going to a town fair and seeing the disparity between a band singing beautiful harmonies to the sound of clean, crisp, musical guitars and drums and doing it for the sheer pleasure of it vs. having my eardrums blown out by the screaming and distorition of drunken middle-aged men trying to relive their Senior year of high school 25 years later..."Dude!" Seeing myself and my friends and family glutted by TV, movies & video games vs. great literature or board games. Going to the mall or the movie theatre vs. Old World Wisconsin or the park.

As I said, much of this has been a sense of frustration with myself because I've spent too much time in column A pursuing mediocrity instead of beauty and virtue. We visited very dear friends of ours recently in Omaha and had a wonderful time of fellowship and respite. One day I said to my dear buddy Jeff, "I don't read enough great literature. I really need to read more classics like the Brothers Karamazov." He looked at me and replied "You've been saying that to me for ten years Joel". And he's right. It made me think about how much time I spend living unintentionally and in mediocrity. Sitting down and turning on the TV, not because there's something specific I'm interested in watching but, just because I'm lazy and/or bored. Or always wanting to eat out instead of sitting at the table in our home. Or wasting an entire evening watching a mindless movies when I could be playing a board game with friends or family. Or constantly thinking about the stuff I want (that I convince myself I need) instead doing things that build the virtue and character of myself and my wife and son. Spending my leisure time doing things that are mediocre instead of things that fill me with inspiration and life, things that help me become the more true and real version of Joel Allen Prather that Our Lord Jesus Christ intends.

So I have a new Rule of Life I'm gonna give a try which is simply spending my time on things that are "true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy." I want to live like a Saint, not a Suburbanite.

Crunchy Cons?

2008-07-27T21:51:00.007-05:00

Being in seminary has made me think a lot about self-identity lately. Not in the deep, penetrating psychological sense but more in the "what labels fit me, if any?" kind of way. Like all good Americans, I'm in search of a demographic provided by U.S. News & World Report which my identity can easily be absorbed into (hee hee) and...voila! now I've found it. I...ladies and gentleman...am a "Crunchy Con". What's a Crunchy Con you might ask? It's a term which basically means right-wing valued people who eat, drink, shop, socialize, educate, read, etc. like left-wingers. Here's a link to the Crunchy Con Manifesto as well as a good overview in this article.

So what sets me apart from typical Christian Conservative types and lands me in the Crunchy Con camp? I drive a Subura, eat organic meat & produce, wear Birkenstocks and Burt's Bees, want to home school, always prefer local/small/family businesses to megaplexes, am a Bradley Method Dad, pick bluegrass, read First Things as well as Mary Jane's Farm, road bicycle and watch the Tour de France, live a sacramental life, am suspicious and skeptical of media-driven pop culture-laden suburbia, embrace the world's food/music/culture and listen to NPR especially Garrison Keilor.

In many Christian circles that description would qualify me as anywhere from "kind of liberal, isn't he?" to "a dirty hippie". No worries.

All in all does it really matter to fit into a demographic? Nah. Is it nice to know I'm not the only weirdo like me? Sure. Nonetheless, I encourage you to read the Crunchy Con Manifesto. It gives pause for reflection on a lot of things American Suburbanites take for granted. Such as "Why do we send our kids to public school? Just because everyone else does? Or because it's best for our specific child?" Or "Who's going to invest more in my community? Wal-Mart or Merton's farm up the road where I buy my eggs?" Or "What fosters the best in our kids? Nintendo? Or reading the Classics?" Of course I don't shun public school, Wal-Mart or Nintendo. But I do try to think about why I'm doing it and if it's the best choice. Crunchy Cons seems to value virtue, beauty, community, health and family. And they make those decision for themselves rather than letting the next summer blockbuster, Oprah and Dr. Phil, Starbucks and Old Navy tell them what values to pursue.

So raise yer freak flag high for Jesus, organic produce, home-schooled kids and Lake Woebegon.

