Grace Happens

A Christmas Reflection

2011-12-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite holiday movies is the story of The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.

The story opens with $1.87. That is all the money that Della Dillingham Young has to buy a present for her beloved husband, Jim, and the next day is Christmas. Faced with such a situation, Della promptly bursts into tears on the couch, which gives the narrator the opportunity to tell us a bit more about the situation of Jim and Della. The short of it is they live in a shabby flat and they are poor in material goods, but very rich in the love that they have for one another.

Once Della's recovered from the realization that all she has to spend is that $1.87, she goes to a mirror to let down her hair and examine it. Della's beautiful, brown, knee-length hair is one of the two great treasures of the poor couple. The other is Jim's gold watch. Her hair examined, Della puts it back up, sheds a tear, and bundles up to head out into the cold. She leaves the flat and walks to Madame Sofronie's hair goods shop, where she sells her hair for $20.00. Now she has $21.87 cents.

With her new funds, Della is able to find Jim the perfect present: an elegant platinum watch chain for his watch. It's $21, and so she buys it. Excited by her gift, Della returns home and tries to make her now-short hair presentable (with a curling iron). She is not convinced Jim will approve, but she did what she had to do to get him a good present. When she finishes with her hair, she gets to work preparing coffee and dinner.

Jim arrives home for dinner at 7:00 to find Della waiting by the door and stares fixedly at her, not able to understand that Della's hair is gone. Della can't understand quite what his reaction means.

After a little while, Jim snaps out of it and gives Della her present, explaining that his reaction will make sense when she opens it. Della opens it and cries out in joy, only to burst into tears immediately afterward, because Jim has given her the set of fancy combs that she has been wanting, only now she has no hair for them. Jim comforts Della, and once she has recovered she gives Jim his present, holding out the watch chain. Jim smiles and falls back on the couch. He sold his watch to buy Della's combs, he explains. He recommends they put away their presents and have dinner. As they do so, the narrator brings the story to a close by pronouncing that Della and Jim are the wisest of everyone who gives gifts. They are in fact, the Magi.

For me, sacrificial living and giving is what my faith calls me to, particularly during this time of the year when so many are in need, whether that need is physical or spiritual. During these particularly difficult economic times, there are many people across the Island, our country, and the world who are living on the margins, and in too many instances, not knowing how they will have the ability to adequately feed and clothe their families, let alone provide them with something special during the holidays.

And as I write this, I am very much aware of and thankful for the dozens of “elves” from all over the Island that have invaded virtually every spare inch of space here at Grace Church to once again bring into reality another Christmas Miracle peculiar to Martha’s Vineyard, which is known as Red Stocking. It is another manifestation of the gift of the Magi, where people from every walk of life come together, combining the resources of this community to insure that those with little do not do without this Christmas.

And yet I am still aware that in spite of these efforts that there are many people who will continue to hurt during this holiday season. There are over 80…yes eighty…homeless persons known to the clergy on Martha’s Vineyard as of this moment. Some of them will benefit from Red Stocking, but many will not. Regardless of our faith tradition, I believe that it is up to each of us to do whatever we can to bring a bit of light and joy into the lives of the least and lost however we can.
I can only speak from out of the Christian tradition which calls us to bring light into the world’s dark places. Where Christ is, the Christian will talk about light. We have to – there is no better image of what is happening. The light shines in the darkness – as John’s Gospel proclaims. And somehow we understand this and we understand that this truth cannot be fully expressed in any other words.
We probably understand because we know about darkness – we know what it is like to live in and with darkness. Think of what it is like to try to walk through an unfamiliar room that is in total darkness – or to wake up confused in the middle of the night – trying to get somewhere. We know what it's like when we don't know where things are, and when we don't know what we have just bumped into, or whether we're going where we want to go, or if the next step will be OK or if we will break something and make a mess. We know how easy it is to go in circles in the dark, and to get turned around, or to stub a toe and get angry and hit whatever is handy. Many among us also know what it is like to live like that in broad daylight.
I want to conclude with one of my other favorite stories, and this is specifically about Christmas.

I believe that there is some unwritten rule of all Christmas pageants…they never come off quite like they are planned.

There was a certain church whose young people were performing the pageant, complete with the requisite manger scene. All of the characters were in place and at the ready. Mary and Joseph and the angels in position, and a single light bulb shining from the manger representing Jesus, the true light coming into the world.

The moment came for the shepherds to enter…everyone looking pious and prepared. Then the shepherds entered. As they approached the manger, the person playing one of the shepherds looked at Joseph and in a whisper loud enough for only the cast to hear asked, “Well, Joe, when are you gonna pass out the cigars?” The spell was shattered and the cast burst into laughter. The chief angel standing on a chair overlooking the scene laughed so hard that she fell off her perch, bringing down the backdrop and the manger with her. The set was destroyed, but the only thing that didn’t waver was that single light shining from the manger. The lesson from all of this is that the newborn baby in the manger is the light of the world, and that even when the world around you appears to have been destroyed, that light still shines to illuminate the darkness of our hurting and sorrowful lives.

The light of Christ, the word made flesh, comes among us at Christmas – and we celebrate its coming into the world. God reveals God's love to us in Christ. That first Christmas, in the smelly darkness of a stable the light shone – and it continues to shine – and continues to allow us to see, and to show a world living in darkness what we have seen. For by that light we have been given power to become children of God and to take our places with the light. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did, and still, does not overcome it.

On behalf of all of us at Grace Church, I want to wish you all the very best that this season has to offer, and a safe and prosperous New Year for us all.

To Camp Jabberwocky...With Love

2011-07-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

About Disabilities

A sermon based on John 9.1-7 & Luke 8.43-48
Adapted from a homily by David C. Mauldin
by Rev. Robert E. Hensley

For the Campers and Counselors of Jabberwocky, with Love and Appreciation

“Janice” is nearly 60 years old, but she has the mind of a four-year-old. She is blind. Her back is curved, as are her arms and legs, due to a congenital disease, so she sits all day in bed or in a wheelchair. She has been in and out of institutions all her life. Her family tries to take care of her at home for a while, but before long they realize once again that her needs are too great. So back she goes to a state institution for the severely disabled. The family feels guilty about this, because she is happier at home, but her aging mother, who is now a widow, is unable to lift Janice and care for her properly. They lack the money for round-the-clock in-home care. If you visit the cottage where she lives, you will find her holding a teddy bear or playing with beads or bottles, singing happily to herself. “Jesus loves me” is a favorite. Of course she is not always happy. Like all of us she feels a full range of complex emotions, but she is unable to articulate many of hers. She has been known to scratch herself when she is upset. She depends on the people around her for all her needs, and she remembers the ones who are good to her. I have changed her name, but I assure you she is a very real person and someone who has helped form me.

I have decided to talk this morning about Janice, our beloved friends from Camp Jabberwocky who are with us this morning, and the millions of other special, differently abled people, with disabilities ranging from mild to severe. It is about disability and how as Christians we fit it into our conceptual world. How are we to understand disability? How ought we respond? Where does God fit in? And how do we cope if we become disabled? These are not easy questions, but they are important ones. There is a distinctly Christian take on the whole phenomenon of human disability. It stands in contrast to other views that are out there – for example, an Eastern view that says disability is punishment for sins committed in a former life or a pagan view that tries not to view the disabled at all.

In the ancient world, how Christians thought about disability and cared for the disabled set them apart from their pagan neighbors. What usually happened in the Greek and Roman worlds when a baby was born with some sort of defect was that the parents would take the child out into the wilderness somewhere and leave it to die. Christians did not do this. In fact, the early Christians were known to often rescue such children and raise them in a loving home. How’s that for putting theology into practice? It takes strong faith and love to do something like that, but it still happens still, once in a while. A Christian couple will adopt a handicapped child because no one else wants the boy or girl and they know he or she is worthy of love. That’s an admirable calling.
Since there is a distinctly Christian understanding about disability, I thought it appropriate that I should share it with you today, especially now that pagan practices are making a comeback. And I say making a comeback, because with our “modern” medicine, it is easy nowdays to tell if a child will be handicapped while it is still in the womb and abort it. Meanwhile, at the other end of the lifecycle, euthanasia makes more and more sense to people who measure the worth of a human life not based on the image of God or any inherent dignity but on quality of life and even financial considerations. Devoted Christians seldom ask the question that seems to preoccupy pagan cultures, from ancient Greece and Rome to Nazi Germany to the Western world today: “Who is worthy to live?”

One problem that we face when preaching about disabilities is the scope of the topic. Disabilities come in many forms. Some people are born disabled. Some become disabled later in life. Disabilities can be caused by genetics, accident, or age. They can be physical or mental or a combination. It is a vast topic, and I cannot hope to give you a full or final word, but I can draw in broad outlines the distinctly Christian view.

First some basics: Every person, no matter how severely disabled, is a human being, created by God and bearing the image of God. God loves every person. These are truths we teach small children in Sunday school, and they are the foundation for how Christians think and act about disability. What do you feel when you encounter a severely handicapped person? Pity? Fear? Uncomfortable? What about a sense of awe at the glory of God? Every human being has an inherent, inalienable beauty, worth, and dignity because God created us, we bear God’s image (broken though it may be by our sin), and God loves us.

Also, Christ died for every person, absolutely every person. Christ died for you. Christ even died for me. We are all in need of redemption, and disability doesn’t change this one way or the other. In some cases, a person’s mind does not develop sufficiently to make sin possible. We believe that very young children lack sufficient awareness to sin. They cannot distinguish right and wrong. Children, we believe, are covered by God’s grace. If they grow and thrive and develop sufficient awareness, they will constitute themselves as willful sinners before God and stand in need of forgiveness. If, however, the mind does not grow, they remain in a state of grace. Are mentally handicapped adults morally culpable? Are they capable of faith? These questions can only be answered on a person-by-person basis. Some are. Some are not. God knows, and God works in their lives and calls them just the same as with anyone else.

I know of a couple who have a son with Down’s syndrome. When he was born, their pastor initially refused to baptize him, because he didn’t think the child would ever be capable of faith in Christ. This was a serious mistake. To being with, if you baptize any infants, you should baptize all infants. You cannot guarantee the future faith of any of them. More importantly, as we practice baptism, it speaks powerfully to God’s grace. Why did that pastor assume God’s grace was not for this child? It was, and it is. The parents were devastated. The pastor got chewed by his seminary bishop, and repented and baptized the child, but the parents never got over it. Every child born into the church is part of the community of faith and should be baptized. The differently abled child is, like every other child, God’s gift to us and a part of us. We simply cannot be the church, the family, the people God wants us to be if we exclude anyone. But now I am racing ahead of myself. Let me get back to the few basics so we can move on.

