Newsletter - Saint Luke's Episcopal Church

The Parish Life - July 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:03:00 +0000

The Parish Life - July 2012

I became a parent for the third time on March 3 of this year. Given that it’s been four years since we had a newborn in the Ferrell household, it is amazing to find what amnesia Kiezha and I have had about the whole process. It is a joy and a blessing and an opportunity for grace. And with the pace, it is a reminder for me personally about the need we all have to have peaceful moments of refreshment.

At this time of year our attention turns toward plans summer plans. Such plans often include a “change of pace,” with alterations to your schedule, and travel plans. This change of pace is an essential part of life, giving ourselves a break and an opportunity to relax and refresh.

Back in the early, primitive days of the internet and email, I received a letter (on paper, via snail mail) inviting me to sign up for a weekly electronic “aid to preachers.” It was written and sent by a retired pastor and teacher, an early adopter of digital things.

About this time of the year, the email arrived right on schedule, filled with helpful commentary, and began this way:

“For all those folks here in the northern hemisphere suffering from the Protestant Workaholic Syndrome, you have my permission - yea and verily I encourage you to do the utterly unthinkable, even though the thought of it may make you tremble in fear for your eternal soul. Read no further.

There is nothing below important enough to disturb your summer somnolence. You are tired and you need a rest. Yes you are and you do! I am older than you and therefore know better.

Go to “Edit” then down to “Select all: then hit the “delete” button followed by “Yes,” you actually do want to commit this electronic wad to computer purgatory. The same process works on other stuff that comes down the tube.

Yes it does! This offer expires on September 1.”

I hope you have some time off, in small or large batches. Take it. Delete whatever is getting in the way of getting needed refreshment. If that takes you away, enjoy what you find there. If it means enjoying this city we live in, remember that we do nothing less excellent on Sunday morning during the summer months. All of those Sundays are refreshing and inspiring. Make one of these part of your re-creation as often as you can.

Summer blessings,

Sean+

The Parish Life - July 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:28:00 +0000

The Parish Life - June 2012

We’ve had a wonderfully grace filled month at Saint Luke’s and here at the beginning of June, I am still aglow with thanks for the baptism of Ruthie Bray, my son Cormac by Bishop Johnson, and the joyous sendoff of our seminarian, Broderick Greer. (You’ll find pictures inside this edition.)

Way back in 2006 at the beginning of my tenure, I shared a list of Ten Rules for Respectful Relationships. We’ve not spoken about these in awhile, so I share them with you again.

1. If you have a problem with me, come to me (privately).

2. If I have a problem with you, I will come to you (privately).

3. If someone has a problem with me and comes to you, send them to me. (I’ll do the same for you)

4. If someone consistently will not come to me, say to them, “Let’s go

to Sean together. I am sure he will see us about this.” (I’ll do the same.)

5. Be careful how you interpret me—I’d rather do that. On matters that are unclear, do not feel pressured to interpret my feelings or thoughts. (It is easy to misinterpret intentions.)

6. I will be careful how I interpret you.

7. If it’s confidential, don’t tell. This especially applies to Vestry meet ings. If you or anyone comes to me in confidence, I won’t tell unless a) the person is going to harm himself/herself, b) the person is going to physically harm someone else, c) a child has been physically or sex ually abused. I expect the same from you.

8. I do not read unsigned letters or notes.

9. I do not manipulate; I will not be manipulated; do not let others ma nipulate you. Do not let others manipulate me through you. I will not preach “at” you on Sunday mornings. Instead, I will leave conviction to the Holy Spirit (who does it much better anyway!)

10. When in doubt, just say it. (The only dumb questions are those that don’t get asked.) We are a family here and we care about each other, so if you have a concern, pray, and then (if led) speak up. If I can answer it without misrepresenting something, someone, or breaking a confi dence, I will.

I hope you’ll find these helpful in approaching me. And they’re a two way street. I resolve again to live by these, and encourage you to bring it to my attention if you feel I’ve broken one of these. These rules affirm many of the things we know, believe, and practice. I’ve found it helpful to commit and recommit myself to these periodically. I invite us as a congregation to renew our commitment to these. The church leadership experts say the congregations that practice these rules tend to be most healthy. The better we are at these, the healthier we become!

Please know that I deeply appreciate each of you!