Sermon: Trusting God When We Give What Up Cherish Most ~ Genesis 22:1-14

2008-07-14T20:57:00.004-05:00

Preached at Three Pillars Nursing Home in Dousman, WI on June 27th, 2008...
In today’s reading we have the story of Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac, which is probably as familiar to us as it is confusing. So what is it all about? Well, we have Abraham…whom the Bible describes as the father of all who believe: He’s our forefather in the faith. But why isn’t this special place given to say Noah, or Adam? It can all be boiled down to one word: Trust. He is the example par excellence of what it means to trust God.
All throughout Abraham’s life God gives him opportunities to trust. These start with God asking Abraham to leave everything he knows and go somewhere completely unknown. God says, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” And I know many of you have left everything to go somewhere unknown too, like Maria and Wanda have done (Eastern European immigrants who live at the Nursing Home I'm working at), you’ve left your country and your family to come to here to America. That’s what Abraham did. And it was an incredible act of trusting God.
Abraham’s entire life was characterized by God giving him these opportunities to trust and all of these culminate in our story today. God asks him to give up Isaac, his only son. Now, this is the son Abraham had dreamed of and prayed for his entire life; when all hope seemed lost, when Abraham was 100 years old, God miraculously gives him his son Isaac. All his dreams had come true. But now God was asking Abraham to give up Isaac, the son he cherished.
And I know all of you have had to give up things that are precious when you came here to Three Pillars (the Nursing Home). You’ve had to give up careers, and homes, your old neighborhood; living near your children and grandchildren. You’ve had to say good-bye to some dear friends as they’ve passed on. And most painful of all, you’ve had to say good-bye to your husbands or wives who died. There are so many things you’ve had to surrender, those things you’ve cherished the most.
So what does this have to do with Abraham being our forefather in faith? Well, the reason God chose Abraham to be our forefather in the faith is because of his example. Abraham trusted God even when he had to give up the things he cherished most in his life: his country, his family, even his own son. Abraham is the ultimate example of trusting God when that’s the hardest thing to do.
But it’s not a blind trust. Rather, it’s a trust that is based upon the absolute reliability of God. We can trust God because He’s reliable. Just as Abraham said at the end of today’s story “The LORD will provide”…I believe that God always provides what we need. Maybe not what we think we need, or what we want; but what God knows we need. God loves us so immensely and so incredibly that he will never let us down. Now I realize that’s a daring thing to say, that God would never let us down. But I believe God proved it to us when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place and pay the penalty for our sins. God Himself knows what it’s like to surrender someone he cherishes, and loves more than anyone else. This is God’s evidence that He’ll never let us down.
And we need to follow the example of Abraham and when we’re struggling with the things we’re called to give up; when it’s scary, or lonely, or confusing, or frustrating, or painful we need to trust God. And the beautiful thing is that when we have those days where it’s difficult to trust Him we can pray and say, “Lord I’m, having trouble trusting You, please help me.” Which is what the Psalmist did today, he begins the Psalm with a lot of despair “How long O LORD, will you forget me forever? How long shall I have perplexity in my mind and grief in my heart, day after day?” Does that sound familiar? (Raise my hand). But how does he end, “But… I put my trust in your mercy, my heart is joyful because of your saving help.” The Psalmist ends by reminding himself of God’s saving help. We need to do likewise. Like the Psalmist we need to go to God and talk to him about our struggles with trusting. But then we also need to listen for His answer. And the most tangible way to listen to God is by reading His Word, the Bible. And so I’d encourage you to spend time reading the Bible and hearing God’s answers to you. And if you’d ever like someone to read the Bible with you David, or Marcus, or myself; or Sunny (the other Chaplains) would absolutely love to read the Bible or pray with you.
So may we follow the example of Abraham, and when we have to give up the things we cherish most, may we trust God.

Sermon: Inscribed on His Palm ~ Isaiah 49:8-16

2008-07-14T20:36:00.004-05:00

Preached at Light of Christ Anglican Fellowship in Kenosha, WI on May 25th, 2008...
Before our son Jude was born each day I would lean over and say to him in Tammy’s tummy, “This is your Daddy, and I love you.” And after he was born I changed it to a question, “Who loves Jude?...Daddy loves Jude.” When he was an infant I would say the question and then answer it for him. And then when he started to talk I would ask him, “Who loves Jude?” and he would reply, “Daddy loves Jude!” And the reason I would do this every day is because I wanted to ingrain in him, at the core of who he is the truth that I love him. So that no matter what the circumstances, he would never question that Daddy loves Jude. I still ask him that question every day. And as we’ve entered toddler-hood there’ve been those times when he’s needed to be disciplined and afterwards I’ll ask, “Who loves Jude?” “Daddy loves Jude.” Of course, in that moment he might not feel as though Daddy loves Jude, but I want him to know that even when it doesn’t feel like it, Daddy always loves him.

