Giving Tuesday!

Remember...

Several of us agreed to go write holiday cards for residents of the NELA Veterans Home. Don't forget! It's an opportunity to give back to those who gave so much for us.

I plan to go write a card and give a donation out of Canterbury funds. Right now, I can't find the email that says where to go, but I'm sure I'll be able to find out Monday!
 
 

Bread and Roses

                    
                

Elizabeth of Hungary

This week in Canterbury: Learn about the princess who married a prince but died with nothing and why her symbols are bread and roses!

Chloe is also making a list of things we need to discuss since this will be our last meeting of this semester. See you at 11:30 in Walker 1-113.
  

Thanksgiving Eve Eucharsit

Advent is Coming!

William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury and radio personality!! Come to...

Canterbury@ULM

Friday, 11/6, 11:30 a.m.

Walker 1-113

to hear all about it! Including the connection between William Temple and Advent!!

All Souls!

Tomorrow at Canterbury@ULM we will celebrate All Souls, transferred from Monday. And we have some decisions to make about the remainder of the semester. See you tomorrow!

CANTERBURY@ULM

Friday, 11:30 - 12:45 

Walker 1-113

 

Installation of Our Presiding Bishop

The following provides details and information for the two events of the Installation of the next Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, Bishop Michael Bruce Curry.

The Rt. Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, was elected and confirmed to be the next Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church at the 78th General Convention on June 27. According to the Canons of The Episcopal Church, he becomes Presiding Bishop and Primate on November 1. Bishop Curry is the first African-American to be elected Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.  Bishop Curry will be the 27th Presiding Bishop, the Primate, and the Chief Pastor of The Episcopal Church. He will also serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society and chair of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church.

Saturday, October 31

A Vigil Celebration and Eucharist, sponsored by the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) in honor of the 27th Presiding Bishop on Saturday, October 31 at 11 a,m. (Eastern) at the Armory, 2001 E. Capital St. SE in Washington, DC.

The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society will sponsor a live webcast of the Vigil Celebration at www.episcopalchurch.org

Additional information is available here(link is external). 

Sunday, November 1

The Holy Eucharist with the Installation of the 27th Presiding Bishop will occur on Sunday, November 1 at noon (Eastern) at Washington National Cathedral.

The Holy Eucharist with the Installation of the 27th Presiding Bishop will be live webcast available here(link is external)   

Hashtag #MichaelCurry

The Episcopal Church: www.episcopalchurch.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/episcopalian(link is external)

Twitter: www.twitter.com/iamepiscopalian

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Alyssa Garner and Ivania Vallejo, who did us very proud by sharing their stories at the 26th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana Saturday in Sulphur, Louisiana. You were great!

And Chloe Beaver did a great job as our delegate! SOME of us wore our Canterbury@ULM t-shirts Saturday! :D

See you ALL this coming Friday.

Local Blessing of the Animals Liturgies

St. Thomas (3706 Bon Aire Drive) will have its annual Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 4 at our 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist. 

St. Alban's (2816 Deborah Drive) will have its annual Blessing of the Animals on Wednesday, October 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the circle drive in front of the church.

Join us for one or both of what are always a lively and noisy liturgies!

Diamond on the Bayou - 60th Annual BBQ at St. Thomas'

From your friends at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church...

"Diamond on the Bayou" - The 60th Annual St. Thomas BBQ which will be held on Saturday, October 3 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at 3706 Bon Aire Drive (by ULM) on beautiful Bayou DeSiard.

Cost is $12 per plate and includes Chicken, Pork Loin, Sausage, Potato Salad, and Homemade Desserts. Anniversary T-shirts will also be on sale.

Music will be provided by the "Back Pew Pickers!" There will also be games for children and cake walks!

All are welcome! Come out before the ULM Homecoming game...

Tomorrow....

I haven't yet figured out who our saint of the day will be, but....

