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Rector's
Corner
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New Year, New Life: Steps
Toward Spiritual Renewal
The
First Sunday of Advent (this year December 2) is the first
day of the Christian church year – the Church’s
New Year’s Day. The Church’s new year
is an appropriate time to take stock of our spiritual lives,
to consider how we are living them, and to make adjustments
in our course.
Those
of you who pray the Daily Office (i.e., Morning and Evening
Prayer, which can be found in the Book of
Common Prayer beginning on page 75) will recall that
during the month of October and into November the readings
from the Hebrew scriptures were from the books of Ezra
and Nehemiah, books about the return of the exiles from
Babylon to Jerusalem in the 6th century BC. (When
Jeruslaem fell to the Babylonians in 587, much of the population
was taken away to exile in Babylon. Beginning in
539 BC the Jews were allowed to return. To
read more about how the exile came about, see the latter
chapters of 2 Kings, and also Jeremiah 35-39. For
accounts of the return, see Ezra and Nehemiah.) If
you do not say the Office, I encourage you to read these
books in your Bible. Ezra and Nehemiah can be found
in the Old Testament just after 1 & 2 Chronicles and
before Esther and Job.
The scriptures of the return
in Ezra and Nehemiah are scriptures about spiritual renewal. The
experience of Ezra and Nehemiah and the clans of Judah
as they return from exile and re-establish Jerusalem and
its temple parallel our attempts today to find “home” and
kindle a spiritual life. Exile and Prayer
I suspect that all of us are, to some degree or another, in exile. We were
created for union with God (e.g., see BCP p 845), and all of us to some extent
live apart from God. Living apart from God, the “home” for
which we were created, creates a sense of exile. Deep down inside, all
of us have anxiety, restlessness, and uneasiness, feelings that arise from the
parts of us that are in “exile” from God. Augustine gives voice
to these feelings in the famous line from his Confessions: “Our
hearts are restless until they rest in God.”
In the opening chapters
of Nehemiah, Nehemiah breaks down and weeps when he hears
about the ruins of Jerusalem and goes about for days in
sadness; he is feeling the anxiety and unease that come
from being in exile. As the king rightly observed,
Nehemiah has “sadness of the heart” (Neh 2:2). Notice
the first thing Nehemiah does to address his sadness – he
prays, asking God for help (Neh 1:5-11).
To what extent might you
suffer from a “sadness of the heart?” To
what extent are you in exile and away from “home?” Spend
some time in quiet over the course of a few days and ask
yourself these questions. Write your reflections
down if you need to. Then pray. Like Nehemiah,
the first step to finding home is to pray, asking God for
help to gather the exiled home.
Integrity
The very first thing the exiles
do upon their return to Jerusalem is to set about rebuilding
the city walls. Boundaries are important, helping
to establish integrity. Without boundaries, a person
or group has no identity, is subject to the whim of whom-
or whatever passes by, and has no ability to define itself. (Think
immune system.) Boundaries often have a bad “rap” today – we
want to break down barriers and to be inclusive – but
this is to misconstrue the true nature of boundaries. Boundaries
are necessary for an organism’s health and integrity. Nehemiah
knows this, and the first thing he sets out to do is
to rebuild the walls (Neh 2:17ff).
If we would find renewal
in our spiritual life we, too, must develop integrity. We
are to develop boundaries that define ourselves, and
to pay close attention to what we let in. As Episcopalians,
our spiritual “walls” are
traditionally built with the three-fold discipline of Eucharist,
Daily Office and private prayer. If we are faithful
in establishing these boundaries and remain within them,
we will be safe no matter what happens.
To take up
the three-fold discipline of Eucharist, Daily Office and
personal devotion will be a big leap for some. Start
with a manageable commitment, such as faithfully attending
Sunday Eucharist. After a few weeks or months, start
to set aside a few minutes at the beginning and end of
each day to pray the short devotions found in the Prayer
Book beginning on page 136. Gradually add in, say,
ten minutes three times per week to just sit in silence
and tell God what is on your heart. Pay attention
to what you “let in” to your space and your
schedule. If anything helps your discipline, let
it “in;” if something hinders your commitment,
leave it “out.”
Resistance
As you seek to find renewal, be aware that all attempts
at spiritual renewal, be they individual or communal,
will be met with Resistance. ALL attempts – no
exceptions! Notice how not only did enemies attempt
to prevent Nehemiah from rebuilding the wall (e.g., Saballat,
Tobiah and Geshem – see Neh 2:19), but also Ezra
from rebuilding the temple (see Ezra 4). In the
spiritual life, the powers of evil do not trouble us
so long as our “walls” and “temple” lay
in ruins; they only pay attention to us if we try to
rebuild. Ancient maxim: The closer we get
to God, the harder the powers of evil work against us. This
truth of the tradition is humorously portrayed in a modern
classic, The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis,
in which the young devil Wormwood is advised by his Uncle
Screwtape that he need not worry about those who are
slack in their devotion, but would do better to expend
his energies on those who are trying to be faithful. When
we encounter resistance, the best remedy is to remain
faithful to our discipline that we are establishing with
the Eucharist, Daily Office and personal devotions.
