Of Holidays and Holy Days

Happy Victoria Day to those of you who celebrate today as a Holiday.  Holiday originally meant holy day but it has lost much of that meaning for many people.  There is not too much that is holy about the 2-4 weekend in today’s society except for those who worship beer at the cottage. Of course many of our holidays originally had a religious connotation being connected to Christmas and Boxing Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday and even Easter Monday.  But even those have taken on a secular connotation in modern culture.  I recently bemoaned that fact that the Easter Egg hunt in this part of my world is held on Good Friday morning.  I had a letter to the local paper publish those remarks to which I received some positive response.  There is also the new custom of wishing people happy holiday instead of Merry Christmas.  People obviously are oblivious to the fact they are wishing people a happy holy day.  However, the secularization of our Holy Days cannot be denied.

Perhaps this is why my thoughts this morning have turned to prayer even though Victoria Day is one of those holidays which does not have religious connotations.  I have been in a couple of discussions recently about why we pray.  I am reminded of the reflection I used for a Diocesan Council meeting some years ago which follows:

Dean Alan Jones of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco has noted that there are only two prayers: ‘Help’ and ‘Thank-you’.  Everything else is just a footnote or variation and expansion on the basic theme—whether it is praise, adoration, confession, supplication or thanksgiving.

I believe that the essence of those two prayers ‘Help’ and ‘Thank you’ can in turn be summed up by ‘O God’ depending on how you speak that phrase.  ‘O God!!!’ which could be followed by ‘what was I thinking’ or ‘what were they thinking’ or ‘what were you thinking God’.  Or ‘O God!!!’ which could be followed by ‘isn’t this wonderful’ or ‘aren’t you wonderful’.    These true prayers probably should always followed by exclamation marks. 

Whether it is ‘Help’ or ‘Thank you’, to pray is to strive to place ourselves more closely in right relationship with God and with God’s creation.  We need our God-given imagination to apprehend what that right relationship is or can be.  The poet Mary Oliver tells us that the world gives us an invitation to right relationship through our imagination every day: 

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

The world offers itself to your imagination,

Calls you like the wild geese,

Harsh and exciting,

Over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

In today’s meeting let us pray ‘Help’.

Gracious and loving God help us to open our imaginations to all that you are offering us.  Help us to imagine and see the path to our right place in the family of things—in God’s family—in our lives as God’s children, in our parishes and especially in our work today for the part of God’s kingdom that is the Diocese of Huron.   In silence let us open our hearts and minds and bodies and souls and imaginations to the help that God offers us.  Amen.

Afternoon Session

This morning I noted that there are two prayers ‘Help’ and ‘Thank you’.  We ended with the prayer ‘Help’ that God would enable us to open our imaginations to right relationship with God for ourselves, our parishes, and the Diocese.  Let us pause and reflect on where we have been this morning.  Let us reflect on where have we had difficulty in opening our imagination to see where that right relationship could be?   Let us reflect on where we have opened our imagination to what the right relationship with God is. Let us reflect on where we have seen but not followed the path of right relationship.   Let us reflect on where have we have moved to be more in right relationship with God and God’s creation.

Let us pray.  Gracious God we thank you for all that you have given us this morning. ‘Thank you’ for all that you will continue to give us this afternoon and when we return to our homes and parishes to continue to seek the right relationship that God intends for us as God’s Children and God’s Church.  Amen. 