I know I want Blake to tell us more about the mission to Nepal, and I want us to figure out what we can do to help!

See you tomorrow (Friday) at 11:30 in Walker 1-113. Pizza is on the menu.

 

Ordered!

  

Everybody gets one free. Extras will be available to purchase for $15@. Will arrive by Oct. 2.

Listen!

        Tomorrow....

Canterbury@ULM

Friday, 11:30 a.m.

Walker 1-113

Our noonday prayer inspiration will be Hildegard von Bingen, a woman waaaay ahead of her time!

We'll hear from Blake regarding his mission to Project 17 and make some plans.

I'm going to check out what Loco Rico might have that would be good for lunch snacking.

See you soon!

St. Thomas' "Diamond on the Bayou" 60th Annual BBQ

"Diamond on the Bayou" - The 60th Annual St. Thomas BBQ which will be held on Saturday, October 3 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at 3706 Bon Aire Drive (by ULM) on beautiful Bayou DeSiard. Yes - We know it is Home Coming! It wasn't on our calendar 60 years ago... ;-)

Cost is $12 per plate and includes Chicken, Pork Loin, Sausage, Potato Salad, and Homemade Desserts. Anniversary T-shirts will also be on sale.

Music will be provided by the "Back Pew Pickers!" There will also be games for children and cake walks!

All are welcome!

Tomorrow's Canterbury

Friday, 9/11

11:15 a.m.
Walker 1-113

For this week's Canterbury, come at 11:15 if possible. That is because both Chloe, our president, and I must go to other meetings at 12 noon!

We'll take care of a bit of business at 11:15, then do noonday prayer at 11:30. We'll use the readings for the remembrance of Harry T. Burleigh, whose feast day is Friday. Check out his amazing voice!

BTW, I will print the readings and I do expect y'all's help in reading them!

 

Special Invitation

THURSDAY, 9/10
3:30 p.m.
St. Thomas' Episcopal
3706 Bon Aire Drive

Your Canterbury Chaplain also serves as a chaplain to a small band of Episcopalians in Grayson, La., working to become St. Michael the Archangel Episcopal Mission. In the past, Canterbury members have gone with me to have Evening Prayer with the group in Grayson, and last spring the group traveled to the ULM Campus to participate in our outdoor Holy Eucharist.

This Thursday, the group is coming to Monroe again, this time to attend the ULM Art Crawl opening reception (Thursday, 5 - 7 p.m.) and see my WATERLINE work in Walker Hal.

We will meet at St. Thomas' at 3:30 for Holy Eucharist and would LOVE to have Canterbury people join us if you are available! You are welcome at the opening in Walker Hall later as well!

First Meeting!

First Meeting of the Year!

Friday, 9/4

11:30

Walker 1-113

Come for noonday prayer, pizza to share, and discussion of what we'd like to do this year!

Invite a friend. Canterbury is open to all.

Bishop Jake: Play it Like You Mean It

This is the final post in the series "Getting Our Bearings." Missed the earlier posts? No problem. Click on the these links for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

I play guitar. These days, my skills have eroded from neglect. 

Once upon a time, I spent hours working on bluegrass licks and delta blues tunes. Even so, quitting my day job would not have been a good idea. At their peak my abilities never rose above the level of enthusiastic amateur.

By contrast to my middling skills, there are genuine guitar virtuosos. 

Delta blues artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters shaped that genre. Doc Watson stood out among bluegrass pickers. One of the greatest guitarists of all time was jazzman Django Reinhardt. And if I’m going to be really honest about my listening habits, Neil Young still rocks.

You may not agree that this is a list of virtuoso guitarists. Your list may include different names and different genres. But you probably know what I mean by “virtuoso.” 

A virtuoso has achieved a level of excellence that serves as an example to others. She or he influences how a community of musicians approaches their instruments. In guitar circles you learn to play by sitting with and emulating more accomplished musicians.