When we think about or try to cope with disabilities, one question is unavoidable: Why? Why was I born this way? Or, why did this happen to me? I have an answer to this question, and when you hear it you will be amazed by my wisdom. Here is my answer to the question “why?”: I don’t know.

That’s not a cop out. It is an honest answer. I really don’t know. There may be a reason – a mother takes medication with unforeseen side effects during pregnancy, a genetic problem, or a car accident. Even when there is a reason like this, however, it never reaches to the depths of the question why. Just knowing the physical cause, even if it can be known is not enough. “Where was God? Where is God? How can a loving God run the world like this? It is not fair.”

And that’s true. It is not fair. God has a lot to answer for. Not that we are capable of calling God to account. But according to scripture, God wants God’s goodness and faithfulness to be known to the ends of the earth. And thus God is held accountable, and all the earth will see and know that God is good. Someday, when God raises the dead and sets everything right, we will have our answers. Until then, the wisest answer that any of us can give is, “I don’t know.”

However, there are some things we do know. We know that disability is not God’s will. You may wonder, “How can I say it is not God’s will when it happens so often?” To which I can only say that a lot of things happen that are not God’s will. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will might be done on earth as it is in heaven. That’s not happening right now – not entirely anyway – I would say that disability is another instance of the fallen, broken state of our world. Remember what Paul wrote in Romans 8 about creation being in bondage to decay. The entire creation is out of whack, and stands in need of redemption and new creation.

We know disability is not God’s will because when Jesus was going around proclaiming the kingdom of God and showing people what it is like, he healed the disabled. Why these and not others? Well, Jesus was offering a sign of the kingdom. He was making the kingdom happen. He was offering a sneak preview of the coming main attraction when all God’s children will be healed and whole. When Jesus healed, he was doing God’s will on earth as in heaven. And what is God’s will? Healing and wholeness. Jesus healed many; he never, ever hurt or maimed anyone – not even those who everybody would have agreed deserved it.

When the disciples see the blind man, they assume God was punishing someone. Either the man’s parents had sinned, so God sent them a son who would not be able to look after them in their old age. Or God foresaw some sin the man himself would commit and punished him in advance. Jesus said no.

The essence of faith comes down to this: Are you willing to trust God despite having to wait for an answer? Can you believe in God’s goodness and love despite your suffering and the suffering of those you love? Jesus helps us tremendously here. We can look at the cross and know his love. We can look at his healing ministry and know that he wants – and plans – something better than our condition at the moment.

This leads me into what I want to say about coping with disability. I am at a disadvantage, for I have not had to cope with being handicapped. Physically at any rate. I know there are some who might dispute the mental part. So I can only draw on the experience and wisdom of others. I cannot pretend it is easy, nor will I tell you that all you need is faith in God to wash away the pain and fill you with joy. Life is more complicated than that. As in most areas of life, faith in God can save you and make all the difference in the end, but it does not exempt any of us from suffering.

Some people feel cursed by God. Their disability chokes out their faith and love. As Henri Nouwen, the Yale and Harvard scholar who left the academy to minister to mentally handicapped adults, wrote, “They believe their cup doesn’t carry any blessings” (Can You Drink the Cup?, p. 66). But they are wrong. The love of God is big enough to encompass our suffering and take it up and free our souls from bitterness and despair. I know this, I believe this, but knowing it is not enough. You have to experience it. I do not think I would cope well with a disability. Yet I know God’s grace is sufficient, so maybe there would be hope for even me. My prayer is that those of you who struggle with a disability will find the peace my mother did. I know many of you here with us this morning have…and I want you to know that each and every one of you are my heroes…and the heroes of many of the people here at Grace!

Well, we have covered the important basics. We have asked the question why. And we have looked at how some manage to cope with disability. There’s one more important thing I have to share with you. And that is: our response to the disability of others.

My first suggestion is practical. The disabled are just like everyone else, with certain exceptions. For example, blind people can do more than most people would expect, yet there are certain simple things they cannot do, such as read the mail. Treat a handicapped person just like anyone else, but know what things they cannot do and help them. If you have a family member who is disabled, you know this already. If you have a handicapped friend, ask how you can be helpful.

My second suggestion comes from the Gosepl of Luke. Is there a more beautiful moment in scripture than when Jesus turns to the woman who touched the edge of his robe and calls her “daughter”? He was on his way to heal the sick daughter of an important official. He stops along the way because in his heart this poor woman who has suffered so much is his daughter. Never be uncomfortable around a handicapped person. Follow Jesus’ simple instruction and example: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Third suggestion: Be sensitive to the needs of parents; rejoice in the Lord always and to give thanks in all circumstances. I confess that I lifted that from the Bible, specifically Paul’s letter to the Philippians. As the Bible tends to do, however, it gets people thinking. Several years ago a woman called me with a question about her son. His name was Michael. Michael was in a wheelchair. He couldn’t use his legs. He could only move his arms with difficulty and then not well. His speech was difficult to understand. He had mental disabilities as well. He was severely handicapped. She had been thinking about something that I said in a sermon and wanted to know, did I mean that she should be thankful to God that Michael is the way he is? It was one of those rare moments when I got something right (or perhaps God just took pity on me that time and gave me the words to say). I answered, “No, you are not to thank God for how he is, but you are to thank God for Michael.”

A handicapped child is a blessing that comes with a great price. Any child tests a parent’s stamina and patience and sanity, but a handicapped child can do so even more. Even the best, most loving parents need a break sometimes. Many handicapped children remain under their parents care all their lives. That takes a whole lot of grace. Be aware of their needs. Help them out. Encourage them. Not in some patronizing way, just the way you would care for any friend. But above all, we are to thank God for those special people who give us rare glimpses of the glory of God…not for the disability, but for the child of God. And do not fail to see the glory of God in that child. This will make more of a difference than you know. Parents, you see, are conscious of what people think of their children. They grieve when their child is left out or treated differently. But when other people love and cherish their child, well, that’s a much better feeling. That goes for all children, by the way. All of us. Remember that.

Finally, as a church, we want to help everyone participate as much as possible. If you have special needs, let us know. We will do everything that we possibly can to accommodate you, although we are limited in some ways by our facilities. Still, we do, I think, a fairly good job. We try to. We want to.

I took a risk this morning and a leap of faith, and I hope that I have given all of us something to think about. There is a distinctly Christian understanding of disability, and it is grounded in what the Bible tells us about being human generally. We are created in God’s image, beloved by God, possessed of an inherent dignity and worth, in need of redemption, in need of God’s grace, and called by God to care for one another. So let us go on loving one another and coping the best we can, until that glorious day when the dead are raised and God through Christ makes all things new. Amen.

The Story of the Internet from Genesis, Chapter 51 (NOT!)

2011-03-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, you might have thought that you knew how the Internet started, but here's the TRUE story ....

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot.

And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called...Amazon Dot Com.

And she said unto Abraham, her husband:

"Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent?"

And Abraham did look at her - as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load - but simply said: "How, dear?"

And Dot replied: "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price.

And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by...Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."

Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success.

Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.

To prevent neighboring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew. It was called Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures - ...

Hebrew To The People (HTTP)

But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secrete himself inside Abraham's drum and began to siphon off some of Abraham's business.

But he was soon discovered, arrested and prosecuted - for insider trading.

And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung.

They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.

And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land.

And indeed did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drumheads and drumsticks.

And Dot did say: "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others."

And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel , or eBay as it came to be known.

He said: "We need a name that reflects what we are."

And Dot replied: "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators." "YAHOO", said Abraham.

And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.

Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to locate things around the countryside.

It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE).

And that is how it all began. So now you know.

Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday

2011-03-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

The First Sunday in Lent has for some time now been designated "Episcopal Relief and Development Sunday." The timing this year could not be more fortuitous, coming on the heals of this morning's Mega-Quake and subsequent tsunami devastation. ERD is already moving to assist with relief efforts. In addition to the "loose plate" offering already designated this week to go to ERD, special donation envelopes will be available for your use for additional direct offerings for the rescue and relief efforts in Japan, and other potentially affected areas, specifically the Diocese of Hawaii and other Dioceses on the West Coast of the U.S.

A (Very) Brief History of The Episcopal/Anglican Church in Japan:

The name of the Episcopal Church in Japan is Nippon Sei Ko Kai, which roughly translated means Japanese Catholic Church, another autonomous branch of the Anglican Communion founded in 1859 by missionaries from the Episcopal Church in the U.S. These missionaries were soon joined in their efforts by missionaries from the Anglican Church in Canada and the Church of England. It was under the leadership of The Rt. Rev. Channing Moore Williams, Episcopal Bishop of China and Japan that these three missionary efforts were untied in 1878 to form the Japanese Province, Nippon Seikokai, whose name he chose. The Synod was created in 1887, with the first native Japanese bishops consecrated in 1923.

The Most Rev'd Nathaniel Makoto Unematsu is the current Archbishop and Primate of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, and Bishop of the Diocese of Hokkaido.

Any and all offerings made through Grace this first Sunday of Lent to ERD will be designated for Earthquake Relief Effort. Please continue to hold all of the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for your continuing abundant generosity.

This Long Epiphany Season

2011-02-22T08:53:00.001-08:00

As I started preparing my Sermon for this Sunday, I came to realize that I have never preached on the 8th Sunday of Epiphany before. And it got me thinking about our church calendar.

There are 35 possible days on which Easter may fall, with March 22 being the earliest. The last time it did was in 1818 (the year Illinois became a state...I only know that because I am from Illinois); it will not do so again until 2285! It fell on March 23, you may recall, in 2008, but will not again until 2160. The latest possible date for Easter is April 25. Note that Easter Sunday this year is April 24.

While many of us have experienced 7 Sundays in the Epiphany season, this is the only time in any of our lifetimes that we will experience all eight Sundays...or the lifetimes of our children or grandchildren for that matter.

According to my research, the cycle of Easter repeats itself every 5,700,000 years. I didn't check those calculations. But supposedly the most common date of Easter is April 19, falling on that day 220,400 times in that 5.7M year time frame.

If you would like to find out more about finding the date of Easter, you may find the rules and tables on P. 880 in the Prayer Book. And to think this was all calculated without the aid of computers!

It Will Get Better

2010-11-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

I believe it is imperative that I add my voice to those who want to assure all of our young people who view themselves as "other" for whatever reason, that it will indeed get better. I speak out of my perspective as a gay man who was bullied in High School, but have had the good fortune to emerge relatively unscathed, and hopefully a bit stronger.

In my ministry I have often worked with those who were considered to be "other" for any number of reasons. I offer the following for those who may want to look into this issue of bullying more deeply.

