I Find God on the Golf Course

I find God on the golf course better than I do in church. That phrase, or something like it, seems to be common these days. In fact on my summer vacation I struck up a conversation with a fellow Episcopalian and asked her if she was going to the community bible study where we were staying. Her reply was no. She then went on to tell me she rarely attends church and instead takes a walk in the woods once a week to be close to God.

While it might be simple for clergy like me to dismiss such sentiments as missing the point, perhaps the reason for this growing phenomenon, of finding God in nature as opposed to church, is one that ought to be considered more closely. People, it seems, are not only longing for God but are also feeling disconnected from the natural order of our world. While those two things may be separate from one another they are also closely related. After all, God is the divine creator of all things. God created nature and us as a part of this world. Despite that fact, many people today are completely isolated from the natural world. For instance, we live in climate controlled homes, drive climate controlled cars, and eat food we don't grow or rarely see growing. It seems that so many of our environments are controlled, artificial, or virtual that the natural world is almost alien to us. And if we can't know the world God created for us, how can we know our creator? As we consider that reality, it’s no wonder people need nature as a first step in their spiritual lives. However, to simply stop with the love, beauty, and glory we see of God in nature is to dramatically short change ourselves. For if we stop with the natural revelation of God we may never really know the divine revelation waiting for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is the knowledge of that divine revelation which gives us a greater hope, joy, and faith than nature ever can. For this reason the church spends a great deal of time seeking to grow closer to God by learning more about him. Through learning more about God we come to find a deeper need for meaningful worship. In learning more about God we enrich our theology, expand our ability to pray, and deepen our commitment to healing our broken world. 

A Time for Retreat

As we enter the summer months the church's liturgical calendar turns to that season called “Ordinary Time”. It is a time in the life of the church where things take on a slower pace. Some reasoning for this is because during the summer months our schedules become less predictable as people travel and commitments change. However, this break from our normal routines can also be a time for spiritual renewal.

When we consider what spiritual renewal looks like many of us may think about taking a spiritual retreat. A spiritual retreat is a time when we take a break from our normal routines to pray, be silent, and find God. This summer, as the weather improves, a good practice would be to plan time to be quiet and alone with God in prayer. If you are planning on spending more time outdoors, you might look for a beautiful place to be still in God’s presence among his creation. If you are planning on going on vacation, you might consider using that time to find God. Perhaps you could walk along the beach and pray or get up early to read scripture and listen to God with your heart. There are a variety of ways you might choose to go deeper in your spirituality and grow in faith and holiness.

In scripture there are several places where we are commended to seek God. Many of these verses come from the prophet Isaiah who says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; Call on him while He is near.” (55:6) In other places he says, that people should listen to God “in silence,” and in doing so, “gain new strength” (41). It seems that the practice of seeking God in those times when we can be still and calm has been part of the human experience since we were created.

However you choose to spend your time this summer, remember that God is always longing for a deeper connection with you. If you choose to use your time to connect to God I am certain you will find it to be a time that is refreshing and nurturing for your soul. May God bless you as you, “go from strength to strength” until each of us “appears before God” together. (Ps. 84)

What is Love?

In communicating our faith, many people use love as a way of describing God. So in our most recent class we explored the concept of love and how it has changed over the years. For instance, the writers of the New Testament used at least four Greek words for love.

ἀγάπη (agápe): meaning the love between God and humans, charity, or brotherly love.
ἔρως (érōs): meaning passionate love
φιλία (philia): meaning affectionate friendship
στοργή (storgē): meaning affection as the love between parents and children

By the middle ages this concept had changed once again. In this time period we get words like:

Caritas: meaning the love which people use when they put others before themselves.
Charity. Amor: meaning the love of material things such as money, power, possessions, etc.
Courtly Love: an expression of knightly worship embodied in another person.

Today, in our modern world, we use love to mean all sorts of things. Often times we describe our expression of love to make it more accurate. We say things like, “I love you like a friend” or “I love you like a sister” and so on. Perhaps our language has developed this way because love, like God, is beyond our complete understanding.

