Hallelujah Chorus

Ok, so while this may be a bit...different...I would LOVE to do this at St. Boniface!!!

Watch this video of the Silent Monks singing this bit of the Hallelujah Chorus, "And he shall reign".

Enjoy!!

Boy's Choir

Well, I've been thinking of my need to write every day on this blog. Yes, I said my need. Who knows if anyone will read it, but everyone who writes, I believe, does so first to fulfill their own desires and ambitions to have their voice "out there" to be heard.

Well, before I start writing some of what is important to me, and hopefully at least entertaining, if not informative, to you, I thought I would share this little gem.

Watch, laugh, enjoy, share.

Youth Sunday, part 2

Here is the video to the Youth Service, Part 2 from St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Mequon on August 21, 2011.

As you will see, the many youth did fantastic!! Many thanks to the youth (and their parents!) for their participation.

The reading of the Gospel takes place at approximately 18:50. The sermon, given by Becca, a 17 year old Senior, begins at the 20:10 mark.

Again, thanks to everyone who participated!!

Also, for those of you that wish to attend the next Happening on November 18-20, please pick up an application at church or contact me for the link to the application!

Ascension Day and St. Boniface Day at St. Boniface

Here is the 10:30 Ascension Day/St. Boniface Day service from St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Mequon. The Rev. Lauren Stanley is the guest Preacher for this service.

The reading of the Gospel begins at 16:34 and the sermon begins at 19:15.

The Gloria, written by Thomas Miller (a parishioner of St. Boniface, no relation to the Fr. Kenny) begins at approximately the 4:35 mark.

The St. Boniface Song (If you have the name of the parishioner who penned this song, please let me know and I will update this post and give her the proper credit!) begins at 53:04 mark.

The Sanctus, written by Thomas Miller (a parishioner of St. Boniface, no relation to the Fr. Kenny) begins at the 1:00:36 mark.

My apologies to God, Tom, and to all of you for making such a mess of the sursum corda on this glorious day.

Many thanks to the Rev. Lauren Stanley for coming to St. Boniface to preaching the Gospel and reminding us we have been tagged...and we are it!

Blessings,

Fr. Kenny

Easter Sunday Service

Here is the Easter Sunday Service from St. Boniface Episcopal Church.

I hope you enjoy the service.

Please remember that the ads are because the host site (ustream.com) is free.

Life without the internet...

Fifteen days ago, on April 3, I wrote about A Life without a Bible? this very blog. On that morning, I was also finishing up my plans to go on my first vacation in over nine months. By vacation, I mean I, along with my wife and kids, was leaving the everyday stresses and pressures of daily life at work and vocation and going back to my hometown to see family and friends. We were finishing the laundry, washing dishes, cleaning up the litter box and making sure the online checking account was queued with the right amounts and dates to pay those pesky bills while we were gone.

In my preparations, among many other things, I also dutifully packed up my briefcase, complete with laptop, Book of Common Prayer with the NRSV Bible, my copy of Holy Island, and my Nook. (I even remembered to pack my power cords so I could recharge all of these electronic gadgets!) After all, I was intending to leave my vocation behind and just fill the role of husband, dad, son, son-in-law, nephew, cousin and maybe uncle while I was gone. But, I was still going to fulfill my Lenten discipline: writing a Lenten reflection on Holy Island every day (or, as my track record had been this Lent, most every day.)

April 4 was a driving day…I woke up later than I expected and after 13+ hours of driving, I was more than satisfied with myself to let that day go. But on April 5, after I finally drug myself out of bed, I realized that I didn’t have free-range access to the internet! My in-laws, who we stayed with first, do not have wireless internet access. There is only one computer connected to the internet in that house and with seven of us staying under one roof, I knew that me finding time to read, reflect, and write on that one “connected” computer was going to be near impossible. Ok, I can write them on my computer, and I will just post them when I get to my parents’ house…I know that they have wireless internet access!

Well, when I arrive at my parents’ house, I quickly realize that I have switched laptops and I no longer have their wireless password saved! By this time, I’ve already been without access to most of my online communities for almost a week…I kept telling myself I could make it because I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, the light has gone out. No one can remember the safe place where the password is kept. Again, seven people, one roof, one computer, lots of talking and catching up, lots of places to go and see, no time to sit, contemplate, read, reflect and write. My Lenten discipline is shot!

I have to admit, being without internet access for almost 12 days was so freeing (except for the lingering guilty feeling of not being able to follow up with my Lenten discipline.) I wasn’t tied to the Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I wasn’t tied to, nor felt required to answer, each email that I received on my phone. (I have a hard time responding to email using my phone, I use to many words!) Even better, I rested better.

Hmm, maybe the Lenten discipline wasn’t shot…it did exactly what I had hoped it would do…I found myself in the presence of God by the absence of those distractions with which we clutter our lives. I found myself in the presence of God by spending my time with my wife, my children, my parents, my in-laws, my aunts and uncles, my nieces and nephews, my cousins. I found myself in the presence of God as I drifted off to sleep in prayer instead of worrying if I completed that online task.

My online communities and online tasks are still important to me, to the growth of my church, to the growth of the communities with which I am involved. Yet, a faithful Lenten re-prioritization was good for me and my relationship with those around me and my relationship with my God…just in time for Holy Week…so I can get lost in the busy-ness and the sleeplessness and the worry…but not before I find myself with my family, my friends, and my Savior!

Palm Sunday

Check out the reading of the Passion by the Youth of St. Boniface. Fast forward to about the 28 minute mark for a fantastic presentation!!

Again, sorry about the ads. They are served by Ustream. I'm researching ways around this. Hopefully, I'll have something soon!

A life without the Bible?

Can you imagine? I just can't do it. I admit it, I am spoiled! I can't imagine a life without the Bible.

I have often said I would love to live in England in the time of Henry VIII. I love that period of history. I love the way the church changed. I love the politics behind the beginnings of the Church of England and the split away from the Roman Catholic Church. But, it wasn't until reading Holy Island that I realized that there really wasn't a Bible for most of the common people during this time...and I consider myself a history buff...of this time period!

I'm trying to imagine for a moment what it must have been like to be one of the people to first receive a copy of the Bible written in their language...and being able to understand what the words on the page of the Holy Bible were saying to them without needing someone to translate. What an awesome experience that must have been.

We too can feel that experience, especially if it has been a while since we have picked up that faithful book of Holy Scriptures...try it, there are lot of wonderful stories that will welcome us home just like the long lost prodigal son.

We can't destroy by burning...

What a wonderful, yet daunting thought, we can't destroy the Word of God by burning it, we can only destroy it by not using it, or worse yet, using it incorrectly. (Holy Island, p 65)

This is a thought worth meditating on this Lenten season and then about once a month the rest of the year. In what ways are we in fact destroying the Word of God by not allowing the Word of God to live through and with and in us?

