FROM THE RECTOR: A HOLY LENT
The Reverend Matthew Mead
This year, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is March 9, nearly as late in the winter as it can be (the latest is March 10!). There are five Sundays in Lent (there are a number of ways to count up to and even beyond “40 days of Lent”, so I tend to count by week), and the season of Lent transitions into Holy Week and Easter when we celebrate and read about the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. I like Lent. It certainly isn’t a festive season like Christmastide or Easrtertide, but I think that there is much to commend about observing a holy and prayerful Lent. I believe that opening one’s self to the simplicity and clarity of Lent can help to prepare and open one’s heart for the Paschal Mystery celebrated so fully throughout Holy Week and Easter.
There will be some seasonal changes to the Sunday morning service in Lent. From Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday, “Kyrie eleison” or “Lord have mercy” will replace “Gloria in excelsis” or “Glory to God in the highest” as the opening song of praise. Also, the word “alleluia” will drop entirely from the Holy Eucharist and Daily Office services. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, and continuing throughout Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide and concluding on the Day of Pentecost on June 12, we will use Eucharistic Prayer D. Prayer D is the longest Eucharistic Prayer offered in contemporary language in the Prayer Book. It is adapted from Saint Basil’s Liturgy (dated from the fourth century), and it is often called the ecumenical prayer because it is used in some form by many different western and eastern Christian denominations. This Eucharistic Prayer is particularly appropriate during Easter, which is and always has been the heart of the Christian year, because it paints a very complete picture of salvation history in Jesus Christ. Using the same Eucharistic Prayer throughout both Lent and Easter illustrates and helps us live out the reality that Lent does not stand alone; Lent prepares for and leads into Easter. Prayer D is very long and so we will use Form III of the Prayers of the People in Lent and Eastertide because that form is the shortest. The Lessons of Lent, in particular the Gospel accounts this year, are some of my favorites: in Year A, we read large passages from Saint John’s Gospel, including Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus, the Woman at the Well, the Man born Blind, and the Raising of Lazarus. Likewise, the hymn texts and music of Lent and Holy Week are beautiful and powerful.
In addition to the regular Sunday morning services and the midweek Daily Office (offered every Tuesday through Friday at 7:40 AM), there will be a few other ways offered at Good Shepherd to actively devote yourself to Christ this Lent.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. On Ash Wednesday the church will be open for prayer all day and the priest will be available to administer ashes (a small cross marked in ash on your forehead). The Liturgy of Penitence, Blessing & Administering of Ashes, and Holy Eucharist will be offered at 8:00 AM, 12:00 Noon and 6:00 PM.
Stations of the Cross will be offered at 7:00 PM on Friday evenings throughout Lent, March 11 & 18 and April 1, 8 & 15 – the Annunciation is March 25 and Stations as well as most of the ritual of Lent will be suppressed that day.
Several Biblically themed movies will be shown in Lent. The first movie will be the Gospel according to John (2003, 124 minutes), shown on the First Sunday in Lent, March 13, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM. The second movie will be The Passion of the Christ (graphic content, 2004, 127 minutes), shown on the Third Sunday in Lent, March 29, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM. The third movie will be The Prince of Egypt (animated, 1998, 99 minutes), shown on the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Family Sunday), April 10, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM. The movies will be shown on Sunday afternoons at the church, in the Guild Room. A potluck lunch will be offered for each movie. Signup sheets are available in the hallway for each movie.
The Rector’s 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Forum throughout Lent will discuss and study the Book of Genesis. The class will be divided into five parts. Part one will be Creation, Adam & Eve and Noah. Part two will be Abraham. Part three will be Isaac and Jacob. Parts four and five will be Joseph.
The Outreach Committee has two weekly goals during Lent. First, we hope to fill the Food & Supplies Basket at the back of the church every Sunday. We know that this is a big challenge, but we believe that working together we can provide a full basket to the Katonah Food Pantry. They need donations throughout the year. And the late winter and early spring is a time when there are fewer charity drives. The second goal is to collectively raise $500 in spare change in time for the Offering for the Poor collected on Maundy Thursday. Traditionally the Maundy Thursday offering is given entirely to the poor, and the Vestry has determined it will go directly to Episcopal Charities this year. We hope that six weeks of collected spare change will allow us to more than double our usual offering. A spare change basket will be placed at the back of the church throughout Lent. Collect the spare change you accumulate each week and add it to the basket. The money, together with the offering envelopes designated for Maundy Thursday that are in your envelope boxes, and the collection from the Maundy Thursday service will be blessed at the Maundy Thursday Liturgy on April 21.
Finally, the Stewardship Committee would like to invite those who have not pledged for 2011 to consider taking that leap of faith in Lent. We are very close to our goal of $130,000 and 70 pledges. Right now, we have 61 pledges for nearly $117,000. Pledging what you intend to give for the entire year, whatever the amount, takes faith in and a commitment to the mission of Good Shepherd. Our outreach, fellowship, and worship opportunities have increased because we are growing and thriving. I invite you to join me, the members of the stewardship committee, every member of the vestry, all of our parish officers, and over 60 families in our congregation in making a pledge to support the growth and mission of Good Shepherd.
