Lenten Series

This week's Lenten service and supper: 

Grace Episcopal Church

405 Glenmar Ave.

Monroe

Holy Eucharist 6 p.m.

Supper 7 p.m.

That's near the corner of Glenmar and North 4th St.  If anyone needs a ride from campus, let me know. As I am deacon of the mass, I need to be there by 5:30 p.m.

Grace is a more traditional anglo-catholic church than the other Episcopal Churches in town. You will notice, for example, that the altar is against the wall rather than free standing, and you will see a lot more genuflecting then at St. Thomas' or St. Alban's!

Fr. Richard on the Bible

Two Steps Backward Often
Precede Any Three Steps Forward

 

There is a necessary and inherent dissonance in many of the texts in the Bible (Jesus calling a woman “a dog” in Mark 7:27). We largely remain unwise if we avoid these conflicts, dilemmas, paradoxes, inconsistencies, or contradictions; and I want to say those contradictions are in the Biblical text itself and presented to you for serious consideration—until you get the point. This is the real meaning of what we call Lectio Divina, or spiritual reading of a text. You are supposed to struggle with spiritual texts; but when you make the Bible into a quick answer book, you largely remain at your present level of awareness. There are groups who would describe the Bible as an answer book for all of life’s problems. The Bible is actually a conflict book. It is filled with seeming contradictions or paradoxes, and if you read it honestly and humbly it should actually create problems for you!

The way you struggle with the fragmentation of the Bible is the way you PROBABLY struggle with your own fragmentation and the fragmentation of everything else. The Bible offers you a mirror that reflects back to you how you live life in general. There are very high levels of consciousness and holiness in the Biblical text, and texts which are frankly hateful, selfish, and punitive. You need to recognize them as such. As Wendell Berry says, “the mind that is not baffled is not employed.” The Bible mirrors our own human fragmentation, your own two steps backward and your own occasional three steps forward. Your spiritual eyes will eventually be trained to see which way you—and the text—are going (See 1 Corinthians 2:10-16).

From A Teaching on Wondrous Encounters (webcast/CD, DVD)

by Fr. Richard Rohr

 

This Week

Again, I apologize for posting my reminder so late. I thought of doing this several times Sunday and again earlier today, but by the time I got to my computer, I forgot!

Tuesday as Usual

5 - 6 p.m.

Student Center 163

Our topic this week is--drum roll--The Bible! After all, here we are in the Bible Belt, a place where the Episcopal Church is sometime viewed as "not serious" about the Bible. Believe me, we are!

Yes, we will look at how the Episcopal Church understands and uses the Bible. But we'll also talk about "Holy Scripture" and how that might broaden our perspective.
       
        

Bishop Jake's Wednesday Thoughts

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Yesterday our priests and deacons gathered with me for one of our regular Clergy Days. Among the things on our hearts and minds was the challenge of being the Church in 2013 and beyond.

Our place in history presents us with a radical challenge. We inhabit a transitional historical period, and the demands of our times are different from those faced by the inhabitants of a stable historical period. Let me explain this contrast between transitional and stable historical periods by way of analogy with the board game Monopoly.

As you may have heard, the makers of Monopoly have discarded one of the game's classic pieces. The iron is now in the historical ash bin and in its place we find a cat. For all the fuss, Monopoly remains Monopoly. The rules for moving around the board, purchasing property, and paying rent remain unchanged. The board, with minor artistic revision, looks the same.

Even some of the outlandish special edition Monopoly sets do nothing to change the real essence of the game. There is a Star Wars edition, a Scooby Doo edition, and even a Wizard of Oz edition. Players still move by rolling the dice, each space on the board is a property by another name but with the same relative value, and the rules governing play are the same. All the changes are window dressing on the same logic.

This is how a stable historical period looks. Particular people, arguments, events, and crises arise, but the available moves and the rules governing the movements are essentially set. We all know how to play the game, and any departure from the agreed upon way to play is cheating.

We all know that historical periods give way to succeeding historical periods: periods that have their own board and rules and pieces. Painting now with a very broad brush, think of the very different world people inhabited in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. Assumptions about God, human destiny, and political legitimacy underwent significant shifts. (Okay, my apologies to every historian reading this.)

But what about the space in between? Let's return to the board game illustration. It's not as if someone simply swept away Monopoly and put in its place the game of Clue. We might gripe about this sudden shift and even demand a return to Monopoly, but at least we would be clear about a whole new set of rules, purpose of the game, and design of the board.

Transitional historical periods are more like playing Monopoly even while Hasbro is changing the rules and remaking the board without telling us. The rules are under revision and the board keeps shifting to some final version we cannot see yet. And the kicker is this. We don't get to stop playing. We have to figure it out as we go. One thing is for sure, if we keep playing the game the way we always have we will eventually lose touch with the game completely.