The Inner Man (person)

One of the hardest parts of Lent, or the discipline that Lent offers to us, is admitting that we aren't perfect, we are flawed, and we have "room to improve." I am, in many ways the older son...I don't want to ask God to forgive me because that means that I have to admit that I am wrong. When will we get over our selves and trust God?!?!?

"Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts..."

Today's reflection reminds me of Matthew 15:16-20, "Then Jesus said to Peter, ‘Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.'"

I was speaking with a colleague who asked the question, "When we get angry, is it a reaction or is it a choice?" After some conversation, he expressed his opinion that "All feelings and emotions are a choice; we just choose certain emotions and feelings so often and so long that they become a habit." When he said this, I immediately thought of this passage from Matthew and this reflection from Holy Island. We form our habits to be angry, suspicious, bitter, malicious, manipulative, etc., and these habits infect our heart to the point that we need to beg God to "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts" so that we may have a fresh start, have a "holy do-over" on our spiritual journey with God.

We profess that Jesus provides us with the "holy do-over" and we understand that Lent provides us with yet another opportunity to unbind those things that keep us from drawing closer to God...like a heart full of thoughts centered on one's self instead of on God.

Is it possible to wake up to our blindness?

I know that Jesus healed many blind people. We read these stories through out the Bible, but as we look around our churches today, as we look around our homes today, as we look at ourselves today, is it possible to wake up to our blindness? I know what I wrote yesterday. I know that I wrote that I was blind to my own true self. But now that I am beginning to see it and admit it to myself, will I change my pattern? Is it possible to get up off of my mat and walk into the discipleship of Christ. That action requires as much, if not more work, than the actual recognizing and admitting that we were blind. Once we "can see", we have responsibilities. We can no longer hide in our own comfortable little world. We can no longer serve and service our own needs and ourselves. We have to care about "the other" and let go of ourselves.

Using myself as an example here again, and yes this is painful for me to do, was/is my working at the church 4 or 5 evenings a week (and yes, I'm doing "church work" during those days as well, and that is not counting Sundays) because there is really work that needs to be done or is it because I have this innate need that needs to be filled? I am sure that if you ask me, my wife, my children and 5 different people at the church, you will get just as many different answers. Of course mine will be the only one that is correct, but therein lies the issue. Once we see the need for adjustment in our life, can we do it? I am only kidding about my answer being the only correct one, most probably all the answers have a very large vein of truth in them. That is when the community has to come together to help find the best solution. Remember, we don't live on an Island. And that my friends, can be even scarier than putting one's thoughts on the internet. Relying on the community to help make decisions means that we let go of some of the control we have over our lives. It sounds hard, it is hard, but it is part of the "waking up" process.

Blindness to our true selves

This one is hard to write about. Not because there isn't anything in this reflection, but because of how "close to home" this reflection lives. Kennedy writes, "any self-study pursued with courage and patience, without dodging the truth, will bring some order out of this welter of confusion..."  (Holy Island, p. 44)

I had lunch with a colleague and they asked what it was like for me to write my reflections on this blog. I answered that it was hard for me to put my thoughts out into cyberspace because in reality, a private person. This social media experiment is an experiment on two levels. The first level is trying to build community, in a non-traditional, maybe post-modern sense. The second level of the experiment is to see if I can personally put my thoughts and ideas out there for others to see and read and then be able to hear the feedback, for better or worse.

What I didn't expect through this experiment was that I would do as much personal soul searching about who I am as husband, parent, and priest. I haven't shared all of these thoughts on this blog because most of them are private and somewhat inappropriate for this type of public forum. However, as I have tried to be open to the Holy Spirit this Lent, I have realized that I have been blind to my true self. I am thankful that over the next several readings we will have an opportunity to delve into this spiritual journey of spiritual blindness.

One way in which I have been blind to myself is that I have been over-scheduling my church calendar not leaving enough time for my family. There is a reason that our Bishops and Spiritual Directors constantly remind us that our Letters of Agreement are explicit in that only 2 or 3 evenings are expected. We as clergy will work 5 evenings and feel guilty for not working the sixth and seventh. I have fallen into this trap. I have been blind to myself and to my family which is a huge spiritual charge given to me by God. And trust me, as I reflect on my life through the mirror we call Lent, this is only one of the ways in which I see myself falling short...if I am honest with myself.

In what ways are you blind to your true self?

Exposing ourselves to the Word of God

I know Kennedy is speaking to more in this reading that just exposing ourselves to the Word of God, but this is what struck me today. All to often we feel we have reached a pinnacle of our faith and we stop exposing ourselves to the Word of God. We no longer study, or we no longer hear what God may be saying to us in someone's sermon, or what God may be trying to teach us through someone's Sunday school lesson because we think we have arrived at the point where we, at least for the time being, have learned all there is to know.

This is actually a pitfall of all professions. Teachers feel that they can't learn to teach any differently, lawyers think they know all there is to know about the law, CPAs think they know all there is to know about accounting, doctors think they know all they need to know about patient care and disease. Sometimes, this even proves to be the case because the knowledge from years past proves to be the best knowledge over the "current' knowledge being taught.

However, exposing ourselves to God is dangerous. It provides the opportunity for our "perfect" worlds to be dissected. When we allow God's Word and the Holy Spirit to move into and through our life, we are changed, molded, morphed into a more whole, complete being if we are willing to be so formed. The opposite is when we see the transformation taking place and we fight it and become hard of heart, steadfast and hollow.

This Lent, try to expose yourself to the Word of God. If this is something you haven't done in a while, it can be very uncomfortable...trust me. If this is a practice you are familiar with, it is still uncomfortable, but it is a practice you know you can trust...and you know you can trust God to see you through it.

"and there is no heart in the responses..."

Remembering the chanting of the Great Litany on the first Sunday of Lent, Kennedy's reflection echos our need to be "involved" (Kennedy's word). As Kennedy points out, our worship comes alive when we are involved, or engaged in the worship instead of just reading the words on the page. We have to offer our own heart's desires along with our words to truly worship. It is then that we are ready to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit.

I can tell you, it is painfully obvious to me as a Priest when I am just not "feeling it" on a given Sunday. Yes, there are times when I feel as if I am just reading the words off of a page. Thankfully, it doesn't happen often, but it does happen more than I thought it would while I was in Seminary. Likewise, it is painfully obvious when the congregation isn't "feeling it" on a given Sunday. Truth be told, when one complains about the service being "too long," they aren't complaining about the length, my opinion is they are making the point that they aren't engaged in the service, or at the very least, they are having trouble engaging in the service.

