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Showing posts from 2015

Merry Solstice?

No, I am not becoming a druid or forsaking the birth of our Savior.  I have always been fascinated by astronomical time and how we humans keep track of it since I was in second grade and saw a play trying to explain why we have leap years.  (Where did that extra time come from?)  The scientific age is ever-ready to explain all celestial phenomena, but there is an element of mystery that still eludes us.  The days are a bit more than 24 hours and the years are a bit more than 365 days long, but it all seems to work, so we make the adjustments we need to order our lives and carry on. The element of mystery was obvious to our ancient ancestors. They understood the significance of tracking time to know how to order their lives and built temples to sun gods to acknowledge its importance.  It follows that feasts and festival would be established to celebrate such important occasions.  What better way to get through the longest night of the year if not with a big party? Such traditio

It's God Calling!

December 17, 2015 is the 10 th anniversary of my priestly ordination. I am amazed that a decade can feel like a blink of an eye.  It is still a privilege to offer myself in God’s service and I am exceedingly grateful to share this ministry with others who love God just as much as I do.  There are always challenges, which are really opportunities to see what God is up to and where God is calling us to be. I do believe we all have a calling from God – to use the gifts and talents we have been given to bring about God’s kingdom on earth. The secular world tries to convince us that those talents should be exploited to make as much money as possible in order to be fulfilled.  That is a false idea of vocation.  There are too many people in this world who “make a comfortable living” and are completely miserable while doing it. Others purse their passions and while living hand-to-mouth. In his book Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC , Frederick Buechner offers, “The place God calls you

Blue Christmas

2015 has been a difficult year at St. Barnabas.  Two of our beloved members, Bill Eldred and Helena Hrinkevich, died and entered into eternal glory. Many members have also experienced loss of close family and friends.  Several members are dealing with major health issues, their own or those of family members.  Each of these events are significant on their own, and as a whole they can feel overwhelming.  It was only year ago that Bill was diagnosed with cancer.  His absence has been deeply felt this year.  Helena had not been able to come to church for a while, but we all knew it was important to have her “spot” ready for her in the back of the church when we replaced the pews.  It is ready for someone else now. We have cause to feel blue this holiday season for one reason or another, and it is important that we recognize the reality of how our circumstances have changed over the last few years. Things are different because people we love are no longer with us or things we once

Let Love Concur Fear

I have been saddened and overwhelmed with news about the Syrian refugees.  It is difficult for me to fathom being in a situation where the only choice is to flee everything one knows – home, family, culture, country – with only what one can carry into an unknown and uncertain future, except for the hope that it will be safer.  It is mind boggling to me that millions – MILLIONS – of people around the world (not just Syrians) make that choice every year due to civil war, autocrats and oppression. From my safe tower in the west, I could easily judge or turn a blind eye, but I can’t.  As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have promised to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself.  There is nothing in that statement that says I must vet them before loving them. The rhetoric around this situation is deep and thick, pitting one side against another of whether or not the USA should allow refugees into our country.  Fear, rage and judgement rule all sides of this argumen

Thanksgiving and Thanks-taking

While most of us are brought up to say “Thank you” when someone does something for us, it can feel rote or empty.  I think that part of what Thanksgiving helps us do is re-member what giving thanks is about.  It is recognizing that another has had an effect on your life (usually good) AND you want to acknowledge it in some way.  The precipitating action might be opening a door or wishing you a good day. Simple enough, yet it is the fact that the other made a small sacrifice to step outside themselves by recognizing another human and did something kind.  These gracious acts are freely given and we accept them graciously by replying, “Thank you.”  There is grace underlying our giving thanks.  Grace – a gift freely given for which we do nothing to warrant – binds our relationship with God.  We are made worthy of God’s love and salvation by grace, and for that we give thanks, always and everywhere. While God does more for us than open doors or wish us a good day, the foundation is the

Celebrating Christ as King

The term “king” may feel antiquated to us living in the age of presidents and prime ministers. Many countries that still have royal families also have some form of democratic governance that does most of the work of running the country.  While I would hesitate to call Queen Elizabeth a “figure head,” her power lies more with tradition than tactics. The examples of inherited nobility we see in Holy Scriptures leaves much to be desired. Even the great King David abused his authority to get what he wanted (Bathsheba) rather than what the people needed.  How, then, are we to reconcile our earthly understanding of the term “king” and claim it with any sort of integrity for Jesus, who we celebrate as “Christ the King” this Sunday? First, we must recognize that our language is limited and it can only go so far in capturing the meaning in which it is endowed, yet, it is the best tool we have to express our understanding of the world.  We also acknowledge that God is wholly other, a myster