Lent is a great time for all of us in some small way to mirror the supreme sacrifice that Jesus offered on the cross. Time spent learning and praying over the Scriptures (directly from the Bible, in a worship or devotional service, and even in adapted cinema) will bear the fruit of evangelism at some point. Money and donations given to the poor is a way that any of us can “love our neighbor”. This year take up the chance to live a holy Lent, and pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will grow in you so that what you have taken up in Lent may become part of your regular daily Christian life.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thought #6
PLEDGE CAMPAIGN UPDATE!
From the Stewardship Committee
Great news everyone! We have $116,722 from 61 pledges for 2011. We are 90% of the way towards our goal of $130,000. After sending out a follow up letter to over 50 families and individuals in our greater parish family at the start of February, we have received two additional pledges! If you have not yet made a financial pledge for 2011 we hope that you will consider making one. People don’t “pledge to the budget”, they make the pledge to the church, to themselves, and to God, but the reality is that our budget is determined by the amount of money that is pledged. With your continued support, we are confident that we can bring in another $13,000 in pledges for 2011.
Special thanks to everyone who has already made a pledge for 2011!
From the Stewardship Committee
Great news everyone! We have $116,722 from 61 pledges for 2011. We are 90% of the way towards our goal of $130,000. After sending out a follow up letter to over 50 families and individuals in our greater parish family at the start of February, we have received two additional pledges! If you have not yet made a financial pledge for 2011 we hope that you will consider making one. People don’t “pledge to the budget”, they make the pledge to the church, to themselves, and to God, but the reality is that our budget is determined by the amount of money that is pledged. With your continued support, we are confident that we can bring in another $13,000 in pledges for 2011.
Special thanks to everyone who has already made a pledge for 2011!
Thought #5
CHARITY WINE TASTING : FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011
From the Wine Tasting Committee
The Second Annual Annunciation Charity Wine Tasting will be on Friday, March 25, 2011. You’ve probably heard about the date, you’ve probably heard about the signup sheet, you’ve probably heard about the tickets… but you also probably have some questions, so we thought it might be helpful to offer a few questions that we have heard and give a few simple answers…
What is the Annunciation?
Every year the church celebrates certain feasts on certain dates. The Annunciation is celebrated on March 25 (if that date falls in Holy Week or Easter Week, the feast is “transferred” to the first convenient date after Easter). The Annunciation celebrates the announcement by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she will have a son, Jesus. Nine months later we celebrate Christmas! On the Annunciation many familiar hymns and readings are used: the classic hymn “The Angel Gabriel from heaven came” is always sung on Annunciation!
Why are we doing a Wine Tasting on Annunciation?
One of the things Father Matt began when he arrived as rector was to celebrate certain Holy Days with a big annual celebration. For example, on September 29, we have a church service followed by an Oktoberfest celebration (Oktoberfest officially begins at the end of September); on Ascension Day, celebrated 40 days after Easter, in the late spring, as the days are getting longer and people are getting outside more, we have a church service followed by a Grilled Steak Dinner; on Candlemas, which is celebrated in the deepest darkest part of winter at the start of February, we have a church service and then we have a HOT chili and chowder competition! Since we are generally stuck inside in March, but not quite as likely to be snowed in, it seemed like an ideal time to attach a wine tasting to a church service. The basic idea is to offer fun events that are at church, involve church, and not necessarily churchy. Good People, Good Times, Good Shepherd!
What time is church? What time is the Wine Tasting?
The Church service begins at 6:00 PM. It will be a Sung Holy Eucharist. We have generally had 35-50 people at our weeknight Holy Day services. The Wine Tasting begins at 7:00 PM. Last year we had about 70 people at the Wine Tasting. You can come to either events or both, depending on your schedule!
Is there Child Care? Is this a Family Event?
Child Care for children of any age is available beginning at 5:55PM, and continuing until 9:00 PM. In addition, we plan to show a movie (Toy Story 3) in our Guild Room for kids of all ages. That way you can enjoy the church service and you can enjoy the charity Wine Tasting! Food is available at the Wine Tasting and food will be provided for children in the Nursery (please sign up so we have a good idea who will be coming). If you have kids – and you want a night out that covers all of your bases (good church, fun people, child care, not too late bedtime, delicious food, charitable cause) then this is for you! It’s the definition of a perfect Family Event!
How much does it cost?
The church service is free. As always, there will be a collection at the Offertory, and some of the collection will likely be used to pay for the cost of child care and music for the evening. Child care for the evening is also free. The Wine Tasting is an event designed to raise money for the church and for charity. We are asking $30 minimum donation per adult (kids are free). You can buy a ticket in advance or you can pay at the door. We hope that many people will buy a ticket in advance so we have a better idea of how many people are coming.
What is a Wine Tasting?
We are thrilled that our friends from Suburban Wine in Yorktown will be providing wine for the evening. At a Wine Tasting, adults are given a glass and move around the room sampling different types of wine. In general each sample poured into your glass is a little more than a few sips. Every table is equipped with a “pour bucket” so that those who only want a single sip can enjoy the flavor and then pour the rest into the bucket. Water is available to refresh your palette, quench your thirst, and rinse out your glass! Passed appetizers and other food are also available. In general a Wine Tasting is a lot more like a culinary journey than a trip to a local pub, the idea is to learn about different wines, and try very small samples to get an idea of what different wines taste like.
Can I buy wine? Do I have to buy wine?