Sean+

The Parish Life - June 2012

The Parish Life - May 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:27:00 +0000

The Parish Life - May 2012

Recently, I have had many ask me questions about Confirmation. As a result, classes will begin anew on May 13 and will meet May 13 & 20, along with the four Sundays in June.

At Saint Luke’s, we call these gatherings Inquirers/Newcomers/Confirmation Classes, and they are for people who are interested in learning more about The Episcopal Church, or are considering joining Saint Luke’s.

While these classes are geared for adults, young people are welcome too. We generally like for youth confirmands to be at least twelve years of age.

At its heart, the Sacrament of Confirmation is about making an adult profession of faith. The Book of Common Prayer says that “Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through the prayer and laying on of hands by a bishop.”

Confirmation completes the initiation rite that began at baptism by transferring responsibility for the promises made at baptism from the parents and sponsors (or godparents) to the one being confirmed. One can be confirmed when he or she is ready to accept that responsibility.

No one is required to be Confirmed at the end of the process. You are welcome to come and see and discern if our way of approaching the Christian faith resonates with you. Because we come from various Christian backgrounds, one may elect to be Confirmed, or be Received (from another denomination that confirms), or to simply Re-affirm your Baptismal vows, or opt for none of the above at the end.

We also invite you to participate even if you were confirmed years ago. Many parishioners have participated in the classes multiple times. In it we talk about Sacraments, Church History, and Episcopal/Anglican thinking.

I do not call upon participants to memorize the Nicene Creed (or anything else for that matter), but rather to join in the conversation about the way we approach the Christian faith. So consider joining us. Classes will begin May 13 in the library during the Christian Ed hour at 9:15 a.m. If you are interested in participating, please do let me know, and plan to be with us on the 13th.

The Parish Life - May 2012

The Parish Life - April 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:46:00 +0000

The Parish Life - April 2012

“I don’t know what I am giving up for Lent. I have basically given up my life” is what my wife said to me as she spent three and a half weeks in the hospital in February and March. It occurs to me that being in the hospital is one of those moments that makes you reevaluate and rethink your relationship with God, family, and the world. It is a sort of a Lent-come-early. Deirdre Good, New Testament professor at the General Seminary suggests that life sometimes provides us with an “involuntary Lent.”

My wife and partner in life got put in the hospital with off the charts blood pressure and signs of preeclampsia. It was a threat to her life and to our son, then still in utero. But even with this involuntary Lent, for us it feels a bit like Easter has come early. On March 3 our third son was born – Cormac Quinlan Smith Ferrell. He weighed 5 pounds and 6 ounces and was 18 ½ inches long at birth. He is a precious thing. And Kiezha has recovered swiftly from a condition that affects 8% of pregnancies in this country. Needless to say, it is a picture of resurrection. Thank you for all of the support so many of you have offered these past weeks, with food, help, and your time. It made for grace-filled moments.

Holy Week begins April 1, but the contents of Holy Week are hardly an April Fools joke. Holy Week services are “rememorative”: that is, we remember the events of the passion symbolically so that we may enter into them. It’s my hope that we will enter into them as a parish family.

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me say the obvious: we don’t offer easy answers. Or, as the spiritual writer Diogenes Allen wrote, “We do not solve mysteries, we enter into them.” Instead of answers, we invite you into a lifelong process, a journey whose destination is less important than the encounters along the way and the strength and insight the travel itself gives. In other words, come and join in the journey.

Holy Week is at the very heart of our Christian story. More importantly, it’s a time to listen with the heart. Easter makes sense only when we enter into the mystery of all that was taken on for our sakes. Even if you have experienced an involuntary Lent; even if Easter has come early for you, plan to join us. Let this year be the year you go where you have never gone before.

Sean+

The Parish Life - April 2012

The Parish Life - March 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:19:00 +0000

The Parish Life - March 2012

The more I live, the more I appreciate Forrest Gump. His line, “life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get” is pure genius. On Valentine’s Day, my wife stopped by the O.B.’s office because she felt a little off. (That day she was 32 weeks along in the expected arrival of our third child.) The boys and I were out procuring gifts for her. Her O.B. was shocked by her blood pressure, and sent her immediately to the hospital.