The Christian moral life bears a resemblance to playing the guitar. Being good means being virtuous.

 More

 

Welcome!

Canterbury at ULM will kick off...

Friday, September 4

11:30 a.m.

Walker 1-113

We have some new folks and some returning folks. We'll say noonday prayer and talk about what we want to do this semester. Lunch will be PIZZA, of course!  See you soon!

BTW, invite friends! Canterbury@ULM is open to all.  

Getting Our Bearings, Part III

Horizons

This is the third post in Bishop Jake's series "Getting Our Bearings." To read the first post click here. You can find the second post by clicking here.

One of the gifts of the Episcopal Church is that we do not require conformity in all things theological and moral. On the contrary, we recognize the value of active, honest disagreement. We believe that we grow spiritually through freedom of thought and lively exchange. 

Our openness to reflection and critical thinking invites some outside our denomination and some within it to charge that we stand for nothing. This is either a misunderstanding or a blatant slur.

Here is one way to think about how we strive to live harmoniously amid sometimes very serious disagreements.

Truth, we believe, emerges from faithful, honest, patient, respectful intellectual wrestling. Disagreements arise from the differing perspectives of a community of people with finite minds.

Jane Wilson's "American Horizon"

To borrow an image from Hans Georg Gadamer, we inhabit different horizons. In honest dialogue and debate, we strive to fuse our separate horizons into a broader horizon. That broader horizon incorporates these differing perspectives while also correcting their limitations and distortions.

The genius of how we do theology is the humility of the claims we make. We are hesitant to make very many theological doctrines into dogmas.

People throw the word dogma around fairly carelessly, and in most cases that’s fine. But in this context, we will be best served by precision.

A dogma is a theological doctrine on which the Church—the whole Church gathered in Council—has spoken authoritatively. A dogma is a theological matter that has been settled once and for all. Depending on how catholic you are, such councils have only occurred five or seven times in our history.

The Episcopal Church recognizes the two dogmas articulated by these Councils: the Trinity and the nature of Christ as fully human and fully divine.

This is not to say that we have found the final and only way to articulate the nature of God as three in one. Neither do we claim to have found the one simple formula that will best convey to generations to come what it means for Jesus to have been divine and also human in every respect. However, we are committed to speaking these enduring truths in every successive era.

Many other doctrines and teachings are important. We from time to time will disagree passionately about non-dogmatic doctrines and teachings. However, those who disagree with us are neither heretics nor apostates nor blasphemers. They are sisters and brothers in Christ.

Let me say an additional word about how we believe these two essential doctrines. We pray them together. The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed are not confessional statements that we sign in order to gain membership in the community. They are articulations of the faith handed down to us by the community and proclaimed in the context of the community's worship.

Paul Mathiopoulos' "After the Rain Queen Street Wisdom"

This is crucial. We pray what we believe, but that does not mean that we first formulate a clear statement of belief and then recite it when we gather to worship. On the contrary, we pray these ancient words to be stretched by them.

People have often asked me why we pray those same prayers in The Book of Common Prayer over and over.  Those prayers are the gift to us of the wisdom of our community. They offer us depths of insight into and intimacy with the Holy God that we are stumbling and scooching toward. As we say those prayers over and over with our lips, our hearts, souls, and minds grow into what those words say.

So it is with our Creeds. Praying them over and over in community we come to inhabit them. The Creeds are not a litmus test by which we decide who is in and who is out. They are, instead, the community’s articulation of the mystery who holds us together as that mystery’s very own. 

We can live in harmony amid our differences precisely because we are held together by a common, deeper mystery.

 

Come and See!

Sermon preached at Grace Episcopal Church, Monroe, La., 8/2/15

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Come and see!

 

Nathaniel is the questioner; Philip is the answerer. Or so it was 2000+ years ago on a dusty road to Galilee!

 

Which are you at this moment in time and in this place? Nathaniel? Or Philip? I ask because I can see and hear myself in both of these guys.