Make a Joyful Noice Unto the Lord

Yesterday I finished my mini-interim at the Parish of the Resurrection.  I provided supply to St. Paul’s Palmerston; Christ Church, Listowel; and St. Albans and St. David’s, Atwood for three Sunday’s in all including Easter Sunday.  It was an experience I enjoyed despite there being a 240 km round trip to the churches involved.  The first service was at 8:30 at St. Paul’s, the congregation which was farthest away, so it meant leaving at about 6:30 in the morning.  I especially enjoyed my experience with St. Albans and St. David’s.  Hey have a unique sense of church music which I found refreshing, especially after two services.  St. Albans and St. David’s was the last service which was at 11:45.    Yesterday’s music was equally refreshing with one old favourite, “That Old Time Religion” and three songs were new to me.  Worship opened with “Too Old to Die Young” by Kevin Welch, Scott Dooley, and John Hadley.  This is not the same song as the one with the same name in the recent Tarantino movie Django Unchained which I was just as unfamiliar with until I discovered it online. The lyrics follow as I believe that is the best was to introduce it to those who, like me, are unfamiliar with it. If life is like a candle bright, death must be the wind You can close your window tight and it still comes flowing in So I will climb the highest hill and watch the rising sun And I pray that I don’t feel the chill till I’m too old to die young Let me watch my children grow to see what they become Oh Lord, don’t let that cold wind blow till Im too old to die young Now I have had some dear sweet friends I thought would never die Now the only thing that’s left of them is the teardrops in my eyes If I could have one wish today and know it would be done Well, I would say everyone could stay till they’re too old to die young Let me watch my children grow to see what they become Oh Lord, don’t let that cold wind blow till I’m too old to die young Let me watch my children grow to see what they become Oh Lord, don’t let that cold wind blow till I’m too old to die young The closing music was “Mansion over the Hill Top by Ira Stanphill, the lyrics which follow: I'm satisfied with just a cottage below, A little silver and a little gold; But in that city where the ransomed will shine, I want a gold one that's silver-lined. I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, In that bright land where we'll never grow old; And someday yonder we will never more wander, But walk the streets that are purest gold. Tho' often tempted, tormented and tested And, like the prophet, my pillow a stone, And tho' I find here no permanent dwelling, I know He'll give me a mansion my own. I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, In that bright land where we'll never grow old; And someday yonder we will never more wander, But walk the streets that are purest gold. Don't think me poor or deserted or lonely, I'm not discouraged, I'm heaven bound; I'm just a pilgrim in search of a city, I want a mansion, a harp and a crown. I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, In that bright land where we'll never grow old; And someday yonder we will never more wander, But walk the streets that are purest gold. However, the pièce de résistance was Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet by Marvin E. Baumgardner which was the offertory hymn.  Death is an angel sent down from above sent for the buds and the flowers we love Truly 'tis so for in heaven's own way each soul is a flower in the Master's bouquet Gathering flowers for the Master's bouquet beautiful flowers that will never decay Gathered by angels and carried away forever to bloom in the Master's bouquet Loved ones are passing each day and each hour passing away as the life of a flower But every bud and each blossom some day Will bloom as a flower in the Master's bouquet Gathering flowers for the Master's bouquet... Now let us be faithful till life's work is done Blooming with love till the reaper shall come Then we'll be gathered together that day Transplanted to bloom in the Master's bouquet Gathering flowers for the Master's bouquet... I was telling Lorna, only half facetiously, that I would like this to be one of the songs at my funeral (that’s would be an interesting topic for another time).  These selections do certainly expand the possibilities for Anglican worship.  However, I can see how it would not to be too many Anglican’s taste.  In any case make a joyful noise to the Lord.  Blessings.       Reply Forward Click here to Reply or Forward 0.38 GB (2%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 8 minutes ago Open in 1 other location  Details

Acedia and Me 2

A while ago I wrote about my reflections on the book, Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris.  As I noted it is often thought of as depression.  It is rather hard to get a definitive handle on just what the condition—or vice—entails and how it differs from depression.  The simplest way of thinking about it appears to be a state of generally not caring about the world and others. 

One of the points in Norris’s exploration of this state is her connection with early Christian understanding of the state of being be pursued by the demon of acedia.  Indeed considering acedia in the realm of demons or evil spirits has some validity if we consider the world of the early monks who were very familiar with acedia as the demon of mid-day which brings lethargy.   The idea of demons and evil spirits are viewed as rather quaint concepts today and not worthy of consideration in our post Enlightenment, Post-Modern world.  Liberal theologians will dismiss or explain the biblical accounts of Jesus’s encounters and defeats of demons and evil spirits as psychological conditions with Jesus as the first century therapist at best and fabrications by fanatical followers at worst.  However, I have been reconsidering how we might consider demons in today’s world as a result of Norris’s book as well as a book by Morton Kelsey, Discernment, A Study in Ecstasy and Evil. 

Kelsey, who died in 2001 was a Professor of Theology at Notre Dame University as well as a Spiritual Director, describes discernment as the ability to, “value the importance of a person’s story and to listen to it and reveal to that person the implications that this story has for his or her life”.  I believe that this is true in discerning our own lives as well as the lives of others.  We need to listen to our inner dialogue and hear what we are saying to ourselves.  The dialogue that goes on, often below our conscious awareness, can reveal the negative aspects of our lives.  Whether we describe them as demons or evil spirits or sloth or put them in modern psychological terms they have a significant influence in our lives. 