Commitment Sunday

What does a commitment look like to you?  Is it an appointment on the calendar, a handshake, a ring?  We use the word “committed” to say we will attend an event and to keep our vows to a spouse or partner, but do we mean the same thing?  What do we mean when we say we are committed to God and accept Jesus as our Savior?  What does it mean that God is committed to us? These are valid and difficult questions.  Part of our life together in the community of believers we call St. Barnabas is to help support each other as we strive to understand such quandaries.  We may even say we are committed to supporting each other in our life in Christ.  (BCP p. 303) Commitment to a Christian life involves responsibilities and sacrifices.  In our Baptismal Covenant, we vow: to believe in the Triune God, to continue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship with prayers and breaking of bread, to persevere in resisting evil and repent when needed, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to see

Advent - Already!?

As most of you know, I am not a fan of rushing seasons, especially when it comes to Christmas and Easter.  Our secular culture has put us into a fast-forward mentality, anticipating what is next before we even have a chance to enjoy what is.  Not only is this not healthy, but also it can be detrimental to our spiritual formation, especially when we cannot recognize an encounter with the mystery of God in the here and now.  Ironically, it may seem that I am “rushing” the season of Advent by starting it 3 weeks early, however the intention is to expand our experience of Advent rather than rush it. I offer a reflection from The Very Rev. William Petersen, PhD, DD, founder and convener of the Advent Project Seminar in the North American Academy of Liturgy.  He introduced the 7-seven week Advent in 2011 and invited churches to try the practice. Why Expand Advent? Two principal reasons come to mind. First, the churches long ago lost the Advent season to what I call the “Christmas cult

All Saint's Day - A Family Reunion

Family reunions are not a part of my life experience. My mother was an only child and my father’s family lived far enough away that we didn’t visit much.  On those rare occasions when we did visit – usually around a death or wedding – I felt surrounded by strangers who shared stories I didn’t know.  I knew I was connected to these people in some way, but it didn’t feel organic, like when I was with my nuclear family. There are times when coming to church can feel that way, knowing that all the people in the space are connected, but not quite knowing how to tap into those underpinning narratives.  While we sense a familial bond, like I did at those long ago family gatherings, we also feel disconnected because we don’t necessarily know each other’s stories.  Yet we know we are connected by our shared Christian story.  We come together baptized into the Body of Christ, sharing the identity of being God’s beloved children.  We tell the stories of faith passed down to us over centuries

Ockobertfest of Ministry!

Being of German heritage, the idea of an Ocktober Fest appeals to me, although I don’t drink much beer nowadays (too much gluten!).  We can, however, re-purpose this time of enjoying the fruits of our labors in other ways.  It seems especially fitting to do so during our discernment time about Stewardship to consider all the gifts and talents God has given us and how we can give those back in service to God. Yes, we need financial resources in order to run an organization, but we also need energy and enthusiasm in order to do the work God has given us to do.  It may be helpful to discern where our gifts and talents can be the most helpful by first knowing what our gifts and talents are.  In Scripture, these are known as “spiritual gifts” and are described by Paul in several of his letters.  A condensed list is: Administration, Apostleship, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Healing, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Shepherd, Prophecy, Serving/Ministering, Teaching,

Being A Good Steward Through Humility

As a child, I remember a poignant anti-littering campaign with “the Crying Indian.”  These commercials (staring an actor named Iron Eyes Cody) did to me exactly what they were intended to do – to have a visceral reaction to someone else’s pain toward careless consumption and waste.  I remember getting angry at my father for throwing an apple core out of the car window – only to be (rightly) told it would decompose and actually help the earth.  This was my early ecological education (or lack thereof), tied mostly to emotional conviction to “do the right thing.”  Unfortunately, no one really explained to me the realities of the cycle of garbage.  We even had a compost pit in our backyard that was put on the garden, but I didn’t know that was eco-friendly.  I do remember driving by the garbage dumps off of I-95 near Newark and holding my breath because it smelled so bad, but didn’t think about the amount of garbage that 4.5 billion people (in 1980) make or where it went.  Then there

Smell the Leaves!

I love autumn.  It is my favorite time of year as nature puts on a show of sights and smells.  From the colors of the leaves to the smell of leaves on the ground (yes, I like that!), plus the cooler temperatures, I enjoy God’s wondrous creation. What is even more awe-some is that there is nothing that humans can do to make all of this happen.  It is an established pattern that plays out year after year over which we have no control.  While I am sure there are some that wish they could control the falling of the leaves when and where that happens – I believe the subtle variations each year remind us who the Creator is, and that it isn’t us! Such insight should garner both our gratitude and acceptance of the created order.  As part of that order, we need to understand our place within it rather than trying to work above or around it.  No longer can we separate what humans do in our daily lives as if it doesn’t matter “in the long run” on how creation works.  We cannot control the weat

B.Y.O.Bible!