At first she was frustrated at having our Valentine’s Day plans usurped, but we trusted that she’d be home in a few days. The doctors told us that she’d likely go home. Even with blood pressure meds, her blood pressure hasn’t been great. As a result, she hasn’t been home since.

I didn’t expect to be a single parent during the second half of February. But that is indeed what happened. There is nothing like being without your partner to help you realize how much they do, and how much you depend upon them.

After the first week my parents came into town to help. They have been a tremendous help and support. Many of you have responded with meals. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We appreciate them tremendously. We value you, and this community of people that is Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.

In the intervening days, I’ve reflected much on life and how we respond to life as we live it. I am sure you’d agree, though we make copious plans, we really never know what we’re “gonna get” in life.

As a season of the church year, Lent is an opportunity to step back and re-visit and re-evaluate our responses to God, to life, and to each other. It is time to repent and re-turn to the Lord. Perhaps, for you, Lent can be a time for you to re-acknowledge your need of God. No doubt this family is more able to acknowledge our need of God after these past few weeks.

Kiezha won’t be home until the baby comes home with her. The doctors think it may be a few more weeks, depending on her blood pressure. Our good news is that both she and the baby are both safe and in good hands, and that we are surrounded by your prayers and care. We are heartened by God’s presence in the midst of the changes and chances of this life. We invite you to join us in resting in God’s eternal changelessness as we engage this holy season.

God’s richest blessings,

Sean+

The Parish Life - March 2012

The Parish Life - February 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:42:00 +0000

The Parish Life - February 2012

Fredrick Schmidt, an Episcopal priest and associate professor at the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas argues that it has “never been more important to be clear about what we believe, never more important to recover the distinctives of our denominational stories.”

I take Schmidt at his word and would go further. Now more than ever it is important not to be subsumed into some allegedly neutral blob called “Mainline,” “American Protestantism,” or even something as nebulous as “Judeo Christian.”

At the heart of this great tradition of ours are important convictions. Perhaps none is more important than our Book of Common Prayer. If you ask what Episcopalians believe, you will be pointed to the Prayer Book. We assert, along with the ancient church, that “praying shapes believing” and that the prayers we pray from the Prayer Book form and shape our distinct and unique identity.

There once was a day when Sunday worshippers held the Prayer Book itself for much of the service. Like Saint Luke’s, the majority of parishes in The Episcopal Church use a leaflet containing the words of the service from the Prayer Book to lower barriers for those who are new. Even when the Book was juggled in weekly worship, our copies were worn only from about page 323-366, Rites I & II of the Holy Eucharist.

Lent is almost upon us. As a part of your Lenten discipline I’m challenging you to immerse yourselves in the Book that makes us distinct, and more of it than simply pages 323-366. To accomplish this as a parish our Lenten program will center on The Book of Common Prayer. This program will be practical enough for you to expand your knowledge of how to use the Prayer Book devotionally at home, and educational enough to expand your understanding of its contents.

Our Lenten Program will begin February 29. We’ll share more information about the program over the next few weeks. Until then we ready ourselves for Ash Wednesday, February 22. Our services are at Noon and 7 p.m. Plan to engage the season with us.

It won’t be the same without you.

Sean+

The Parish Life - February 2012

The Parish Life - January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:37:00 +0000

The Parish Life - January 2012

At a funeral, upon thinking about her own absence from church, a woman remarked to me, “You never know when you’ll need the church.” An old Church Ad Project poster echoes that sentiment. The photo is of pallbearers carrying a casket. The caption reads, “Will it take six strong men to bring you back into the church?”

As we begin this new year, it never hurts to think about time. When we look at 2012, we see 12 months, 52 weeks, 366 days, 8,784 hours, 526,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. All of it is a gift from God. We’ve done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchase it.

No matter our gender, ethnicity, economic situation, we are all given the same twenty-four hours each day. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.

You can’t bring it back. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. And if yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.

Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God.

The new year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count?

The woman was right. You really do not ever know when you’ll need the church. But there is a sense in which she had it exactly backwards. God, and the church, need you. Saint Luke’s needs you. Among your resolutions in this New Year, add a resolve to join your hand in working for the Kingdom of God.

Many good things are happening. We have much to celebrate. For many specifics, see my annual address to the parish which is in the insert of this edition of The Parish Life.

And come and join us. It won’t be the same without you!