We live in a transitional historical period. Our society and our culture are changing in ways that are reshaping how we understand the meaning, value, and purpose of life. How to be Church is changing as a result. We don't get to go back to older ways to proclaim the Gospel, but quitting until thing settle down is not a viable option. The changes surrounding us call us into being Church in some new and exciting ways.

 
In the weeks and months ahead the clergy and I will be sharing some innovative ideas with you. Here is a a brief sketch: 

• Instead of trying to get people to church, start bringing church to the people. 
• The Gospel is something we do. 
• We need deacons as leaders for doing the Gospel in the world.
•  It's time to start mission stations. 
•  We need a new model of cooperation between small congregations.

This list is meant to give you teasers for further thought. We will be talking much more about these and other ideas for the vitality of the our diocese.

We are in a time that calls for boldness and courage. We will try many things. Some will work right away, and many will prove to be shaky first drafts in shaping a final approach that goes like gangbusters. Don't be afraid! There is no failure in Christ, and we are doing all that we do in his name.

Blessings for a renewed relationship with our Lord and a greater love for your neighbor in this Lenten season.

In Christ's Love,

 

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD

The Diocese of Western Louisiana

 

 

This Week II

 Lenten Series

A series of special Wednesday evening Lenten services begins this week. It is a cooperative effort. All of the Episcopal Churches plus Messiah Lutheran (ELCA) participate.

This Wednesday:

St. Thomas' Episcopal

3706 Bon Aire Dr. 

6:30 Holy Eucharist

7:30 Lenten Supper

This week's preacher is 4th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana, the Rt. Rev. Jacob Owensby.

Hope to see you there.

This Week I

Hope everyone had a great Mardi Gras break!                

We began Lent last week and it was good to see several of you at Ash Wednesday services. I hope you are off to a Holy and Blessed Lent.

We will meet this week as usual:

Tuesday

5 - 6 p.m.

Student Center 163

Here's the outline of our student for the next few weeks, as I shared it before break:

2/5: Lent

2/12: Mardi Gras Break

2/19: Episcopal Church History & Governance

2/26: Holy Scripture

3/5: The Prayer Book

3/12: Moral Theology

3/19: The Sacraments

3/26: Baptismal Covenant & Confirmation

I am looking into having a priest be our guest for the lesson on the sacraments, because administering the sacraments is their special responsibility as stand-ins for the bishop.

Don't forget that you elected to not have food at our meetings during Lent so that we can donate those funds to the food bank and/or Desiard St. Shelter at the end of Lent. I will calculate our average expenditure on food this evening and have that amount of money in a basket to put on the table as a reminder of our ministry. Anyone who has a buck or two or some change in their pocket and would like to add to the fund will be welcome to do so.

See you tomorrow!

Today's Sermon at St. Andrew's in Mer Rouge

Close Encounters of the Holy Kind

Each time I read or hear the account of the transfiguration in Luke’s Gospel (9:28-43a, NRSV), I wish I could ask the writer a question. “Well,” I would say, “which was it? Were the disciples awake or asleep when Jesus had his chat with Moses and Elijah?”

It sounds like the writer was not sure. He says they were awake, but immediately that they were heavy with sleep. But they do see Jesus blazing with light and conversing with the two most prominent prophets of the Hebrew tradition: Moses and Elijah.

By the way, I totally identify with the plight of the disciples in this story. There they are, so tired from trekking around after Jesus that they can hardly keep their eyes open for a most glorious event to transpire in front of them!

As one who falls asleep at her computer with some regularity, I am completely sympathetic! But I wonder: How often do we miss one of God’s very special moments because of weariness or everyday distractions?

The disciples, being practicing Jews, certainly knew the story of Moses’ own transfiguration experience, as told in today’s Old Testament lesson (Exodus 34:29-35, NSV). But that account too gets a bit confusing, with all the veiling and unveiling of Moses face. I lose track. When was his face veiled and when not? How did the Israelites know that Moses’ face was shining if he put a veil over it?

And why—given that the glow from his face signaled that he had been speaking with God… why did he hide it from the people anyway? Seems to me if I had that kind of visible proof that I spoke God’s true word, I would want everyone to see it!

The world of dreams and visions and mountaintop transfigurations is strange and mysterious. It seems to be poised somewhere between sound asleep and wide awake, somewhere between hard-nosed reality and pure hallucination. It’s probably not surprising that the Biblical accounts seem fuzzy on the details.

I imagine most of us have had at least one experience something like those described in today’s lessons—a mountaintop experience, a vision or dream that changed our life.  And we’re not sure afterward whether we were awake or asleep, whether it happened or we imagined it.