I often have often had to put on a gown and gloves and mask to visit someone in the hospital when there is a question of whether or not an infectious disease is involved. It wasn't that many years ago that there were doctors and nurses who wouldn't even treat those infected with HIV Disease. I know that first-hand from working with people living with the disease in Dallas, and visiting them at Parkland Hospital when I was working with the AIDS Interfaith Network.

I suspect that most all of us know what it means to be considered "unclean" and to dwell alone outside the camp. All of us have either been there at one time or another or have known someone who was.

All of us have also been on the other side, on the inside looking out at those who are on the outside and considered to be unclean, those who are taunted and harassed or injured because of who they are. At the very least we have been on the side lines watching, feeling helpless to do anything about the suffering of those being tormented, or much worse, not wanting to get involved.

Bullying has been in the news these past few weeks following the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University freshman who jumped off a bridge after his "roommate and another student used a webcam to broadcast live images of him having an intimate encounter with another man on the internet." But the truth is even sadder than this one man’s suicide: Clementi's death is just one in a string of suicides involving young people believed to have been victims of anti-gay bullying."

After I heard this, I sat in front of my computer screen as news stories continued to appear about the suicides of 13-year-old Asher Brown, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, 13-year-old Seth Walsh, [15-year-old Justin Aaberg], and 19-year-old Raymond Chase. Today, it is very clear to me that profound sadness and stunned silence is no longer a suitable, appropriate, or adequate response.

Anti-gay bullying is a theological issue because it has a theological base. I find it difficult to believe that even those among us with a vibrant imagination can muster the creative energy to picture a reality in which anti-gay violence and bullying exist without the anti-gay religious messages that support them.

Clergy in America are part of the problem if they are unwilling to address this issue from the pulpit. As a side-bar to this story, you may have heard on the news or seen on YouTube the message that Joel Burns, an openly gay Fort Worth City Councilman read in last week’s City Council meeting of how he was bullied when he was 13 for being gay.

God forgive us. We have a responsibility, as Jesus shows us in scripture over and over again, to speak up for those in society who are being bullied because of the color of their skin, their nationality, their occupation, their religion, or their sexual orientation.

That last one is what scares people the most. Most preachers don't touch it because they are afraid of losing members, afraid that they will lose respect.

The most dangerous theological message comes in the subtlest of forms: silence. Sexuality has been a taboo subject in most Christian pulpits and churches, and shame on the clergy for avoiding it, we shepherds who are supposed to care for the least and the last, and seek the lost until they are found.

And I would also add shame on all people who claim faith in the one who would not crush the bruised reed for being silent.

I hope that I never need to speak specifically to my congregation about the issue of bullying. I have seen no signs of it at Grace Church, although I have read and heard about it prior to my being called as Rector. I believe that everyone is welcomed and accepted at our Church. We all know, or are learning, that it is only by the grace of God and the mercy and forgiveness we know in Christ that we dare to approach God’s throne of grace on Sunday mornings. Plus, I have personally witnessed many in my congregation that go out of their way to surround with love and caring people who have been hurt by others.

Our Church is, and all Christian Churches should always be, a place of refuge for the battered and the broken. That's why many of us are here. But I do know that bullying exists in our community – and so do you. And we all know that if we are silent about it there will come a time when another child, perhaps even one of our own, takes his or her life because of being tormented for who they are.

The gospel tells us that Jesus healed ten people with leprosy and one came back to thank him, falling at his feet even, shouting "Praise be to God." Jesus looks around at all of the respectable people who are leaning in to hear what he is going to say, and he says, "Where are the other nine? Didn't I heal ten? Where are the rest of them?

The only one to come back is the foreigner, the hated, despised Samaritan, or to use folks from our own time, the Nazi skin head, the tattooed and heavily pierced gangbanger, the illegal alien, the Muslim, the democrat, the republican, the progressive liberal, the socialist, you can come up with your own marginalized group if you want. Suffice it to say that the one who came back was the one nobody wanted to share life with, much less see healed.

Yet the thankful one is the one everybody hates. He, or she, the Gospel writer doesn't specify gender, is the one who gets it, that it is God who heals, that it was God who was in Jesus turning the world upside down.

In response, Jesus said, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well." "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you God, this former leper must have cried out as she ran all the way home.

Imagine what that homecoming must have been like. Her cure meant that not only her physical suffering had ended and that she wouldn't die an agonizing, painful death alone, it meant that she would have a family again, that she could hug and kiss her children for the first time in years and be hugged and kissed by her husband and her parents. It meant that he would belong to a community again, have neighbors and friends who respected and loved him. It meant…it meant…that he would have a life.

This is what we should be about at our Church, helping people to get their lives back, to know the wholeness that comes from living in Christ.

Tony Campolo, noted preacher, speaker and professor emeritus at Eastern University in Philadelphia tells a couple of stories that are particularly relevant to this issue. The first took place when he was in High School. Campolo writes: "There was a boy in my high school, named Roger. It's not really his name. I'm just giving him the name Roger. We knew he was gay and the day he was most at pain was the day of gym because after we played some games we had to go into the shower and he would never go into the shower with us. When we left the shower, we took our wet towels and would sting his body by whipping the towels at him.

As we walked past Roger we would whip the towels at Roger and sting him and we thought it was great fun to see this queer dance under our taunts. We thought it was fun to work on him. I wasn't there the day they shoved him into the corner of the shower and 5 guys urinated all over him. But that night Roger went home, went into his garage, and he hung himself.

So all of us had guilt that I did not speak up and actually was part of those who hurt, who contributed to the death of a young man. And you say, you're a terrible person, but I wonder how many of us, by words, by deeds, even without being aware of it have said and done things that have created pain and suffering."

And what about the church of Jesus Christ? Campolo tells another story about a friend who pastored a church up in Brooklyn. It was a dying community, a place where everything was disintegrating. Jim, the pastor, kept himself fed and clothes and his family cared for, by doing odd jobs, one of which was doing funerals for the local undertaker when nobody else would take them. This pastor said that the undertaker called him early one morning because he had a man to bury who had died of AIDS and nobody wanted to take the funeral so he ended up taking the funeral.

Campolo asked, "What was it like?

Jim replied, "About 25 homosexual men came and sat there. The whole time I spoke their heads were down and they looked at the floor. Never once did they make eye contact with me during the funeral. We then went out and followed the hearse out to the cemetery, lowered the body into the grave. I stood on one side of the grave; they were on the other side, standing there like statues. I read some scripture, said some prayers, committed the body to the grave, said the benediction and started to walk away, but they didn't move. They just stood there, so I came back and said, ‘Excuse me, is there anything else I can do?’

"And one of the men said, ‘Yes. I never go to church. Used to go to church but not anymore. The only thing I really liked about church was when they read from the Bible. You didn't read the 23rd psalm. I thought they always read that at funerals. Could you read the 23rd Psalm?’"

So Jim opened the Bible and read the 23rd Psalm. Another man said, "There's a passage in the 3rd chapter of John about being born again. I like that one. So John read that. Then a third man said, "The 8th chapter of Romans, right at the end, that's what keeps me going." And Jim read to these homosexual men. "Neither height nor depth, neither principalities nor powers, neither things present, nor things to come, nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Nothing. And when he told me that, Campolo says, I hurt, I hurt, because I knew that these men wanted to hear the Bible but would never step foot inside a church because they are convinced that church people despise them. And do you know why they think church people despise them? Because church people despise them.

Campolo concludes his two stories by saying that he is talking less about homosexuality and more about the church. In particular he says “I am disapproving of a church that has forgotten how to love people that Jesus will never stop loving. And if you don't like it, join another club but don't call yourself a member of the church of Jesus Christ for we are the community of lovers and we love all kinds of people with all kinds of sin and that's your good fortune and mine too, for where would we be without such a church. And I want it to be the church that Christ wants it to be.”

Now, I know that in this Episcopal Church of ours there are differing opinions about homosexuality. I was reminded of that fact again this past week when I was up in Concord, New Hampshire, offering testimony to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music about the need for the Church to adopt a uniform service of marriage for opposite sex and same sex couples. I suspect that most of you here today believe that homosexuals and heterosexuals are born with their gender identity in place, and that there may also be people here today who believe that homosexuals are choosing a sinful path. But more important than our differing opinions is this, and I say this to our Church and the entire Anglican Communion: Our church is big enough that we can differ and still have room for all of us. Further, I hope and believe that all of us in this room this morning as well as those who are absent can agree that no one deserves to be bullied or harassed or tormented for being different for any reason.

In today’s gospel Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. Once he gets there he will look down from the cross, and when he does he will not see Samaritans or Jews or lepers or Pharisees or tax collectors or Republicans or Democrats or gays or straights or blacks or whites or Hispanics, Brazilians or Asians. No, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and when he looks down from the cross, he will see at his feet the Kingdom of God - which is open for and welcoming of us all, and where all, absolutely, unequivocally all God's children can be made whole.

An Interfaith Pledge

2010-09-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Wackadoodle. That is the word that came to mind when I first heard that a "pastor" of a church in Florida was calling on people to burn copies of the Koran this Saturday on the anniversary of 9/11. And of course this hair on the tail that is wagging the media dog is getting all kinds of press coverage...unbalanced, I might add...since I have seen nothing about the work that thinking, compassionate religious leaders are doing to try to live into our calling, not only as people of God, but as Americans who profess religious tolerance.

Perhaps the gentleman from Florida would accomplish more by holding a Koran book READING event, rather than a burning event. I suspect that unlike him, I have actually read it...I even have an app for it on my i-Phone...as well as the Book of Mormon and other religious texts from other faiths...that I use for occasional reference and study. And I am willing to admit that this might make me "Wackadoodle" in another person's eyes. I prefer to think that it makes me informed.

Be that as it may, the following was read from the steps of the state house in Boston yesterday. I subscribed to the statement, along with my bishops. I commend it to all people of good will for prayer and study.

Peace...Shalom...Salaam alaikam.