I find that when I am fully engaged, the service seems to only last minutes...when in fact, the actual time may be the longest service of the year. When one is in the presence of God, time is immaterial. If one is finding it hard to engage, one needs to look inside themselves to see what it is that is preventing the engagement. It may not always be the individual, and in fact, I have known it to be the service, or even the priest. However, human nature is to blame the other before we engage the self. As I have heard many times, especially in Lent, "the self, seeing where and how we interact with God and our relationship with God is key to who we are with God." Maybe then the (our) heart will return to our responses.

Silent Lips?

I continually remind our children to be thankful for that which they have. We live in a culture that tells us no matter what we have, we need more! Too often in our life, we don't give thanks for the material things we have or for the spiritual blessings we have or for the blessings we have. Stop, right now and give thanks!

Today, about 13 months ago, I was in Ashburn, Va visiting some friends that we met in Seminary. They helped remind us of the simplicity of life, the necessity of friends and meaning of thankfulness. I give thanks for the way in which they keep me grounded. I haven't seem them in over a years, but being with them again reminded me of how God has used them, my Hindu friends, as a calming force in my life over the past almost 7 years. (I also have a longing to see them again!)

What are you thankful for? What have you taken for granted in your life? What do you need to stop and give thanks for this very moment? I have had these close friends from over 7 years, and only that weekend 13 months ago did I realize how special and important they are to my life. Why is that? Probably because I never took the time to stop and see who they are because like most, my lips are silent because I am focused inward, instead of on others.

Returning thanks...

This reflection will be short.  If you pay attention to any prayer that I lead in our parish, I almost always start with the words, "Almighty God we give you thanks for..."  Whether it is a funeral, a meal, a meeting or before the service.  All to often we engage in a prayer of begging for God to meet our needs instead of entering prayer to return thanks to God for all that we have.  We, as selfish humans, always want more, want better, want prettier, want quicker, want more functional, want...we very seldom give thanks and praise for what we have.

Today, as you live, move, and have your being, give thanks for all of the blessings of this life.

Reference this post and this post!

Keeping Christ in the Center

What is the focus of our lives? This question probably has multiple answers. There is the "hoped for" answer. There is our "perceived" answer. There is what "other people would see as the answer" answer. There is the "what it should be" answer. And then, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, there is the honest answer.

As Christians, we proclaim that Christ is the center of our lives. Prayer is the one vehicle that has been thought to keep us focused on God in Christ throughout the ages. As Kennedy points out, the monks placed crosses at the center of their monasteries so that they would be reminded to keep Christ at the center of their prayers. In most of our churches, we have big crosses or crucifixes hanging behind the altar so that we are reminded that Christ is the center of our worship and being. We have thought for a long time that the best way to keep Christ as the centerpiece of our life was to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Personally, I believe we can be in mostly constant prayer. When we pull up to a stoplight, we can pray for the people next to us. As we drive down the road, we can pray for the person driving insanely in front of us. As we go through the checkout lane, we can quietly mutter a prayer for those around us. Just walking through the Target or the Pig is an opportunity for prayer. Not to mention the intentional times that we set aside for prayer.

And the hope, if we are constantly in prayer, is that God in Christ is foremost in our mind as we walk through this life. If we are able to take a step back and look at our lives, I think we will see that when we answer the question, "What is the (REAL) center of our lives?" we will begin to see that we make our decisions based on what's best for that 'real center'. Don't confuse God and church, or God and money, or God and family, or God and .....(fill in your own blank.) This Lent, what changes in our lives, in your life, in my life, do we, you, I need to make to keep God in Christ at the center of your life?

Of the three things I pray...

I must admit, I am one that is easily distracted. One moment, I can be totally focused on the most important thing on my agenda, and the next moment, I am distracted by the most minor of details. This isn't because of any type of disorder or hyperactivity; this is because I, like most of you, have 30 things running through my mind that I either should, must, could, or need to do before I get to the next thing. Taking the time to stop and pray, or stop and do anything for that matter, can sometimes be, well, time-consuming.

When Jesus taught us to pray, at least according to the Gospel of Luke and Kennedy's interpretation of Luke, Luke didn't give us formula, Jesus gave us a technique. This technique reminds us that when we pray we need to pray for help in understanding God's will, our bodily needs and our relationships.

When you pray privately today, pray for God's will in and God's will for the journey of your life. Pray that God will meet your needs of daily bread. And pray that God will be present in all of relationships, those that have withstood the test of time, those that are strained, and those that are yet to come.

Silence in prayer

"What we are asked to do daily in prayer is to yield ourselves to God and no longer try to manipulate life for our own ends; to abide in him that his words shall abide in us--so his will may be done."  (Holy Island, page 23)

Silence.  When you pray, do you have silent time with God? Do you find time in your preferred prayer posture to be still in the presence of God and listen to what he might be saying to you?  Prayer should be at minimum a one way conversation, God talking to you!  All to often we think of prayer as a time we beg God to change God's mind so that he might heal someone else.  I would argue that prayer is to change our minds and hearts, not God's.  

The next time you pray, allow as much time to be still before God and listen as you do with your prayer of intersessions and thanksgivings.  But I must warn you, your life will be changed! Another admission...I struggle with this!!

A prayer starter...

My posting for this morning/today, is nothing more than a prayer starter to help you and me remember to take time to pray this day. If we made this our habit as much as we do checking our email, logging on to Facebook, posting on Twitter or even starting that pot of coffee, imagine how much more intimate our relationship with Christ might be.

Almighty God,

I give you thanks for this day. I give you thanks for my family. I give you thanks for a new day to ....

This morning I humbly pray for...

This day, I pray your presence will be made known to me and I will be brave enough to recognize you and serve you.

In Christ's most holy Name,  AMEN!

Fasting to grow

"Let our avowed intent this Lent be to fast from...whatever else dwarfs and hurts the soul." (Holy Island, page 19.)

A long time ago, back at my home parish of St. Paul's, Kingsport, during the first year I was in EFM, wow, I don't even remember the year now, there was a lady who gave up negative thoughts for Lent.  I will never forget her.  She was a jewel.  She was one of the most loving women I have ever met. She is one of those people that you really don't think of as having "negative thoughts", but to hear her tell her story, did she.  Now, I am not going to break the confidentiality of EFM, but suffice it to say that she really struggled with her Lenten discipline that year.

Think for a minute how many times a day we have a negative thought.  These thoughts can be about ourselves or others.  Think for a minute or two about what happens to us when we string four or five of these negative thoughts together in one day.  Then think about having four or five bad days in a row.  It can really "dwarf and hurt the soul."

It is the intent of Lent that whatever our Lenten discipline or form of fasting upon which we decide to endeavor, we will claim it as a life changing discipline.  We should choose a discipline that we can live with once Lent is over.  We should choose a discipline that will change who we are, especially before God, not just for 40 days, but for the rest of our life.

