The Interior Life

Today I was asked by a newspaper reporter what it is I preach about if it is not politics. He is writing a story about how different churches deal with the up-coming election. I explained that in the Episcopal Church we do not instruct our members on how they should vote. We respect each other's points of view on politics even when we disagree because we know that it is our faith in God that unites us in ways that politics never can. So what have I been preaching about? Today at a local retirement center, I spoke about prayer and the interior life. No matter what our circumstances, God is with us and at work in us. No matter what is going on in the world, our life with God is stable and dependable--and it is often in prayer that we have the most clear sense of what is important in life. Even as age may limit us in external ways, our interior life can flourish. Even for those in the prime of life, it is the life of prayer and the practices of faith that keep us grounded in what is really true. Last week, I preached about the current financial situation and how we can rely on our Christian faith to deal with the anxiety so evident in the world around us and sometimes within us. It is through the nurturing of our interior life that we can put the rest of life into the proper perspective. Thanks be to God.

It Is So Good

One Sunday a few weeks ago, one of our young members, just turned two, was in the pew with her parents. As I broke the bread during the Great Thanksgiving, into that holy silence came the loud joyful words, "It is so good," from the two-year old. She was speaking of the bread, but I had a sense of the entire church experience being SO GOOD. As the 10:00am Sunday service ended this week, I was thinking about the goodness of God and our parish - the way we come together to celebrate our faith every week, the way members of our church care for each other, the energy of our services that are so blessed by God, the devotion of our people, the commitment of our youth...much more could be said but it really needs to be experienced to be understood. The more we take part in Christian community, the more we give ourselves to God and each other, the more we grow in our knowledge of how good it is.

Do you plan to vote?

That was the question that our youth group asked people in Winchester tonight. We had nine kids come out for our activity. We met at the Daily Grind with our youth group friends from Christ Church. That coffee shop is on the Old Town Mall, and tonight many people were out walking around enjoying the nice weather. Of the 40 people interviewed, 39 are planning to vote - the one who is not is not yet old enough to do so. We also asked people to tell us what they would like to ask the new president or tell him. Many people were thinking about the financial situation in which we find ourselves as a nation; some were concerned about the environment; some mentioned health care. The activity was fun, and it gave us a chance to talk about why we want to be involved in the political process. Why do we, as Christians, want to be informed and involved? It was great to hear what the teens were thinking.

Why do bad things happen?

Yesterday, as I went about my tasks, I was asked to explain my understanding of why bad things happen. What are we to make of God when the innocent suffer? Now, this conversation did not take place at the church. Some of the best conversations about God happen when I'm walking around Winchester. As you can imagine, this topic comes up often for clergy. What I find is that those who have been taught that God predetermines everything are at a loss when tragedy strikes. It is really hard not to blame God when a loved one dies young if you believe that God made that happen. This is one of the number one reasons people stop going to church. I believe, and the Episcopal Church teaches, that we have free will. God did not kill the innocent person, but the person who made the choice to shot the gun is the responsible party. God suffers with us; God cries with us. God became one of us and died on a cross to be with us in our suffering. Christianity does not promise that all will go well, but that God will be with us and, in the end, bring us to new life.

In Communion, In Community

Today after the 10am service, a member of the church and I gave communion instruction to children. Nothing gets to the heart of what one thinks about communion faster than trying to explain it to kids - it's really a lot of fun to try. We talked about how God wants to be with us always and comes to us in the communion - the body and blood of Christ. We are connected to God and strengthened by God and in communion with God. We also come to the table as a community; we find unity there and are brought closer to each other. Everyone receives this gift from God - there no tests or questions about what one believes. Through the communion we receive the grace of God; God is fully present to us. If you were not with us at the table today, we missed you - it is a community experience as well as a deeply personal experience.

We Really Do Welcome You

"The Episcopal Church Welcomes You," is a phrase seen on many Episcopal Church signs. I think that most churches say that they welcome all, but have a limit to how welcoming they will really be based on who they think you are. We are surrounded by big fundamentalist churches here in Winchester---St. Paul's on-the-Hill offers a distinctly different church experience. Often people who find the Episcopal Church are amazed that we really do welcome everyone. Often people who find our church have had negative experiences at other churches, and are amazed that there really is a faith community where they can feel comfortable. I am thankful that when I was a young adult I found the Episcopal Church - I had not known that such a church existed.

The Glory of Giving and Caring

Last Sunday, one of our parish children presented a check to the church for our food pantry. She is 6 years old, and this summer organized a concert for the purpose of raising money to help people. She, one of her sisters, and another child from the church sang for a group of friends and family. When she handed me the check, saying it was for "the poor" I was struck by a deep sense of thankfulness for this child, and all who think of others before themselves. It was a beautiful moment. This was our "Stewardship Moment" for the Sunday, and it was one of the sweetest moments of stewardship that I have witnessed.