AN INTERFAITH PLEDGE

WE CONDEMN all terrorists and all terrorist acts, whether committed in the name of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, or any other religion or creed;

WE KNOW that the terrorists who committed the heinous crimes of 9/11 were extremists who called themselves Muslim; in no way did they represent the vast majority of Muslims in this country or in the world;

WE AFFIRM that Islam, present in America even before the official establishment of this nation, is an integral and vital part of the American interfaith mosaic, and that Muslims contribute great value to both our interfaith endeavors and our civil society;

WE ARE PAINED that enmity against Muslim Americans is disfiguring our national soul, is life-threatening to Muslims, and bears the potential of turning good-hearted people against their neighbors;

WE RESPECT the Constitutional and human rights of members of all religious groups to practice their faith, including the equal right to build places of worship and gather together unimpaired by the influence of favoritism, bigotry, or discrimination; and

WE CONDEMN –-both in general and in the particular context of attacks on the Park 51 Project—the cynical use of misinformation and fear-mongering by various politicians, commentators, and media outlets to stir up anti-Muslim prejudice for political or other ends;

WE APPLAUD all efforts to build meaningful, honest, and enduring inter-religious and inter-cultural relationships; and

WE DENOUNCE the use of innuendo, stereotype, or misinformation that promotes fear, distrust, or hatred of Muslims, Jews, Christians, or any other religious or ethnic group;

WE CALL upon this great nation whose soul is tempered by law, to reaffirm the deeply held values of diversity and pluralism as intrinsic to our national character and to stand firm upon the First Amendment and its beautiful, unequivocal guarantee of civil liberties and freedom of religion.

THEREFORE, we the undersigned pledge the following:

WE PLEDGE to confront instances of bigotry against any religious or ethnic group whenever and wherever we find them, and call upon all those who disparage entire groups on account of the acts of a few to look deeply within themselves, and to stop; and

WE PLEDGE to work actively to break down barriers amongst the various communities of belief in our city –and beyond –and to replace those barriers with mutual respect, understanding, and an outstretched hand.

Tabernacle Event

2010-08-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

“It Isn’t Easy Being Green”
Ecumenical Worship Service to Assist Gulf Coast Residents

A wide variety of Martha’s Vineyard Churches are planning an ecumenical worship service at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, titled “It Isn’t Easy Being Green”, which will take place at 11:00AM on Sunday, September 5th, to celebrate the fragile beauty of Creation and to raise awareness and financial assistance for residents along the Gulf of Mexico whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the B.P. oil spill.

The Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris (http://www.edow.org/diocese/bishops/harris_bio.html), retired Suffragan (Assistant) Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts will be the guest Preacher and Celebrant. The service will feature a jazz ensemble under the leadership of Wes Nagy, Director of Music at Grace Episcopal Church, Vineyard Haven, and an all-Island community choir under the direction of Phil Dietterrich.

The free-will offering will be donated to Community Services of Louisiana to provide direct assistance in the form of food and fuel to fishermen and other workers whose livelihoods have been impacted or eliminated as a result of the oil spill. Donation checks may be made out to ECSLA and brought to the Tabernacle the day of the event.

The worship service will be followed by a community picnic on the Tabernacle grounds with hamburgers, hot dogs and beverages provided. Attendees are asked to bring a summer dish to share if they are able, as well as blankets and/or lawn chairs to use during the picnic on the grounds.

Free tickets are available from the following sponsoring churches: Grace Episcopal Church, Vineyard Haven; Trinity Episcopal Chapel, Oak Bluffs; St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Edgartown; Trinity United Methodist Church, Oak Bluffs; West Tisbury Congregational Church; The Federated Church, Edgartown; The Unitarian Universalist Society, Vineyard Haven.

Other groups and businesses wishing to take part, donate food, participate or who are seeking additional information are asked to contact Rev. Robert Hensley at Grace Church, 508-693-0332.

We hold these truths to be self-evident...

2010-07-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

As I spent time reflecting about the Declaration of Independence, as I am wont to do every year about this time, I began to see more and more the direct connection between our ancestor's desire to overthrow British domination, and the bad taste that I and many of my Episcopalian sisters and brothers have in our mouths when talk of a so-called "Anglican Covenant" rears its colonial head. This was brought home to me loud and clear as I listened to a recitation of the Declaration at the start of the annual cook-out for family and friends at the home of parishioners. If you listen to the grievances enumerated 234 years ago, they can very easily be ascribed to the See of Canterbury in our own day.

I see a direct connection between the bonds that our ancestors cast off those many years ago, and a new yoke of colonialism that the established English church is trying to bind up "foreign provinces" within. The same old wine in wineskins that are being billed as "all new and inclusive". The subtleties and nuances of language do little to disguise the underlying intent of binding unwilling people to a spiritual bondage that sets one group of people above another. No amount of make-up can disguise some old blemishes: they run too deep.

This is not to say that we have no use for our brothers and sisters who are of differing cultures and mind-sets from our own. As is consistently noted by those far more wise than I, this Anglican tent of ours is big enough to hold a variety of opinions and beliefs without sacrificing one another on altars of expediency. Our journies take different routes; but our destination is ultimately the same. By extension, this holds true with people of faith no matter what name by which individuals address their higher power: Allah, Jahweh, Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Spirit...many names for one Creator who has made us many people, all in the Imago Dei. We have been made many peoples, but we are one People: God's people. We have many names for God, but there is One God, who has created us all equal, and who has endowed us with certain inalienable rights... Sounding familiar?

A Reflection on the Gulf Coast Oil Spill

2010-06-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

The following was sent to me by Timothy Merrill, Executive Editor of Homiletics magazine to which I subscribe and for which I serve as a volunteer editor for weekly sermon ideas, illustrations, etc. With thanks to my colleague in ministry for his special insight and his continuing ministry. RH+

Top Kill Fails to Contain the Gusher in the Gulf

Drilling oil in the Gulf is a hi-tech operation which requires the use of the very latest technologies. Cleaning up the oil in the Gulf is also very hi-tech, but might involve the use of simpler applications like mud, straw and grass. Or boxes. It's a mess and it's been going on now for six weeks, and there's no telling when the flow will be shut off. It's an apocalyptic disaster, and you have to wonder whether the experts ever considered a "what if" scenario when setting up these oil drilling contraptions in the first place.

When I read that BP after considering a variety of methods to stop the flow of oil in the Gulf, including dropping a box on the whole thing (which failed), had decided on what they called a "top kill" method, I was pretty excited. I was hopeful, of course, that the "top kill" option would surely keep this disaster from growing worse. But I was also excited because this had "sermon" written all over it.

If we liken this event to the ongoing flow of evil in the world today-we are reminded of how hard the political and religious leaders of the world are struggling to contain those who have only evil and destruction on their minds. These are people who think it's okay to sacrifice the lives of innocents, and who would not hesitate to pollute water systems or destroy infrastructures that would bring not only inconvenience to millions, but certain death. It's an awful thing to understand that our world is inhabited by human beings capable of this kind of evil.

We all understand that social problems and concern can breed social unrest. But there are no excuses for terrorism.

So we struggle to find a "top kill" solution to the problems of our world. And of course, those problems are not limited to terrorism; we might cite the issues of homelessness, injustice, racial inequality and more.

What we need is not a "top kill" solution-one which has failed, but a "top-life" approach, one that not only stems the tide of evil but casts light into our spiritual darkness and animates the human soul.

That's what Christians are all about! Offering the world the best "top-life" solutions to the pressing needs that burden us!

You'd think that to solve the problem of spiritual darkness, the top-life response would be to shine a light.

That has happened.
Bethlehem.
The light has shined.
But is it still shining?

And if not, how can Christians help to project a light that shines unobstructed, clear and far and shows a way for those who are either trying to flee the terror, or are perpetrators of the terror itself?

And then I wonder how I can reasonably expect nations to live in peace, when I-we-struggle with my own issues?

Even the apostle Paul was searching for a top-life answer to the enigma of the moral struggle he was experiencing. He found it in Jesus Christ.

Let me propose, as I write this over the Memorial Day weekend, and on Trinity Sunday, an approach that honors the triune God.

We might experience a successful "top life," i.e. resolution by incarnating the Creator God, the Redeemer Christ, and the Empowering Holy Spirit.

As Joanna Macy, an educator, ecologist and author, has suggested, we might live a "clean" and whole life by reflecting the triune God as we live our lives in the world:

1) To incarnate God the Creator: Work with what is at hand. What has the Father/Creator God given you that is all around you? There is no perfect job, no perfect anything. Find purpose and delight in the small things.

2) To incarnate God the Redeemer: Work with your pain; work through your pain; give your pain a purpose; and work with others in pain. Recognize where you have been so that you will know where others have been. Like Christ, you bear wounds where you have been broken.

3) To incarnate God the Holy Spirit: Work with your passion - what do you care about? What makes your heart sing? What gets you outside yourself and into the world?

We know, of course, that the "top kill" method-plugging the gusher with mud-didn't work. But let's not tire of being responsible Christian ecologists, persons engaged in bring wholeness, a top-life approach not only to the created world, but also to the ecology of the human soul.

Amen.

Who is this man, Jesus?

2010-05-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

As I engage in the vetting process that all of the nominees for the next Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield are wrestling with, the first "little" essay question that I was asked to consider has given me the first opportunity in some time to reflect on just who is this Jesus, and who is he to me? It has actually been a refreshing challenge to be able to wrestle and reflect theologically on a variety of subjects in the midst of all of the invasive questions and probings into ones suitability to lead an institution of any sort. And not only one's personal and professional abilities, or lack thereof, but also the disruption it causes in the lives of those kind and brave souls who have agreed to function as reference points for you, as well as for your congregation and household. It is humbling to be nominated; it is even moreso to have so many others praying for you and stepping up to the plate to offer their support, encouragement and references.

But back to this man, Jesus. How does one respond to such a question? It is basic to our faith and belief. Taken out of context, some have told me that they thought it was insulting. Insulting? I would have to beg to disagree. To have an opportunity to witness to the faith that is within you is an honor and a privilege. It is also something to which I cannot possibly do justice. But I tried, as I continue to try in all things...and like in so many other areas of my life, I am sure that I come up a bit short.

This was my response:

"The most direct answer to this question would be to recite creedal and catechetical statements which are known to the members of the committee and all faithful Christians. To build on those statements and those of scripture, Jesus Christ is God manifest in perfected human form. All of our definitions, all of our metaphors cannot capture the true essence of Jesus Christ’s identity.

At times I call him teacher, healer, mentor, guide, companion and friend. But these are only aspects of who Jesus is and what he means to me on a personal level. He is all of that and so much more. To quote Frederick Buechner, “The Christ of it is beyond our imagining. All we can know is the flesh and blood of it, the Jesus of it.” And the “…Jesus of it” is where I live, and move and have my being; the best example that I have. It is the “Jesus of it” that is you and me and us together, striving to live into and become more of, which informs our abilities to recognize “the Christ of it,” in all of Creation."

Not nearly the "500 words or less" that was requested. But it is enough for me. It is about the who I am and where I am in relationship to my "master and my friend." Is there more than this? Yes...a thousand times, yes! For me, it is all that I need.