And this is where we find Zion in today’s reading. They don’t feel like God loves them. They’ve been disciplined and it just doesn’t feel like God loves them anymore. So what happened?

Isaiah is writing about 750 years before Jesus and he’s prophesying to Israel about what will take place 150 years in the future. And it’s a prophecy of judgment. You see; they’d been rebellious, and sinful and turned against God. And Isaiah is prophesying to them that they’ll be disciplined for their sin and disobedience. He’s prophesying about what will arguably be the worst event in the history of Israel: the Great Exile into Babylon and the destruction of the Temple.

One of the greatest sources of security Israel had was their land. It was the sign of God’s promise to them. It was the symbol of their Covenant with God. And as long as they were in the land, they could rest securely in that promise. But Isaiah's prophesy is that their greatest source of security, their land, would be stripped away. They’ll be exiled to Babylon. And not only that, but the symbol of their identity will also be destroyed: the Temple. The Temple for them was the source of their ethnic identity, their political identity, and their faith identity…it was where the Presence of God dwelt among them in the Holy of Holies and where their sins could be atoned for. Isaiah is prophesying to them that all of their security and the source of their identity will be destroyed. Why? They’re being disciplined.

Isaiah lays out how it is they’ll be disciplined and then we see a shift in his message. He begins to tell them of a Servant. And this is where we find today’s passage. It follows one of the Servant Songs of Isaiah, a more notable of these is Isaiah 53 which describes the Suffering Servant. Each of these describe the Servant who will restore Zion. In verse 6 immediately before today’s reading we see the mission of the Servant summarized: "to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." And so we shift from a prophesy of judgment to one of restoration. God has just told Zion about the Servant He will raise up to restore them, and He then goes on to describe for them how He’ll do it. And how does He tell them about their restoration? He woos them.
In English we lose the poetry of this passage. When God is speaking in this passage he’s using poetic language. And the sense I get when I read this and studied it in Hebrew was that it was like a poem or even a lullaby. God is telling them what their restoration will look like by wooing them, by singing them a lullaby. There’s an almost sing-song sort of rhythm as God is speaking to Zion. It’s beautiful language; peaceful, comforting. The Lord is extending His hand to reach out to them in love. But how does Zion respond? As Isaiah exhorts them to? By "singing for joy” or “exulting”? No. After all these words of comfort and compassion; after the Lord reaches out His hand to them they say, “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” The LORD Himself is telling them of His comfort and compassion and yet they feel forsaken and forgotten. Why?