You can buy wine, but you are not required to buy any wine! The wines that are tasted will be sold at the event. These wines are always discounted, so you are getting a good deal on top of everything else! You can pay by cash or credit card. Because of the nature of the event, you will have to pick up your wine a day or two later at Suburban Wines in Yorktown. Good Shepherd gets a percentage of every single bottle that is sold at the event. Last year a large portion of the money we raised came from our percentage of those bottles and cases that were purchased. This is a great time to buy a few bottles for future dinners or gifts because each and every bottle sold raises more money for the church and the charity!
What Charity does this support?
All proceeds from admission fees and wine sold will go to support the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Keon Center in Yorktown. The Keon Center is a non-profit agency that has served the developmentally disabled since 1954.
Can I bring friends who don’t go to church?
Yes! You can bring friends who don’t go to church. You can bring friends who don’t know what a church is. You can bring everyone you have ever met. The worship service is “attached” to the Wine Tasting, but that doesn’t mean everyone can or will want to go to both events. Last year many of our friends came for the Wine Tasting at 7:00 PM. We are thrilled to have them here and we welcome their support!
When is the Wine Tasting?
Friday, March 25, 2011. The service for Annunciation begins at 6:00 PM. The Wine Tasting follows at 7:00 PM. All are invited. Child care is provided for both events, between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
From the Wine Tasting Committee
The Second Annual Annunciation Charity Wine Tasting will be on Friday, March 25, 2011. You’ve probably heard about the date, you’ve probably heard about the signup sheet, you’ve probably heard about the tickets… but you also probably have some questions, so we thought it might be helpful to offer a few questions that we have heard and give a few simple answers…
What is the Annunciation?
Every year the church celebrates certain feasts on certain dates. The Annunciation is celebrated on March 25 (if that date falls in Holy Week or Easter Week, the feast is “transferred” to the first convenient date after Easter). The Annunciation celebrates the announcement by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she will have a son, Jesus. Nine months later we celebrate Christmas! On the Annunciation many familiar hymns and readings are used: the classic hymn “The Angel Gabriel from heaven came” is always sung on Annunciation!
Why are we doing a Wine Tasting on Annunciation?
One of the things Father Matt began when he arrived as rector was to celebrate certain Holy Days with a big annual celebration. For example, on September 29, we have a church service followed by an Oktoberfest celebration (Oktoberfest officially begins at the end of September); on Ascension Day, celebrated 40 days after Easter, in the late spring, as the days are getting longer and people are getting outside more, we have a church service followed by a Grilled Steak Dinner; on Candlemas, which is celebrated in the deepest darkest part of winter at the start of February, we have a church service and then we have a HOT chili and chowder competition! Since we are generally stuck inside in March, but not quite as likely to be snowed in, it seemed like an ideal time to attach a wine tasting to a church service. The basic idea is to offer fun events that are at church, involve church, and not necessarily churchy. Good People, Good Times, Good Shepherd!
What time is church? What time is the Wine Tasting?
The Church service begins at 6:00 PM. It will be a Sung Holy Eucharist. We have generally had 35-50 people at our weeknight Holy Day services. The Wine Tasting begins at 7:00 PM. Last year we had about 70 people at the Wine Tasting. You can come to either events or both, depending on your schedule!
Is there Child Care? Is this a Family Event?
Child Care for children of any age is available beginning at 5:55PM, and continuing until 9:00 PM. In addition, we plan to show a movie (Toy Story 3) in our Guild Room for kids of all ages. That way you can enjoy the church service and you can enjoy the charity Wine Tasting! Food is available at the Wine Tasting and food will be provided for children in the Nursery (please sign up so we have a good idea who will be coming). If you have kids – and you want a night out that covers all of your bases (good church, fun people, child care, not too late bedtime, delicious food, charitable cause) then this is for you! It’s the definition of a perfect Family Event!
How much does it cost?
The church service is free. As always, there will be a collection at the Offertory, and some of the collection will likely be used to pay for the cost of child care and music for the evening. Child care for the evening is also free. The Wine Tasting is an event designed to raise money for the church and for charity. We are asking $30 minimum donation per adult (kids are free). You can buy a ticket in advance or you can pay at the door. We hope that many people will buy a ticket in advance so we have a better idea of how many people are coming.
What is a Wine Tasting?
We are thrilled that our friends from Suburban Wine in Yorktown will be providing wine for the evening. At a Wine Tasting, adults are given a glass and move around the room sampling different types of wine. In general each sample poured into your glass is a little more than a few sips. Every table is equipped with a “pour bucket” so that those who only want a single sip can enjoy the flavor and then pour the rest into the bucket. Water is available to refresh your palette, quench your thirst, and rinse out your glass! Passed appetizers and other food are also available. In general a Wine Tasting is a lot more like a culinary journey than a trip to a local pub, the idea is to learn about different wines, and try very small samples to get an idea of what different wines taste like.
Can I buy wine? Do I have to buy wine?
You can buy wine, but you are not required to buy any wine! The wines that are tasted will be sold at the event. These wines are always discounted, so you are getting a good deal on top of everything else! You can pay by cash or credit card. Because of the nature of the event, you will have to pick up your wine a day or two later at Suburban Wines in Yorktown. Good Shepherd gets a percentage of every single bottle that is sold at the event. Last year a large portion of the money we raised came from our percentage of those bottles and cases that were purchased. This is a great time to buy a few bottles for future dinners or gifts because each and every bottle sold raises more money for the church and the charity!