Sean+

The Parish Life - January 2012

The Parish Life - December 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:12:00 +0000

The Parish Life - December 2011

If I had one single piece of advice for anyone desiring to make the most of their celebration of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, it would be, in your observation of these seasons, celebrate these seasons distinctly as our forbears have.

I have always loved Advent. It is the beginning of the Church Year and it so clearly defines and shapes the Christians who observe it. In former days, Advent was called “a little Lent.” I find that language to be both helpful and not. Our best liturgists tell us Advent is a season to wait and prepare for the coming Christ with joyful expectancy. So on the one hand, like Lent, we make preparations, we practice spiritual disciplines, we are prayerful, and we seek to be regular at worship. We prepare our hearts for the coming Christ.

And yet, Advent is a season of joyful expectation and not of dour penitence. Like the other seasons, we try to be present and live in that moment and not jump the gun. Just as Lent is not an early celebration of Easter, Advent is not an early celebration of Christmas.

Though our culture screams that Christmas begins the day after Thanksgiving, it is a twelve day season that begins on December 25 and concludes the evening of January 5. Resist the temptation to start way too early, and resist the temptation to cease celebrating the evening of December 25.

Saint Luke’s will offer additional services to assist your devotion. On Mondays at 7:30 p.m. November 28-December 19 we’ll gather to sing the service of Compline, a service of night prayer from our Prayer Book. The liturgy and music for this service dates to the first 500 years of the Church. These services will be quiet, meditative, and prayerful, and last for all of 15 minutes or so with time before and after for prayer and reflection. You can come and sing or simply sit and pray along. And we will have our annual Christmas services, celebrating the birth of the Messiah, and the Incarnation, God taking our flesh and dwelling among us.

Finally, a simple reminder to get your 2012 pledge in if you’ve neglected to thus far. Our day to day operations, our mission and ministry, and our ability to function as a parish day in and day out depend upon your giving of your time, talent, and treasure. We are Saint Luke’s and we have God’s work to do in 2012. We are better for your being with us. Engage the season.

Sean+

The Parish Life - December 2011

The Parish Life - November 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:52:00 +0000

Our stewardship program is called “We are Saint Luke’s.” It reminds us that Saint Luke’s is about people. Saint Luke’s is a community of people, contributing all that we can to each other & to God.

Stewardship, at its most basic, is how we care for the gifts that we have received from God. It means taking care of our world, of others, and of ourselves, it is the wise and faithful use of our resources – our time, talents and treasure – all of which come to us from God, and it is about community – everybody belonging to this parish family.

Stewardship is a kind of personal thanksgiving to God for all the gifts God has given us. Each year, during our stewardship effort, we

focus on committing to support God’s work at Saint Luke’s through pledging of our time, our talents, and our treasure.

And though it’s never easy, we must always talk about money. We must because God desires to be a part of all our lives, and because the scriptures deal with money as a spiritual issue. We must continually ask ourselves, Is the amount of money I pledge representative of the importance of God in my life? and, Is the amount of money I pledge representative of Saint Luke’s importance in my life?

Be assured that your pledge really does matter. Saint Luke’s has relied upon contributions from members throughout our 180 year history. The only way we maintain our rich and valued ministry is through the giving of persons like you. We rely on everybody.

Please know that your vestry, staff, clergy, and Stewardship Committee have unanimously and enthusiastically committed ourselves to stepping up our pledges this year, not just to help meet a budget, but to help us to go to new levels in ministry and mission. We invite you to join us and do the same!

Over the next few months you will begin to see the implementation of our brand new endowment. It provides funds for three areas - capital needs and projects (facility), startup funds for new ministries, and outreach. However, our endowment does not and cannot support our operating budget. Our Operating Budget comes from precious pledges offered up prayerfully by you, the saints of God.

As I write this, we are still looking for many of your pledges. Please take the time to make a pledge of your Time, Talent, and Treasure! And know, you are appreciated!

Sean+

The Parish Life - November 2011

Parish Life - October 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:31:00 +0000

The Parish Life - October 2011

Five years ago we introduced a new version of The Parish Life. It was a significant upgrade from our previous publication. It occurred to me in listening to our presenter at the Magnetic Church conference held at Saint Luke’s that we needed to revisit our design. Lines have been omitted and the size of the text of articles has increased. Soon we’ll be revisiting and revising all of our publications: service leaflets, website, and email. We hope it will make for a cleaner look and an easier read.