Are we ready for our Lenten fast to touch us as Kennedy suggests?  He says, "The lasting results, the outward and visible consequences of such a chosen fast, must indicate that those who have chosen it have been deeply and permanently dyed by their experience." (p. 18).  Are you ready for what a true and well intentioned Lenten fast can do?  Or more personally, am I?  In what ways will I  be changed during this Lent by the study, prayer and discernment that I am willingly undertaking?  Do I trust God to lead me?  Do I trust me to follow God?  Will my spiritual growth be enough to overcome my childlike insecurity?

Holding 'fast' to your Faith

"[B]ut bodily discipline and spiritual growth must lead to another aspect of this third point, namely, to resist successfully the temptation to grow weary of well doing and chuck the whole business." (Holy Island, pages 16-17.)

There will be a time on our spiritual journey when we will think we have arrived.  Don't be fooled!  Nourishing our spiritual life is a continual, life long process.  If we stop nourishing, then we start mal-nourishing!  Life is a constant discernment of where God is calling you to be, what God is calling you to do, and how God is calling you to do it.  We should never reach a place in our spiritual lives where we feel as if we know we have made it or know we have learned everything there is to know.  That is giving in to the temptation of well doing. To constantly learn, discern and digest will allow you to grow "fast" in your faith.  In this sense, I am using "fast" in the sense of "anchoring" as Kennedy refers in today's reading.  The more we can ask ourselves the tough questions about our faith and honestly answer them, even when the answer is "I don't know," then the stronger our faith can become and the more of a foothold we will have in our faith journey.

When I felt called to be a priest in the Episcopal Church, my spiritual growth didn't stop happening then and I didn't know everything there is to know about being a priest in the church on the day I was ordained to the priesthood.  Likewise, I did not stop discerning God's call in my life.  When I became the Rector of St. Paul's, Smithfield, my discernment didn't stop either.  I served God in Smithfield, then God, and the people of Mequon, called me to serve as the Rector of St. Boniface Parish. I've just learned that I've been called to serve on the Task Force on Health Insurance Parity and on the Diocesan Communications Committee for the Diocese of Milwaukee. My discernment doesn't stop. At some time in the future, I will be called to serve somewhere other than St. Boniface. God only knows.  Your call to serve may change, but our faith can be steadfast.  I have a strong faith that God will call me and place me to serve where God needs me and wants me to serve.  It is my responsibility to remain steadfast in my daily study of scripture and prayer. As odd as it may be, I am thankful for the wording of the mission statement of St. Boniface: "To know God and to seek an understanding of His evolving plan for us." As we grow, God will use us in different ways. Hold fast to your faith and see where God takes you, takes us, next!

As you can see, all of the "fasting" is lived out in a multi-layered community.  So maybe this Lent, you will learn to 'fast'...stand fast, or firm, or grow more firm in your faith.  Give your life an anchor.  Begin a daily study or prayer time.  Constantly discern where God wants you to be and how he may help you to get there...

Fasting as 'Quickening'

"The season of Lent provides many stimulants for speeding up spiritual growth." ( Holy Island, page 15.)

Yesterday the reflection was on placing our body under our soul.  The logical next step is that if we have the body out of the way, we would have more opportunities to strengthen our spiritual soul and take steps down our spiritual paths.

What are ways in which we can "speed up" our spiritual growth?  Well, by participating in this discussion. :) I know that some have had at least a stimulant for thought, if not the beginnings of actual spiritual growth over the last few days.  Some would argue that this "online world" is not a community.  Even though from time to time you may feel like you are talking to Brad Paisley in a three-way chat, growth happens in a community.  I do not mean to minimalize the real dangers of the internet, especially for youth, but I have found people to be the most "real" in some internet chat rooms.  They may not be "real" to who they "really" are, but the questions they pose to you, or the direct responses one may abruptly give to you may in fact be exactly what we need to speed up your spiritual growth.  The point here is not that you are chatting in a chat room.  The point is that you are involved in a community instead of going about your study alone.  If you are in community, you have someone to ask you the questions you may not want to ask yourself.

Call up two or three of your close friends and start a discussion on Holy Island and then share your thoughts here.  Read Marcus Borg's The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith and discuss it in a small group of 4 or 5 at someone's home, or start or join an online discussion community.  Read Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems and Jesus' Good News Collide by Brian McLaren or Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith by Diana Butler Bass.  Or here is an interesting book that I read just last year, If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus and Bishop Curry of North Carolina, my former Bishop, calls it a must read. Want to join a small group that is already formed? There is a small group that is meeting at the Gettel's house where they are talking about another of Brian McLaren's books Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices. All of these books provide great food for thought and fodder for discussion in a small group.  If you decide to start a small book group, let me know and I may join you, if you wish, and we can quicken our spiritual lives together.

Fasting...it doesn't have to mean taking away.  It can also mean quickening, or speeding up the spiritual growth in our lives.  The good Lord knows we could all use a little tune up in our spiritual growth engine!  And what better way to do it than venturing off our own Island to a place that is a little more unfamiliar.  Who knows, we may just learn something about God and ourselves in the process.

Abstemi-what?!?

Today begins a four day reflection on fasting.  Kennedy tells us that their fasting may be used devotionally in at least  four senses and he begins with abstemiousness.

Abstemiousness is a bodily discipline, or as Kennedy says, "The body must be kept under if the soul is to grow. We pamper and overindulge the body in almost every conceivable way until at last we must call a halt and seek to exercise more control over bodily appetities and either over-exertion or sloth.

For me,  this is the traditional way we think of Lent.  We declare we are going to give up chocolate or meat.  We declare we are going to start going to the gym everyday or walk the dog twice as far so that we get more exercise.

These disciplines are good for our physical bodies obviously, but we have to remember that Lent isn't about the physical body, it is about the spiritual journey.  We not only need to know what we are giving up, but why we are doing it.  For example, Maxine is giving up chocolate because she realizes that she eats way too many Snickers bars.  What she is doing is going to help improve her physical body.  But, in an over-simplification, if every time she longs and desires chocolate during Lent she stops and prays for the hungry in the Sudan or Haiti, then she is using her Lenten discipline to further her spiritual journey and her relationship with other children of God around the world.

Our bodily desires, whether for food, drink, etc. are sometimes the very stumbling blocks we are trying to remove so that our spiritual life might flourish.  Stopping to pray for that 45 seconds or 3 minutes that our body and psyche tell us we need to eat that chocolate may be the 45 second or 3 minute prayer in which the discussion takes place that we understand God's call to us...all because we stopped to listen. Lenten disciplines may have either a bodily or a spiritual element, but seem to be more effective when they have both.  I desire to take the time to enter into and be a part of the community of which God calls me to be a part.  But beware! While we may still be on our own Island, we may have just let someone else on it.  however, don't think you can control who comes on to your own Island...the moat around your Island isn't as deep as you think!