 

I ask because, as I read the Gospels, over and over I see myself, and all of us, in the disciples—both when they are getting it, and when they are missing the point entirely.

 

This morning I would rather be Philip, the one pointing the way to the Good News of Jesus the Christ. Come and see!

 

Isn’t that our primary job as Christians?

 

But I am perfectly clear that sometimes I am Nathaniel, allowing my prejudices or my hurt feelings or my disapproval of… whatever, to blind me to the redeeming grace of God. Can anything good come of that?

 

More

Sister, give me a word...

 

Hallelujah

Praise

The word “Hallelujah,” which appears so often in the psalms, does not have any kind of saccharine quality of triumphalism or denial or escape. “Hallelujah” is not a flippant or fluffy word. “Hallelujah” is simply a willful, joyful expression of praise for God.

-Br. Curtis Almquist
Society of Saint John the Evangelist

From Bishop Jake...

Monday, July 6, 2015

Dear Friends in Christ,

On June 26 the Supreme Court ruled that the right to enter into a civil marriage applies equally to everyone: opposite-sex and same-sex couples. At our General Convention the Episcopal Church authorized trial rites that may be used for same-sex couples.

Reactions to the Court’s ruling and the General Convention’s actions range from jubilation to outrage. There has been no shortage of news stories, blog posts, and social media comments on the subject. Unfortunately, much of this talk has resulted in more confusion than clarity. Some commentators seem more interested in fueling anger than in providing clear, rational explanations.

One effective way to get at the truth and to regain emotional self-control is to ask a clear question. That question is this: What do the Supreme Court ruling and the actions of General Convention mean in the Diocese of Western Louisiana?

We are a majority-traditionalist diocese. And we are also a gracious diocese. There is a place at the table for minority points of view. No congregation, no priest, will ever be forced to perform same-sex marriages. However, we recognize an array of opinions about marriage and make a space for progressive voices.

Before the Supreme Court ruled and the General Convention voted, two of our congregations requested permission to use trial liturgies for same-sex blessings. I granted that permission with the clear understanding that there is no expectation for any other congregation to do so. Just as I have asked traditionalists to respect the brothers and sisters with whom they disagree, I have urged our progressive congregations to embody that same respect. Staying together in disagreement is difficult work. But it is holy work.

General Convention provided liturgies and made canonical changes to make it possible for progressive congregations to perform same-sex marriage and for traditionalist congregations to refrain from doing so. The canon we passed contains the provision that no clergy person can be coerced to preside at a same-sex marriage.

At the same time, the new canon requires that each bishop make some provision for access to these liturgies for couples seeking them. The congregations that already have permission to make use of the previous trial liturgies have permission to use the newly authorized ones. So, as a diocese we are in compliance with canon law, and no additional congregations are required to make use of these liturgies.

We do not all agree. Living together amid our differences is our vocation. We are one in our belief in the risen Christ and in the Triune God. On these two doctrines we do not and cannot waver. However, there are matters—weighty matters—on which we can disagree while retaining our unity.

The House of Bishops recognized this. As a result, we issued a Mind of the House resolution. In that resolution we acknowledged our love and respect for one another in our differences. We stated clearly our need for one another and urged that we all move forward together in the one Christ.

I urge us in Western Louisiana to yield to that same spirit. The Holy Spirit is guiding us through a season of sometimes turbulent social and cultural changes. By his guidance we are groping our way forward. Together.

As we move forward together, stay focused on Jesus. It is he that binds us together. His love for us and our love for him binds us together into a communion not of our own choosing. I will close by reminding you how deeply I love you and how grateful I am to serve as your bishop. Let’s use this time of differences as an opportunity to show the world what real love looks like. Let’s embrace each other and move forward together. The world will know that we are Christians by our love.

Faithfully in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD
IV Bishop of Western Louisiana

Note: Printed copies of this letter will be available at St. Thomas' and St. Alban's.

