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The work goes on.

1/15/2016

Yesterday, after writing and reflecting a bit on my broken heart at the decision of the Primates, I walked into Yale New Haven Hospital to visit a parishioner, a young parishioner, someone who shouldn't be in the hospital. And God helped me to refocus on the work at hand - what needs to be done today - the work of being Jesus's hands and feet in the world.

Many words have been written and spoken in these last 36 hours about the statement of the Primates and the "sanctioning" of the Episcopal Church. Greater voices than mine have explained what this means technically, how it came to pass, and what it might mean in the future. Our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, recorded a wonderful video response and message to the church. He reminds us that we are part of the Jesus movement, people who try to live faithfully each day - following after Jesus. And Andrew McGowan, Dean of Berkeley Divinity School has written a good analysis of the situation as well. So, for my part, I won't try to add to the analysis or to the explanation.

What's happened in the larger Communion is important - and for many of us, it's deeply hurtful; what will happen next remains to be seen. In the meantime, we, God's people, have quite a lot of work ahead of us. Our role in the mission of God hasn't changed. Our place in God's kingdom hasn't changed. And our vocation, as justice-makers, peace-seekers, and loving neighbors also remains unchanged. Even in the midst of times that are unsure, Jesus beckons us on - to remember the work to which he's called us - and to trust that God will work out what is coming next.

Until then, let us continue to live faithfully - seeking to love and serve our neighbors - trusting in God's redemptive and loving power. Until God reveals the path ahead, let's continue to focus on the people we have around us now who need to be loved, fed, welcomed, and invited to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. May God remind all of us that it is this work that makes us part of the "Jesus Movement" - and this work, along with the sacraments, that bind us up into the Body of Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit. And remember - nothing and no one is ever able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[Romans 8:38-39]

May God continue to bless us in our work.

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Primates Statement - Heartbreaking

1/14/2016

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I find a great amount of comfort and strength in our Anglican tradition. Much of who I am as a priest has been shaped and formed by this ancient tradition; a tradition that has grown and changed throughout the ages. A tradition that has always been wide, stretched by certain individuals and movements; a tradition rich in diversity and debate. I've always been deeply grateful, and rather proud, of the fact that as Anglicans, we are able to disagree with one another and then come to the same table, professing our faith in the same Lord. It's one of the core parts of my understanding of our faith - something that is a touchstone for me in my own parish ministry. It's the belief that God binds us up - because God's grace and God's will for us to be together is stronger - and bigger - and more important than our differences. Fundamentally, it's a deep faith in God's will - that we might all be one - despite our human differences and idiosyncrasies.

Today, as the news broke over the internet of the decision made at the Primates gathering, I felt my heart sink. And then for just a moment it rallied - flaring in anger - before it broke. I find my heart broken by the action taken by the primates. (If you haven't seen it yet, you can read about it here.)

A few times in the document, there are references to bonds - to communion - and to trust. Rather unbelievably, this motion hopes to help restore trust. But how can it? How can we trust that our voice is heard? Or respected? When action like this is taken against a whole province - and we are specifically targeted - how are we to trust? Our polity is a bit different than many other regions in the Communion. There is a rich strain of American democracy that runs through our polity because of it's shared history with the American Revolution. We believe that God works through our conversations, our debates, and the will of the majority in our elections and votes. We have moved forward together faithfully, carefully, while keeping God's will ever before us. And this forward movement has not come without a cost. In fact, it has been deeply painful for a great many people on both sides.

I can't help but read in this document the Primates' hope that the Episcopal Church will somehow double back - and change our identity. Unfortunately, for the sake of our communion, I don't believe this will happen. I give thanks for our prophetic witness and for the ways in which we have proclaimed the Gospel of peace, justice, and grace for all of God's people - all of God's children. And I ache - because I believe that this kind of action is profoundly un-Anglican; it dishonors our heritage of healthy debate, wide differences, and deep love - a heritage that has always gathered us in at God's Table.

We will not ever all agree - but we must find ourselves again in the prayerful place of peaceful dissension. We must find ourselves again in a place where no one pushes anyone away from the table - where no one threatens to walk away - and where no one would be happy to see brothers and sisters in Christ walk away. In all groups as large as this one, there will always be radical opinions on both sides of the political spectrum - opinions that will pull and stretch us. But the heart of our Communion depends on those wide lanes in the middle - where God's people choose to live, pray, and discern together - where we make room at the table for all of God's people.

I don't know where we go from here with our Anglican brothers and sisters. I believe that God can heal all wounds and bridge all divides. And I hope that the Holy Spirit will lead us in that direction. With God, all things are possible. But I grieve this action - and what it means for our fellowship and communion. I look forward to the response of our Bishops - and their leadership and guidance during this time. I hope that you'll keep all of the Primates in prayer - and that we all might pray for God's presence among us.

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Like the Saints before us.

1/5/2016

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In the last few weeks, we've lost quite a lot of folks we love; long-time members and friends of the parish who have been fixtures around here - sharing their gifts and their joy with us and our community. It's always hard to lose the ones we love. It's harder still for a community that has lost several beloved members, especially in these days after Christmas when the darkness wraps around us so early and the cold seeps into our bones. It can make us think about the sadness of loss, and it can feel like it might overcome us.

As a priest, one of the greatest privileges of my work is that I sometimes get to accompany folks as they make the transition from life to death. There are days like today when I spend some of my time in a hospital room, among loved ones, tear-filled eyes, and whispered prayers. I give thanks for the presence of God in those moments, and for the certainty that God gathers us all in to that place where there are many dwellings. These sacred moments always remind me of the shortness and uncertainty of life - helping me to focus on the things that really matter.

As we give thanks for those whom we love but see no longer, all the saints of generations past, the faithful ones with whom we've shared our lives, we ought to keep their example in mind. Not because any one of them was perfect - and surely, none of us are either. Only Jesus is perfect - so we can dispense with that idea right away. No, we ought to remember and keep in mind the example of their goodness. The times and places in our lives when we watched these faithful, beloved ones do the work of God. When they stocked Pantry shelves. Or prepared altar linens. When they waved at us from across the aisle - or showed kindness to someone they didn't know. And this example ought to spur us on, to make it a little sweeter for us to serve as they did - for us to live into the memory left behind by the saints who came before us.

It's easy for us, entrenched in life as we know it, to forget about the bigger picture. We get bogged down by all kinds of things - and, human beings that we are, we want what we want. We don't like change. And we like to be in control. It's too easy for us to be distracted from the things that really matter because we're so busy worrying about the things that don't. There's a mechanism of self-preservation there, too; giving ourselves the luxury of worrying about smaller things, things we think we can or should control because we're actually terrified to look at the bigger, more important things. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of the things that last - and the things that don't; that things like kindness and respect are paramount. Losing someone we love, or nearly losing someone we love, will often put these things back in perspective for us if we'll let it.

When we miss someone that we've lost, we ought to take a minute not just to remember them - but to remember their faith. To remember their faithfulness - the gifts they left behind because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. And when we do, we honor them doubly if their faith bolsters ours. If it moves us to kindness or kindles warmth in our hearts for someone else.

Like the saints who went before us, we, too, will someday make the transition from life to death. And if we're lucky, there will be stories told about us by those we leave behind, memories that visit the living from time to time long after we're gone. So let us live now as beloved children of God who love our neighbors and serve our community, putting away those things that would distract us, and honoring the memory of the saints who have gone before us.

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The work goes on.

Primates Statement - Heartbreaking

Like the Saints before us.

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