This Week?

White Christmas, Louisiana Style

This is a photo I took December 4, 2011. As you can see, campus was lit up as usual, but it was pouring rain. I shot this through the windshield of my car with my iPhone, and love how the giant raindrops hitting the glass caused some of the lights to appear to be exploding!

I share the photo today because I have just figured out that what was planned to be our last meeting of the semester--this Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.--conflicts with the annual "Christmas at ULM" celebration when the pres throws the switch that lights campus. This year's festivities are bigger and better than ever, featuring music in the circle and a procession led by the choir to Biedenharn for a concert.

So... what do we want to do? Here are our options:

1. Meet anyway, as usual.

2. Meet briefly at 5:30--just long enough to discuss next semester--then rejoin the festivities.

3. Not meet this week, but meet next week at our usual time. I had not planned to meet next week because of finals, but I am certainly available Tuesday at 5:30.

4. Not meet this week or next. Call it a semester and see each other in January.

Please let me know your preference. I had hoped to meet one more time this semester, but I'm cool whatever. Just let me know! (via e-mail)
                     
                    

Thanksgiving Holy Eucharist

St. Alban's will celebrate Holy Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day, November 22 at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome!

St. Alban's is located at 2816 Deborah Dr. in Monroe. That's up Deborah Dr. almost to the Monroe Athletic Club. If anyone would like a ride from campus or near campus, just let me know. Call or text my cell: 318-372-8117.

This Week!

Canterbury@ULM will meet!                

Tuesday, 5:30 - 6:30
Student Center 163

Have you ever been mad at God for not giving you what you want?

We'll find out what Rob Bell says about that--and related questions--in "Kickball."

Tomorrow!!!

So..., last Tuesday was election day. Somehow I was not surprised when no one showed up for Canterbury!

We will meet tomorrow:

Tuesday, 11/13
5:30 p.m.
Student Center 163

What do you believe about God's involvement in our daily lives?

When you think about God, when you hear the word "God," what images come to mind?

We'll explore these questions with the help of Rob Bell's "Rhythm."

And I still have a couple of additional reflections on our discussion of "Corner." See you Tuesday!
                   

Bishop Jake's Wednesday Message

Dear Friends in Christ,                  

My daughter Meredith plays the flute. As a music performance major, she spends hours practicing her scales and mastering music theory. Her repertoire grows year by year not only in size but in complexity and sophistication. As you might imagine, Meredith reliably hits the right notes as the ensemble moves through the score.

Plenty of accomplished musicians hit the right notes. That is not what distinguishes Meredith and the very best among her peers from others. Instead, the most admired musicians thrill our hearts and stir our minds because they achieve a pleasing tone. Lesser musicians can play precisely the same notes in the correct tempo and yet, nevertheless they lose our interest with a thin or shallow tone.

In both our nation and in our Church we are struggling with our tone. We seem unable to disagree without contempt, and we heap scorn upon compromise as if it were always born of the spirit of cowardice and surrender. Our proud insistence upon being right drowns out the humble impulse to submit ourselves to something greater than our own opinions and agendas. We need a new, more edifying tone.

By God’s tender grace we are finding a more compelling tone in the Episcopal Church. While we will always debate ideas, we are beginning to speak to each other on the basis of something more fundamental than our differences. The Holy Spirit is reminding us that we are one in the crucified and risen Christ. Our unity in Christ gives us a common mission. Jesus himself sends us to make disciples and to serve the poor in his name.

When we focus on what we have in common, our tone grows sonorous and resonates with others. The content of the Good News is too often lost because it is being conveyed by a shrill or grating voice. Keeping before us always our unity in Christ’s person and the mission he gives us, even the tone of our disagreements can draw followers to Jesus.
On this first day following President Obama’s reelection, some are rejoicing and others are lamenting. Oddly enough, we Episcopalians have a hard-won lesson to share with rest of the nation.

We have discovered through bitter internal turmoil that unity is a gift. It is a gift that we must nurture or risk losing. Who we are together is well worth working for. It is fine to disagree. However, when we do so in forgetfulness that our primary calling is to deepen and to reinforce our unity, then we chance forfeiting who we truly are.

So let’s be mindful of our tone. As Christians and as Americans. As followers of Jesus, we have an especially high calling. Jesus has sent us into this world to set a new tone.


In Christ's Love,

.

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, Ph.D.
The Diocese of Western Louisiana
P. O. Box 2031, Alexandria, LA 71309-2031
bishopjake@diocesewla.org
http://pelicananglican.blogspot.com
http://sermon.net/bishopjake

Picnic this Saturday!

St. Alban's will have its Neighborhood Picnic this Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Canterbury students are invited!

Enjoy games, hot dogs, hoppers, face painting, crafts and more. St. Alban's even has a soccer field right next to the parking lot!

Pray for good weather and join us! No ticket required. Just show up.

St. Alban's is located at 2816 Deborah Dr. If anyone wants a ride from campus, just shoot me an e-mail. I'll pick you up.

This Week

Yes, we are meeting this week! And that's about all I have time to say today.

See you at 5:30 Tuesday, Student Center 163. 

I have some additional reflections on our most interesting discussion last week, and I'm thinking we'll watch another DVD in the Nooma series.

However, I would love to hear your reactions to the sermon posted below!

Who am I in this story?

A few weeks ago, I preached at Christ Church in St. Joseph. Today I finally blogged that sermon!

Here's an excerpt and link to the full sermon:

Who are you in this story?

 

I mean the one about Jesus and the Syrophenician woman, the one he calls a dog.

 

Of course, it would be easier to skip right over that and go to the much lovelier story of healing a deaf-mute and being very modest about it. We admire that. But… we’re not going there just yet. Jesus’ obnoxious behavior has something to teach us.

 

You see, I don’t think there’s any way to gloss over what Jesus does in this story. In fact, in the context of his time, what he said was even harsher than it would be today.

 

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