Brother, give me a word...

 

The Haystack, Cannon Beach, OR

Freedom

God created us in his image with the capacity to love, and love requires freedom. And with our freedom, we have the capacity to do great evil as well as great good. God took a tremendous risk in making us.

-Br. Robert L'Esperance
Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Brother, give me a word....

 

Pink Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Penitence

Jesus came, and comes now, to convert us, through love; to change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh – to love us so much that we shed tears of repentance.

-Br. Geoffrey Tristram
Society of Saint John the Evangelist

S'more Campfire Stories Vacation Bible School

Canterbury participants are welcome to drop by for a snack, supper or come help. We would love to see some you this summer!

Well, we are at it again! Grace, St. Alban’s, St. Thomas' and St. Patrick’s will work together to put on Vacation Bible School this summer. See the dates and mark your calendars now. V.B.S is. for Kindergarten – Fifth Grade – Older children are invited to help.

The dates and time for V.B.S. are July 12-16, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. till 7:30 p.m. Registration will start at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 12. Our theme this year is S’more Campfire Stories. It is a camping/summer camp theme with familiar camp songs, snacks/food, games, Bible Stories and crafts. We will take advantage of St. Thomas’ beautiful bayou location, hiking trail (walking path) and their new outdoor pavilion and fireplace. Dinner is served each night and a special closing is planned for the last evening.

Registration forms are available at church or here. 

Join us!

Dancing in the Eye of the Hurricane

Trinity Sunday sermon at St. James, Alexandria

Late last week, I was listening to American Roots on public radio and heard a song called “The Eye” by Brandi Carlile. The key lyric in that song is, “You can dance in a hurricane, but only if you’re standing in the eye.”

Striking imagery. And my immediate response was, “The title of my memoir—when I get around to writing it—will be ‘Dancing in the Eye of the Hurricane.’”

Maybe 24 hours later I sat down at the computer to look at the propers for today. And that’s when I realized that today is the one day in the church year devoted to a point of theology—perhaps our most important but most challenging point of theology—the Trinity.

Brothers and sisters, I don’t know if that memoir will ever be written. But today’s Trinity Sunday sermon is entitled “Dancing in the Eye of The Hurricane.”

Because that’s how I experience the Triune God and God’s call and claim on my life.

Now, you are not about to hear some clever theological explanation of how the Trinity is like a hurricane. Rather, like every other sermon I have preached, this one comes from my life, from what happened this week, from how I encountered God in the world yesterday, this month, 10 years ago. 

God comes to us disguised as our life, writer Paula D’Arcy said. And that quote is now available as a poster, on a t-shirt, printed on.. whatever.

It resonates. God comes to us disguised as our life.

And life is a lot like a hurricane. Sometimes we dance along happily and competently in the relative calm of the eye. And then we miss a step or the roiling turmoil around us lurches in an unexpected direction, and we are bouncing off the walls. It takes time to get back into that eye where we can dance again, and only in retrospect can we see that God was in it… and we in God... the whole time. 

Read more.
      

Videos of the Nominees for Presiding Bishop

Below are video interviews with our nominees for Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church - all have Spanish subtitles. Enjoy and let me know if you have questions or just want to talk about it.

Do you recognize the first voice?

What your chaplain does through Interfaith...

Brother, give me a word...

Wind

The invitation to us this Pentecost morning is to ‘open our sails.’ That is always a risk, because once the wind of the spirit catches us, the journey may be scary. God may take us to places where we don’t feel comfortable, where we shall need all our courage and fortitude.

-Br. Geoffrey Tristram
Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Brother, give me a word...

 

Coral Bean Chorus by Bette J. Kauffman

Now

Tomorrow is only a possibility. What we have now is the gift of today. Say yes to your life. Savor the moments of your life. Be thankful everywhere and in every way you possibly can for the hugely challenging, utterly amazing gift of life.

