Together We Grow

O God, by your grace you have called us in this diocese to a goodly fellowship of faith. Inspire our hearts with understanding so that indeed Together, We Grow. Guide us now in the development and focus of our action teams; encourage them to follow your will in all they do. Bless us as we come together, and help us to begin to apply this program throughout the diocese, moving forward in the example of Christ to the honor and glory of your name. Amen.

Pastoral letter " Sins of Racism"

We, the bishops of the Episcopal Church, acknowledged the painful reality of the consequences of racism in the 1994 pastoral letter "the Sin of Racism." In that letter, we stated "the essence of racism is prejudice coupled with power. It is rooted in the sin of pride and exclusivity which assumes 'that I and my kind are superior to others and therefore deserve special privileges.'" We issue this new pastoral on the pervasive sin that continues to plague our common life in the church and in our culture. We acknowledge our participation in this sin and we lament its corrosive effects on our lives. We repent of this sin, and ask God's grace and forgiveness.

When Jesus entered the synagogue in his first public act of ministry (Luke 4), he read from the prophet Isaiah. The vision proclaimed is known as the desire of God, the peaceable kingdom, a society of justice and shalom, or the city set on a hill. It is an icon of what God intends for all creation - that human beings live in justice and peace with one another, that the poor are fed and housed and clothed, the ill are healed, prisoners set free, and that the whole created order is restored to right relationship. That vision is our goal and vocation as Christians.

The fundamental truth undergirding this vision is that all are made in the image of God. It is in our diversity that we discover the fullness of that image. If we judge one class or race or gender better than another, we violate that desire and intent of God. And when our social and cultural systems exacerbate or codify such judgments, we do violence to that which God has made. Racism is a radical affront to the good gift of God, both in the creation described in Genesis, and in the reality of the Incarnation. Jesus came among us to bring an end to that which divides us, as Paul so clearly identifies in Galatians 3:28, "in Christ there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female."

Whenever individual or community behaviors work against God's vision, we have promised to respond in ways that will serve to heal: "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will with God's help (BCP p 305)." God has created us with skins of many colors, God has created us in thousands of tribes and languages, and none is adjudged more godly than another. It is our behavior that gives evidence of godliness, not the color of our skin.

The world has witnessed the evil of institutionalized racism and classism in the United States in the aftermath of the hurricanes of 2005. The poor and persons of color were often served last -- or not at all -- while wealthy and privileged residents had greater resources to escape the immediate danger of the hurricanes and begin the process of rebuilding. We are all shamed by the sin of racism in the reality of inequity in housing, employment, educational and healthcare opportunities, and the disaster response.

This House of Bishops, meeting in Hendersonville, North Carolina on 21 March 2006, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, commit ourselves as bishops to discern and confess our own prejudice and complicity in the pervasive sin of racism, to confront it, and make amends for it in intentional ways every time we gather as a House. We ask the Holy Spirit to empower the House to fully live into this covenant, and we invite the members of this Church to covenant with us, in the following actions personally, corporately, and globally. With God's help, we will:

renew our commitment to the 1994 pastoral letter, "The Sin of Racism"; take responsibility to expose, dismantle and heal those situations of injustice based on racism;
seek forgiveness for our lack of charity and consciousness in recognizing those situations which degrade the image of God in our neighbors;
make amends for our undeserved position and benefit as a result of unjust situations both now and in the past;
empower all members of God's human family, that they may live into the fullness of what God intends;
encourage the larger church to continue and expand its work of education, spiritual formation, and anti-racism training, that all might discover the riches of God's diverse creation, especially in those who differ from us;
advocate for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals by the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, our respective dioceses, the parishes which comprise them, and our governments, as well as our own households, that God's desire may become increasingly evident for all of humanity;
recruit and empower people of all races and ethnic origins as leaders in our church, and as members of all boards, agencies, commissions, and committees;
dedicate equitable resources for all races and national origins in the funding of theological education for all ministries, lay and ordained;
advocate for continued response to the sinful legacy of slavery; expose situations of environmental racism and classism which poison and threaten the poorest among us, and seek justice for those communities; and
advocate for compassionate care of the stranger in our midst, and demand just immigration policies.
Having entered into covenant with each other to root out the sin of racism in very specific personal and corporate ways, we, the bishops of the Episcopal Church, invite all members of our Church to join us in this mission of justice, reconciliation, and unity. This is an expression of our commitment to the fundamental covenant each of us entered into at the moment of our baptism.

May God give us the will to do this reconciling work, and the power and grace to accomplish it.

We ask that this pastoral letter be read in all churches as soon as possible.