Speaking of The Magnetic Church, what a strong conference it was. Our presenter, Andy Weeks, shared many important ideas about how to lower the barriers for those who are new. For example, would anyone off of the street know how to adequately find a restroom, Sunday School classrooms, or the Nursery. Probably not. We’ll be responding to some of the barriers to those who are new in the coming days ahead.

October is a busy month with the Episcopal Church Women Fall Luncheon and Dinner, the Saint Francis Day Blessing of the Animals, Confirmation classes, Trunk or Treat, the Crime Prevention and Personal Safety Course, and the beginning of the Stewardship season. This year our theme is “WE ARE SAINT LUKES”. It takes all of us, all hands on deck, and so your clergy and vestry have adopted the following statement inviting your participation.

The clergy and lay leaders of Saint Luke’s have unanimously committed ourselves to stepping up our pledges - not just to meet a budget, but to help us grow to new levels in our mission and ministry. We invite you to join us and do the same!

Join us in growing to new levels in our mission and ministry, and expect to receive a letter with a copy of our brand new narrative budget from our Stewardship Team in the next few days.

Come and join us. It won’t be the same without you!

Sean+

The October edition of The Parish Life

The Parish Life - September 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:46:00 +0000

The Parish Life - September 2011

We have much to be excited about. On a personal note, at both services on August 28, I announced that our little family will be expecting a new addition coming sometime around the beginning of April 2012. We are excited and joyfully surprised. We will let you, our parish family, know the gender of our new baby once we know, but we will keep his or her name a surprise for after she or he is born. (Don’t worry, our parents won’t know the name either.)

And we have much to be excited about as a parish. Our annual Rally Day and Parish Picnic are coming up on September 11. This is the day we kick off our Fall Christian Education season and invite children to be enrolled in the appropriate class for their age group. Registration cards will be available for you to sign them up and our Parish Picnic immediately follows at Conger Park near the hospital. This is the perfect day to come to church dressed for the picnic afterward.

And while we have a whirlwind of events at Saint Luke’s this month, I am perhaps most excited about what’s coming at the end of September. On September 30 - October 1, we will host The Magnetic Church, a conference of practical, non-confrontational evangelism designed to help churches attract, welcome, and retain new members. Presented by Andrew D. Weeks, a life-long Episcopalian, this day-and-a-half conference has proven to be very effective in both starting and re-energizing evangelism programs. A gifted lay evangelist and humorous, inspiring speaker, Andy has designed this program to involve skeptics, stimulate activists, and engage the curious - to help everyone learn more about new member ministry. As he has done with Episcopal and other “mainline” churches across the country, he will: invite us into his faith journey; guide us through this spiritually-based, fun and practical exploration of evangelism; and challenge us to embrace new creative ministries, not more tasks.

This conference has been previously hosted by other churches in the diocese, but the Magnetic Church has been an ever-evolving process. This will be one of the final times this event will be presented, and perhaps the last time in the Diocese of West Tennessee. Mark your calendar now and plan to join us for an inspiring day-and-a-half program that will help us learn how to transform the tourists and pilgrims who visit and worship with us every week into friends in Christ and members of our community of faith. There are materials to register for this program in the narthex and you are always welcome to call the parish office for more information.

Come and join in celebrating God’s gracious goodness toward us!

Sean+

The September edition of The Parish Life

The Parish Life August 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:18:00 +0000

The story of our faith: the story of the Creation, of human sin, of God’s call for us to return; the story of God taking on human flesh in Jesus, his life, teachings, death, resurrection and ascension; the sending of the Spirit at Pentecost, and the birth and life of the Church, is where we find all of our meaning and idetity as Episcopalians. It is the story of our faith, friends, that calls us back to senses in spite of the busy-ness (and sometimes downright insanity), going on around us in the world.

Even after living in Jackson for five years now, it still takes me aback that school begins at the beginning of August. And while I’m not sure I ever started school before the last week of August in my entire school career, it is a solemn reminder that fall is just around the corner. At Saint Luke’s that means our annual fall kickoff, the resumption of many Christian education classes, new programs, and special events. It means additional ways that we intentionally tell the story of our faith. I draw your attention to two such opportunities.