Some Churches

2010-05-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Some churches have parking problems, some other churches don’t.
Some churches have kids running around making a lot of noise,
Some other churches tend to be very quiet.
Some churches usually have more expenses than they have money,
Some other churches don’t need to spend much money
because there is not much going on.
Some churches are growing so fast you don’t always know everybody’s name,
In some other churches everybody has know everybody’s name for years.
Some churches enthusiastically and generously support missions,
Some other churches keep it all at home.
Some churches are filled with tithers,
Some other churches are filled with tippers.
Some churches evangelize,
Some other churches fossilize.
Some churches are always planning for the future,
Some other churches live in the past.
Some churches seek new ministries and new methods,
Some other churches don’t want to.

If you are active in some church, why don’t you take a moment and pray for it today?

Some people pray for their church,
And some others never quite get around to it.

--Source Unknown

Remembering Betty Honey

2010-04-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

The following are excerpts from the homily that I preached at the Requiem for Elizabeth Ann Honey, devoted member of Grace Church for almost 85 years. May her soul and the souls of all the departed, through the unfailing mercies of God, Rest in Peace.

This last week has been difficult for us here at Grace Church and our wider community. We have lost two members of what we have come to know as the greatest generation that served not only their country, but this community and this congregation. Easter Day, Nancy Luedeman entered into the larger life, and last Saturday, our friend Betty left us. They were not the first people who had lived through the Great Depression and Second World War to die as members of this church, and they won’t be the last. But their deaths so close together in time serve to make us mindful that the dedicated women and men of that particular generation are passing from our midst.

There are many things that people of that generation share in common and were abundantly evident in Betty’s life. Her dedication to her family and her church; her frugal nature in personal matters; and to a large degree that New England tendency to cling to tradition, personal independence, privacy and a certain degree of stubbornness. These are all values that most of us hold in common. But it must also be said that taken to an extreme, tradition and guarded personal privacy can and occasionally do work against us, and have the potential to be transformed into a prison of our own devising with potentially harmful, even catastrophic results, leading us to potentially isolate and even alienate ourselves from family and beloved friends.

But today we are here to pay tribute to the life and witness of a devoted Christian woman who refused to yield to and just settle for what was expected of a woman of her day. Raised right here on William Street she delighted in telling us the stories of growing up playing around the church; hiding in the bushes to catch a glimpse of blushing brides and grooms as they made their way out of the church to begin new lives together…a tradition that I understand continued with the next generation and though they no longer hide in the bushes, still continues to this day. Later on moving to Boston and taking an apartment, working as a medical records secretary at Massachusetts General Hospital and volunteering with the Altar & Flower Guild at Church of the Advent in Boston, where her love of the beauty of our liturgical worship and music was grounded.

After retirement, she would return to the family home here in Vineyard Haven and resume her life here once again in her family church and community. In addition to being a fixture at the Garden Club, the Neighborhood Convention, and her entourage at Friday Night Soup Suppers, she chaired and directed our Flower Guild up until the day she died.

One thing to which I want to call your attention is the placement of 45 red carnations in the narthex that was begun at Betty’s behest, in memory of the 45 Navy airmen who disappeared off the Vineyard during training flights from the Martha’s Vineyard Naval Air Station during World War II. I am an incurable romantic at heart, and I like to think that she had some personal investment in one of these young fliers beyond mere patriotism that led her to begin and maintain this tradition here at every Christmas Eve service. We honor that tradition today and pay tribute to those lost airmen. Of course that is just idle speculation on my part, but I like to think it would make a good story.

And even though she was in the hospital during this past Holy Week and Easter, she sent instructions through me for the placement of the flowers and was excited and grateful to see the photographs of the Altar of Repose downstairs in the Children’s Chapel and here at the Altar on Easter Sunday that I shared with her on my iphone. Although she had no use for the technology personally, she very much appreciated the fact that she could take advantage of it through the efforts of “The Rector”, which was the formal way in which she always referred to me, even if I was standing right next to her.

Betty will be missed deeply by all of us who knew and loved her. She was a devoted and loving sister to her late brother and her extended family, a fiercely committed friend and truly a gracious lady, whose sense of propriety and etiquette were from another age but which she insisted be observed particularly by her nieces. “A lady is never to be seen weeping in public.” (Although it was apparently permissible while speaking on the telephone!) Of all the “hats” that she wore, I think that the one that she wore most faithfully was that of a committed Christian. Her New England reserve would often conflict with her tendency to want to be in the middle of things.

When I was with Betty on the day before she died, we shared the sacraments, I anointed her, and I read the 23rd Psalm to her. With its comforting words of assurance, “Tho’ I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou are with me…” That Psalm often comes to mind, particularly when we stand at the death beds of friends and loved ones. Both the dying and those who are left behind need the comfort of the knowledge that God is with us even as we pass into death.

But in these moments it isn’t only the dying who are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. All of us who knew and loved Betty are driven by the event of her death into that darkest valley as well. We stand with family members at their time of loss and sorrow. Today, I offer you the comfort of this Psalm. The Lord is with you. God’s risen Son, God’s presence and guiding strength and protecting Spirit are here for you and will be available to you all through the long walk in this darkest valley – and beyond.

That day before she died, when she was no longer able to speak, but was still very coherent and communicating with notes written on a clipboard. Her last words to me were, “Don’t worry…I’ll be fine.” We both knew that she was not talking about a physical recovery from her present ailments…that she was talking about the next life. I suspect that she sensed the heaviness of my heart and at the end she was doing what she often did the best, which was to offer comfort to me. “Yes,” I answered her. I know you will be fine. In the words of St. Theresa of Avila, "All will be well. All will be well. All manner of things will be well."

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen!

Practice Resurrection

2010-04-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Maybe resurrection, like everything else, needs to be practiced.

In Jim Wallis’ book, God’s Politics, he tells a powerful story about practicing resurrection. He tells a story that took place in South Africa when, to all outward appearances, apartheid still had a strangle-hold on power and Nelson Mandela was still in jail. Wallis was at an ecumenical service at the Cathedral of St. George’s where Archbishop Desmond Tutu was presiding, when a group of the notorious South African Security Police broke into the service. Wallis writes:

“Tutu stopped preaching and just looked at the intruders as they lined the walls of his cathedral, wielding writing pads and tape recorders. … They had already arrested Tutu and other church leaders just a few weeks before and kept them in jail for several days. … After meeting their eyes with his in a steely gaze, the church leader acknowledged their power ... but reminded them that he served a higher power than their political authority. Then, in the most extraordinary challenge to political tyranny I have ever witnessed, Archbishop Desmond Tutu told the representatives of South African Apartheid, “Since you have already lost, I invite you today to come and join the winning side!” He said it with a smile on his face and an enticing warmth in his invitation, but with a clarity and a boldness that took everyone’s breath away. The congregation’s response was electric. The crowd was literally transformed by the bishop’s challenge to power. From a cowering fear of the heavily armed security forces that surrounded the cathedral and greatly outnumbered the band of worshippers, we literally leaped to our feet, shouted the praises of God and began dancing. We danced out of the cathedral to meet the awaiting police and military forces who not knowing what else to do, backed up to provide the space for the people of faith to dance for freedom in the streets of South Africa.”

Ten years later, Wallis attended the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president. Wallis spoke to Archbishop Tutu and asked him if he remembered that earlier day when they had danced out of the Cathedral onto the streets, and Tutu said that, indeed, he did remember. Wallis reflects that apartheid did not die on the day Mandela was released or inaugurated, but that it died the day of the celebration in the church, when they danced for freedom in the streets of South Africa.

Practice Resurrection! Maybe resurrection, like everything else, needs to be practiced.

Is it possible to practice resurrection in our own cities and streets? Can we, like those first women who came to the tomb, practice resurrection right here on Martha’s Vineyard in our own lives?

The promise of Easter is that we can. We do not need to go about looking for the dead among the living, and we don’t need to go about living like the dead among the living. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. He is alive. Because he is the first fruits, we can be assured that a similar future awaits us. We need to be reminded of the truth of the resurrection over and over again. But we also need to practice resurrection. The truth of Easter is that the promise of new life doesn’t just await us in the future, but that we are able to live new lives, here and now, by the power of the resurrection.

Maybe resurrection, like everything else, needs to be practiced.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen, indeed. Alleluia! Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

2010-04-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? . . . thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor.15:54-57

This is a strange and unprecedented message, such as reason cannot comprehend. It must be accepted in faith. The message is that Christ is alive and yet died, and died in such a way that in Him death itself has had to die, and lose all its power...

And as the Lord Christ has conquered death, He has also conquered sin. For in His own Person He is pure and just; but because He takes upon Himself the sins of others He becomes a sinner. That is why sin can assault Him. And He, the Lord Christ, is very ready to be thus assaulted and nailed to the cross in order that He may die, as if He had Himself sinned and brought His death upon Himself. But there, hidden under the sin of others, His holiness is so great that death cannot overcome Him. Thus sin, like death, attacked the wrong man, and so grew weak and died in His body.

And likewise the devil wanted to prove his power over Christ, and uses all his might against Him, trying to bring Him down. But He meets with a higher power which he cannot overcome. And all this has been wrought in order that our Lord Christ might glory because by being cast down He was lifted up on high, and these three mighty foes, sin, the devil, and death, must lie low under His feet. This great victory we celebrate today. Now all power consists in this, that we take it well to heart and firmly believe in it.

-- Sermon for Easter Day, 1544, Martin Luther. W.A. 52.249f.

Practice Resurrection

2010-03-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

The final line of the poem “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” by Wendell Berry, is “Practice Resurrection.” Those two words cut to the heart of what it means for us to be an Easter People. But how are we to practice resurrection in our lives? I believe that it means that it is all about what we do and how we act, rather than what we say.

Jesus called people to follow his example of radically inclusive love and non-violent resistance to evil in its many forms and disguises. As he faced death on the cross he refused to turn back from this approach, even if it meant that he could save his own life. You will recall that even during his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of his followers took out a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave. Jesus’ rebuked him saying, in effect: “Put away your sword…for those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” (Mt. 26:52) Jesus was very clear that his purpose was not to perpetuate the long and bloody history of humanity, but to change the course of history for all time by offering in its place a radical new model of hope, love and justice for all.

The incredibly Good News is that Jesus still offers this radical alternative to us today. That alternative for us is to do some small thing each and every day that is outside the way society usually behaves. As Berry writes in “Manifesto”, “So friends, do something every day that does not compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Laugh… Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in the midst of the evil of apartheid in South Africa, wrote that faith is not about having all the facts. It is about being joyful though you have considered all the facts. In one of his sermons he preached:

“If it weren’t for faith, I would have given up long ago. I am certain that
lots of us would have been hate-filled and bitter… In the middle of our
faith is the death and resurrection. Nothing could have been more hopeless
than Good Friday – but then Easter happened, and forever have we become
prisoners of hope.”

