Rev. Valerie's Reveille

I just returned from Baltimore, MD, where I attended a meeting for The Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Governance, Structure, Constitution and Canons. If you haven’t fallen asleep or clicked on another page, thank you.  Yes, the topic seems dry, perhaps even boring, and yet I am invigorated by the conversations we had and hopeful that what this group is engaged in will indeed support the work of the Spirit in every congregation. Structure is a helpful as it makes our common life have order.   Jesus organized his ministry with 12 apostles and the sending out of least 70 others in pairs. He established a pattern of repentance (turn), study, prayer, worship, support, work and rest that calls his followers into a deeper relationship with God as our foundation and source of well-being. Over the last two centuries, the Church has continued to develop structures, most of which are to support its ministry of reconciliation.   And yet, as society changes, so ...

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he tells them to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16b-18) In one short sentence, he invites the Church into a closer relationship with God through prayer and practice of seeking the good, the positive in life. Part of the human condition (for some of us!) is to see only the negative, the difficulties, the failures.  That is not helpful because it diminishes our ability to imagine, be creative and hope.  Even (or maybe especially) in the more difficult circumstances, we need to pray to seek God’s presence and peace – the peace that passes all understanding.   If we let the chaos around us overtake us, we loose part of ourselves.   Rather, we need to take a moment to breathe and seek God’s wisdom, and we may even be surprised by finding an opportunity to be thankful in the midst of difficulty. As ...