First, because school is about to be back in session, our annual school supply and uniform drive is fully underway. We collect school supplies for four elementary schools near Saint Luke’s. In this economic downturn we know that primary students often do not come to school with appropriate supplies. We are the only entity, church or otherwise, in Jackson that is providing this important ministry. More information about the items we need can be found on page 3 of The Parish Life. In other words, through our sharing with these children in need, we share in the abundance of blessings we have received from God, and through our actions, we engage another way to share the story.

Second, Saint Luke’s will be hosting Mr. Andrew Weeks, a gifted and inspiring speaker and lay evangelist for a conference called “Magnetic Church” concerning presenting your church to the public, new member ministry, the ministry of greeting, and communications. Andy is a lifelong Episcopalian and is well known for his good work. The members of Saint Luke’s who have participated in this conference previously have given it rave reviews. This conference is also open to others across the diocese and other churches in Jackson. Please plan to participate and you can find more information about Magnetic Church on page 7 of The Parish Life. Andy’s gift is about lowering the barriers that prevent people from hearing the story we tell, and seeks to help us communicate that story more effectively.

Take this opportunity to renew your commitment to be a part of this life-changing, identity-changing, world-changing community of faith known as Saint Luke’s. Your presence, as ever, is wanted and needed. Come join in telling the story.

Sean+

The Parish Life - August 2011

The Parish Life July 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:16:00 +0000

In this busy world, in our busy lives, there is but one question that haunts me again and again. And that is “How do we keep our balance?” How do we keep our balance when there are more and more things competing for our time and attention? How do we keep our balance when the world still seems out of kilter following the financial crash of 2008? How do we keep our balance when many continue to seek employment? How do we keep our balance when the message on the news seems to be filled with items whose sole purpose seems to raise our anxiety and suspicion of our neighbors? How do we keep our balance in the midst of the changes and chances of this life?

How do we keep our balance? That question is answered by Tevye the milkman, central character in the Sholem Aleichem’s fictional memoir that became Fiddler on the Roof. Tradition! he sings and shouts. Tradition!

Believe it or not, there is hardly a day that goes by that I don’t identify with Tevye – the fiddler on the roof. “A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn’t easy. You may ask ‘Why do we stay up there if it’s so dangerous?’ Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!”

Dear ones, the tradition of Jesus in the very deepest sense keeps us grounded in teaching and ways of being that allows us to love and live through the changes and chances of life. Along the way we embrace traditions that give us some balance, and in the religious sense those include worship, music, ways of gathering and being, ways of thinking about the world and life. We embrace faith practices that help us be grounded amid the changes and chances of this life.

In these summer months, do not neglect your need to be re-grounded in and reconnect with your tradition. Many of us get away on vacation during the months. But when you are back in town, return to your balance. Make space and time in your schedule to reconnect with Saint Luke’s, to reconnect with your tradition, to reconnect with God. May we make room in the space of our small hearts, and time in our busy lives, to honor the One who calls us each by name, and whose presence is written across every moment to eternity, and who brings balance to we who are wearied by the changes and chances of life that we may rest in his eternal changelessness.

May God’s deepest blessings be upon you and yours, and come and see us. Life will never be the same!

Sean+

The Parish Life - July 2011

The Parish Life June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:37:00 +0000

This summer I want to invite you to join me in reading a groundbreaking book Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church by Kenda Creasy Dean. Dean is a professor at Princeton Seminary who participated with Christian Smith in the National Study of Youth and Religion, a Lilly Endowment study that surveyed 3000 teenagers. The results of the survey were staggering. Dean contends Moralistic Therapeutic Deism has become the normative religion in this country, a phrase coined by Christian Smith to describe the religious lives of today’s teenagers that includes this combination of beliefs:

A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
Good people go to heaven when they die.

It is “moralistic” because it “teaches that central to living a good and happy life is being a good, moral person.” It’s “about providing therapeutic benefits to its adherent” as opposed to practicing “repentance from sin, keeping the Sabbath, steadfastly saying one’s prayers, faithfully observing high holy days, of building character through suffering...” and further about “belief in a particular kind of God: one who exists, created the world, and defines our general moral order, but not one who is particularly personally involved in one’s affairs--especially affairs in which one would prefer not to have God involved.”