Of course, there are those among us who scoff at such things. Those who take pride in being realists. Those who believe that dreams are just dreams and visions always frauds, and nothing is real save what we apprehend with our human senses and rational minds.

The human intellect is a wonderful thing and a great gift from God that we should use to its fullest capacity. But in comparison to the mind of God, human intellect is profoundly limited.

I am sorry for those who live so thoroughly inside their own cranium that they cannot find meaning in dreams, visions and mountaintop experiences. Their world is small. They are not available to be transformed by a close encounter of the holy kind!

In his second letter to the Corinthians (3:12 - 4:2, NRSV), Paul certainly does not hesitate to find meaning in Moses’ transfiguration. In fact, he makes it almost entirely metaphoric. He says the veiling of Moses’ face stands for the closed minds of the Israelites, who could not enter into the mystery of Christ precisely because of their closed minds.

I actually think that’s a bit of a cheap shot on the part of Paul, who perhaps got a bit carried away with making his case for the greater glory of Jesus. Moses clearly was transformed in visible ways by his encounter with God. Veiling his face can be readily understood as an act of humility, not to mention a practical move to avoid frightening the folks.

We are about to enter Lent, a time of reflection and listening for the voice of God. That requires an open mind. It requires letting go. It requires loosening our grip on the comfort and security of reality as we think we know it.

And that takes courage. If we enter into the presence of God with an open mind, we indeed put ourselves in the way of transformation, God’s transformation. Who knows what shifting of the tectonic plates of our world that might produce!

The disciples were so rattled by the experience that they couldn’t think straight. Luke says Peter didn’t even know what he was saying when he suggested they build shelters and stay inside the vision forever. I can identify with that, too. Who wants so glorious an experience to end? Don’t we all want to stay on the mountain top!

But moments later, there they are: The cloud lifts, the prophets have disappeared, Jesus isn't glowing anymore. Welcome back to reality. 

And here’s perhaps the most important part of this story: Reality has not changed. The world has not changed.

Now they must head for Jerusalem, and we all know what happens there. Jesus still must die. The world is still hurting. Still full of sick people, desperate people. Indeed, a sick child and a desperate father are waiting for Jesus at the foot of the mountain.

And what does Jesus do when he comes down off the mountain fresh from his transfiguration experience? He goes right back to work. The first thing he does is heal a sick child.

See, close encounters with God are not for the purpose of making the world a rosy place for us. They are not designed to transform the world. They are designed to transform us.

Not long ago, I was perusing the stream of photos I access daily through the online social network called Google+. I happened across an image someone had found online and re-shared. It was a photograph of a small, dark-skinned boy on his hands and knees drinking water from a muddy, foul-looking drainage ditch. Lack of clean drinking water is a major problem in much of the world.

Someone had posed a question below the photo: Why does God allow this? I was quick to respond: God doesn’t allow this, I wrote. We do.

Why do we keep expecting God to take care of what we’ve been put in charge of? How much of our prayer life do we spend asking God to fix the world, rather than inviting and being open to God transforming us?

Ruth Burrows is a Carmelite nun who has written several books about encounters with God through prayer and contemplation. In one of them called Before the Living God she says this:

If I let God take hold of me more and more; possess me, as fire possesses the burning log, then I give off light and heat to the whole world even though the influence be completely hidden. ( from Edge of the Enclosure, online 2/10/13)

May we be transformed by our own encounters of the holy kind this Lenten season.

AMEN

 

 

Interfaith at St. Thomas'

Northern & Central Louisiana Interfaith 

Collective Leaders Meeting

Monday, February 11, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

St. Thomas' Episcopal

3706 Bon Aire Dr.

 

Canterbury@ULM members, you might be interested in this meeting. Interfaith is one of my primary diaconal ministries. I am involved because it is a rare organization in this community that draws white and black folks to work together for the good of the community.

 

Our focus is on actions in progress, including issues that surfaced in our October meeting at New Light Baptist Church. We will look at "next steps" for moving forward in those actions and how we can use those actions to strengthen member institutions and Interfaith.

Meeting will be chaired by Archdeacon Bette Kauffman and Deacon Verdine Williams of Little Flower of Jesus Catholic Church.

Everyone welcome, whether or not you have ever attended an Interfaith meeting.

 

Bishop Jake's Lenten Message

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,                

Lent is rapidly approaching. Ash Wednesday falls on February 13. Just one week away. Many of you have already made plans for the Lenten journey. Some will add a Bible study. A few will take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Giving alms and doing works of mercy will be a part of your Lenten devotion.