Community
and Patience
Spiritual renewal is never a solo activity; it is always
the product of community. Nehemiah’s workers
could not have built and defended the wall by themselves. Ezra’s
workers could not have built the Temple without the help
of many others. We have great strength and resources
for renewal so long as we are gathered together. We
are likely to falter and to make no progress if we try
to find renewal on our own.
The first discipline
of spiritual renewal in our Anglican tradition is a communal
one: we gather for Eucharist. If
you would find renewal, keep coming to Eucharist! And
if you’re not in the habit of gathering for Eucharist,
try starting. The Eucharist is the primary place
of formation and spiritual deepening for us as Episcopalians. We
are unlikely to see progress on the journey without being
faithful to our discipline of gathering weekly for Eucharist. If
you need to, find somebody with whom you can covenant to
hold each other accountable for being at the Eucharist
on Sunday morning.
And be patient! Spiritual
renewal takes time. Ezra
and Nehemiah did not rebuild the walls and the temple in
a day – their completion took months and ultimately
years. Likewise, we are called to be patient as we
seek to find renewal in our spiritual life – renewal
will not happen overnight. Spiritual renewal will
likely go through seasons of fear and setback (e.g., see
Ezra 4). Be patient, mind the integrity of your “walls” (i.e.,
stick to your discipline), and know that periods of dryness
or resistance are necessary for growth and deepening.
See
you Sunday,
Todd
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Why I Give
In
a word, Joy. I give because of joy. No,
I do not give because I am naturally joy-filled and giving
is a response to an inner joy that I already posses. I
give in order to have joy. It may
seem odd, that to give away a substantial portion of my income
would bring joy. One might think that
generous giving might exacerbate an already stress-filled
life: “Money is an area of stress for me,” we
might say. “I worry frequently about money,
about not having enough. Having even less of it would
only make me worry more.” Those of you who
are already 10 percent givers know these concerns to be
natural… and not at all based on reality.
When Ashley and I became 10 % givers, we were not in a “comfortable” place
to do so. Most people probably would have said we
were foolish in our situation to try to give away 10% of
our income: we had a house payment, we had a car
payment, we had preschool tuition and childcare to pay
for, we had an educational loan to pay off, only one of
us had (minimal) retirement savings, we had no “emergency” fund
for medical emergencies, we had no college savings plan
for our children. “How can we possibly give
away 10 percent of our income on top of all our other (perceived)
obligations,” we wondered?
At the time, we lived
in Andover – right
next door to Lawrence, where I’m told the median
annual household income is $16,000 – and we saw regularly
how little others had to live on. “If we are unable
to give away 10 percent of our income to God,” we
said to ourselves, “it means that our standard of
living is too high.” We cut corners, scrounged
and saved, and managed to give 10 percent. Yes, there
were things we didn’t have or didn’t do, but
I wouldn’t trade them for anything. The joy
we received from giving to God was more than worth it. (Much
more than worth it!)
Ashley and I vowed to become ten percent givers while I
was in seminary in Alexandria, Viriginia. Toward
the end of one semester we had no money – literally, no money. Our
bills and rent were coming due, we had young mouths to
feed, and our checkbook was empty. As Ashley
and I stressed and worried about what to do, I remembered
what one man from my home parish in Santa Barbara told
me before we left for Alexandria: “If you need
anything, just ask.” I swallowed my pride,
gave him a call, and asked if we might please have money
to help cover our bills until the next financial aid payment
came in. Without missing a beat, Art said, “Of course. I’d
be glad to. I’ll send it right away.” When
the check came, Ashley and I burst into tears – the
check was for substantially more than we had asked. Overwhelmed
by this man’s generosity, we promised each other
right then and there that, when we had salaries, we would
give ten percent to God.
[We’ve discovered an
amazing, counter-intuitive truth in our giving 10%: giving
generously makes us realize how we have been blessed with
abundance. Before
our seminary experience, we gave only stingily to the local
parish. We worried regularly about not having enough
money, and I remember our life to have been cramped and
narrow as we let an attitude of scarcity limit our capacity
for joy.
We have not worried about
money since we’ve
become 10% givers. In a miraculous, grace-filled
way, giving to God makes us feel as though we have plenty.
I do not know why this is true. I only know that it
is true. Even if it means never going back
to Europe for vacation, even if it means not having the
few material things that I covet, even if it means living
less comfortably and more precariously than my neighbors,
I could never go back to giving stingily. I have
joy.
Trinity Parish is already
a pretty great place. I
dream of the extraordinary place Trinity Parish could be
like if more of us had the joy that comes from giving generously
to God.
See you Sunday,
Todd
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In his book Prayer:
The Mission of the Church,
Jean Danielou writes the following:
“To be occupied
with God is the greatest occupation. But
it requires an apprenticeship. All Christians...
must be persuaded that prayer is essential in the order
of values, and they must be prepared to make a minimum
of sacrifices so that prayer can have a place in their
lives.”