Ash Wednesday

"But when the pages of church history are turned even further back , Lent is found to have been a joyful time when alleluia was the accepted theme and worshipers stood for the prayers to show their joy, because of Christ who loved them enough to give his life for them and who had redeemed them from their miserable condition of ignorance of what God was like." (Holy Island, p. 12.)

Has you ever realized that Lent in the early church was a time of celebration and joy? Can you imagine a time in which "Alleluia" was the theme of the Lenten season? Can you imagine what the people of the early church must of thought when THAT change took place?!

As Kennedy reminds us, around "568 when the Lombards invaded Italy, all Christians were called on to observe a special season of fasting and prayer; but the invasion lasted so long some of the special supplications used became fixed in the liturgy of the Church and remained to give Lent a sad and melancholy face." We, the people, have turned Lent into a chest-beating, we-are-not-good-enough-to-stand-before-God campaign. Lent, at least according to Kennedy, seems to have been a time of celebration. Can you imagine Lent as a time where we began to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection and, then continue the celebration through the Feast of the Resurrection, instead of just beginning the celebration at the Feast of the Ressurection? Talking about putting ourselves on an Island; around the year 568, we began to separate ourselves so far from the meaning of Lent for our own gain that we never returned to our celebration.

As was written on page 12, "There is something wrong with our religion if it is all taken up with our Lents of respectable self-improvement. Our faith must be outgoing, to the down and out and to the up and out. We should seek self-improvement only in order to serve the Church's mission better." This is a by-product of our being on our Island. We have become so focused on ourselves that we think we are actually doing something to help ourselves by observing Lent. We think that God will like us more, find us more respectable, find us more worthy when in fact that is the wrong attitude to hold toward Lent. Lent is about making straight our paths with God; to focus not on ourselves, but on our relationship with God. To God be the Glory, not to us may God give the Glory.

This Lent, observe a holy Lent, celebrate a holy Lent...and understand that Lent is full of joy! Alleluia! Thanks be to God.

Being an Island

As I read (and re-read, present tense in both instances) the opening reflection of Holy Island: A Lenten Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne by James Kennedy entitled "A Word about Islands", there is one thing that really impressed me and that is Kennedy's comment, "No one can be an island or live on an island completely cut off from the life of his fellows, for one would soon become ingrown and unproductive, living artificially. But we can make pilgrimages to one, actually or in our mind, and can designate any time or place of apartness as our Holy Island of retreat and spiritual renewal, provided we do not remain there too long" (P. 7.)

We hear week after week that we Christians are part of a community. We live in a community, we worship in a community, we serve in a community, even our monotheistic God is a community, or economy, of three persons in one. Even our "personal" lives are lived in community. We have the communities of our work places, our families, our friends, our neighborhoods, and many other "communities" in which we live. Unfortunately, and all too often, we get this hair-brained idea that we can do it ourselves and that we don't need the rest of the community. We in effect make ourselves an island.

As a church, St. Boniface is part of the community of Mequon and Ozaukee County (and even a couple of other counties!) St. Boniface is part of a community of churches, part of a community of non-profit corporations, part of a community of forgiveness, part of a community that is called to help the hungry, homeless, and hopeless. When we make ourselves an Island, we leave a hole in the community in which we live.

In the Episcopal Church, each church is part of the Diocese. Again, all to often, an individual church begins to think "we know how to function best" and "We don't need the Diocese to exist." Each church, at some point in their existence, will tend to make themselves an Island and set themselves apart (in a negative way) from the rest of the Diocese.

When we make ourselves an Island, and especially when we stay there, we "become ingrown and unproductive." We become an Island unto ourselves, we begin to live "artificially" because we have lost touch with the reality of the world around us.

This Lent, as a community of people, how do we honestly own our past, repent of our shortfalls, celebrate our blessings, and once again appropriately re-engage the communities that surround us and of which we are such a vital part?

Online Lenten Study

As a Lenten discipline, beginning on Ash Wednesday, I am going to begin an online study. I will be reflecting on a short book called Holy Island: A Lenten Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne by James W. Kennedy. I hope you will join in (presuming there are any of "you" out there) and make this a discussion. This book can be purchased from Forward Movement publications. If you are a member of St. Boniface, you may pick up a copy of the book at church. The cost of the book is $5 if you pick up the book at church. Make checks payable to St. Boniface Episcopal Church.

On Monday or Tuesday of this week, I will publish a short post with some background information on Holy Island: A Lenten Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne and my perspective of a Lenten discipline.

So, keep your eyes open for the my Lenten online study of 2011...

Faithfully,

Kenny+

Live video stream of St. Boniface

Live streaming will begin approximately 5 minutes before service begins, if not before.

Get the service bulletins here.

If you click the SMALL "play button" in the lower left corner of the video screen, you will stay on my blog. Otherwise, you go to the ustream.tv site. After you click the play button, you will see a short, 30 sec advertisement. This is not my advertisement, but one played by ustream.tv. I'm sorry for the ads, but I am live streaming the services for free, so this is but a small price to pay.

If you click the BIG "Play button" in the middle of the screen, you will go to ustream.com. you will then be able to chat with others who are "virtually attending" the service.

Thank you for virtually "attending" the St. Boniface services. If you have any trouble viewing today's services, please let me know.

Blessings,

Fr. Kenny

Prayer for the closing of our Stewardship Campaign

This is the prayer that I composed for the close of our Stewardship Campaign at St. Boniface Episcopal Church. Thanks to Chess for "proofing" and some final grammatical edits.


Gracious and loving God, source of every grace and blessing, as we gather today we also bring you thanks for the many gifts you have given us: our lives, our families, our friends...and our time, our talents and our treasures.  We thank you for safe passage as we met with one another to share and learn our hopes for our parish life together. We acknowledge all that we have comes from you and you call us to be stewards of your gifts. Bless us as we gather today to return from your gifts our commitments to your ministry at St. Boniface. Bless these commitments we have made and will continue to make as you open our eyes to your ever evolving plan for us.  Renew your Spirit within us and be present among us.  Give us strength and courage as we continue on our faith journey to become more generous disciples of Christ so that your love might be shared, your work might be accomplished and your will be done in our parish, this community and around the world by our being your hands, hearts and feet. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  AMEN.

For more information on St. Boniface, click here.

For my personal website, click here.

Stewardship Sunday

Video streaming by Ustream

Here is the recording to the 10:30 a.m. Stewardship Service at St. Boniface from 2/6/2011.