Since reading Acedia & Me, I have been paying particular attention to the thoughts which could be described as the demon of Acedia.  The thoughts that tell me, “You don’t really want to do that do you?”  “That will take too much effort and doesn’t matter anyway.”  “You’ve done enough and have earned some mindless activity” (even when I haven’t).  And so on.  In this context these “demons” do indeed exist and can lead me to not caring and there being a lack of meaning in my life if I let the thoughts take over.  The effect is the same whether we think of them as demons or ennui or any depression or any other label in the latest version of the DSM.  In effect, they separate me from God and in that way are sinful – another term which has fallen out of favour but is still as much of a reality as when Jesus walked among us.  Fortunately through Jesus we have forgiveness and redemption. 

 

Thoughts on Eulogies and Resumés

My thoughts have been on life in this world and the next in the past week.  My mother-in-law, Gwen Noble, died a week ago and Lorna and I have been much occupied in all that has involved since then.  We travelled to Toronto on Monday when we had the new that she was failing quickly.  She died just before Lorna arrived at her bedside.  After that we were focussed on all the details that inevitably follow—clearing out her room at Christie Gardens; completing the funeral arrangements which she had thankfully prepared years ago, and attending the funeral on Saturday and interment which occurred yesterday. 

Lorna had the lion’s share of duties in arranging for all this, holding her mother’s power or attorney and serving as executor.  I was also otherwise engaged with doing pulpit supply on Sunday at the same three congregations I was at on Easter Sunday.  All in all with other minor activities such as a Legion service yesterday for a beloved legion member whose funeral is today. 

To put this all in context—I heard an interview on NPR radio as I was returning from a retreat in the U.S.  at the end of the previous week—which is another story.   The interview was with David Brooks who is a columnist with the New York Times.  He has written a new book, The Road to Character.   Brooks expounded on a number of engaging themes but the one that stuck with me was his discussion of what really matters to people when life is summed up.  He put it in terms of “Resume Virtues” and “Eulogy Virtues”.   The resume virtues are what many people strive for i.e. accomplishments that you will put on your resume.  The eulogy virtues are what is truly important to you and want to be remembered for.  I don’t believe that Gwen ever actually wrote a resume for herself but she had three eulogies at her funeral by Lorna’s son Tony, Lorna and me.  Below is a quote from Brooks on the difference between them:

So I've been thinking about the difference between the résumé virtues and the eulogy virtues. The résumé virtues are the ones you put on your résumé, which are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that get mentioned in the eulogy, which are deeper: who are you, in your depth, what is the nature of your relationships, are you bold, loving, dependable, consistency? And most of us, including me, would say that the eulogy virtues are the more important of the virtues. But at least in my case, are they the ones that I think about the most? And the answer is no.

I have not read the book but I gather the idea is for each of us to discover what is truly important in our lives which will also contribute to the development of character in a person.  The clichéd line is that at the end of a person’s life no one ever regretted not spending more time at work.  That is probably true unless you spend a life of service to others.  But perhaps you might regret not having spent more time in relationship with you the most important people in your life.  What is it that makes life meaningful?  What is it that we are truly in search of?  What do we want in our eulogy at our funeral?  In my eulogy for Gwen, I noted that in my view she had three things that were important to her: service to others, church, and family.  To a great extent she lived her life accordingly.

Easter Thoughts and Rants

The current edition of my local Parkhill newspaper, The Gazette, has nicely juxtaposed the conflicting approaches to Easter that exists in our culture.  Although the culture in and around Parkhill is quite traditional in many ways there is a conflicted and conflicting approach to  how Good Friday should be celebrated.  The front page had a large colour picture of the Procession of the Cross celebrated in a joint service of Parkhill United Church and St. James Anglican Church.   The tradition of a joint service was started about ten years ago when I was the rector of St. James (prior to my retirement) along with the United Church minister, Rev. Doug Wright, who is still serving that church.  The service begins at one church and midway a large wooden cross is processed to the other church where the service concludes. 

This is a service that is appreciated by members of both congregations.  In past years we used an adaption of the Stations of the Cross at various points between the two churches.  This is very appropriate for the solemn occasion marking the crucifixion of the founder of our faith; all well and good.  However, the interior of the paper reveals a competing celebration.  The caption over a picture of a group of little children and supervising adults read, “Chocolate galore as Parkhill youngsters enjoy Easter Egg Hunt”.  Of course tradition of the Easter Egg Hunt has been long established in Canada and elsewhere.  The Easter bunny leaving eggs has been a part of Easter celebrations which with its symbol of new life and breaking the Lenten fast and other symbolic aspects tied to Easter.   Some of these include the Eastern Orthodox tradition of abstaining from eggs during Lents and there was (according to Wikipedia) an ancient belief that the hare was a hermaphrodite and “The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child”.  I could go on but the point is that The Easter Egg Hunt is a well-established Christian tradition. 