What Charity does this support?
All proceeds from admission fees and wine sold will go to support the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Keon Center in Yorktown. The Keon Center is a non-profit agency that has served the developmentally disabled since 1954.
Can I bring friends who don’t go to church?
Yes! You can bring friends who don’t go to church. You can bring friends who don’t know what a church is. You can bring everyone you have ever met. The worship service is “attached” to the Wine Tasting, but that doesn’t mean everyone can or will want to go to both events. Last year many of our friends came for the Wine Tasting at 7:00 PM. We are thrilled to have them here and we welcome their support!
When is the Wine Tasting?
Friday, March 25, 2011. The service for Annunciation begins at 6:00 PM. The Wine Tasting follows at 7:00 PM. All are invited. Child care is provided for both events, between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thought #4
If one reads Morning and Evening Prayer, there are a variety of ways to read the Bible selections. The BCP offers a two-year cycle with three readings each (OT, NT and Gospel). If one desires to use two readings at each office, as is usual in our tradition, the BCP rubrics suggest using the off-year OT reading in the evening. So, for example, this moring we read from Isaiah (Year 1 OT reading) and 1Timothy (Year 1 NT reading). This evening we will read from Genesis (Year 2 OT reading) and Mark (Year 1 Gospel).
Two things have always facinated me about the Daily Office scriptural readings.
The first, is how often the "rubber hits the road". It often happens that I hear a passage (or sometimes even a phrase) and it applies directly to something in my life. I got into an argument with a long time friend last night (who happens to be older than I am), and the reading this morning from first Timothy began: "Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father." Honestly, you can't make that up. You can't even plan for it. I found myself laughing throughout the rest of the office, and I was inspired (quite literally by Scripture) to send off a note appologizing for the argument... and I did include the quote because it was both accurate and humorous.
The second thing that facinates me is how our lectionary (the table of reading assignments for any given day of the year) occassionally skips over "nasty" or "difficult" Scriptural passages. When I was at Saint Mary's we tried to "restore" these passages to the Daily Office, particularly in the New Testament, so that we weren't skipping anything. It was a good thing to do. Whatever the content of Scripture, we were forced to deal with what the text actually said - not just those pleasing bits that we might want to hear. Oddly enough today was one of those days. I noticed yesterday that a large swath of 1 Timothy 5 was missing from the assigned reading for today. It was an easy catch: yesterday we read all of chapter 4, but this morning we began mysteriously at the 17th verse of chapter 5, and the lectionary also suggested that we skip the last few verses of the chapter.
What did we skip? Well for starters, we skipped my new favorite line about how not to speak to an older man. We also skipped another great line (in use for ages by Episcopalians): "No longer drink only water, but take a little wine." We also skipped a section dealing with widows both old and young. My guess is that the few verses directing the lives of young women was seen as problematic.
I can only speak for myself, but I think it is really too bad that the one great resource we have for reading the Scriptures makes attempts to gloss over or ignore certain passages. Originally one would read an entire chapter from the Old and New Testament at each office. Perhaps that is too much, but perhaps not. A few more minutes hearing and reflecting on the Scriptures each day seems to me a good thing. I will continue to use the lectionary of our church, but at the daily office I will continue to restore Scriputral passages that have been taken out. Think of it this way: if I had followed the lectionary without looking at was coming, I probably wouldn't have tried to make amends so quickly.
Two things have always facinated me about the Daily Office scriptural readings.
The first, is how often the "rubber hits the road". It often happens that I hear a passage (or sometimes even a phrase) and it applies directly to something in my life. I got into an argument with a long time friend last night (who happens to be older than I am), and the reading this morning from first Timothy began: "Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father." Honestly, you can't make that up. You can't even plan for it. I found myself laughing throughout the rest of the office, and I was inspired (quite literally by Scripture) to send off a note appologizing for the argument... and I did include the quote because it was both accurate and humorous.
The second thing that facinates me is how our lectionary (the table of reading assignments for any given day of the year) occassionally skips over "nasty" or "difficult" Scriptural passages. When I was at Saint Mary's we tried to "restore" these passages to the Daily Office, particularly in the New Testament, so that we weren't skipping anything. It was a good thing to do. Whatever the content of Scripture, we were forced to deal with what the text actually said - not just those pleasing bits that we might want to hear. Oddly enough today was one of those days. I noticed yesterday that a large swath of 1 Timothy 5 was missing from the assigned reading for today. It was an easy catch: yesterday we read all of chapter 4, but this morning we began mysteriously at the 17th verse of chapter 5, and the lectionary also suggested that we skip the last few verses of the chapter.
What did we skip? Well for starters, we skipped my new favorite line about how not to speak to an older man. We also skipped another great line (in use for ages by Episcopalians): "No longer drink only water, but take a little wine." We also skipped a section dealing with widows both old and young. My guess is that the few verses directing the lives of young women was seen as problematic.