There is a "Teaching Moment" before the beginning of the service on Hymn 333.

You will find the reading of the Gospel at time marker 22:20.

You will find the Stewardship Sermon, given by Mr. Bob Elliot, at time marker 24:15.

Thank you for your time in watching this the service from St. Boniface, especially this Stewardship Service.

Also, we acknowledge Mr. Tom Miller for his 13 years of service as the Acolyte Director at time marker 45:52.

If you have any comments, please feel free to leave them by clicking the comment button at the bottom of this post or send me an email.

God Bless,

Kenny

Sunday, Feb 20, 2011

Video streaming by Ustream

Here is the Sunday, February 20, 10:30 a.m. service from St. Boniface Episcopal Church.

The reading of the Gospel begins at the 18:20 mark with the sermon following.

Here is the letter and blog post I refer to in my sermon.

If you are interested, here is the link to the 8:30 a.m praise and worship service.

An open letter to our leaders

To: An open letter to Governor Walker, Senator Darling, Representative Ott,

From: The Rev. Kenneth C. Miller, Rector of St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Mequon

Date: February 17, 2011

RE: Statement on Collective Bargaining Rights of Public Employees and Unions


Budget seasons are always hard and tough decisions always need to be made. When there are financial crisis such as the ones facing the United States or the State of Wisconsin, those elected to serve the people of the State are under even more pressure to more faithfully serve the common good, both in the immediate and the long term future.

However, I would caution the elected leadership of Wisconsin against fear and panic. While this very well may be a time to ask the people of the State of Wisconsin “not what the State can do for you, but what you can do for the State”, I would strongly urge you not to devalue the workforce of this state by stripping away their right to assemble and right to collective bargaining because of the economic state we find ourselves in today. Your goal of shared expenses can still be accomplished without telling the great people of Wisconsin that they are less valuable and without muting their voices.

At the same time, Unions have had both a positive and, at times, negative effect in our country. However, I understood Wisconsin to be a state on the cutting edge of development and of progress. It seems to me that by totally removing the vast majority of the Unions of the public sector, you as the elected leaders miss a most valuable opportunity to re-organize the Labor Movement into a more profound and positive progressive venue for labor negotiations, equality and fairness and to once again be a leader in this country.

For the sake of political gain, I hope you will not marginalize or shun the citizens of Wisconsin, specifically those who have worked so very hard to make sure that Wisconsin has one of the best educational systems in the country, are some of the most conscientious and some of the most caring individuals I’ve ever met. After having lived in five states and five cities, I was proud and thankful to call Wisconsin “home.” In my view, this bill that is on the table is a step backward. It is a step that I hope you do not take.

Therefore I urge you to reconsider your plans to strip the collective bargaining rights of your public employees and unions.

The Rev. Kenneth C. Miller
Mequon, Wisconsin

My personal thoughts, feelings and convictions about what is happening in Wisconsin.

Who is "unnecessary" in today's society?

Please read this letter to our elected Wisconsin leaders as well.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, send down upon those who hold office in this State the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice; that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN! (Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, p. 822.)

One thing I have learned, probably before I was ever ordained, and definitely over my ordained life, is that if you are engaged with the Gospel and the life of the parishioners of your church, there is no way to totally separate religion and politics. From Mary’s conception of the Christ child, to the angel of God’s appearance to Joseph convincing Joseph to adopt the Son of God as his own, to the traveling of the Theophany couple to Bethlehem, to the finding a room in a stable, to the discussion of the Magi with Herod, to the Magi returning home on a different road, and many other points of the story that I didn’t mention, the story is political ... and that is just the story until Jesus’ birth. The political story says nothing of Jesus turning over the tables in the Temple, Jesus’ Baptism, Jesus healing on the Sabbath, or Jesus dining with prostitutes, lepers and the other “untouchables” of his time. The very essence of Jesus the Christ is political.

Having said all of that, there is a definite taboo of standing in our pulpits, especially Episcopal pulpits, and preaching on the political issues of the day. (Not to mention the threat of losing our non-profit status.) If we as clergy in the Episcopal Church, even outside of our pulpits, begin to speak about the evils of abortion, the benefits of the death penalty, the abnormalities of homosexuals, or the right to carry guns, we are labeled as right-wing fanatics. If we talk about the rights of women’s free choice, the evils of the death penalty (remember “Thou shall not murder”?), equal rights for all people of this country, or limiting the gun laws and where we should be allowed to carry guns in public places, we are labeled progressive left-wing nuts and “un-American.” Either way, half of our congregations would stop attending and the other half would stop giving. And heaven forbid that you point out that irony of being “pro-life” when the child is in the womb, but “pro-death penalty” when someone is an adult. Then you are said to be mixing the issues and told, “It has never happened to you.”

I preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that, my friends, is very political. I do not tell people how I vote or for whom to vote. That would be wrong. I ask parishioners to examine their life, examine their Baptismal and Confirmation teachings, examine the teachings of the Gospel and the Church, and then make their decisions based on who they are in relationship with God and where they are on their spiritual journey with God. In the Gospel, we are called to see that we are loved by God, to see that we are sinners, to repent of our sins, and to share God’s love with the world -- and not necessarily in that order.

In the Episcopal Church, when we are baptized, when we witness the baptism of another child of God, or when we make our public profession of our faith, we are asked and then answer the following questions with, “We will, with God’s help”:

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 304-305)

These three parts of the covenant are central to who we are as followers of Christ, regardless of denominational affiliation.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is asked by the Sadducees which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds by telling the group gathered around him that, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NRSV).

The first two questions that I reference from The Book of Common Prayer are directly related to this passage from Matthew. If we are loving our neighbors as ourselves, then it follows that we would want justice and peace among all people. I know we as individuals want our dignity respected, so we should respect the dignity of others as well. We all know that sometimes, we have to make sacrifices that require caring for ourselves now, so that we can be in better health later. We also know that we as individuals would never want to give up certain freedoms we have now so that our children or grandchildren couldn’t enjoy what we now enjoy, such as the freedom to practice our religious convictions, beliefs, or practices. Or have the opportunity for safe working conditions. That is respecting the dignity of all human beings, not just those that are gathered now, but the ones yet to come.

And this, then, is where it gets political. We are all children of God, regardless of whether we are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, another faith or even no faith. In all of our faith traditions, we have similar teachings of loving God above all things. The question for us all becomes, “What/who is our God?” When we say “God,” do we mean the creator of heaven and earth? The Supreme Being of all of our faith traditions? Or when we say “God,” do we mean that which gives us meaning, that in which we put our faith and love, and look to for redemption? Or, when we say “God,” do we mean that which gives us comfort in this world and pays our bills?
I mention this last sentence in regard to the third question I quoted from the Baptismal Covenant, “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 305). We as clergy and as members of the Body of Christ must stand against tyranny and evil when we see it happening. We must stand for the rights of individuals and of communities and to be voices in protecting the individuals from oppressive governments where rights are limited, and people are treated as mere spokes in a wheel instead of the very essence of what makes the wheel continue.