It’s because they think that God is who their circumstances say He is. Not who He’s telling them He is. They have let their circumstances dictate to them who the LORD is for so long that they can’t even consider another picture of God, even if He Himself tells them! It is as if they been driving down the same old road for so long that the tire ruts are so deep they can’t turn and get out of them anymore. God tells of His comfort and compassion and all they can feel is forsaken and forgotten. And why do think they’re forsaken and forgotten? Because they think they’ve out-sinned the love of God. They rebelled against God and were disciplined harshly and therefore they feel abandoned by God, or maybe they feel as though they don’t deserve his love because they’ve “sinned too much”. God is reaching out His hand to them telling them how He will intervene smack into the midst of their circumstances, into the midst of their exile, and restore them; but they don’t believe He will or that He wants to because they’re feel like they’re not worthy.
And how does the Lord respond to Zion? He tells them that His love for them surpasses even the most powerful kind of human love: that of a mother for her baby. He uses the imagery of motherhood to paint a picture for them of the depth of his tenderness and compassion for them and how he will never forsake them or forget. And He uses imagery which may seem a little starnge to us today. He says He’ll inscribe their name upon His hand. But what does that mean? What exactly is He saying when He says this? Once again He is using imagery of tenderness and intimacy. For the ancient Hebrews the palm of the hand was a symbol of intimacy, of closeness, of being cherished. Like placing your palm on your loved one's cheek. And God says it is exactly in this place, the cherished place, that He will inscribe Zion’s name.
When we hear this in English I think it might conjure up imagery of writing a name on your hand with a laundry marker, pretty permanent, but eventually it’ll fade. This is not the imagery the LORD is using. The word Isaiah uses for “inscribe” is the same word used elsewhere in the Old Testament for engraving or carving. Utterly permanent. The Lord is telling Zion, “Just like something is etched in marble, that is how your name is kept in my cherished place. You’re name is carved in the palm of my hand.” And I can’t help but think of palms of the hand of Jesus. Which were also stretched out for the restoration of God’s people. And that in a sense, our names were carved into the palms of His hands by the nails He was crucified with.
It is the hand of God, which is reaching out to us that we need to cling to when we’re letting our circumstances tell us who God is and we can’t hear who He is telling us He is. Because just like Zion we get stuck in those ruts. We don’t believe that God will intervene in our lives. Or we don’t believe that we deserve it. We might hear stories of missionaries or “super-Christians” who have miraculous healings or provision or protection and we believe God does it for “those extra-holy Christians” but we don’t believe He will for us. We read the book of Acts and relegate those miracles to the lives of the Apostles. We tell ourselves we’ve out-sinned the love of God. Or even if we know in our heads that the Lord forgives us and desires to restore us, we don’t live our lives like we believe it. So what do we do?
We have to stop and look at what we believe about God. Do we believe that he desires to restore us? To forgive us. To transform our lives. No matter where we’re at. No matter how far we feel from Him. And do we believe that He will intervene in our lives? That by His grace He’ll transform us. That He will fashion us more and more into the image of His Son; and that we’ll be less and less that broken image of ourselves. Once we’ve identified those wrong attitudes, those areas where our faith is broken, we need to say, “These are the ways I’ve wrongly believed who God is” and let them go at the foot of the Cross. Once we’ve done that we need to fill ourselves with who God says He is. Just like Zion, He’s telling us who He is and how He’ll restore us. He’s reaching out His hand to us.
That’s why we need to allow ourselves to hear God’s voice every day. We need to be in God’s Word; reading, studying, memorizing it and reflecting on it. We need to make time for prayer and worship, to be face to face with God. We need to be connected to other believers: to meet for discipleship or mentoring or spiritual direction, and to have accountability and as James says, “confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” All of these are ways in which God communicates to us who He is. They are ways He reaches out His hand to us. Through our faithfulness in our spiritual disciplines we build our foundation of faith. We live our belief that God is who He says He is. And when our circumstances want to get the best of us and tell us something false about God, or our feelings deceive us, our faith will help us to see His Hand reaching out. The hand that has our name etched into its cherished place. The hand of Our Lord Jesus, which was pierced that we might be restored. If we commit ourselves to knowing God through a disciplined spiritual life then in those moments when our feelings deceive us we’ll be able to hear His voice calling out, “Who loves you?” “Daddy loves you.”

Visit to St. Vladimir's Seminary

2008-06-04T20:40:00.005-05:00

Greetings all from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary just outside New York City. So as you can see I've been in communicato for some time now. The end of the semester workload was intense but I am now officially a Senior!

This past weekend we celebrated the life of our dear friend and brother-in-Christ John Fawcett who went to be with the Lord after a long battle with cancer. His funeral was actually one of the most glorious worship experiences I've had and certainly a fitting celebration of John. Please do pray for his wife Margie and two young children Charlotte and Josiah.

So as I said, I have the joy of coming to St. Vlad's for a conference hosted by the Fellowship of St. Alban & St. Sergius. It's a treat to be here with three of my comrades from Nashotah House, along with two of our faculty and my Bishop, who is one of the keynote speakers (I've never been to New York City so it was fun to go to a neighborhood grocery deli for a pastrami Rueben too). Tomorrow is the Feast of the Ascension for the Orthodox Church and so tonight we attended the Ascension Vigil. Two candlelit hours filled with incense, beautiful harmonious singing; psalms and intercessions and being anointed by His Eminence Kallistos Ware in the spiritual home of one of my favorite authors and theologians, Fr. Alexander Schmemann. St. Vlad's Press is also the publisher of some of the Mancub and me's favorite books, which include the most incredible illustrations by an artist named Niko Chochelli, I highly recommend you get some for the children in your life.

I'll try to post more while I'm here. In the meantime I pray you all are enjoying a blessed summer.

Precious in the Eyes of the Lord is the Death of His Saints

2008-05-27T12:34:00.005-05:00

JOHN WILLIAM FAWCETT

friend of God

10-21-61 to 5-27-08

Dear friends, this morning an incredible saint of God passed from this life into the Glory of Our Lord. John Fawcett was my friend and an incredibly important part of my spiritual formation, having taught me the deep things of what it means to worship Jesus. Thank you John for your godly life, and godly death, which you shared with us. Please pray for his wife Margie and children Charlotte and Josiah as they grieve his loss.