Things are getting exciting around St. Barnabas this October!  Starting on Sunday, we have several initiatives that will be happening simultaneously.    1)       Year of the Bible In order to get better acquainted with our sacred Scripture, rather than have a bulletin insert with the Scripture readings for the day, we are encouraging people to B.Y.O. B – Bring Your Own Bible!  Get to know your Bible by finding the Scriptures when they are announced.  Or you can prepare ahead of time and look up the Lectionary for the day and note the readings.  If you are more technology savvy, you can use your smartphone to look up the Scriptures on the web or in a Bible App. Some Resources a)       We use the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible for our Scripture readings on Sunday, so if you decide to buy or bring a Bible, that is the best version to have. b)       You can look up the readings on www.lectionarypage.net .  This is the easiest way to find the readings in one pla

Yogi, Yom Kippur and the Ponftiff - oh my!

Yesterday and today (9/22 &23) have been noteworthy days for both joyous and sad reasons.  I learned this morning that Phyllis Tickle, a prominent voice in emergent church theology and a devoted Episcopalian, died yesterday morning from lung cancer.  Her death (like all deaths) is sad as we have lost an amazing, faithful woman who offered a beautiful vision of the future of Christianity as we face a dynamic cultural shift.  Her death (like all deaths) is joyous as she is now part of the great cloud of witness at God’s banquet table.  She will be missed, but her work and spirit will live on, I have no doubt. It was also sad news to hear that baseball great Yogi Berra died this morning.  While I am not a big sports fan, it is almost impossible to not know who Yogi Berra was and the great quotes he was known for.  “It ain’t over till it’s over.” “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”  In an odd way, I think Phyllis Tickle and Yogi Berra could have had a wonderful conversat

A Red Letter Day

September 14 th is a “Red Letter Day” on the Church calendar.  The term “red letter” comes from a Roman practice of making dates of significant importance red in color to make them stand out.  Most liturgical calendars use a different standard for coloring the days of the year, but September 14 th is always red because it is the day the Church commemorates its biggest failure.  Yup, you read that correctly, a failure.  It is Holy Cross Day when the Church remembers how a terrible instrument of death and a horrible system of oppression sacrificed an innocent man for teaching repentance, love and hope. And yet the Church celebrates with cross, because without it we would have nothing. The symbol of the cross has become a fashion accessory to some, an arcane novelty to others; however we Christians claim it as both a sign of awesome victory and shameful death. That duel reality is hard to rationalize and we need to live in the tension of those competing realities. It probably isn’t

Welcome Back!

I remember watching a show called “Welcome Back, Kotter” (which starred a very young John Travolta).  As a child, I didn’t understand the premise of the show - an alum of the high school returns to his roots to teach a group of challenging students.  I did like the theme song (welcome back, welcome back, welcome back), but I didn’t understand how it had anything to do with the show itself as it didn’t seem anybody went anywhere.  The antics of Vinnie, Horshack, Boom Boom and Epstein were amusing, but nothing I would be caught doing in a classroom (as I had a desire to live).  The romanticized ideal of a person returning home as an honored son or daughter is a bit troubling for Christians because we see it didn’t work for Jesus (see Mark 6).  He was unable to do any deeds of power because no one would believe he could have the power, let alone be the Messiah.  It worked for Mr. Kotter because those kids didn’t know who he was, nor did they care, at least at first.  By showing that

That Time of Year Again!

I will confess that I have a certain amount of anxiety and fear before we start our Vacation Bible School program each year.   Will the kids show up?  Will the music be well received?  Will the Bible stories make sense to young children?  Will we be able to pull it off again this year?  Well, miracles have been happening this week!  We are half way through and so far God has been praised and everyone is still smiling.  Actually it has been a delight to see faces return for the 3 rd or 4 th year since I arrived at St. Barnabas.  Kids that may only see each other during this week remember each other and old friendships are rekindled and strengthened.  And, as always, the kids impress me with their knowledge and love of God.  We get the usual questions: “What does God look like? (I suggested looking in a mirror.) “Where does God live?” (In our hearts.) “Why can’t we see God?” (Because we need to look with the eyes of our hearts, and then we will see God everywhere.) We also get great

Be Careful Then How You Live

B e careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15 A State of Emergency was declared again this week in Ferguson, Missouri, following demonstrations marking the first anniversary of the death of Michael Brown.  My heart breaks at this news because it shows that racial tensions are still high and everybody seems to be waiting for a reason to react violently.  I freely admit that I do not know what has happened in Missouri over the last year in order to address this tenuous situation, but it doesn’t seem to be enough if this amount of rage is still present.  A black colleague of mine is currently in Ferguson as a pastoral presence.  She and other clergy members from many denominations gathered to bear witness in this broken community.  She posted a picture on Facebook of a white police officer with his hand on his gun during this gathering, asking why this had to be.  While I was saddened by t

Happy Universal Peace Day!