In Matthew’s Gospel, it also is written, “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24, NRSV.) At some point, those in positions of public trust are going to have to choose between serving the wealth, the big bottom lines of corporate America and maintaining a balance of fair Labor Laws (respecting the dignity of others, loving your neighbor as yourself, and seeking and serving God in all people, not just Big Business), not only in the state of Wisconsin, but in Tennessee, Ohio, New Jersey, and other states around the country. It is time for the voices of the people to be heard. When we couple the tax breaks for businesses that was passed in early February here in Wisconsin, along with this measure to recover the lost revenue from the paychecks of the working class of Wisconsin, it makes one wonder who we are serving. One of these measures without the other seems fine on the surface. Yet putting these two issues together, along with other measures to be proposed by this legislative session, this becomes not a question of what is “right” for the state employees to pay, but one of justice. Is it just to give businesses a big tax break and to have middle class Wisconsinites completely pay the bill, regardless of where they are on the pay scale?

There has to be a better way. There has to be a “middle ground.” It is time for those with hidden agendas to stop trying to break down all of the progress of this country, and to stop hiding behind a facade of allegedly caring for the people. It is time the Gospel to be heard. Search deep...who/what is your God in this situation? What are you worshipping, the almighty dollar or the almighty God? It is time for this country to stop the self-serving political wrangling, acknowledge the sin, repent and return to God.

The Gospel is political. Jesus is political. Being a priest is counter-cultural. Believing in God is counter-cultural today. Using a personal/sick day to go to the State Capitol to have your voice heard in peaceful protest is not only your right as a U.S. citizen, but something that Jesus himself did during his ministry. Maybe that’s why we crucified him, because he stood up for those without a voice. Jesus stood up for those being oppressed or shunned or thought of as unnecessary in their society. Who will you stand up for? Who will stand up for you?

A Reflection on a Snowy Day

If I’ve learned one thing this week, it is that we must live in the moment of where we are and with what we have.

Let me back up...for the last couple of days, we’ve had this impending snow storm threatening most of the greater mid-west. Milwaukee was to be the just on the north side of the storm and then, at the last moment, the storm took a northward turn and we were to take the storm head on.

In the days prior to the snowstorm, I made my trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods and finished purchasing snow-bibs and snow boots for my wife and daughter and snow-bibs for one of my sons. The rest of us (the other three) had our stuff, or the rest of our stuff already. As this is our first winter in Wisconsin, I’ve been slowly buying these necessities in preparation for the “Wisconsin snows”, but the time finally arrived when I had to buy the last few items en masse so that the entire family was properly fitted. (I had bought mine as a Christmas present to myself from my family so that I could enjoy Lambaugh Field and and the Packers win over the NY Giants on Dec 26!)

After going to be last night listening to the howling wind (and having to practically drag my 140 pound dog outside for one final bathroom trip), we drifted off to sleep knowing that we didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn because school had been canceled for the children and I, the scared southerner, had closed the church. But we also went to sleep not knowing if we would actually get any snow or not. Afterall, during the last Wisconsin “blizzard”, we actually LOST five inches of snow because it rained more than it snowed.

Much to my delight, when I woke up, there was snow...and a lot of it! Now, I live in Mequon which is just north of Milwaukee. According to the “unofficial” measurements that I took in my driveway and in the driveway of the church, we received about 21” of snow in 3 days. Of this 21”, 14” fell in the early morning hours of February 2, 2011. I think the “official” total was 18.7” at the Milwaukee airport for the 3 days. (Then, we had some terrifically awesome snow drifts. Some were 2 feet and some were almost 6 feet tall!)

After breakfast, my entire family, all five of us, donned our snow-bibs, snow boots, heavy coats, thinsulated gloves and toboggans and went out into this winter wonderland! The kids and my wife went sledding on the already large mounds of snow that had collected from the previous days plowing of the church parking lot and were made even bigger by the over night snow. The boys found huge icicles that they carried around like walking sticks. Our dog was playing with sticks, digging in the snow, chasing the kids and absolutely loving where he was.

After sending the boys inside because they had almost as much snow inside their coats as they did outside their coats, my wife, daughter and I walked around the church building for an “inspection” of the property. When we made it to the back of the building (which is actually designed to be the “front” entrance) we spotted the six-foot snow drift along the glass windows of the building. I wanted to investigate further. Against my wife’s better judgement, I climbed over the drift and was able to get behind the drift to the building itself. My wife followed along behind me, and then there came the dog! Then we had to go back...And we were faced with a climb up instead of a gradual incline. We were able to safely get back over the drift, which in the place where I “climbed” over was more like four feet now. However, when I did, we saw my daughter laying on the top of the portion of the drift that was 6 feet tall. Then my wife laid down beside her and me beside my wife. The dog just looked at us like we were crazy. We laid there, looked at the beautiful blue sky and talked for about 15 or 20 minutes. (The snow-bibs and coats did a fantastic job of keeping us warm!)

We finally came in and as I looked at our back porch and the clothes strewn all over them and the snow covered boots laying everywhere, I knew that I was the luckiest man alive. I was looking at the signs of a happy family...something that I truly hadn’t seen, or maybe taken the time to notice, for a really long time. I felt as I was Kevin Spacey in American Beauty and I was having my “American Beauty Moment” and fortunately, my wife was as happy as I was!

See, all of this was taking place on her birthday. I didn’t get her a big cake or a fancy card or even an extravagant present (her boots and bibs were her present!). But what we shared today was a day enjoying our kids, the life that they have...that we have together as a family. I realize over and over how happy I am, how proud I am, how thankful I am to have the life that I have, to have the family that I have, to be where I am.

Sure, I could complain that we had so much snow that we were snowed in or that it was 70 degrees in somewhere else and that they had beautiful weather (even though I think this weather is beautiful!). Or, I could complain that the snow plow company didn’t come plow our drive until almost 5pm or that they still haven’t plowed the church parking lot, but what’s the point. What is so important that I have to go out and do something or been seen by others or be perceived as being the priest that is out doing the ministry of the church when my first ministry is acknowledging the gifts we are given, caring for that which we have around us, and stopping long enough in this hustle and bustle we call life to give thanks to God for all that I have and what he calls me to be: A husband, father, friend, confidant, stick-thrower, shoe-tier, coat-buttoner, hood-putter-upper, family loving, loved by my family and blessed child of God.

And while I’m writing this at nine o’clock at night, most all of this took place before noon today. And if you can believe it, the rest of the day just got better.