This coming year we at Trinity will be entering into an
apprenticeship in “the greatest occupation.” Using
some of the time-tested forms of prayer from the Tradition,
this year’s formation offerings for adults will help
us uncover our prayer. Please see inside for the
descriptions of four “modules” – session
lasting four or five weeks – that will introduce
Trinity to 1) a method for doing group scripture
reflection, 2) to centering prayer, 3) to making
an Examination of Conscience, and 4) to praying the
Daily Office. Trinity’s most intensive formation
offering is “Dawntreaders,” a seven-month disciplined
exploration into the depths of our scriptures, sacraments
and prayer.
This year at Trinity we will pray to help Trinity make
some of the concrete decisions of our life together. Throughout
the year we will be having different groups gather around
scripture to pray and discern around topics such as: “How
can we best help people be prepared for Baptism?” “How
we can help each other be faithful disciples in relation
to our money?” “How can we best introduce
our young people to the Christian faith?” “How
can we bring our young people to a place where they can
freely choose (or not) Confirmation?” “How
can we help Trinity Parish grow in faith?” “How
can we help Trinity Parish grow in numbers?”
Our liturgy, too, will help us deepen our primary “occupation.” This
year we will on a trial basis engage with rich symbolism
in our liturgy. We will be using incense twice monthly – a
symbol of our prayers rising to God and a way of engaging
all our senses in prayer. I am looking for a rota
of bread bakers to provide real bread – instead of
wafers – for our Eucharist. The smell,
feel and taste of real bread communicates a very different
message than do wafers. I will continue to use silence
during the liturgy to make more space for prayer. I
will work with our lectors to help them improve their lectoring
so that we may better receive the Word.
As Danielou notes, we “must be prepared to make a
minimum of sacrifices so that prayer can have a place in
[our] lives.” As do all relationships, prayer
takes time. I encourage you to take advantage not
only of Trinity’s formation offerings on prayer,
but also of our regular Sunday and mid-week worship services. The
solid food and abundant water of our Tradition has satisfied
the hunger and quenched the thirst of millions for nearly
2,000 years. Chances are that Trinity can help you
find what you’re looking for — if you’re
willing to take the time.
See you Sunday,
Todd
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Being Busy
Over the past weeks since
the fall began, I have heard a number of people say how
busy they are. I have
heard people say how much like a bus driver they feel,
driving kids to and from soccer and hockey games, to speech
tournaments and to birthday parties. I have heard
people stressing about meeting deadlines at work, wondering
how they were going to find time to care for elderly parents,
anxious because they are trying to squeeze in the PTO and
music lessons and still put dinner on the table. Some
say they are even too busy to come to church on Sunday
mornings. Hearing this is what made me realize that
our lives might be out of balance.
Our Christian tradition
has advice on busy-ness. The
following story told about Mother Theresa of Calcutta reflects
that advice:
Once when Mother Theresa was paying a visit to one of the
convents of her order, the sister in charge greeted her
at the door, welcomed her in, and began briefing her on
the convent schedule during her stay. When the sister
had finished, Mother Theresa asked her at what time the
sisters were planning to keep their hour of meditation. “Oh,” replied
the sister, “with all that is happening for your
visit, we’ve decided to forego our prayer time for
the next few days.” “You’re too
busy for one hour of meditation?” Mother Theresa
is said to have responded. “In that case, I recommend
that you pray for two hours.”
It is counter-intuitive
to add one more thing to our schedules when we are extremely
busy, but traditional Christian teaching on the spiritual
life urges us to do just that: it
is when we are extremely busy that we most need to pray. And
if you already pray, pray twice as much. As the fall
continues – and as our schedules continue to be filled
with hockey, homework, home maintenance and PTO – I
encourage you to schedule time for prayer into your calendar. Make
attending church on Sunday a priority. If you already
attend on Sunday morning, try attending Trinity’s
Wednesday evening Eucharist at 7:00. Schedule time
to meditate, to pray, to read the scriptures, or to just
sit in silence. If you do not already have a discipline
of quiet time, try taking just ten minutes a day to read
the scriptures, to pray (for starters, take home the Sunday
bulletin and pray for the names listed there), or simply
sit in silence and ask God to be present to you.
Thomas
Kelly, in A Testament of Devotion, writes
that “Deep within us all there is an amazing inner
sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a
speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return.” For
us Christians, this sanctuary and this voice is the Holy
Spirit whom God has sent into our hearts to cry, “Abba!
Father!” One of the best things we can do for
ourselves and for those around us during times of extreme
busy-ness is to return to our “inner sanctuary” and
to listen for this voice that consoles, carries, sustains,
heals, nurtures and loves us, the voice of the one that
tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light,
who urges us to come away and rest. If we do not
take the time to pray, we will be cut off from the very
source that has the potential to bring transformation,
rest and renewal; our lives will never really change, and
we will continue to be enslaved to busy-ness. I have
a hunch that, if we follow the advice of our Tradition
and pray more during times of busy-ness, we will be surprised
that in spite of – or perhaps because of – adding
a discipline of prayer to our busy schedules, everything
that needs to get done will still get done. And, more importantly,
we will continue to press on toward our goal of God in
Christ Jesus.
See you Sunday,
Todd
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