The “Deism” referred to is described so well in Bette Midler’s song “God is watching us from a distance,” never passionately engaged in history, or our lives, save for when we need God to give us something. It views God as “something like a combination Divine Butler and Cosmic Therapist: always on call, taking care of any problems that arise, professionally helping people to feel better about themselves, and does not become too personally involved in the process.” Dean argues “that we are doing an exceedingly good job of teaching youth what we really believe, namely, that Christianity is not a big deal, that God requires little, and the church is a helpful social institution filled with nice people…”

I am inviting you, and especially you who are parents, to join me in reading and digesting this book with me at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays in the parish library, beginning June 12. We’ll call the class “Will our children have Christian faith?” Join us!

Fr. Sean+

The Parish Life - June 2011

The Parish Life May 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:36:00 +0000

The week following Easter Day is a favorite time for clergy vacations. Holy Week is an 8 day week from Palm Sunday through Easter Day, and for us at Saint Luke’s that means 10 services in 8 days. After all of that, we deserve a break. But that’s not the way it works with the Risen Christ. Once he is raised and loosed from the bonds of death, he’s on the move and he doesn’t stop moving, no matter how fatigued we feel!

From the moment he is raised from the dead, the Risen Christ is on the move, appearing to the faithful, in the upper room when the disciples locked the doors with fear, on the road to Emmaus when he was revealed to them in the breaking of the bread, on the seashore when he makes breakfast for them. In other words, Easter continues. Easter is not simply one solitary day, Easter is the Great Fifty Days, Easter continues. The claim of Easter that Jesus was raised from the dead is so beyond our ability to comprehend that many people desire some proof. But you can’t prove that Easter is true by going backward, only by going forward. The Gospels say that’s where the risen Christ is, on the move, ahead of us, not behind us.

For me the greatest proof of Easter is YOU. Despite all of the setbacks and all of the perfectly good reasons why you should not be here some 2000 years after that first Easter, there you are. Jesus told us that where two or three are gathered, he would be there. And he is, among us, undeniably present. As your priest, I’ve seen the risen Christ as he is, undeniably present in you. You show me things happening in your life and testify to amazing twists and turns, inspiring new hope and uplifted faith that can only be explained by reference to the fact that Christ is risen.

How could we possibly tell the story of this church and not speak of resurrection? In 2003, an EF-4 tornado ripped apart our nave. A third of the membership here left the church over decisions of the national church over which we had no control. But we are still here. Our nave has been lovingly been restored and WE have wonderfully been restored. We are evidence that the Lord is risen indeed.

The reredos, the great icon of this church, depicts the resurrection of Jesus, and I can’t think of a more fitting icon of Saint Luke’s. We are people whose mission is to welcome all to worship the Risen Christ and live as his disciples.

Resurrection is not only at the heart of the Divine Story, it is at the heart of OUR story. Easter is the promise that God will never leave us to our own devices, will not be defeated by us. Easter is the firm assurance that God will get what God wants.

A blessed Great Fifty Days of Easter to you and yours!

Fr. Sean+

The Parish Life - May 2011

The Parish Life April 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:35:00 +0000

One of the great joys for me as a priest of the church is to observe the surprise of Holy Week. In spite of the fact that I have observed it many times, I continue to hear awe-filled comments like, “Wow!” Now, you might be thinking that it’s an awfully strange thing to hear coming from someone who had just emerged from the dramatic reading of the arrest and death of Jesus, or had sat through quiet reflection on the crucifixion. The priestly and pastoral satisfaction for me is that by simply doing what tradition asks us to do we are taking people to a place they’ve never been. If you haven’t been there before, why not plan now to go there with us this year?

Easter-and life itself-will be sweeter if you do.We will celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter on April 21, 22, and 23, each at 7 p.m. These ancient celebrations are considered one service spread across three days, sometimes known by its Latin name Triduum. With the addition of Palm Sunday, they make for a sweetly grace-filled week.

The services of Holy Week do not re-enact the historical events like a passion play. They are “rememorative”: that is, to remember the historical events of the passion symbolically so that we may enter into them. And it is my hope that we will indeed enter into them as a parish family. Our choir is participating in all of these services, and I appreciate their willingness to share the gifts they bring.