The early Christians prepared for Baptism at the Easter Vigil during Lent. In keeping with this ancient practice, I invite you to reflect on the Baptismal Vows that you have made and that you renew each time we baptize someone. Turn to page 292 in The Book of Common Prayer and spend time at some point during Lent contemplating the Covenant that guides your walk with Christ.

The Baptismal Covenant begins with the Apostles' Creed. Reflect on your relationship with God. Is it personal? Or does God seem like an idea or a philosophical principle? How does the Creed help to map out your experience of God? Where does it confuse you or confound you?

After the Creed, we make a series of commitments about how we will live our lives:

* Following Jesus is a group project, not a solo performance. We will participate fully in the devotional life of a Jesus-following community.  

* We never promise to be perfect. But we do say that we'll fight the good fight against evil and let our failures become the occasion for growing and stretching. In other words, we aspire to the spiritual courage to admit our failings and to accept the gracious do-overs that God gives us.

* Proclaiming the Gospel is what followers of Jesus do. Words are important, but they only really work as clarifications for what we are actually doing. We are committed to doing the Gospel.

* And speaking of doing the Gospel, we understand ourselves as servants. We serve Christ, and the way we serve him is to serve each other.

* Finally, following Jesus means that we are weavers. We weave relationships of respect and nurture and love between people. We don't promise to feel deep affection for everyone we meet. Instead, we strive to remember that Jesus loves them enough to die for them and to do our best to act like it.

Schedule some time this Lent to reflect on how God is helping you to fulfill these promises. Ask yourself how you might cooperate even more fully with the gracious work that Christ has already begun in you.

Several congregations and groups have invited me to speak at their Lenten series, and I will be at St. James, Alexandria, on Ash Wednesday. Whether I am present with you in body or absent in body but with you in spiritual devotion, I look forward to spending this holy season with my Western Louisiana family.

Blessings for a holy Lent.

In Christ's Love,

    

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD

The Diocese of Western Louisiana

Presiding Bishop's Lenten Message

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, February 13, 2013. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presents a challenge in her Lent Message 2013 to pray, fast, study and give alms.

 “As you engage this Lent, I would encourage you to pray, to fast, to act in solidarity with those who go without,” she offers. “Learn more, give alms, share what you have.”

 The Presiding Bishop’s video message, filmed at a park in New York City.

This Week

Canterbury@ULM meets                                 

Tuesday

5 - 6 p.m.

Student Center 163

Tomorrow we begin our discussion of the Episcopal Church and what it stands for. For those who wish to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church, this prepares you.

For those who don't want to become Episcopalians or those who don't know, that's fine too. You'll know more about us and we'll have plenty of opportunity to discuss the politics of religion, the role of the Bible and other interesting topics along the way.

Food provided. See you there!!

Isn't this Joseph's son?

Thought you might be interested in the sermon I preached today at St. Andrew's in Mer Rouge and Church of the Redeemer in Oak Ridge, La.

View from "The Precipice" in Nazareth

Today’s Gospel story (Luke 4:21-20) sounds to me like nothing so much as overheard gossip at a family reunion.. perhaps especially a family reunion here in the deep south, where family pedigree matters so much!

“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” the great aunts and uncles cluck. “I mean, the son of the carpenter? Who’d ever have thought he’d turn out like this!”

This lesson is a continuation of last Sunday’s lesson, so we know the context. Jesus has returned home to Nazareth from being baptized by John in the Jordan River and spending 40 days in the wilderness in a meet up with both the devil and God.

In Nazareth, he goes to the synagogue in keeping with custom, stands up to read from the prophet Isaiah—a passage we today categorize as one of “the servant passages”—then proceeds to claim for himself the identity of The Servant as laid out in Isaiah.

Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” he says. And the hometown community beams with pride. Everyone is amazed that the carpenter’s son speaks so well.

 

But… how quickly the clucks of surprised approval from the small-town “family” turn into murderous rage! What in the world does Jesus say in those few intervening verses that his own people go from adoring family to angry mob?

  

More

 

 

You Are What You Are Seeking

 You Are What You Are Seeking

Fr. Richard Rohr teaches that all of the major world religions have things in common. He calls these commonalities "the Wisdom Tradition." The Christian belief in Incarnation--the belief that God took on human form--is part of this tradition. He says the Wisdom Tradition...

includes a recurring theme in all of the world’s religions and philosophies. They continue to say, each in their own way:

• There is a Divine Reality underneath and inherent in the world of things.
• There is in the human soul a natural capacity, similarity, and longing for this Divine Reality.
• The final goal of all existence is union with this Divine Reality.

Adapted from a document distributed at a conference in Assisi, Italy, May 2012.

Published online, 21 January 2013.