Rev. Valerie's Reveille

“Why is this happening?” I’d been ordained a deacon for three months and still had three months more to go before I would be ordained a priest. I was bursting at the seams from seminary with terms like “systematic theology” and “historical-critical hermeneutics”.  But I was in charge of a small congregation with real needs and concerns, like trying to understand why Hurricane Katrina was barreling down on the Gulf Coast. Ministry got real. I had heard that some people were purporting that the storm was God’s response to America’s immorality, as a way to cleanse us from our sinful ways.  I was shocked by such claims masking as theology, but I was naïve.  However, I did know that we humans are quick to look to something or someone to blame when things don’t go according to our plan, and God is an easy target, because God could change it if God wanted to, right? I chose to preach on the blessing and curse of rain, depending on one’s perspective.  When we are in...

I am chagrined to admit, as much of a geek as I am about space, I was unprepared for the solar eclipse that happened on Monday.  I had heard about it, but I didn’t get any special glasses or make plans to be in the path of totality (100% coverage of the sun).  However, I did watch some of the events online that had people reporting from places within the path, and it was more exciting than I expected.  I was on a site called Slooh, and like most on-going news events, the commentary can get a bit stale and repetitive after half an hour. I was actually taken aback when the host asked one of the scientists what his “spiritual” sense of this event was. He didn’t have a great answer – something about the cosmic awesomeness about it.  But the host asked the same question of another guest, who happened to be Dr. Kate Russo, a psychologist, who has written a book about people who have experienced the totality of a solar eclipse and how the experience changed their lives...

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’  Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;  you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’  Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”;  and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’  When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared ...

What does it mean to be a Christian in the 21 st Century?  What does it mean to be part of a church that has a hierarchical structure like the Episcopal Church?  What does it mean to be a “Diocese”?  These are all important questions with no simple answers, but ones we must be brave enough to engage.  The reality is that the way we do “church” is changing, even since I was ordained 12 years ago!  While the majority of Americans still believe in “God” (or some mystic entity), most don’t go to church or another religious institution.  That is partially because the institutions have let people down, but also because priorities of life have changed.  People, especially children, are busy ALL THE TIME.  There is little to no “down” time to just be (which is kinda ironic, since that is part of developing our spiritual lives, but I digress).  We can look at the changing dynamics and fear what that means for the future, because it won’t loo...

One of the hallmarks of our Sunday worship in the Episcopal Church (and other Catholic and Protestant traditions) is the use of a 3-year cycle of appointed texted for the Liturgy of the Word. Rather than having the preacher or senior pastor choose a passage to focus on, we decided to follow a pattern similar to what is used in our Daily Office tradition and establish a fixed rotation of readings from the Bible to give continuity to our corporate worship.  The current iteration of this practice is called the “Revised Common Lectionary” or RCL, which was adopted for use in 1994.  Its roots go back to the Second Vatican Council, but this version was developed by a wide range of Protestant groups.  The 3 years are entitled “A,” “B” & “C”.  In general, the Gospel of Matthew is used in Year A, the Gospel of Mark is used in Year B, and the Gospel of Luke is used in Year C, with the Gospel of John interspersed throughout the triennium.  Similarly, passages from...

I have said often that the vocation of prophet is not for the faint of heart.  Calling your family and neighbors back into right relationship with God can get you into a lot of trouble, if not killed, especially if you are seen as calling another’s actions into question.  Rather than accuse someone of not living into the obligations of being in a right relationship with God, sometimes it is better to remind people, especially those in positions of authority in our society, of what their obligations are while hoping and praying they will self-examine that they are, indeed, living into their part of the bargain. That is why we pray for our country and those who have been elected to make our government work.  These prayers are intended to be offered without regard to party or affiliation.  We are not here to debate about who is “right” or what is going “wrong.”  This is about reminding us and those who serve about our basic values as humans, Christians, and Amer...

Do not approach the Lord with a divided mind. (Wisdom of Sirach 1:28) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30) It is not a subject that many people are comfortable talking about. Fortunately, thank God, that is changing.  But there is still a stigma, partially due to ignorance and partially due to fear.  If we are willing to confront both of these obstacles with Truth, then we can have a meaningful conversation about mental wellness. Note that I am starting from a place of health, because that is where God is.  When we start from a place of sickness or abnormality, it literally infects the conversation from the very start and limits our ability to trust that God is in the midst of whatever situation we are facing.  This is not easy, especially for those of us who have dealt with those suffering from illnesses of the mind, like depression, schizophrenia...