Now the problem with the ‘Easter’ Egg Hunt in Parkhill is that it occurs (I won’t say celebrated) on the morning of Good Friday.  This of course is completely in opposition to the meaning of Good Friday when Christians celebrate the death of Jesus Christ and Easter Sunday when the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is Celebrated and where the symbol of new life belongs.  Now only that but with Good Friday services being celebrated the same time as the Easter Egg Hunt it means that families must choose between the celebration and the activity.  The secularization of Christian symbols is well established with the materialistic excesses of ‘Christmas’ gift frenzy so I should not be surprized that secular ‘Easter’ celebrations occur.  However, it might be considerate on the part of the organizers at least to celebrate it at a time which doesn’t conflict with the traditional Christian celebration.  The Gazette notes that a neighboring community holds its Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I believe that it would be a good idea if Christianity separated the celebration of Christmas from the secular in some more specific ways.  This obviously applied to Easter as well.  Just a reminder of how secular and Christian Easter differs from secular Easter, we are still celebrating Easter as we Christians are in the season of Easter which celebrates the period in which Jesus Christ was on earth following his Resurrection.  I will end with the Easter acclamation which is used during the Easter Season:

Celebrant:      The Lord is risen!

People:           The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Celebrant:      May his grace and peace be with you.

People:          May he fill our hearts with joy.

New life indeed!  Alleluia! 

 

:

 

 

Sermon Easter Sunday 2015

Was there anything in the Gospel reading that was a surprise for you?  Everyone here knows that we have gathered here today to celebrate the empty tomb.  Jesus Christ is risen today; Hallelujah. In fact I invite you to join with me in that wonderful declaration: Jesus Christ is risen today; Hallelujah.

That being said was there anything contained in the reading that surprized you?  One of the principles I attempt to follow in my biblical study and reflection is; the Gospel should surprize you every time you encounter it—either reading it yourself or hearing it proclaimed.    I first heard this approach to engaging the Gospel from Fr. Bill Cliff, the chaplain at Huron College.  It is one that can be challenging but can be very rewarding.  The idea is to approach the bible with fresh eyes and let it speak to you anew each time—to make it the living word of God and not just an old, old story which does not speak to you.

Given that approach, how can we make this old, old story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ surprizing to us?  I heard an interview on CBC radio a few weeks ago that I believe may be of help exploring some surprizing aspects of the Resurrection story.

The person being interviewed spoke about how his son was completely enthralled by a video of the movie Pinocchio.  His son was five years old and he must have watched it fifty times. Now this is not terribly surprizing as any parent knows the experience of having to read a story to their child innumerable times and God forbid you try to skip any part of it.  The surprizing thing in this account was that the child was terrified by the part of the story where Pinocchio was swallowed by the whale.  As I recall. the Disney version of the story—which is the one the boy watched—it is easy to see how a young child could be scared by it.  The father, who is a professor of psychology, noted that his son was compelled to watch it despite being scared because the story was one which was archetypal in its structure and meaning.  It held meaning which resonated with his son on a very deep level. 

I believe that this is in large part what brings us back each year to travel the journey of our Lord and Saviour from his journey to Jerusalem, to his triumphal entry that we celebrated last Sunday, to his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and the passion of Good Friday, and now the triumph of the glorious resurrection that we celebrate today.  In this we have an eternal truth that resonates with us on a deep level.  We know that our Redeemer lives; the power of death has been defeated.

What then is the deep truth that compels us to hear the story and journey with our Saviour each year?  Again, let us turn to that story of Pinocchio.  To remind you this story is an account of an animated puppet, a puppet that is alive but is still a wooden puppet, and his journey to become a real boy.  This is the key to the surprize in today’s Gospel and for us in the Easter story.  The surprise is that Jesus has shown us what it means to be real people just as Pinocchio learned how to be a real boy.  Jesus revealed to us what it means to be fully human.  We have been journeying with Jesus in this Easter journey.  This is an introduction to becoming truly human.  To do that we must do as Jesus commanded and pick up our crosses and follow him.  This is not an easy journey that Jesus showed us.  It led him to the cross.  However, if we are to become the people that God intended us to be when God created us we must pick up our cross and follow him.

How can we possibly do that? Does it mean that we are all to be crucified as Christ was?  I believe that in symbolic ways we are called to that.  Again the key is contained in the story of Pinocchio.  Pinocchio was faced with the reality that when he told a lie—when he did not live the truth of who he was it was evident to all who had eyes to see.  His nose grew longer with every lie he told.  As followers of Jesus Christ our risen saviour we are called to live the truth just as Jesus lived out the truth of who he was. 