I can only speak for myself, but I think it is really too bad that the one great resource we have for reading the Scriptures makes attempts to gloss over or ignore certain passages. Originally one would read an entire chapter from the Old and New Testament at each office. Perhaps that is too much, but perhaps not. A few more minutes hearing and reflecting on the Scriptures each day seems to me a good thing. I will continue to use the lectionary of our church, but at the daily office I will continue to restore Scriputral passages that have been taken out. Think of it this way: if I had followed the lectionary without looking at was coming, I probably wouldn't have tried to make amends so quickly.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Thought #3
THE DAILY OFFICE: Do you want to make Morning Prayer a regular part of your life? Join the Rector in the church Tuesday – Friday at 7:40 AM. Attire is casual. All are invited. It’s a great chance to read/lead a service. The service lasts 15-20 minutes. Plus.... you will actually read the BIBLE!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sermuncle #2
Never underestimate the power of prayer. Our Lord said his followers can move mountains with prayer and faith. As I grow older, I am more and more astounded at the power of prayer. Every day Christians pray in public and in private. I invite you to consider taking up the Daily Office as a private or public devotion. If you are not sure how to pray the office, come to Morning Prayer any Tuesday-Friday and I will teach you. If you think joining me in the church and taking part in a public prayer service each day is more up your alley, come to Morning Prayer any Tuesday-Friday and let's PRAY!! Morning Prayer meets Tuesday-Friday, and Sunday mornings at 7:40 AM. If you are interested in starting a Monday or Saturday Morning Prayer service, please let me know!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Sermuncle #1
From this coming Sunday's Epistle: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building."
Where does the rubber meet the road? Each of us has been given different gifts by God to help build up the Body of Christ and spread the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Common gifts that God has given to all of us are our presence and the ability to greet and welcome strangers. In 2010 we grew from 64 people on Sunday to 94. So far in 2011, we are averaging 114 people on Sunday. The common reason that I hear for why someone came back after visiting: "the friendliness of the people and the warm welcome that I recieved."
This Sunday at church (during the Peace and especially before and after the service) introduce yourself to someone you don't know well (or at all!). Every Sunday there are visitors and newcomers who are just waiting for YOU to say "Hi! Welcome to Good Shepherd. My name is XYZ, what's your name?"
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Homily #1
I've lived in a variety of places throughout my life. For nearly two years of my life - a month each summer - I lived on a small island in Maine. Monhegan Island is 1 mile by a 1 1/2 mile. There are no paved roads, many of the houses don't have electricity, there are around 60 people who live on the island year round, most of the people there in the summer are there to relax or paint or hike, beside the natural beauty of the place there are only two sights to see. There is a great big ship wreck from a tug boat: I remember when I was a child climbing all over the rusty metal hull (its the thing to do!). There is also a classic lighthouse at the top of the island.
Lighthouses were invented to prevent shipwrecks. The lighthouse on Monhegan, like more (if not all) working lighthouses, is electrified. I remember once I noticed that the lighthouse was on during the day - a perfect 85 degree, blue sky day. I asked my dad why it was on, and he replied that lighthouses always have to be on. A sudden storm could come our it could get cloudy and or something might suddenly come up and you never wanted to risk having to "flip the switch"... so a lighthouse is always on because you never know what might come up.
The most famous lighthouse was in Alexandria, Egypt. It was built about 2200 years ago. It stood 450 feet high. To put that into some perspective, that's a little less than half as high as the Empire State Building. It was one of the 7 Wonders of the (Ancient) World. Just like today's lighthouses, ancient lighthouses were build and lit to prevent shipwrecks and help sailors find a safe harbor. The lighthouse at Alexandria wasn't electrified. At the top there was a fire which was always lit. Making sure it was lit meant tending a large fire, making sure there was spare fuel at all times, and hauling that fuel from the ground to the top, over and over and over. It took a lot of work to make sure the lighthouse was always on, but it was worth it. The lighthouse wasn't just a Wonder because it was big, it was a Wonder because it was amazingly useful.
In today's Gospel Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world. Being a Christian is sort of like being a lighthouse. We are called to be lights to the world, and doing that means always being "on". We all know that nothing in life "works" unless you are "on". If a Boy Scout doesn't practice tying knots, he won't be able to tie a knot when he needs to in an emergency. If a person isn't generous on a Tuesday morning, he or she isn't going to be ready to dig into his or her wallet when someone is in need. If a you or I don't learn about and regularly speak about our faith or have a regular life of prayer, then we will be at a loss of words when we are called upon to witness to Christ or offer an intercession. If you aren't always on, the opportunity to bear witness to Christ will pass you by, and it probably won't come again.
I remember once I was at a wedding. A friend of mine from college tracked me down and started questioning me about my faith and role in the church (I am an Episcopal Priest). He said: "I'm really getting into atheism, and I want to bounce a few things off of you." I thought: "Atheism? Not a whole lot there to get in to." And I said: "Look, we're at a wedding, now is not the best time. Why don't you call me at my office and we can talk." I'm still waiting for him to call..... The opportunity was lost, because I wasn't on, and a person who was in darkness was not even given the opportunity to see the light of Christ.