Sermon: the Road to Emmaus ~ Luke 24:13–35

2008-04-16T12:14:00.006-05:00

Preached at Light of Christ Anglican Fellowship in Kenosha, WI on April 8th, 2008...
In this morning’s Gospel St. Luke is writing in such a way as to communicate two messages to his audience. The first is what he made clear at the beginning of his Gospel which is “to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.” (v. 3-4) To simply provide a record of the events of Jesus’ life, and that of the nascent Church, just as a journalist or historian would. The second is his intention to convey, by the way he writes, some deeper truths and patterns for the early Church.
The Road to Emmaus is about how Christ is revealed. How He was revealed to Cleopas and his traveling companion, and how Christ is revealed to the Church and to us.
Our Gospel this morning begins on the day of Christ’s Resurrection, the women have just returned from the empty tomb to tell the Eleven of their encounter with the Angel who proclaimed the Resurrection and reminded them of all that Jesus had told Him about Himself. The scenes changes and the camera pans to two disciples walking down the road talking. They’re leaving Jerusalem for Emmaus. They’re headed home. And this is a strong indication of the condition of their hearts, because as they themselves say, they heard the testimony that Christ had indeed been raised (v. 22-24) but what did they do? Headed home. Contrast this with Peter’s response, what does he do? (v. 12) “But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.” Peter runs towards the tomb and when he confirms what the women say, he marvels. On the contrary these two disciples aren’t interested in confirming it. They leave town disbelieving. Their hope that Jesus was the Messiah crushed.
Into this sad walk home steps Jesus who “drew near to them” to engage them in dialogue. And it’s at this point that we find the first of a few unusual things. First, they are prevented from recognizing Him. It’s not that their grief, or tear-filled eyes, or their presumption that He’s dead is confusing their ability to recognize them. They’re prevented from recognizing Him.
But why might they be prevented from recognizing Him? What if they did recognize Him immediately? They would be elated, ecstatic and respond much like Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb and Peter. But if this happened something important would be lost. You see, one of the problems these two disciples had is that they had forgotten what the Scriptures said about the Messiah. And obviously they’d forgotten what Jesus had told them about Himself. They needed to be firmly planted in what the Scriptures teach about Messiah in order to properly understand Jesus. But if they had immediately recognized Jesus this opportunity to be instructed and firmly rooted in Jesus’ identity as the Messiah foretold by Scripture might have been lost in the moment. And a correct understanding of who Scriptures say the Messiah is, is absolutely crucial to our faith isn’t it? It’s like when an airplane’s travels 1 compass degree off its intended course. If you go ten miles, you’re not too far away from your destination, but travel 100 or a 1,000 miles with your compass 1 degree off and you’re nowhere near your destination. Properly understanding the Messiah, and having this understanding firmly planted in what the Scriptures foretell about Him, is so important that Jesus prevents His disciples from recognizing Him in order that He might instruct them in this most important Truth. What an incredible teaching it must’ve been to have Our Lord “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
What do these two reflect about it? That as Jesus did so their hearts were burning within them. To me, it creates this image of the refiner’s fire. They have some dross of wrong belief in their heart, about who Jesus is, and as the Lord teaches them their hearts burn within them, the dross is burned away and what is left is a pure belief in the Messiah.
The second unusual feature is when and how Jesus is finally revealed to them. It’s not once He’s done teaching them. That would seem to make sense wouldn’t it? He’s taught them, corrected their misunderstanding and then…BAM!...He reveals himself. But He doesn’t. It’s also not when they beg Him not to depart but stay with them. This would seem to be an opportune moment to reveal Himself to them. They’ve been taught and then beg Him to stay with them. They certainly seem ready to recognize Him. But He doesn’t reveal Himself here either. No. Where is He revealed to them as Messiah? In the breaking of bread.
They recognize Him in the breaking of bread. Is this random? Is it because at that moment they finally recognized something familiar about Him? His gestures. His hands. The specific prayer He used to bless the bread? Maybe a particular phrase that He had always used before? Is it a coincidence that they recognize Him in the breaking of bread? No. Why not? Because what happens the instant they recognize Him? He vanishes. He would not do something as miraculous, as dramatic, as His vanishing without a specific intention. There was a reason He vanished. And there was a reason He vanished at the precise moment He did. It was because He wanted to punctuate that He had revealed Himself to them in the moment in which He broke bread. Imagine your at the Eucharist on Sunday and immediately after Fr. Eirik (our priest) breaks the bread and says “Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us…” then whoosh! He disappears. Gone. Vanished. You would remember that Eucharist for the rest of your life wouldn’t you? Jesus didn’t vanish after the teaching. He didn’t vanish before they could urge Him to come stay and eat with them. No. He vanished after they recognized Him in the breaking of bread. After instructing them in Scriptures about Himself, the Messiah revealed Himself in the breaking of bread.