How can a religious service take us to a place we’ve never been? “Ritual means bonding to meaning,” as theologian Mathias Zahniser put it. In a death-denying culture, we zero in on a story where no one minces their words about the fact of death, but a story in which death does not have the last word. With some once-a-year readings and actions, we leave our denial, our routine and the surrounding noise, and enter into some heavy stuff. It’s another kind of Wow.

Holy Week is at the very heart of real Christianity, and at the heart of our Christian story. More importantly, it’s a time to listen with the heart. Join us. Let this year be the year you go where you have never gone before.

Many Blessings to you on your continuing Lenten Journey,.

The Parish Life - April 2011

The Parish Life March 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Lent begins late this year. In fact, Lent falls as late as it will for the next 70 years. March 9 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. We at Saint Luke’s join many modern Christians in spending Lent in a time of sacrifice and self-denial. Many will fast and pray and take on prayerful disciplines. Some suggestions for developing your own Lenten disciplines can be found on page 6 of this edition of The Parish Life. We will mark the beginning of Lent by attending Ash Wednesday services (at Noon and 7 p.m. on March 9) in which ashes made from last year’s palms are marked on the foreheads of the penitent. That mark symbolizes the humble beginning of the journey to Good Friday and ultimately to the new life that is Easter. If you’ve not yet made church a priority in 2011, Lent is a great time to begin anew.

As we enter this Lenten journey together, I invite us to consider the kind of sacrifice we will make this year. I know that some of us will plan to give up swearing or chocolate or ice cream. In fact, Shrove Tuesday (March 8 at 6p.m.), sometimes known as Mardi Gras, has its roots in getting rid of the fat and sugar in the cupboard in preparation for the Lenten journey.

As a part of your Lenten journey this year, I invite you to participate in our Lenten Program. A few years ago we spent our Lenten programs celebrating ancient celebrations of the Eucharist in the Parish Hall. Ever since we did this program I have received requests from you to do it again. So, our Lenten Dinner & Program will begin Wednesday, March 16th and will go through April 13th. Our five-week Lenten Program will not only be educational, but experiential. During the first four weeks our program will allow us to experience ancient celebrations of the Eucharist, giving us a window into the way people worshipped prior to the Reformation, beginning with the early Church on high Middle Ages. Then on the fifth and final week, we will share in an instructed Prayer Book Eucharist, which will explain why we do what we do.

Dinner will begin promptly at 5:45 p.m., and the program will begin in the Parish Hall promptly at 6:15. The dinners will be provided by the Vestry on March 16, the Choir on March 23, the Men’s Literary Guild on March 30, the ECW on April 6, and the Altar Guild on April 13. Nursery will be available each Wednesday during these programs. The Program each week will be concluded by 7:00 p.m. sharp. Please be sure to sign up on the bulletin board or e-mail the parish office at stlukes@aeneas.net.

We hope that you will plan to join us!.

The Parish Life - March 2011

The Parish Life February 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Luke's Episcopal Church) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:32:00 +0000

       Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
      For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
      A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

On Sunday, January 30, Saint Luke’s choir was invited to join the choir at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Memphis, the cathedral of our diocese, for a rousing Evensong, a traditional version of sung evening prayer featuring the words of the canticle above. And if you didn’t have the pleasure of hearing the combined choirs under the direction of Scott Elsholz, Canon Organist/Choirmaster at the cathedral, you missed out on a lovely service. Quite literally, it was a work of artistic beauty and a joyous celebration of our two congregations. Scott is a dynamic personality, bringing great enthusiasm and joy for singing to both congregation and choir. That our cathedral has such a gifted musician and teacher is pure gift. Friends, we will be privileged to have him share his giftedness with us this month.

On Sunday, February 13, Scott, will be at Saint Luke’s, working some of his magic among us. At our 10:30 service, he will be playing and directing our choir, and following the 10:30 service, we’ll have a workshop for both choir members and for anyone interested in singing.

A handful of members of Saint Luke’s have been previously privileged to participate in Scott’s singing workshops at our annual diocesan convention, and the reviews are glowing.

Let me make two things clear. First, the workshop really is for those even beyond the choir. If you like to sing, this workshop will be for you. Second, those who participate in the workshop are in no way committing themselves to sing in Saint Luke’s choir! It really is for your enjoyment, pure and simple.

So plan to join us on February 13th for this special treat!.

The Parish Life - February 2011