The lighthouse on Monhegan went out once. I remember seeing one of the bulbs burned out and black. It was a big deal. The Coast Guard came in on a helicopter and put a new light bulb in because it was essential that lighthouse always be on. Jesus said: "You are the light of the world." Its not easy to be on all the time, it takes a lot of work and diligence, but its really important that you and I always be turned on. Flipping the switch when you need it just doesn't work. Only by being "on" all the time can we ensure that the people who walk in darkness can see the light.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Shepherd's Voice: From the Rector #16
THE LAMB OF GOD: On Tuesday evening, February 1, we will celebrate the Eve of Candlemas (Good Shepherd offers AA on Wednesday evenings, so when possible we try to celebrate our feast days so that we don’t interfere with their meetings). That evening, we welcome as our guest preacher, the Reverend Robert Rhodes, rector of Grace Church, Westwood, New Jersey. Following the service, we will celebrate our annual Chili and Chowder festival! We have nearly fifty people signed up! Pray for good weather and I’ll see you there!
Candlemas is a feast with a number of different names. It is affectionately known as Candlemas, but that’s not its official name. In most churches, including the Episcopal Church, it is officially known as the Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple. Up until the liturgical renewal movement in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, it was generally known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary – and in some churches it is still called by that name. These names are drawn from events heard in the Gospel account assigned for the Holy Eucharist on Candlemas: Luke 2:22-40.
As pious Jews, Mary and Joseph were fulfilling two rituals proscribed in the Law. The first ritual involved the first male child born in the family. According to the Books of Exodus and Numbers, the first male was given back to the Lord and presented in the Temple. Sometimes, very rarely, the child would actually be given to the temple and raised there, such as in the case of the prophet Samuel. More often, however the child would be redeemed with a money offering. The second ritual is rooted in ritual and purity laws from the Book of Leviticus and involved the mother. Having giving birth, the mother was regarded as ritually unclean. After forty days – eighty if the child was a girl – the mother was directed to offer a sacrifice for her purification: A lamb if she was able or two turtle doves if she was poor.
I’m not sure why the Purification of Mary, rather than the Presentation of Jesus, was highlighted for so long, since it focuses less attention on Jesus and more on the fulfillment of a purity ritual. In any event, the name change to the Presentation in recent years reflects the reality that the feast is really all about Jesus. A fact which I think, perhaps ironically, is made even more evident when examining the ritual of purification narrated by Saint Luke.
I mentioned the offering that Mary was to give: a lamb or two turtle doves. Being poor, she and Joseph offered two turtle doves. But the reality is that they also brought with them a lamb – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. It is Jesus who will, years later, himself be offered as a sacrifice. One offered not for the purity of his mother in the Jewish Temple, but for the sins of the whole world on the cross. With that in mind, I think it’s fair to say that our celebration of Candlemas, which is the concluding feast in the Christmas cycle (40th day after Christmas) points directly toward Holy Week and Easter: the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lamb of God.
I believe that the point of that Gospel account is that Simeon and Anna see and recognize God. Filled with the Spirit, both the righteous old man and the pious old prophetess look at a child and see only the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. They saw exactly what John the Baptist saw thirty years later at the Jordan when he suddenly pointed to Jesus and exclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
The prophetess Anne, in what may have been her last prophetic word, spoke to everyone she saw about this baby boy. Saint Luke doesn’t write that she said he had his mother’s eyes or that he might someday be a carpenter. He writes that she told everyone who had been waiting and looking for the redemption of Jerusalem that she had found it in the baby Jesus. Likewise, the words of Simeon are not a lullaby for a baby boy; they are words of recognition about the Son of God who will open the gate of heaven to all people, Jew and Gentile, by dying on the cross and rising from the grave: “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory of thy people Israel.”
The candle light entrance procession that we will begin the service with on Candlemas is as much a celebration of Jesus Christ who is the Light of the world as it is a celebration that we can see that Light. It develops because Christians are dramatically illustrating the fact that they have been enlightened and, like Simeon and Anna, can see Jesus for who he really is.
I love Candlemas because I love watching the candle light slowly spread from person to person: it reminds me of how Anna and Simeon, who had waited so long to see Jesus, were finally able to. And when their eyes saw, their voices spread the good news of Jesus to the people they encountered. I also love Candlemas because I know that when Candlemas arrives, Lent is right around the corner and Easter is not that far away (this year Lent is actually as far around the corner as it can be, but even so, Ash Wednesday is little more than a month away). I do love Candlemas, but I really love Holy Week and Easter because that is when we get to concentrate on and celebrate God’s love conquering sin, death and everything in between.
Sometimes it takes a whole lifetime to know that the sacrifice and resurrection of Lamb of God has opened the heavenly sanctuary to all people (including you and me!) Sometimes you’ve known that Good News as long as you can remember. But when you do know, passing on that knowledge is as easy and natural as lighting the candle of the person next to you. You have the light and it’s very obvious that your neighbor needs that light too… so you pass it on.
As we move toward Lent next month, and we officially begin the journey toward Holy Week, many Christians will settle on a Lenten Devotion. Before we get there, I would like to suggest an “Epiphany Season is really, really long” devotion. Pick a friend or a family member who has not yet seen the light of Christ and see if you can light a spark. Maybe the flame that you have tried to pass on won’t be visible for many years, but I believe when any one of us speaks about what we know to be true, someone is listening and at some point the story that has been told will be told in a new voice to a new person who hasn’t yet heard it. Remember… You have the light and it’s very obvious that your neighbor needs that light too… so you pass it on.
(Adapted from a Sermon preached in 2009)
Candlemas is a feast with a number of different names. It is affectionately known as Candlemas, but that’s not its official name. In most churches, including the Episcopal Church, it is officially known as the Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple. Up until the liturgical renewal movement in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, it was generally known as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary – and in some churches it is still called by that name. These names are drawn from events heard in the Gospel account assigned for the Holy Eucharist on Candlemas: Luke 2:22-40.
