Where are you taking me?

Recently, out of my collection of videos, I screened the PBS documentary entitled, Liberty, a six hour retrospective telling the tale of the American fight for independence, narrated by actors sharing actual written history taken from letters, diaries, and other documents from people many of us had never heard of. One of the recurring characters is a wood-be soldier who ended up fighting in the colonial army, sharing his life during the 8 year long conflict, another a 16 year old teenager’s tale recorded in her diary as the British attempt to win the war using southern sympathizers. It’s a rich documentary, well constructed, thoughtful, filled with living history presented in such a way that one can truly see the choices people make can and DO effect others which makes history something more than dates, and tired dead facts. Read More �

Deacon Icon

Recently, via email, I was confronted by an opinion of people who are or aspire to the ministry of the diaconate as “church rats”, and an order within the greater church which is not taken seriously, and more than this, thought of as irrelevant. These harsh words have a history which I will not air in this arena, but I thought it might be a good idea to take an aggressive opinion, and re-frame it as a teaching moment.

The Deacon as Church Rat:

Oh, that the church would have more rats as these! One of the principle duties and functions of the deacon is to represent the church in the world. In order to do this, one must know what is going on, not only in the parish (a home church contained within the wider mega church), but to understand the dynamics of the diocese, and the thrust of the principle ministries of the Bishop. Read More �

Offered at St. George’s Episcopal Church, La Canada, CA

Isaiah 6:1-8
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17
Psalm 93

Icons are strange things; they act as a window into one’s spiritual soul breathing life into your own individual sacred journey. Icons agree to meet you…as is…just as you are without pretense or judgment. Staring at an icon, one which is prayerfully conceived is like gazing at a lover with all the emotions attached to it. The power of iconography embraces the mysterious communication reaching out, moving beyond one dimension as it has the power to envelop the viewer with soulful communication. Icons sometimes offer us the space to connect with what Thomas Merton called life’s “hidden wholeness” allowing us a chance to rest in what I like to call a “sacred ambiguity.” Read More �

Last night Felix and I watched an American Masters biography covering the life and work of Leonard Bernstein. When the program came to its conclusion I began to wonder if Lenny and I lived on the same planet — from what I experienced from his words; we do not.

Like any great artist, he saw the world through a different mode, a lens filtered through an alternative perspective; this perspective is something in which we can relate, but at the same evokes a sense of awe. Read More �

Lent is almost over, and as I head into Holy Week I thought I might share bits and pieces of my Lenten journey. Compared to last year, the time spent in Lent has been more outward in its nature, as compared to last year when I turned inward writing the Gay Stations of the Cross.

This year I have spent the season preparing a candidate for Baptism. Much like the early days of Christianity, we have used this time to speak about faith, and the important aspects of discipleship. Our journey together has not been one of rules and regulations, or dogma with do’s and don’ts,  our chats have revolved around growth in faith, how to approach scripture as nourishment, and the important aspects of community. Along the way we have also talked about prayerful honesty, the concepts of self giving love both offering and receiving, and the gift of forgiveness. Read More �

And i’ts in…the results have been tabulated, and counted. According to a Vatican Newspaper, Osservatore Romano, the greatest invention of the 20th century, the invention which best represents the liberation of women is [insert your own mental drum roll] the….. Read More �

I find it quite interesting that, as I type these words, the California Supreme Court will be hearing arguments surrounding Proposition 8 from both sides, pro as to why the State Constitutional Amendment should stand, and from the other side, why the amendment should be overturned.

I find it interesting that as the courts are weighing an ethical stance between bigotry and equality, far removed from any true sense of Biblical Morality, President Obama is meeting with a cross section of leaders in an attempt to figure out a way to curb, and bring under control a Health Care System which at the present moment causes one bankruptcy ever 30 seconds.

I find it interesting that as the California Court listens to arguments from those who claim to know what God means by, “it is not good for humans to be alone”, a bike ride is being planned to demonstrate the latest in humanities attempt to pollute the earth, bringing examples of “sea soup” to public awareness, showing sludge they have collected 2000 miles out at sea; humanity’s junk as a testimony to our short sighted, selfish fouling of the earth.

“Oh Lord, do your eyes not look for truth? You have struck them, but they felt no anquish, you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to turn back.” (Jeremiah 5:3)

Sitting in my Hebrew Bible class we begin to study the prophets, and I learn a few things which make their message clearer.

- Court prophets were basically cheerleaders for the king, and did not question what the king was going to do, just tried and help him do what he had already decided, and make it more successful.

- False prophets were only concerned with their particular region, country, or geographic area. God was there to protect their own group, and to vanquish all of their enemies. Read More �

My “Hebrew Bible” professor at the Episcopal School of Theology is James A. Sanders. I say this wiath unabashed pride as I have been given quite a gift, to be able to soak in a bit of the knowledge and experience from a true master.

When he first started to lecture/preach, and yes,  he admits to doing both, I soon felt we were on the same page, with a similar ontological sense of a kindred theology.  One day, in class,  he put a name to it; this way of thinking, calling it a “Theocentric Christian Theology”.  Besides constant reminders of our continuing monotheising process, I shall also never forget his admonishment that humanity tends to worship the gift over the giver.

Below is a sermon Dr. Sanders gave at last weeks chapel at the Episcopal School of Theology, Claremont, CA.

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 111
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28

Credo in Unum Deum

James A. Sanders

According to the first three Gospels Jesus’ first act of ministry, after doing some community organizing gathering his first disciples, was to heal a person of an unclear spirit.  He thus showed the power of God over forces of evil in the world, a first act of affirming the integrity of the One God of All.
And Paul makes clear in his various letters to the early churches, that belief in the One God of All is the core of Christianity.  Jesus taught in many ways that the very basis of biblical faith is belief in One God, even to the point of loving our enemies because their God is ours as well.  And, of course, Deuteronomy made early efforts at affirming that there was but one Yahweh and what it can mean that there is but One God of All. Read More �