Thank you God for a wonderful family, for putting me in this place, and for allowing be to be where and who I am.

I realized that as I sat on top of that snow drift, I actually sat on top of the world!

I had a great day. Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife. I hope you enjoyed “your day” as much as I did.

Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, pg 355)

The Collect for Purity has been part of the public rite of the celebration of Holy Eucharist in the Church of England since 1552 and it has been carried into the Episcopal Church since the first Episcopal Book of Common Prayer in 1786-1789. In the 1979 version of the BCP, our current version, the Collect for Purity is still required in the Rite 1 service. However, in the Rite 2 service, the order our 8:30 and 10:30 liturgy follows at St. Boniface, the Collect for Purity is optional.

For some time, and for a variety of reasons including the length of the services, St. Boniface has exercised the option to not include the Collect for Purity in the 8:30 liturgy. At the same time, St. Boniface has exercised the option to include it in the 10:30 liturgy. In an effort to be true to the ancient worship of our Anglican tradition, while at the same time living into the cultural expectations and growth potential, we are going to reintroduce the Collect for Purity into the 8:30 service in its appropriate place. It will follow the opening hymn and opening acclamation where the Priest says (at least in Epiphany), “Blessed be God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Then the congregation responds, “And Blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.” Then I will say the Collect for Purity.

There are reasons to omit the Collect for Purity. Some people prefer that the Collect of the Day be the opening prayer of the service. Some would argue that it is just Anglican piety that we continue to use it. On the occasion of Baptism or Confirmation services, or services of a penitential nature using the forms found on page 319 or 351 of the Book of Common Prayer (usually used during Lent), we do not use the Collect for Purity.

However, I subscribe to the belief that God knows us, inside and out. It is when we admit God’s complete knowledge of us at the beginning of our worship (or day or devotional time or while we are just living our life); when we totally open ourselves up to the words that are written in the Collect for Purity, when we hear them and make them our own, that our worship will be much more intense, much more real, much more meaningful, much more forgiving both of ourselves and others. It is then that we will enter into a more full presence of the Divine. It is then that the hymns we sing will ring with a blessedness that strikes the innermost chords of our souls. It is then that the sermons we hear, no matter how ill prepared or ill delivered by the well-intentioned priest or clergy person in the pulpit, the words will echo in our heart of hearts and push our mortal minds to accept that we are God’s beloved children. It is then, that we will be able to say the confession with a pure heart, receive God’s absolution and KNOW we are forgiven. It is then that we can receive the sacrament of Holy Communion without fear and trembling, but with the knowledge that we share the welcoming and forgiving body and blood of Christ with all the saints of creation and that we ALL are welcome to eat from God’s table. It is then, that we can go into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing that because our hearts have been cleansed by the power of the Holy Spirit we are one step closer to more perfectly serving God and God’s creatures.

And then, when I return at the next appointed time for the next service of the Holy Eucharist, I will again say or hear the Collect for Purity. Again, I am reminded that I am God’s...that my heart, desires and secrets are all known to God. I am free again and reminded that by the Grace of God and love of Christ, we are made pure. And then, the liturgy continues...

The next time you have a chance to hear the Collect for Purity, listen to the words with an open heart, an open mind and an openness to allow God to touch every part of your being. Actually, say it now...slowly, deliberately and hear the words and what they mean. It will enrich your life!

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, pg 355)


Resources consulted for this article:
The Book of Common Prayer published by Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, 1979 edition.

Hachett, Marion J., Commentary on the American Prayer Book San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1995, pg 318.

Service from 1/9/2011

Here is the video to the service at St. Boniface from Sunday, 1/9/2011. Beginning at about the 20:15 mark is the sermon where I speak of Baptism, its centrality to our being, and the Tucson shootings. This sermon is not polished nor printed, and there are a few places where it is very rough. However, it is from the heart, passionate and delivered in context of our life at St. Boniface.

So, some of you want to know what I read...

Several people have asked me what I have been reading recently. When I’m asked this question, my normal reply is, “well, scripture and related material, of course!” Of course that is my tongue and cheek response because I know that they don’t necessarily mean theological or Biblical tomes.

Over the past 2 months I have read four books for pure fun, and I have just started my fifth. I hope you have heard of Naomi Novik and her Temeraire Series?As it says on her website, temeraire.org, the novels are “a reimagining of the epic events of the Napoleonic Wars with an air force--an air force of dragons, manned by crews of aviators.”

I have found these books to be a quick, interesting, page-turning read. Quite frankly, on those nights following the long days when I just can’t seem to “turn my mind off” from either the events of the day or of the events that are coming up tomorrow, I can get lost in the stories of Temeraire, Captain Laurence, and the rest of aerial corps.

I have read His Majesty’s Dragon, Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, and Empire of Ivory. I just purchased Victory of Eagles. Then, I will be left with Tongues of Serpents until Ms. Novik releases the next installment of the Temeraire series.

For those that wanted to know...that’s what I’m reading. Have you read these books? What did you think?

New Year's Resolutions

This post was written for a contest to be a guest blogger at www.beekman1802.com and much to my surprise, it was one of the blog entries selected. In all honesty, I think they selected all that were submitted, so I won for the effort, but it is still great to be able to support these guys and be supported by them! You can find my guest blogging entry here. Thanks to Josh and Brent for selecting this entry.

New Year’s resolutions on January 1 haven’t formally been a tradition in our house for several years. However, as we walk by one another throughout the house, you may hear one of us say, “That should be one of my New Year’s resolutions.” Then we laugh, knowing that we are not likely to actually take on this “resolution”...at all. Usually, these are moments of self realization where one of us is in need of a change!

As I read the Huffington Posts’ “New Year’s Resolutions for 2011” article today, there were even more self revelations taking place. I noticed that each of the 70 plus resolutions were concerned with personal care, personal interactions, or care for our environment. All moments where someone was in need of a change.

New Year’s resolutions are our attempts to respond to these moments of self revelation of something that needs to be changed or adapted in our life. If we have taken time to reflect on our lives and our relationships with one another, and if we take our resolutions seriously, then we may actually have a chance to keep these resolutions. For all our sakes, I hope we all can make these resolutions a way of life.

If we can make them a way of life, our planet will be a cleaner place, our relationships will be friendlier, we will be loving our neighbor as much, if not more than our self, and we all will be living a healthier lifestyle...for more than just a week or two.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Are you going to improve your personal health, the health of your relationships, or try to preserve this Island Home that we all share? For me, it is about the relationships: relationships with our God, relationships with our family, relationships with our neighbor and relationships with our selves whether they are made on January 1 or July 31.

Happy New Year and may your resolutions survive the next couple of weeks and for all of our sakes, become your new way of life!