-Br. Curtis Almquist
Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Brother, give me a word....

Message

The gospel demands a response from us. We can either choose to turn away or we can choose to follow. In either case we will be changed. The question is not “will we be changed by the Gospel”, but “how will we be changed by it?” We may not do mighty things for God, but God will certainly do mighty things for us and in so doing shall change us.

-Br. James Koester
Society of Saint John the Evangelist

From Bishop Jake

Please take some time to read and pray about this letter from Bishop Jake. If you have questions or concerns - I would love to talk with you!

A Letter from Bishop Jake

Last week the clergy of the Diocese received the following pastoral letter. They have perhaps already shared it with you or will do so in the near future. My intention was to allow them time to process the information before I shared it with the rest of the Diocese.

This letter neither requires nor urges any changes in the local practice of your congregation nor in theology. We are simply making space for a minority theological viewpoint within our majority conservative diocese. We all have heard that conservative congregations in majority progressive dioceses report a desire for just this kind of acceptance and freedom.

 Please read the letter with care in its entirety.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Dear Friends,

Last year the Standing Committee sent to each congregation a summary of all actions by the 77th General Convention (2012) involving congregational or diocesan action.

Among those resolutions was A049. This resolution authorized the trial use of Same-Sex Blessings, commended to each congregation a study of these rites and the theological reflections involved in them, and directed each diocese to provide a generous pastoral response to gay and lesbian persons.

As I have said previously, our diocese has for some time embodied informally a generous response to gay and lesbian persons. This fact has been verified by the following. Clergy in charge of congregations submitted written reports to me outlining their view of same gender blessings, their vestry's point of view, and the view held by the broad center of the congregation. Additionally, at a clergy day last February each clergy person shared openly and honestly his or her thoughts on the matter.

Most of our congregations embody a traditional expression of our common faith. They seek to express love for gay and lesbian persons, their families, and their friends, while being very clear about their view that the Church's blessing is reserved for couples comprised of one man and one woman. They have my respect and support.

A few of our congregations offer a safe and welcoming spiritual home to gay and lesbian individuals and couples. For this I am grateful. These congregations find in Scripture, Tradition, and Reason grounds for seeing holiness in lifelong commitments between gay and lesbian persons, and I respect and support them.

In other words, the diocese provides a generous pastoral response through the varied practices of each of our congregations. This variety is good, and I am grateful for it.

Upon returning from the last General Convention, I refrained from giving permission to use the liturgies for same gender blessings. The canons clearly allow any clergy person to refrain from solemnizing any marriage, and those same canons mean that no clergy person will ever be required to bless a same gender relationship. No clergy person or congregation can or will ever be required or in any way pressured to bless same gender relationships.

Two congregations have engaged the study materials commended by A049: Holy Cross in Shreveport and St. Barnabas in Lafayette. As a result of the study, the clergy, the vestry, and the people of these congregations have requested permission to bless long-standing relationships between persons of the same gender. I have granted permission to those two congregations to use the trial liturgies designed for this purpose with the understanding that this is not marriage. The laws in this state are
clear. Marriage in Louisiana is reserved for opposite sex couples.

We are a majority conservative diocese. However, we are able to make a very gracious space for a theological minority in our midst. While it is sometimes the case that conservative congregations in largely progressive contexts have felt excluded or pressured to change, we in this more conservative context are intentionally showing respect and appreciation for those with a minority point of view.

Let me be clear. No congregation is required to undergo this study. No priest or congregation will be required to use these rites. These differences among our congregations have in the past been the source of conflict and division. I urge all of you now to let such differences be the occasion for deepening our mutual affection. What we hold in common is Christ. Let our shared devotion to him be the source of our unity in difference.

My love for each of you is deep and abiding. The changes in the Episcopal Church have been for some of us a source of joy and relief. For others these same changes have brought confusion, anxiety, and even hurt. I understand. And I am here for all of you.