So as we continue to reflect on what love means for us, we need to consider what we mean when we describe God as love. What is this perfect source of all love that Christians feel from time to time? What happens if we don’t feel that love?

Whatever the case, it is important for all of us to remember that the love each of us shares with God will likely mature in us as we grow in our faith. There will be times when we feel close to God and times when we feel He is distant from us. In our journey there will be times when all we have is the discipline of our spiritual practice to carry us forward. It is this maturing in our faith, however, that reflects the spiritual journey we are all on. Like the Israelites, it would be easy for us to stay in Egypt where we have access to food and shelter. However, none of us can become who God is calling us to be unless we venture out into the desert. This means leaving the joy of our conversion and proceeding down the road of discernment, calling, and action where we explore new ways of knowing God and living our faith. This isn’t always an easy process, but ultimate reward is beyond all measure.

Alleluia Christ is Risen! 

In the life of the church we are now well into the season of Easter. Eastertide is the time between the resurrection of Christ we celebrate at the Easter Vigil, and the moment where the Holy Spirit comes among the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost. During this season we are called upon to reflect on the many mysteries of the resurrection. Some of the things you might choose to consider are:

 • What the resurrection says about the character of Jesus Christ as the Righteous One of God (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:25-28).
• You might ponder the fact that death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56).
• You could reflect upon the fact that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you today (Ephesians 1:15-23).
• You might think of how the resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).
• You could consider how the resurrection gives us “new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).

Eastertide allows us to think deeply and to pray broadly about what the resurrection of Jesus means, both to us and to our world.

Finally, as we consider the power the resurrection holds in our lives, we should also go about the business of considering how to live out that reality in our world. How might the reality of the resurrection impact our prayer life, our commitment to the faith, our calling to support the church, our desire to help the poor and suffering? Just as the resurrection of our lord changed the reality of the world, we must also allow the resurrection to change the reality of our lives and help us to grow closer to what God is calling us to become. May His blessing and the power of His resurrection be with you all this Easter season.

LENT

As we enter the Season of Lent, I thought I would offer a reflection on the season. Below is a portion of a sermon from Bishop Thomas Ken. In the early history of the Anglican Church he was one of the more prominent bishops. He is most known for his hymns and poems which no doubt flowed from his great love for God and the church.

For what is Lent, in its original institution, but a spiritual conflict, to subdue the flesh to the spirit, to beat down our bodies, and to bring them into subjection? What is it, but a penitential martyrdom for so many weeks together, which we suffer for our own and others' sins? A devout soul, that is able duly to observe it, fastens himself to the cross on Ash Wednesday, and hangs crucified by contrition all the Lent long; that having felt in his closet the burthen and the anguish, the nails and the thorns, and tasted the gall of his own sins, he may by his own crucifixion be better disposed to be crucified with Christ on Good Friday, and most tenderly sympathize with all the dolors, and pressures, and anguish, and torments, and desertion, infinite, unknown, and unspeakable, which God incarnate endured, when He bled upon the cross for the sins of the world; that being purified by repentance, and made conformable to Christ crucified, he may offer up a pure oblation at Easter, and feel the power and the joys and the triumph of his Saviour's resurrection. And to encourage you to such a devotion, thus enforced with fasting, and mourning, and alms, as was this of Daniel, reflect on the wonderful success he found; for when he began his supplications, the angel Gabriel was sent to him by God, and arrived before he had ended them; and by that heavenly messenger, God then honoured him with that glorious prophecy of the seventy weeks.- And the prophet Ezekiel joins Daniel with Noah and Job, as the three greatest instances of prevalence with God that ever prayed.

From a portion of a sermon preached by Thomas Ken in the King’s Chapel at Whitehall in the Year 1685.

Preparing for the Christ Child

As you sit down to read this newsletter we will all be in the middle of Advent and heading quickly into our Christmas celebrations. During this time of year people often ask me what spiritual practices might be helpful for us as we prepare to celebrate the gift of the Christ child. As I reflected on that question a few suggestions came to mind.