To be a prisoner of hope is to practice Resurrection, fearless for the Gospel imperative to bring light, joy, love and peace to the world, those gifts that Jesus has left for all who would follow him.

During the great 50 Days of Easter on which we are about to embark, let us each dream of new ways to bring the power of God’s love and energy into the world. Then let us practice these dreams in our daily lives. By everything that we do let us practice Resurrection, showing both our neighbors here on this island and those around the world, that death in any and all of its forms is NOT the final word. Death could not hold Jesus. May his Resurrection empower and embolden us to Practice Resurrection in each and every thing that we do.

A Good Friday Reflection

2010-03-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, March 14, as a devastating N'orEaster hammered the Cape and Islands, we were blessed to have at Grace Church a young man by the name of Jude Harmon, who was our guest preacher that day. Jude was serving as a mission volunteer in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, when the earthquake struck on January 12th of this year. Here are some excerpts of what he had to say to us.

"When the quake struck I was teaching seminarians in the building adjacent to the Seminary, the Episcopal Diocese's College St. Pierre, one of Por-au-Prince's most respected secondary schools. My students and I darted out of the classroom and fled to the campus' soccer field, where we hoped to escape the deadly devastation...Between the aftershocks that followed, several women collapsed to their knees, with tears streaming down their tormented faces, breathlessly protested in loud voices, "Why Father? Why? No more, please, no more. Enough!" But their protests fell on deaf ears as the earth continued to thrash about in its death throes.

I remember that moment very vividly: mothers pleading for heaven to relent as I gazed silently at the ruins of the building I had been teaching in only minutes before. In that moment I felt a sudden and intense anger rise within me as I recalled Jesus' famous words in the Gospel of Saint Matthew: "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you... Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? ...if you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Mt.7:7-12). Really?

Port-au-Prince was an entire city seeking, asking, praying for bread. They believed their heavenly Father was listening: so did I. Things were looking up. [Secretary of State Hillary]Clinton had just announced a major multinational investment to update Haiti's antiquated infrastructure. The country seemed finally to be recovering from the trauma inflicted by the four hurricanes that struck in the summer of 2008. And the World Food Program's urgent appeal to the international community on October 27th to replenish Haiti's diminishing food stores was meeting with some success. The people lifted up their voices to heaven and cried out for bread, and for a time it seemed like their prayers were being heard. But on January 12th they were answered instead with a torrent of stone - crushing, dismembering stone. Brittle concrete - splintering, cracking and slicing its way through everything in its vertical fall back to the earth.

The closest experience I had of God in the aftermath was tending to an injured boy, about my nephew's age, probably 7 or 8 years old. He was one of the children taken to the field from St. Vincent's School for the Handicapped about a mile farther south in downtown Port-au-Prince. Mallory, the other Young Adult Service Corps missionary, had courageously gone back to her apartment just beyond the field and recovered basic first aid supplies to help the injured. As word of these new resources spread on the field, Mallory quickly found herself overwhelmed with all kinds of requests for help, and enlisted me and a seminarian, Goursse, to triage the requests.

We approached the boy and Mallory asked him, "What is your name?" as she always did before proceeding with diagnostic questions - a simple pastoral gesture of human kindness in the midst of so much senseless natural violence. But the boy didn't answer. Instead he just clutched his sides and rolled over, making sad little noises that were something between a squeal and a cry. "What's your name?" Mallory asked again, but this time the young girl seated next to him - who had no arms - looked upon the child with the compassion of an older sister, and told us that he was mute. He couldn't tell us his name, and the girl didn't offer one. In his namelessness, that boy became for me every child suffering and dying in Port-au-Prince that night.

Rolling back and forth on his cardboard gurney, his little body shuddering with unimaginable pain, the boy twisted his head in my direction and stared plaintively into my eyes - his tears forming dark branches on his cheeks as they washed away the white concrete dust on his face. For a moment the crucifix that I gazed upon so many times int he Monastery chapel in Cambridge seemed to gaze back at me in his innocent face.

I felt so helpless, bent over him, cooing in his ear and cupping his head in my hands, trying to comfort him as Mallory struggled to dress his wounds. Deep patches of skin had become detached from his body - dangling like flesh lapels that needed to be pressed back into place. It was an impossible situation. My heart broke as he recoiled in agony each time Mallory tried to secure them to his body with medical tape. His wounds were so grave, his fragile body continued shivering uncontrollably, and I wished that our compassion would be enough to heal him, but it was not. It was not enough. His wounds were too deep.

I believe I saw into the Father's heart then, too, though this time not from a place of bitterness or anger, but from a place of profound sorrow and sympathy. Tears welled up in my eyes as I glimpsed for only a second th unfathomable anguish the Father must have experienced as he watch his Son's body writer and scrape against the wood of the cross; as he looked on in horror at all the incomparable suffering his beloved Son had to endure because of senseless, albeit in this case human, violence. Of course, our tradition tells us that the Son's suffering was not merely human, but a divine predicate of our salvation, that Christ became the Pascal lamb of God to ransom the life of us all: The bread of life broken and shared, commemorate and celebrated at the altar and in our hearts every Sunday in the Holy Eucharist. And for a moment, I was tempted to extend this same sentiment toward this boy. His suffering must bear enormous merit, I thought. One of the many seeds sown in Haiti's native soil to bring forth new life, a new beginning for the impoverished nation. Surely now, others would be mover to action and to help.

In fact, many people are mapping onto the quake a kind of Passion narrative for the people of Haiti. But I hesitate to embrace this sacrificial logic that has been politely advance by so many, including myself, in the aftermath of the quake. The implication that God allowed the quake to happen because it was the only way to rebuild Haiti. Some would say that through the stone they will soon be getting much more bread. I'm not so sure, and I don't think we should forget the dead and suffering so quickly, or be willing to offer them up like that. The thought wouldn't comfort me if I were in their place.

In the end, I must acknowledge that I can only sit in this space of ferocious ambiguity between believing that God truly is the source of all things - including devastating earthquakes - and that God cares for us all with a love that is beyond our meager human powers of comprehension."

Mr. Harmon will begin his studies toward a Masters of Divinity degree at Virginia Theological Seminary in the fall. He is at present back in the Diocese of Massachusetts working on special projects for the diocese and receiving the spiritudal support of the SSJE Brothers in Cambridge.

Theological Reflection

2010-03-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

The following was sent to me by one of my seminary classmates, The Rev. Catharine Phillips, who is currently finishing a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology at Wheaton College. For those who are aware of the distance on the theological spectrum between the majority of the good people at Wheaton College, and those of us of The Episcopal/Anglican persuasion, you will appreciate her thoughts. I think she could have a respectable career as a theologian. Thank you, Catharine.

I sit second seat back in the middle
I secretly hope the teacher’s dog will find his way back
To sit next to me so I can lace my fingers
In his fur and listen to the voices in my head
Having theological disagreements
Cheering out loud when mystery is mentioned
Once a class
I sit second seat back
Holding down the middle
The dog wanders the front of the room
Attentive to the centrality of Romans
To every argument
It never occurred to me that Romans
Could prove quite so much
It never occurred to me that the only alternative
To an Actual Adam
An Actual Eve
Was the idea that they were virtually empty symbols which carried
No real weight at all
It’s a straw dog I say to Chippie
The teacher’s dog
I wonder what he would do with a straw dog
It’s a straw dog and I am not a systematic theologian
I find myself drinking coffee and holding forth
On the Truth of Genesis
More solid that the mud from which God sculpted Adam
And breathed him full of life
Continues to breathe us full
Of life in our muddiness
Even as I do not believe in an Actual Adam
An Actual Eve
But the Truth of the story is Truer than True
I sit second seat back
Holding down the middle like any good Anglican
Second seat back
That’s me
I am wondering where the Gospels went
What happened to the family album
With all four pictures of Jesus and whoever determined Romans
Was so all-fired important?
I sit second seat back
Holding down the middle
I hold all the pictures of Jesus together in my hand like cards
They are aces
I am Gospel Girl holding the winning hand
I am Gospel Girl who tested low in dutifulness
I am Gospel Girl who will not earn anything close
To an A in this class
Perhaps I will get to pet the dog
Again
Surely I will continue to sit second seat back
Holding down the middle.

Catharine Phillips
March 3, 2010

Winning

2010-02-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

It was sportswriter Grantland Rice that is attributed with the saying "It is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game." With the opening ceremonies tonight heralding the opening of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, we have an incredible opportunity for a teaching moment with our young people.

All too often the focus in our schools and professional sports teams is on winning, with only passing reference to the higher ideals of good sportsmanship, teamwork, grace under fire, and doing the best that you can as an individual. I like to believe that the majority of parents try to instill these values in their children; unfortunately it is the minority that get all the press. It is becoming all too common that we read in the news or see on our television screens, reports of the parent of a little league player getting into a physical confrontation either with another parent, a referee, or worse, another player.

Quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, this year's Super Bowl champions and the game's MVP is an excellent role model for our young people. A true gentleman who has overcome tremendous personal adversity and injury to persevere in the face of incredible odds to achieve his highest goals and dreams. The personal stories of the athletes in Vancouver these next days are much the same.

Watch the events with your youngsters, particularly the back stories of many of the athletes. It is not about who wins the most gold, or who wins which event. It is about individuals doing their personal best. It is about teamwork. And it is about graciousness to your competitors, even when you fall short of a hoped-for goal. It is in these lessons are where the true winners are to be found.

Rob+

Church Theft

2010-02-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Islanders,

Sometime during the evening of Tuesday, February 9th, an original “one-of-a-kind” water color painting of Grace Church that was done shortly after the new education wing was completed, was taken from the Church. This is the second major theft in less than four months from Grace and has left me deeply saddened, as well as somewhat frustrated and angry. While the painting itself is probably not worth a great deal monetarily, it is of tremendous emotional and spiritual worth to the members of the Parish, as it was created and crafted with love and gratitude by a now deceased former parishioner.

I cannot fathom why someone would steal a painting from the church. Nor can I understand the theft this past Fall of tables and bookshelves from our Preschool, or the recent thefts from Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Parish in Oak Bluffs or the Federated Church in Edgartown. The peoples of the faith communities of this island work very hard year-round to try to make life a little easier for all of the residents of this island, regardless of their religious affiliation, or lack of one. Actions like this cut us to the very heart.

While it is tempting to just lock the doors at night and tell our friends with the various 12-step groups and other organizations that they will have to find other space to use, we will not do this. Apparently what we will have to do is to be more vigilant and a little more diligent about locking our doors when the buildings are unoccupied. This is sad as our energies are much better utilized elsewhere.