As pious Jews, Mary and Joseph were fulfilling two rituals proscribed in the Law. The first ritual involved the first male child born in the family. According to the Books of Exodus and Numbers, the first male was given back to the Lord and presented in the Temple. Sometimes, very rarely, the child would actually be given to the temple and raised there, such as in the case of the prophet Samuel. More often, however the child would be redeemed with a money offering. The second ritual is rooted in ritual and purity laws from the Book of Leviticus and involved the mother. Having giving birth, the mother was regarded as ritually unclean. After forty days – eighty if the child was a girl – the mother was directed to offer a sacrifice for her purification: A lamb if she was able or two turtle doves if she was poor.
I’m not sure why the Purification of Mary, rather than the Presentation of Jesus, was highlighted for so long, since it focuses less attention on Jesus and more on the fulfillment of a purity ritual. In any event, the name change to the Presentation in recent years reflects the reality that the feast is really all about Jesus. A fact which I think, perhaps ironically, is made even more evident when examining the ritual of purification narrated by Saint Luke.
I mentioned the offering that Mary was to give: a lamb or two turtle doves. Being poor, she and Joseph offered two turtle doves. But the reality is that they also brought with them a lamb – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. It is Jesus who will, years later, himself be offered as a sacrifice. One offered not for the purity of his mother in the Jewish Temple, but for the sins of the whole world on the cross. With that in mind, I think it’s fair to say that our celebration of Candlemas, which is the concluding feast in the Christmas cycle (40th day after Christmas) points directly toward Holy Week and Easter: the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lamb of God.
I believe that the point of that Gospel account is that Simeon and Anna see and recognize God. Filled with the Spirit, both the righteous old man and the pious old prophetess look at a child and see only the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. They saw exactly what John the Baptist saw thirty years later at the Jordan when he suddenly pointed to Jesus and exclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
The prophetess Anne, in what may have been her last prophetic word, spoke to everyone she saw about this baby boy. Saint Luke doesn’t write that she said he had his mother’s eyes or that he might someday be a carpenter. He writes that she told everyone who had been waiting and looking for the redemption of Jerusalem that she had found it in the baby Jesus. Likewise, the words of Simeon are not a lullaby for a baby boy; they are words of recognition about the Son of God who will open the gate of heaven to all people, Jew and Gentile, by dying on the cross and rising from the grave: “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory of thy people Israel.”
The candle light entrance procession that we will begin the service with on Candlemas is as much a celebration of Jesus Christ who is the Light of the world as it is a celebration that we can see that Light. It develops because Christians are dramatically illustrating the fact that they have been enlightened and, like Simeon and Anna, can see Jesus for who he really is.
I love Candlemas because I love watching the candle light slowly spread from person to person: it reminds me of how Anna and Simeon, who had waited so long to see Jesus, were finally able to. And when their eyes saw, their voices spread the good news of Jesus to the people they encountered. I also love Candlemas because I know that when Candlemas arrives, Lent is right around the corner and Easter is not that far away (this year Lent is actually as far around the corner as it can be, but even so, Ash Wednesday is little more than a month away). I do love Candlemas, but I really love Holy Week and Easter because that is when we get to concentrate on and celebrate God’s love conquering sin, death and everything in between.
Sometimes it takes a whole lifetime to know that the sacrifice and resurrection of Lamb of God has opened the heavenly sanctuary to all people (including you and me!) Sometimes you’ve known that Good News as long as you can remember. But when you do know, passing on that knowledge is as easy and natural as lighting the candle of the person next to you. You have the light and it’s very obvious that your neighbor needs that light too… so you pass it on.
As we move toward Lent next month, and we officially begin the journey toward Holy Week, many Christians will settle on a Lenten Devotion. Before we get there, I would like to suggest an “Epiphany Season is really, really long” devotion. Pick a friend or a family member who has not yet seen the light of Christ and see if you can light a spark. Maybe the flame that you have tried to pass on won’t be visible for many years, but I believe when any one of us speaks about what we know to be true, someone is listening and at some point the story that has been told will be told in a new voice to a new person who hasn’t yet heard it. Remember… You have the light and it’s very obvious that your neighbor needs that light too… so you pass it on.
(Adapted from a Sermon preached in 2009)
Why I Love Good Shepherd #10
WHY I LOVE GOOD SHEPHERDThis article is the third in a series presented by the 2011 Stewardship Committee. If you are interested in submitting an article for the series, please contact Father Matt, we’d love to print your submission! This month we continue the series with a note from Sally Stevens:
I love the fact that we are a family… we look after each other in good times and bad. We laugh together, we cry together, we pray together and we work together to make Good Shepherd what it is…a warm and inviting place to worship and where church isn’t just a Sunday event. While we come from many towns, we have created our own community here without town boundaries or rivalries. We share our stories and our advice and when needed we all pitch in without having to be asked. We respect each other. We care for each other. We love our church.