This first suggestion I have is for us to count our blessings. It is a wonderful gift for us to think back on the many ways God has answered our prayers. Doing so helps us to see the ways God has been active in our life and gives us courage as we face the future knowing that God will continue to be with us no matter how challenging things may become.

Second, take some time this Advent to remember that you have a purpose. God has given everyone’s life deep meaning and placed a calling in everyone’s heart. Spend time reflecting on what God may be calling you to do in the life of His kingdom.

Third, take time for prayer, reading, and quiet. While this may seem rather simple or obvious, it is easy to forget to do during the busy time of Christmas preparation. There are many resources available for connecting to God. Many people pray the Daily Office which involves praying Morning and Evening Prayer. These services are found in the Book of Common Prayer. Morning prayer begins on page 75 and Evening Prayer begins on page 115. The lectionary begins on page 936 and we are now in Year One. Alternatively, one quick way to keep the Daily Office is to go to www.missionstclare.com and the services with the readings are formatted for you.

Finally, remember to re-connect with family, friends, and our faith community. Each of us can be a wonderful gift to one another in helping each other grow closer to God. I pray that this gift of love and community will be felt in a special way during our Christmas services this season. I also pray that as we prepare for those services, each of us will find in our preparation a glimpse into the powerful way in which God loves us. May we all come to see God’s love in the Christ child given to us that we might all find our way home to that great community of the faithful in the life beyond this one.

Dealing with Conflict

Last week I was in a conversation with some of my fellow clergymen about how to properly deal with disagreements and arguments in the life of the church. As I listened to that conversation I was reminded of one of my greatest heroes in the church, the great Anglican theologian, Richard Hooker. Here is a man who was born into a meager family and used what connections he could to become a priest in the church. Eventually he became a great teacher and theologian, which is what we know him for today. He is most famously credited for the three legged stool of Anglicanism as a model for how to make decisions in the Church. In this model, he tells us to first consider Scripture, then the traditions of the Church, and finally our own reason when working out how to find a solution for an issue. However, what he is less known for is the great controversy that surrounded his tenure as the rector of the famous Temple Church in London. During his first few years in his position, Richard Hooker, was constantly badgered, questioned, belittled, humiliated, bullied, and harassed by his subordinate, Walter Travers. The controversies surrounded Churchmanship, God’s will toward sin, and many other issues of critical importance to the identity of the young Anglican Church. You can read a more detailed account of the controversy by CLICKING HERE and I would strongly encourage everyone to do so. However, what is remarkable is not necessarily the contraversy itself, but that Richard Hooker, even though he could have simply fired, Walter Travers, never did. Mr. Travers was eventually removed from his post by the vestry of the church who simply got sick of his inappropriate behavior. In fact, Richard Hooker, felt that the constant attacks by Mr. Travers tended to only sharpen his intellect and helped him to think very carefully about his own position and theology. What is perhaps most interesting, is that these bouts motivated Richard Hooker to write his great series of books Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, which are one of the greatest theological writings in Christianity and certainly in Anglicanism.

What I think we can take away from this is to remember Richard Hooker’s model of humility and grace when dealing with disagreements. Perhaps we need to all look harder for God among the arguments themselves, keep an open mind about our opponent’s view, and use our disagreements to test our own understanding of what God’s will is for us and His church. However, as we do those things, I believe we must always remember to show the courtesy and brotherly love that Richard Hooker showed to Walter Travers. We must remember to give others the room to disagree and to never take action against or alienate someone because we hold a different opinion. That gentle self-effacement is a halmark of a Godly person.  Therefore, when we disagree, remember that genuine love and unity among the family of God are perhaps the most important elements for a healthy church. As St. Paul tells us, we should, “Love one another with brotherly affection and outdo one another in showing honor.”(Romans 12:10) As we seek those things, I think we would do well to look to that great founding theologian of Anglicanism, Richard Hooker, to model that life for us.