But as my music director Wes Nagy wrote to me when I informed the congregation of the theft via email:

“This really makes me reflect on how this island has been changing in the last decade. Lisa and I never took the keys out of our cars, or locked our homes. This has obviously had to change as we ourselves have been victims of theft in the past years, most notably in our rental home. I, however, refuse to believe it is the local residents and islanders that are to blame, and to let a few bad apples spoil it for the rest of us, is not going to alter my opinion about this island. With the desperation created by our failing economy, some individuals look for an easy way out to make ends meet (although what the heck are they going to do with a watercolor of the church???) Anyhow, please make sure my love of this island and it's residents will not diminish, and that I hope it doesn't diminish yours!”

While my faith in some people might be a bit shaken, I can honestly say that “No, Wes, my love for the island and its residents is not diminished.” I am also hopeful that as we enter the season of Lent next week, that whoever took the painting will repent and return it to the Church…or that perhaps someone in the community might see it and recognize it and let us know of its whereabouts so that we can reclaim it.

Father Rob

Jesus Wept

2010-02-10T05:55:00.000-08:00

During these last few days I have been following the news reports and photographs not of the Super Bowl (Go Saints!) or the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver, but rather the Presiding Bishops Pastoral visit to Haiti. http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81991_119304_ENG_HTM.htm

The photographs of what remains of Holy Trinity Cathedral (Episcopal) in Port au Prince and the devastation reminds me of photos that I have seen of the destruction of Coventry Cathedral after being bombed in World War II. And those photos are in marked contrast to those of Cologne Cathedral standing tall amidst the ruins of that bombed and burned out city.

There are remarkable contrasts to be seen in the photos that you can see if you follow the link above. The beauty of the artistically remarkable reredos murals, now lost amidst the rubble, in sharp contrast to plastic sheeting draped over 2x4's to shelter the pews salvaged from the ruins. The cathedral's 13 brass bells which sang forth from the tower are reported to be salvageable...and according to Bishop Duracin, will one day peal forth once more.

I wonder if I would be able to summon the courage and strength to face such devastation. I pray that I will never have to.

Yet amidst the agony and suffering of so many are glimpses of resurrection. Smiles on orphaned children's faces...even on those who have lost an arm or leg as well as their parents. Those smiles give courage and strength to all who see them, as do the photos of patient parishioners slowly and lovingly sifting through the rubble of their cathedral to find bits and pieces of what is holy and sacred among the profane devastation...bringing bits of hope out of despair.

Hope does spring eternal. And I pray that the peoples of the world will stay with the people of Haiti for as long as it takes to bring the much longed for order out of their current chaos. "Easter Triumph, Easter Joy, these alone do sin destroy..."

Rob+

Christian Responsibility

2010-02-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

For some reason I have had a hymn tune stuck in my head the last couple of days...actually a rather frequent occurrence, truth be told. It is one of the primary ways that God speaks to me...when I take the time to shut up and listen, that is! And as one of my theology professors repeatedly said, our hymnody is where we find "...the best and most concise expression of our unique Anglican theological identity."

I decided to take the time to sit down with the Hymnal (1982) and track it down. It is hymn #574 to the tune "St. Petersburg". The words are by William Boyd Carpenter (1841-1918). While the language is decidedly 19th century, I think it speaks to us and where we are (or should be) as a church and society.

Here it is:

"Before thy throne, O God, we kneel; give us a conscience quick to feel,
a ready mind to understand the meaning of thy chastening hand;
what e'er the pain and shame may be, bring us, O Father, nearer thee.

Search out our hearts and make us true; help us to give to all their due.
From love of pleasure, lust of gold, from sins which make the heart grow cold,
wean us and train us with thy rod; teach us to know our faults, O God.

For sins of heedless word and deed, for pride ambitious to succeed,
for crafty trade and subtle snare to catch the simple unaware,
for lives bereft of purpose high, forgive, forgive, O lord, we cry.

Let the fierce fires which burn and try, our inmost spirits purify:
consume the ill; purge out the shame; O God, be with us in the flame;
a newborn people may we rise, more pure, more true, more nobly wise."

I am using this as my meditation for the day. In light of the ongoing economic struggles of so many and the continuing humanitarian crisis in Haiti and elsewhere, it is a good guide for our prayers and hopefully an inspiration to continue to work for, as our Baptismal Covenant reminds us, the "...dignity of every human being."

Rob+

Black History Month

2010-02-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

It is our custom at Grace Church during the Sundays in February to remember the lives and witness of African-Americans who have played a major role in the history of this country. It is not merely coincidence that for the first Sunday in February we pay tribute to the memory of Frederick Douglas (1818-1895).

Born a slave on Maryland's Eastern Shore to an African-American mother and a white father, Douglas' early years were not easy. Raised by his grandmother until age six, he was taken to the home of his master and left there. The feelings of betrayal and abandonment this evoked would haunt him for the rest of his life. At the age of 8 he was moved to Baltimore to serve as houseboy to his master's married daughter, who began to teach him to read and write until her husband forbade it. His education was to continue thanks to some poor white boys whom he befriended, and the Bible, which he learned in the colored church that he attended. His purchase of a copy of The Columbian Orator, a school book that was popular during the early 19th century, helped him to understand the power of the spoken and written word in bringing about social change.

Around age 15 he was returned to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and put to work as a field hand. He was regularly beaten and experienced the horrifying and deplorable conditions that were the life of most slaves during the 270 years of legal slavery in America. He was able to escape to New Bedford (MA) at the age of 20 by impersonating a sailor.

In New Bedford, Douglas and his wife Anna Murray began to raise a family, and he became involved with the abolitionist movement. In October of 1841, after attending an anti-slavery convention on the island of Nantucket, he became a lecturer for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and a colleague of William Lloyd Garrison, which led him to his career as a public speaker and writer. He published his own newspaper, The North Star, and was instrumental in the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls (NY) in 1848, and authored three autobiographies.

Douglas was internationally recognized during his lifetime as an uncompromising abolitionist, dedicated worker for justice and equal opportunity for all people as well as an unyielding defender of women's rights. He became a trusted friend and advisor to Abraham Lincoln, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, Recorder of Deeds for Washingotn, D.C., and Minister-General to the Republic of Haiti.

There is no way to do this extraordinary man justice in a few short paragraphs. But he believed passionately in three keys for success that resonate as deeply today as they did during his incredible lifetime:

1. Believe in yourself.

2. Take advantage of every opportunity.

3. Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and society.

Abundance

2010-02-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Abby O'Connell, and a reflection on the topic of Abundance, I have been meditating lately on this subject.

I believe that God wants us ALL to live a life of abundance and that we are meant to enjoy the blessings of this life. Abundance is the belief that there is enough to go around, whether it be food, clean water, health care or simply peace of mind.

Abundance is a system of giving and receiving. Perhaps we should compare it to our respiration: We breathe in and out in order to live. In that light we give in order to receive, as well as receive in order to give. It is really another way of looking at our understanding of stewardship.

Abundance is a joint project between us and God. God has the power to make it all happen if we trust and take the initiative.

What is the best way that we can give to ourselves? By donating our time, talent and treasure to the church the traditional way that we do this. There are also other additional ways...and note I say "additional" NOT "substitute"! Feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless are ongoing domestic and international challenges that need our support. With a little imagination and creativity, coupled with prayer, we can come up with a number of ways to assist God in achieving this work.

Deciding when to give our resources is not always easy, but God presents us with opportunities to help others on a regular basis. The question with many people is always, "Where do we draw the line?" How do we insure that we are not being taken advantage of? How do we discern real need from greed? Through prayer, trusted advisors and networking is what works for me. Finding others who believe in abundance and asking their opinions. I have found that God almost always speaks to be through other persons.

And as Shakespeare says: "Here's the rub!" How do we receive? Some of us are incredibly good at giving, but when it comes to accepting a gift we say, "No, no, I don't need that!" Perhaps the fear that we harbor is that if we accept a gift we might in some way be in someone's debt. I can change this thinking by seeing my gift to you as graciously receiving your gift to me...and yes, this being in debt to or "beholden" to another person is the way it works. It is part of God's design that we need one another. It is also part God's plan that we are to help each other as well. It is in this way that our Abundance is truly shared.

Prayer for Haiti

2010-01-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Following is the text of the prayer that I composed for the Interfaith Service for Haiti at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown, MA, January 28.

Great Creator God; Elohim; Allah, Father, Mother, Spirit: We call you by many names because you have made us many people. Help us always to know and remember that we are but one people, your people; and that you are but One God, our God.

Open our hearts and hands to those who have been and are continuing to be victimized by this disaster. Give rest to the dead; comfort to those who mourn; healing for those who are injured; and strength for all of the rescue and aid workers from many nations and many peoples who continue to selflessly give of themselves to alleviate the suffering of your children.

We pray your continued and unfailing presence with all of them, O Lord. Give them strength and courage. Help them to always know and feel your presence.

And we ask that you would help us also, O Lord, as we attempt to provide for their needs: not only their immediate needs, but the needs that will continue for days, weeks and years to come. Help us to help them rebuild their homes and their lives. Bless them in their need. Bless all who strive to help them. And bless us all in our common humanity.

We ask this in your great Name. Amen.

Help for Haiti

2010-01-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

Thursday evening, January 28th at 6:00PM, at the Whaling Church in Edgartown, local island churches and communities of faith will gather together for an hour-long, island-wide, interfaith event of prayer, music and Scripture. Sponsored by the Island Clergy Association, proceeds from the open offering will be forwarded to Doctors Without Borders for the continued recovery work in Haiti. Be there. Be hope. In Haiti.

St. Paul of Thebes

2010-01-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

Another Friday and another Community Soup Supper event to prepare and plan for...and my annual report to the Parish to finalize at some point during the coming week even though most of it will be spent off island...Tuesday at Clergy Association Board Meeting in Newton, MA; Thursday at Cape and Islands Deanery clergy gathering; and Friday, an 11:00AM meeting in Boston with Bishop Shaw. And on top of everything else, Vestry meeting Thursday night. Definitely one of those weeks where I am to be hit by a "Perfect Storm" of required meetings, mostly off island.

The news out of Haiti keeps getting worse by the minute, with some of our supposedly "Christian" brethren blaming the Haitians for their own predicaments. They are the same ones of course that blame Hurricane Katrina and other coastal storms on the emerging widespread acceptance of gays and lesbians in society. One of the things I am looking forward to most of all in the next life is the looks on certain conservative evangelical faces when they find out that they are seated at the Great Banquet next to the likes of Ru Paul and others.

Off now to prepare for tonight's communal festivities. The moderating weather makes the heart yearn for spring, even though it is still several week's distant. Hope does in fact spring eternal.

