"Sir, we wish to see Jesus"

These words are spoken by some Greeks attending a festival in Jerusalem to Philip in John 12:21. This scripture quotation is also inscribed on the inside of many pulpits, including (if my memory serves me correctly) at the National Cathedral in Washington DC.  It is a reminder to the preacher of his/her weighty job to offer the presence of Christ in the sermon.  It is also a reminder to all Christians of our duty to seek and see Jesus at all times, in all places and people.  This can be extremely challenging given much of what we are exposed to everyday.  That is why it is crucial for all of us to nurture continually our faith, planting deep roots of relationship with Christ through practices of prayer, worship and reflection.

What have you done for your faith lately? Have you made time to pray with your full attention?  Have you sought direction and discerned God’s will?  Have you read Scripture and thought about what it means in your life today?  Have you attended a worship service to offer praise and thanksgiving to God?  These questions are not offered to make you feel shame or guilt – that is not helpful for our spiritual development. Regardless of what our practices have been, today we have the opportunity to go deeper, feel the presence of the living God in our being and learn what God is inviting us to do.

Some of these reflections were spurred on by a Podcast I listened to from our Diocese called “Optimism is Cool Again.” http://www.dioceseofnj.org/optimism/  The first episode is a conversation with The Rev. Carol Anderson, Rector of All Saint’s in Beverly Hills, CA.  She has helped several churches revive their ministries through deepening their commitment and connection to Jesus Christ.  As a result, their outreach and mission endeavors grew.  As she says, “Ministry is the overflow of a relationship with Christ.”  These two aspects of our life in Christ complement each other and are interdependent.

How can we as a parish grow into the full stature of Christ?  I am considering offering a retreat in the fall where we can explore our faith stories, see where God is in our lives and where we need to seek a deeper relationship with Christ through the Spirit.  If this is sounds like something you would be interested in doing, please let me know so we can plan for a time and place.

On a separate but connected note, I was asked to participate in the “Optimism is Cool Again” Podcasts, so in some of the upcoming episodes, you can hear me with several of my colleagues talk about church life and what God is calling us to do in our modern context.   I offered a prayer during the taping that I share with you here.  It is an excellent prayer to offer each morning:

The Prayer of Self-Dedication [BCP. 832]
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then, use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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