We are called above all not to lie to others but more importantly to ourselves.  If we tell ourselves that it does not matter how we treat others—that is a lie.  If we tell ourselves that it doesn’t matter if we cheat on our taxes—as long as we don̓ t get caught—that is a lie.  If we tell ourselves that I am not my brother’s keeper—that is a lie.  If we tell ourselves that the there is nothing I can do to help someone in need—that is a lie.  If we tell ourselves that it doesn’t matter that we don’t pray and read scripture regularlythat is a lie. 

If we live the truth of Christ in our lives we will become fully human well will become a real person as Pinocchio became a real boy.  We will know more fully the love of Christ in our lives.  We will know, truly know, that the power of sin and death has been defeated and we will live our lives free from that fear of death, the death of a thousand lies which holds us captive in its thrall.  That is the surprise and the wonder of Easter.   Jesus Christ is risen today; Hallelujah.

Acedia and Me?

I have begun to read Acedia & me, a book by Kathleen Norris. I have just started get into the book but I find the subject fascinating and want to share early impressions with you.   Acedia is a term which has fallen out of favour is not in general use in the modern world.   I was vaguely aware of this concept but was introduced to it in the Spiritual Direction program I completed with the Haden institute and the Mt. Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls.  Lorna found out about this book which was not on the reading list of the program (and should be) and purchased it used on-line.  

As I noted, I began to read it recently after Lorna recommended it and am finding acedia to be a concept and condition which appears to be very much something which is part of modern life and deserves more consideration.  Kathleen Norris delves into the concept of acedia drawing her life long experience with the condition.   As Norris notes acedia is often considered to be another name for depression.  Norris notes that there are many similarities between the two conditions.  However, the two conditions are not synonymous.  Norris suggests that, “while depression is an illness treated by counselling and medication, acedia is a vice that is best countered by spiritual practice and the discipline of prayer.” (3)  Categorizing acedia as a vice is not done lightly by Norris.  She traces the early thoughts about acedia and notes that Evagrius, a 4^th century Christian monk and ascetic, classified it as “one of the eight bad thoughts that plagued a monk, whole John Cassian discerned in acedia a stubborn sadness that could lead a monk into a far worse state of distress”. (20)  The eight bad thoughts eventually became of seven deadly sins of Christianity.   The theologian dropped acedia form the list and conflated it with sadness. 

As I noted, it is often thought of as depression.  It is rather hard to get a definitive handle on just what the condition—or vice—entails and how it differs from depression.  The simplest way of thinking about it appears to be a state of generally not caring about the world and others.  Norris describes the condition—which she diagnoses as acedia—as one in which she would avoid life by obsessively reading anything and everything as a way of running away and “consuming books rather than reading them”.   With acedia the ‘not caring’ can take can take the form of sloth or laziness of body and mind.  But it can also take the form of escapism either in nostalgia about a golden past or fantasy about the grass being greener in the other places.  It can even take the form of being a rescuer who wants to obsessively help and rescuing people.  However, the common factor in this is avoidance.  The sufferer is not able to engage the world around them.  They do not/cannot care about anything and do not take the effort to engage in anything.   I believe that acedia is what people in other times and places were addressing when they talked of ‘loss of soul’.  Norris notes that, “John Cassian and Thomas Aquinas recognized that acedia operates on the borders between the physical world and the spiritual life.” (35)  It is also interesting that Norris notes Aquinas recommended ‘a hot bath, a glass of wine, and a good night’s sleep’ as a remedy.   However tempting that may be, I suspect that someone who is in the thrall of acedia will not get a good night’s sleep.  Rather, they will be pursued by the demon of acedia.  Indeed considering acedia in the realm of demons or evil spirits has some validity if we consider the world of the early monks who were very familiar with acedia as the demon of mid-day which brings lethargy.  I think the understanding that we are dealing with a condition that allows temptations in the form of thoughts to take hold.  Norris notes that the demons “arouse evil thoughts by working on the memory and imagination.”  We may have difficulty believing in demons or evil spirit in today’s modern material, world.  However, it can be useful to understand the thoughts that creep unaware into our consciousness that encourage us to avoid what we know is in our best interest in this way.  Indeed after I had begun to be engaged by the book I had the thought that I have done enough and deserve to play a computer game which I must confess I surrendered to quite willingly.   

I am looking forward to reading more and will probably share more of it with you next time.  Blessings and don’t let the demon of acedia or any other catch you unaware.