Father Rob

Haiti

2010-01-14T05:41:00.000-08:00

Information that I am receiving through Bishop Shaw's office of the devastation in Haiti is most alarming. Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port au Prince and Bishop Jean Zache Duracin’s home there have been totally destroyed. The convent of the Sisters of St. Margaret also is gone. While Bishop Duracin, his wife, the Sisters at the Convent, as well as Jude Harmon, a postulant from our diocese who is serving in-country as a Young Adult Service Corps volunteer, are alive and safe, you have no doubt heard that the Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop was killed when their Cathedral collapsed and was destroyed. Contributions are desperately needed.

You may make direct contributions to:

The Society of St. Margaret, 17 Highland Park Street, Boston, MA 02119. For updates and more information about the sisters’ work in Haiti, go to www.ssmbos.com and click on the “Haiti” page link.

Episcopal Relief and Development: Donate online at www.er-d.org or call 800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Donations can be mailed to Episcopal Relief and Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. (Please put “Haiti Fund” in the memo line of all checks.)

I hope to have a bulletin insert with more information ready for this Sunday.

In addition, I will designate this Sunday's open offering to be directed to Episcopal Relief and Development for the Relief work in Haiti. You may make checks out to Grace church with "Haiti Relief" in the memo line, or send your checks directly to the ERD office in Virginia listed above.

Please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, as well as for the relief workers from the United States and around the world that will be working so hard there for a long time to come.

Father Rob

All Island Youth Group

2010-01-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

The Federated Church, Edgartown, along with St. Andrew's Episcopal, West Tisbury Congregational Church and Grace Church are exploring the formation of a joint youth group, Grades 7 - 12. The first meeting will take place Sunday, January 10, 2010, at 4:00PM at the Federated Church. All island young people in this age group are welcome!

We will be re-kindling the Youth M-Powered Group at Grace for youngsters in grades (4), 5 and 6 later in the Spring. Stay tuned for details.

Rob+

Following Virginia (Hackney)...

2010-01-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

This from Sheldon Hackney:

"Friends of Virginia - Here is some good news, though it is not as good as I had hoped. With the help of my genius grandson, Declan McBride, the account of the last sixteen months of Virginia Hackney's remarkable life is now available here:
www.lulu.com

The title is "Following Virginia." I (Sheldon) am the author and Declan is the publisher. The ISBN number is 978-0-557-24717-2, but I doubt that you will need that to order a copy of the book. The price is $35.04 plus shipping. It is 175 or so pages, and it has a fair number of pictures of Virginia, including Virginia greeting President Clinton in September 2007 at the Tabernacle, where he had just introduced his wife, the presidential candidate.

This, of course, is a self-published book. Lulu prints copies of the book as it is ordered. It takes 12-15 days after they receive the order for them to get it printed. Then the shipping takes another 2-5 days, depending on the mode.

I will eventually have this available also through Amazon, but I am having trouble figuring out how to do that at the moment. I have sent an SOS to Declan. Let me know if you have trouble.

More later - Sheldon"

For those of you who knew and loved Virginia as I did, you will want to order this book. It is fairly simple: Go to www.lulu.com. Type in "Following Virginia" in the box, check "Book" in the drop down tab, and just follow the directions from there. It is very easy. They had my copy on the way within three days.

Rob+

The Holy Name

2010-01-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

We used to call this feast day The Feast of the Circumcision. Since January 1st is the eighth day after Christmas, and according to Luke's gospel (which we are in as of Advent I - aka "Year C" in the lectionary cycle), eight days after Jesus' birth, the child was circumcised according to Jewish law and given the name "Jesus". This is from the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:3) that required every male child to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, and it was a long-standing custom to make it a festive occasion when family and friends would gather to witness the naming of the child and celebrate his birth.

Our emphasis on the name of Jesus comes down to us from early preachers of the Gospel, who stressed the human and divine nature of Christ. And the name of Jesus was given, as the angel explained to Joseph, because he would "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The word Jesus means "savior" or "deliverer" in Hebrew.

At the time of Jesus' birth, just as today, people yearn to be free from the evils that beset us: political, social, and spiritual. We do well to recall that the name "Jesus" reminds us of the true freedom which is ours through Jesus the Christ. (Thank you, Rev. Sam Portaro...)

As I ponder this this morning, the weather is once again changing. We look toward the second Sunday after Christmas, where in Luke's gospel Jesus 'runs away from home at the age of 12.' At least that is one interpretation...and the 'spin' I will be putting on the story from Luke in this Sunday's sermon. But when he is 'found' in the Temple with the scribes and elders, Jesus asks his parents, "Didn't you know that I would be in my father's house and about my father's business?" There is no record of their response...other than Jesus returned home with them and worked with Joseph to become a master carpenter, and was a good and obedient son.

A most blessed and Happy New year to all. RH+

Christmas I

2009-12-27T06:01:00.000-08:00

The first Sunday after Christmas is second only to "Low Sunday" after Easter as far as attendance figures. And if Christmas is on the weekend...as it was this year...clergy and staff are pretty well exhausted. Even so, the 8:00AM service took place as usual (with a grand total of 12 in attendance!), but there will be no 9:15 service today, and the 11:00AM will be a "Festival of Christmas Lessons and Carols" with Eucharist...and no sermon. We had planned to leave this afternoon for our cottage on the mainland, but Mike has had cold/flu most of last week and not feeling up to traveling, so we will 'vacate' at home in the Rectory and take some time away later after the New Year. It is just as well, considering the long-range weather forecast for next weekend...with another Nor'easter in the offing I wouldn't be able to get back anyway, so there you have it!

For a meditation at the 8:00AM service, I read a short piece by Susan Bock titled "Herod and the Magi", with the central theme of "truth". What it is, what it isn't, how you find it, how you can spend your entire life chasing after it, and if you are truly wise, will realize in the end that it has in fact led you home.

A blessed Sunday to all. REH+

St. Stephen's Day

2009-12-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

I am praying for a day of rest for everyone today. Two packed services on Christmas Eve, followed by champagne reception in the Parish Hall. Adults who were all in the same Church School program literally decades ago seemed to all return to church on Christmas Eve to the delight of parents and the joy of this parish priest. The church has never looked more beautiful, music was sublime, and our blessed Lord born anew in grateful hearts.

And after what seemed only a short nap, up and at it to transform the Parish Hall into an elegant dining room for our annual Christmas Day dinner for the community. Approximately 75 guests enjoyed an incredible feast organized by our own Ted Collins and Dan and Barbara Harnen, a.k.a. Hyacinth Bucket (pronounce boo-kay!). Many hands made light work of preparation, serving and clean up.

Today, altar guild members are devotedly preparing for tomorrow's services. No 9:15 service, 8:00AM as usual, and then at 11:00AM, a service of Christmas Lessons and Carols and Holy Eucharist...in theory to give me a break from preaching, and the congregation a break from hearing me preach. In fact, just a different set of worries and concerns, but none-the-less, a nice break from the usual routine.

Our thoughts and prayers go to those who are digging out from blizzards even as they face a new developing storm in the Great Plains and Midwest, while we are blessed with a time of thawing and moderate temperatures before it all arrives here once again.

The staff is looking forward, I know, to the offices being closed this coming week. My prayer for us all, as I said at the end of my homily Christmas Eve, is that we all enjoy a large measure of God's peace, shalom, salaam alaikum, during this Holy Season and the coming New Year. God bless! Rob+

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

Going on 2:00PM on Christmas Eve and Pat, Wes and I are busy with last minute arrangements for this evening's services. Frozen gutters have resulted in leaks in both the Rectory and Church kitchens. Sort of an insult to the psyche no matter when it happens, but even moreso on Christmas Eve. But the clock is ticking onward to this evening's festivities and the cooks were in earlier to peel potatoes and ready all for tomorrow's Community Christmas feast. Donations have come in from all over the island and Ted Collins and Dan Harnen have done yeoman's work once again in making sure that there is an abundance of food for tomorrow's dinner for those who might otherwise have none. Especially important this year.

So now it is off to make sure all of the final preparations are made for tonight. And God bless us all, every one!

It's Beginning to Look a LOT like....

2009-12-21T04:58:00.000-08:00

In spite of power outages, parking bans, canceled services and a record snowfall for the date, we managed to have a core group of 10 people arrive for a celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 11:00AM yesterday. And at slightly after 2:00PM, the marriage of Erin Straw and Jonathan Paul of New York City and Vineyard Haven was solemnized and blessed before a group 0f 80 families and friends here at Grace Church. The groom and his family are from Canada, and arrived around noon, snow shovels in hand, to excavate the front entrance and William Street sidewalk so that the procession could enter down the aisle as planned.

This morning it does not appear as if the Preschool will be meeting, so Pat and I will look forward to a quiet day of catching up and finalizing plans for the Christmas and weekend services.

Stay safe and warm!

Dogs need homes....

2009-12-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

The Airport Vet Clinic has received two three-year old Labs and two Beagles that need home...their parents are being deployed to Iraq. The Labs need to be adopted together. So if you have room in your heart and your home for an addition to your family, call Tara at the Airport Vet, 508-693-6515.

Rough Weather this Weekend

2009-12-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

While the weather forecast is for snows and a Nor'easter this weekend, services at Grace Church will take place as planned. Refer to the church website at www.gracechurchmv.com for time and directions to the church

Christmas Eve and Day Services

2009-12-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve: 5:30PM, Family Service, "Smoke Free"; 8:30PM Carols, 9:00PM Festival Holy Eucharist with Incense, followed by gala Champagne Reception in the Parish Hall.

Christmas Day: Holy Eucharist with Carols, 10:00AM; Community Christmas Dinner, Noon, in the Parish Hall.

Sunday, December 27: 8:00AM, Holy Eucharist, NO 9:15AM Service this day; 11:00AM, Service of Christmas Lessons and Carols with Holy Eucharist.

Lobster in Winter?

2009-12-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Yes! By popular demand, the "Lobster Rollers" of Grace Episcopal Church (Woodlawn Ave. & William St., Vineyard Haven) will be offering once-a-month Lobster Rolls on the First Sunday of the Month, starting January 3, 2010, following the 11:00AM service, from 12:30 to 2:00PM in the Parish Hall. This 'streamlined' version of the Summer Lobster Rolls will be rolls, chips and dessert only, eat in or carry out, no containers! Try our 11:00AM church service, where absolutely ALL are welcome, hear some "Fair to Middlin'" preaching by Father Rob and some incredible music by Wes Nagy. Following the service, adjourn to the Parish Hall for some socializing and sharing in the award winning Grace Church lobster rolls.