If you are like me, you had no idea there was a Universal Peace Day or that it is on August 5 th .  And much to my high school US History teacher’s chagrin, I did not remember that the significance of 8/5 is that this day, 70 years ago, the United States dropped atom bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Yes, this action helped end a terrible war, but it was at the cost of much innocence, not only lives but also the knowledge of destruction. It is fitting that a redemptive day of peace is invoked on such an occasion, drawing us back into a place of brotherly love. In the Japanese culture, the crane is a sign of peace, and at the suggestion of the resource “Taking Faith Home,” we decided to make origami cranes at the National Night Out hosted by South Brunswick Township at Rowland Park last night.  It was a great activity to draw kids and families over to our table – a non-threatening way to invite people to be at peace. One man came to the table, very intrigued

Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10.16 While I was on vacation, St. Barnabas had a visitor come to the church on Sunday. He presented himself has being homeless and in need of help.  As Christians, our ingrained responds is one of compassion.  We are all broken in some way and in need of God’s love and strength.  Unfortunately, there are those that will take advantage of our better nature. This visitor was, in fact, a scam artist and used the compassion showed him for his own selfish gain. I know this situation caused many people discomfort – from not knowing how to respond to a stranger in need, to feeling ashamed for being taken advantage of by a scam artist.  Having been in these situations before, I know how that feels and it is disconcerting.  First of all, we know that our INTENTIONS are always to do God’s will and offer God’s love in the midst of a broken world.  We cannot be faulted f

Live from Salt Lake City!

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Flat Jesus sends greetings from Salt Lake City!  I was hanging out with him at the Temple Square of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS – which is what they prefer to be called rather than Mormons).  The building behind FJ is the Assembly Hall, built in 1880 with granite left over from the construction of the main Tabernacle.  The building is as beautiful inside as it is outside.  We met Sister Bennett from Canada, who talked a bit about the building and what it was used for – mostly presentations.  She also reminded us to think about Jesus Christ as we walked the grounds and reflected on the blessings in our lives.  Granted we were on the property of a church, so it shouldn’t be surprising for someone to talk about Jesus.  In fact it was very refreshing to hear someone be open about her faith and share that with visitors.  It was a testament to knowing one’s story and being willing to share that with others. While I don’t claim to agree with most of the teachings of the LDS,

David and . . . Saul!

The Hebrew Scripture appointed for the Proper 7 is the story of David and Goliath, as told in 1 Samuel 17.  It is one example of where secular culture has consumed a biblical story and digested it to simply refer to an underdog facing a formidable opponent.  I cannot count the times I have hear a sports announcer say, “This is a David and Goliath match-up.”  It does vary on who the announcer believes will triumph, which is contrary to the biblical account. David of course wins, but that is almost a codicil to the narrative. His triumph is told in 1 verse (v. 49).  What is more important to the story – and what secular society tends to forget – is the build up to the great event that has little to do with Goliath and more about the relationship between David and King Saul. God had already written off Saul as the king of Israel (see 1 Samuel 15) and had Samuel anoint David, a young boy, as the future king of Israel.  Saul was not happy about this prospect, and he devalued David’s gi

Happy St. Barnabas Day!

June 11 th is when the Church remembers the martyrdom of our patron saint, Barnabas.  Most of what we know about this man and his ministry to the Church is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, especially in chapters 11-14.  Barnabas was a Levite (the priestly clan of the Jews) from Cyprus (a small island southeast of Greece.  Like Peter, Barnabas was given a new name when he became an apostle, and, as many know, his name means “son of encouragement.” Perhaps Barnabas’s most inspiring action is recorded in Act 9, when he advocates for the newly converted Saul (eventually known as Paul) to the apostles in Jerusalem.  Saul was known to be an adamant persecutor of people who followed the Way of Jesus Christ.  He was present at and supported the stoning of Stephen, the first deacon.  It is no wonder that the apostles were afraid of Saul and wary of accepting him into their community.  Yet Barnabas attested to Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus and appealed to the apostles to lis