Rev. Valerie's Reveille

From the moment I heard that Bishop George Councell had suffered a stroke, my heart ached and my spirit hurt.   It was difficult watching (admittedly from the sideline) this incredible man deal with the physically debilitating affects of Parkinson’s disease, but the cognitive diminishment was worse.   For anyone who has had to witness a loved one loose themselves by inches with the loss of mental acuity and memory, I stand in awe of your courage, patience and fortitude. I met George at General Theological Seminary in NYC during my first year.   He was the newly elected, although not yet consecrated, Bishop of New Jersey.   The Committee on the Priesthood had brought him up to meet those of us in seminary that he was “inheriting.”   We each had about half an hour in a small room to talk with him. I offered my story, to which George patiently listened.   I mentioned that my father, a great man himself but brought up by a stoic German to be stoic himself, ...

Reflections on the Acts of Apostles Chapters 18-23 and Pentecost I have been using this weekly blog over the Seasons of Lent and Easter to coincide with the Forward Movement program encouraging the Church to read the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.     While I have enjoyed this enterprise, it has, at times, made it more difficult to reflect on the lections for the week or current events and their intersection with our faith.   It is fortuitous that this week there is a bit of an overlap with the Book of Acts and the Day of Pentecost, which we celebrate this Sunday. Jesus told his disciples that while John baptized with water, he would baptize with fire (i.e. the Holy Spirit).   The apostles did receive the Holy Spirit, some after his resurrection and all of Creation on the day of Pentecost.   They were filled with passion and purpose to continue Jesus’s ministry and work in the world.   Jesus even calls the Holy Spirit “the Advocate,” a helpe...

Reflections on Acts of the Apostles Chapters 15-17 This past Saturday was the 144 th running of the Kentucky Derby.   As with all outdoor events, it is at the mercy of Mother Nature, and sometimes she doesn’t seem to care that the humans prefer sunny, dry weather.   However, a certain horse named Justified was the odds-on favorite to win if it was a sloppy track.   And indeed it was.   Rain poured down for most of the day and it didn’t stop by the time the big race was scheduled to start.   The track was a sloppy as I have ever seen a horse race track be.   Justified loved it – and won. It seems counter-intuitive to me that such adverse conditions could led to victory.   What I would consider ideal conditions (sunny, warm but not hot, dry) was the complete opposite of what made Justified thrive.   The reality is that “ideal” conditions are rare – there is always something that is a bit sloppy or not exactly to our liking.   What is...

Reflections on Chapters 12-14 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Years ago, I had a grandparent chargingly ask me if it was OK for her to be proud of her granddaughter, because she had been taught, “Pride goeth before the fall.”   I assured her that being proud of her grandchild was not a sin when the feeling was offered in thanksgiving of the accomplishment and not boosting up one’s own ego. “Look at what I have done,” has been the down fall of many people because they neglect or forget those that helped them achieve their goals. The Book of Acts shares story after story of the importance of acknowledging that all power and might comes from God, to whom we should offer our thanks and praise.   When our egos take over and we congratulate only ourselves for what we have done, we become idolatrous. Chapter 12 records an terrible story of King Herod’s response to the apostles.   He outright kills James and then arrests Peter, who is guarded by over 30 men....