And so we have Luke’s journalistic narrative of this event. What about the deeper Truths he’s communicating to his audience, the Early Church? The modern scholars, as well as the early Saints and Fathers of the Church agree that the way in which Luke describes the breaking of bread here is his classic way of describing the Eucharist throughout his Gospel and the Book of Acts. What Luke is driving at by his specific use of language is that “the risen Christ will be present to his assembled disciples, not visibly, but in the breaking of bread.” What he’s driving at for his audience is that, just as the Lord was revealed to the Emmaus disciples in the breaking of bread, he can be revealed to them, and therefore to us, in the breaking of bread.
And this emphasizes how crucial for our Christian life our participation in the weekly Eucharist is. You see, these disciples had been with Jesus for some portion of the last three years of their life. Jesus taught them that the Messiah would suffer and rise in three days, as they themselves indicate when they said, “And it is now the third day.” They had likely witnessed Jesus miraculously break bread in the feeding of the 5,000 and His many other miraculous signs and healings. But in three short days since His crucifixion they’d forgotten it all. They were leaving town. A tragedy occurred and they’d forgotten all they’d been taught…and by Jesus Himself!
And it’s not much different for us. We come to worship Jesus in our celebration of the Eucharist each Sunday and often have those days where we feel great joy, or strength, or faith during our worship. But then Monday comes…life. Now, we don’t always face a tragedy like these two disciples did but we still have distractions: jobs, kids, school, family, bills and homes. And our rooted-ness in the Truth about the Messiah can wane and get watered down by these distractions. We begin to forget that He is who He says He is, who the Scriptures say He is. And He starts to become who we think He is or who we think He ought to be. Or who are circumstances may be trying to tell us He is. But all of these are false.
This is why our liturgy begins with the proclamation of God’s Word: the reading of Holy Scripture, an exposition of these Scriptures by the preacher and then an affirmation of who the Messiah is in the Nicene Creed. All of these have the power to burn away the dross of mistaken belief in our hearts. To correct our compass when it’s just that one degree off.
You see our faith is an anchor, and our instruction in the Word is like adding more weight to that anchor. It makes us more stable in our Faith. Less easily tossed around by the waves of life. This is why it’s so important to return each week to the Eucharist: to the celebration of the Word and the Table. Because if these two disciples, who were instructed by Jesus Himself, can go astray in three days, be tossed around by the waves of life, how much more can we in seven?
But beyond mere correction, don’t our own hearts often “burn within us” when we hear the Word? A particular verse of Scripture, something the preacher says or a point we profess in the Creed touches us in a meaningful and powerful way and “jumps out” at us. We need to make room for the Word to burn within our hearts regularly and one of the best places for this is in the weekly Eucharist.
And then we move from the Word to the Table. To that place where Our Lord so strategically chose to reveal Himself to us as He made so clear by His preventing, revealing and then vanishing from these two disciples. Jesus desires to reveal Himself to us in the breaking of bread. As the Holy Scriptures teach, and our Anglican heritage has inherited, we believe that Jesus is truly present under the forms of the bread and wine. Jesus is revealed before us in our celebration around the Table, in the words of institution prayed over the bread and wine and in the bread and the wine itself, His most precious body and blood.
This is why the weekly celebration of the Eucharist is the anchor of our Faith. And why it is so important to return to it each week. To dispel our doubts and distractions, to reorient the compass of our belief, to allow the word to burn in our hearts and to receive the revelation of Jesus in the breaking of bread.
So we’re faced with a decision. When the waves of life toss us around how will we respond. Will we forget what the Scriptures say and leave town, like these two disciples? Or will we respond like Peter, who ran towards Jesus and when He discovered the empty tomb marveled? May we respond like Peter and run towards the revelation of Jesus available to us in our weekly celebration of the Eucharist.