You are all a gift to me just as you are. And I thank God every day for the privilege of sharing your lives and serving with you as Bishop.


In Christ's Love,

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD
IV Bishop of The Diocese of Western Louisiana

Tonight's Eucharist

Outdoor Eucharist this evening hosted by ULM Canterbury. Beautiful weather and liturgy.

Thursday!

Ascension Day Choral Eucharist at Grace

Ascension Day is one of the fixed dates of our liturgical calendar, always falling on the 40th day after Easter.  On Thursday 14th May at 7.00p.m. Grace, Monroe will have an Ascension Day Choral Eucharist.  Father Whit Stodghill will be our guest preacher.  Please join us as we commemorate the conclusion of the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus and celebrate his Ascension into heaven.  A light reception will follow in Kilbourne Hall.

Hope to see you there!

St. Thomas' Fish Fry

It's time for St. Thomas' Annual...

Back to the Bayou

Fish Fry 

at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church

3706 Bon Aire Drive 

Saturday, May 2, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

$10 adults - $5 children under 15

Come for a great meal of fish, hush puppies, fries, slaw, desserts & tea, PLUS entertainment by the Back Pew Pickers, a cake walk and other fun stuff - all for a good cause.

See you there!

Thursday, April 30

Please come and support our outdoor Holy Eucharist this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Garrett and I will put out yard signs Tuesday afternoon. Anyone want to help bring things from St. Thomas' and set up the altar Thursday afternoon?

All invited!

Embracing an Adult Faith: Salvation

This week's study from Embracing an Adult Faith is that golden wonder, that thing we all need...

Salvation!

 Here are the reflection questions:

1. What words, images, memories and experiences do you associate with the word salvation?

2. Sin is another problematic word for many. What is your current understanding of this word? How has that changed from earlier years?

3. What influential forces shaped the way you see God, afterlife, salvation, sin and faith today?

4. When were the times in life that you would say, in the words of Psalm 23, that you were in 'the darkest valley'? What made it possible for you to move beyond that time? If you are still in that time, in what ways do you feel accompanied?

5. What images, symbols, words, rituals and practices support you on the way?

Again, please pick a question and come Friday prepared to share your thoughts. We'll be in Walker 1-113 at 11:30 a.m. and this week I'm bringing.... a surprise!

And... the service trip to St. Joseph this weekend is cancelled but we will explore the possibility of going a weekend after school is out.

SEE YOU FRIDAY!

This weekend: Service!

This coming weekend, we are scheduled to go to St. Joseph for our service project helping paint the church's rectory, which houses the Youth Servant Leadership Corps.

Since so many of us have had trouble making it to meetings of late, I haven't been able to confirm who is going and make final arrangements, so now is the time!

The plan is to leave Friday afternoon about 4 p.m. and return to Monroe Sunday after worship at Christ Episcopal Church. Lodging and meals provided, and possibly even boat rides on Lake Bruin!

I'll be contacting everyone, but in the meantime, you can email me or text me in response to this post.

Embracing an Adult Faith: Jesus

Will the real Jesus please stand up?

I know you are too young to remember a television show called "To Tell the Truth," but you might have encountered it on Nickelodean or some such. I'll let you research it if you're interested.

This week's session of our new Canterbury@ULM series is titled, simply, "Jesus." And lots of people have widely different views, not only of what Jesus looked like, but who he was and especially what being his follower means. Here are the advance reflection questions:

1. Why does Jesus matter to you (if he does)?
2. What does Easter mean to you?
3. What does it mean to you to respond wholeheartedly to Jesus' call to "Follow me"?
4. What difference to you does it make that Jesus was a faithful practicing Jew?
5. How has relationship with the post-Easter Jesus changed your life?

So... everyone, please pick at least ONE of the above questions and be prepared to share something in response before we view our video lesson.

And I'm bringing pizza for lunch!

See you Friday,  11:30 am, Walker 1-113.