I love the way every one counts at Good Shepherd. Each one of us has a particular self determined niche which we fulfill here that makes it all work. It might be as a member of the Choir or Altar Guild, or the Sunday School or as an Acolyte. It might be as an usher, crucifer, torch bearer, lay reader, or a chalice bearer. It might be as a vestry member, or officer of the church. It might be as a committee head or a committee member. It might be as the sexton, the organist, the babysitter or the rector. It might be as one who has so much experience in life that the accumulated wisdom is the gift you have to give others. It may be that your hobby or your vocation is the gift that you share with us. It is in the giving of the best of ourselves that Good Shepherd grows and becomes enriched.
I love the way everyone belongs here in every sense of the word. Anyone can join any organization to which they wish to belong. Everyone is welcome… we are an all inclusive church. We are a diverse bunch and best of all everyone can take communion… no matter what age, no matter what religion or denomination you came from or still belong to, if you’ve been baptized by water, you belong with us at the rail.
I love our great coffee hours. Where else do people linger over coffee for hours after church exchanging news, giving and receiving advice, laughing and showing off grandchildren’s or children’s pictures or planning the next church project?
I love the clean up days…when we come together to polish up Good Shepherd and make her shine. The crisp fall air or early spring air when rakes, leaf blowers, pruning shears, shovels, and tarps are pulled out and we work side by side and joke with each other, partake of pizza and head back outside to work some more.
I love the beautiful simplicity of our building with its soaring ceiling, its brilliant stained glass window, its beautifully carved wooden altar and its simple cross. Nothing fancy, nothing to distract from the purpose for which we are here—to pray and to glorify God.
I love our service – written out now and easier to follow (thank you Father Matt) so that we know when and how to stand, kneel, respond. Our hymns, old and new always leave me with a joyful heart as we end our services and take our mission out into the world for another week. Let me not forget to mention the Peace. The warmth between parishioners is most tangible during the Peace. Even the shyest children or the newest members eventually realize we sincerely mean “peace be with you”.
I love watching our children grow up, leave and come back with their children to continue our many traditions... the Easter Vigils, stewardship vigils, sunrise services, annual meetings, vestry meetings, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve services, chili and chowder cook offs, Octoberfest, brunches by the Brotherhood, Christmas pageants and twelfth night celebrations, birthday cards on our birthday, the Carpenter’s Kids. Ours is a full church life.
People make our church what it is. We are “The Fun Bunch, The Seniors in Denial, The Seniors, The Youth Group, the Sunday School children, the nursery children, we are all children of God. We are the Church Of The Good Shepherd. This is my home.
I love the fact that we are a family… we look after each other in good times and bad. We laugh together, we cry together, we pray together and we work together to make Good Shepherd what it is…a warm and inviting place to worship and where church isn’t just a Sunday event. While we come from many towns, we have created our own community here without town boundaries or rivalries. We share our stories and our advice and when needed we all pitch in without having to be asked. We respect each other. We care for each other. We love our church.
I love the way every one counts at Good Shepherd. Each one of us has a particular self determined niche which we fulfill here that makes it all work. It might be as a member of the Choir or Altar Guild, or the Sunday School or as an Acolyte. It might be as an usher, crucifer, torch bearer, lay reader, or a chalice bearer. It might be as a vestry member, or officer of the church. It might be as a committee head or a committee member. It might be as the sexton, the organist, the babysitter or the rector. It might be as one who has so much experience in life that the accumulated wisdom is the gift you have to give others. It may be that your hobby or your vocation is the gift that you share with us. It is in the giving of the best of ourselves that Good Shepherd grows and becomes enriched.
I love the way everyone belongs here in every sense of the word. Anyone can join any organization to which they wish to belong. Everyone is welcome… we are an all inclusive church. We are a diverse bunch and best of all everyone can take communion… no matter what age, no matter what religion or denomination you came from or still belong to, if you’ve been baptized by water, you belong with us at the rail.
I love our great coffee hours. Where else do people linger over coffee for hours after church exchanging news, giving and receiving advice, laughing and showing off grandchildren’s or children’s pictures or planning the next church project?
I love the clean up days…when we come together to polish up Good Shepherd and make her shine. The crisp fall air or early spring air when rakes, leaf blowers, pruning shears, shovels, and tarps are pulled out and we work side by side and joke with each other, partake of pizza and head back outside to work some more.
I love the beautiful simplicity of our building with its soaring ceiling, its brilliant stained glass window, its beautifully carved wooden altar and its simple cross. Nothing fancy, nothing to distract from the purpose for which we are here—to pray and to glorify God.
I love our service – written out now and easier to follow (thank you Father Matt) so that we know when and how to stand, kneel, respond. Our hymns, old and new always leave me with a joyful heart as we end our services and take our mission out into the world for another week. Let me not forget to mention the Peace. The warmth between parishioners is most tangible during the Peace. Even the shyest children or the newest members eventually realize we sincerely mean “peace be with you”.
I love watching our children grow up, leave and come back with their children to continue our many traditions... the Easter Vigils, stewardship vigils, sunrise services, annual meetings, vestry meetings, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve services, chili and chowder cook offs, Octoberfest, brunches by the Brotherhood, Christmas pageants and twelfth night celebrations, birthday cards on our birthday, the Carpenter’s Kids. Ours is a full church life.
People make our church what it is. We are “The Fun Bunch, The Seniors in Denial, The Seniors, The Youth Group, the Sunday School children, the nursery children, we are all children of God. We are the Church Of The Good Shepherd. This is my home.
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