John Donne, Priest, Poet, Preacher

John Donne, Priest, Poet, Preacher
March 31

John Donne was born in 1573 (his father died in 1576) into a Roman Catholic family, and from 1584 to 1594 was educated at Oxford and Cambridge and Lincoln's Inn, a highly regarded law school. He became an Anglican (probably around 1594) and aimed at a career in government. He joined with Raleigh and Essex in raids on Cadiz and the Azores, and became private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton. But in 1601 he secretly married Anne More, the 16-year-old niece of Egerton, and her enraged father had Donne briefly imprisoned. The years following were years of poverty, debt, illness, and frustration. After years of resisting Holy Orders, he was ordained in 1615.

He was a Jacobean metaphysical poet who wrote sonnets, love poetry, religous poems, Latin translations, elegies, songs and sermons. Long before his ordination, and probably beginning with his marriage, his thoughts were turned toward holiness, and he saw in his wife Anne (as Dante had earlier seen in Beatrice) a glimpse of the glory of God, and in human love a revelation of the nature of Divine Love. His poetry, mostly written before his ordination, includes poems both sacred and secular, full of wit, puns, paradoxes, and obscure allusions at whose meanings we can sometimes only guess, presenting amorous experience in religious terms and devotional experience in erotic terms., so that I one poem of his is in a manual of devotion and in a pornography collection.

After his ordination, his reputation as a preacher grew steadily. From 1622 until his death he was Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and drew huge crowds to hear him, both at the Cathedral and at Paul's Cross, an outdoor pulpit nearby. His prose style is in some ways outdated, but his theme continues to fascinate: "the paradoxical and complex predicament of man as he both seeks and yet draws away from the inescapable claim of God on him."

These three quotations among many others from his work are still heard today and have been borrowed by other authors.
They include: "Death be not proud"
"No man is an Island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent" and
"never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."

PRAYER

Almighty God, the root and fountain of all being: Open our eyes To see, with your servantJohn Donne, that whatever has any being is a mirror in which we may behold you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Morning Prayer, Pray as you go, and Podcasts

Until recently, I had no idea what a podcast was, except it was something to do with computers. On National Public Radio this past weekend, I heard of a podcast developed called "Pray as you go" - it has been developed by British Jesuits on a trial basis during Lent. These podcasts are free downloads through Itunes and each meditation lasts approximately 10 minutes in length. Sacred music, scripture and meditation are all components of each day's podcast.

In addition, another podcast available is the Office of Morning Prayer, read daily by The Rev. Brenda Monroe from the Diocese of Atlanta.

Do you need an IPOD or MP3 player to be able to listen to these? No, you may listen to them through your computer if you have sound capability.

For now, I will listen to these two on my computer - maybe one day I can "Pray as I go" with an IPOD. Until then, I am content to listen in my home.

Won't You Join Us?

In April the St. John's Book Club will meet on the first and fourth Sundays of April (April 2 and 23) since Easter falls on the third Sunday of the month. We will be reading selections from "The Complete Stories" of Flannery O'Connor (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971). O'Connor is a native Georgia writer, born in Savannah and reared in Savannah and Milledgeville. O'Connor was a Roman Catholic who wove theological themes and images throughout her stories. We will focus on 16 of the 31 stories in the book. April 2: "The Crop," "A Good Man is Hard to Find," "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," "The River," "A Circle in the Fire," "The Displaced Person," "A Temple of the Holy Ghost," and "Good Country People." April 23: "You Can't Be Any Poorer Than Dead," "The Enduring Chill," "The Comforts of Home," "Everything That Rises Must Converge," "The Lame Shall Enter First," "Revelation," "Parker's Back," and "Judgement Day."We meet at 6 p.m. and begin with snacks and light food. Please join us.

Saying Good Night to God

I write this as I sit in a hotel from Savannah - Diocesan Convention. A most lovely compline service (you can hear a compline service on this site) - a feast for the ears and soul in a most historic Christ Church Savannah. Interdenomination choir members from a range of traditions offered the sung service, by candlelight, hauntingly beautiful, seemingly simple with the melismatic chant. This small ensemble offered to convention attendees a time to pray and listen as the music soared through the church.

See more "Saying Good Night to God."

May God grant you a safe night's end and a peaceful rest. Amen.

Episcopalians and Technology Survey

The ECUSA's Church Publishing group has quick survey to learn more about Episcopalians' use of technology in their every day and faith lives. It is completely anonymous.Take it here and pass it on. It took me approximately five minutes.

Special thanks goes to Berkeley Farm Girl, a fellow Episcopalian who also blogs.

Phillips Brooks, Bishop and Preacher

January 23 is the day we celebrate the life of Phillips Brooks. Phillips Brooks is best known today as the author of O Little Townof Bethlehem which is on pages 70,71 in The 1982 Hymnal. In the nineteenth century he was considered one of America's best preachers.

Born in Boston in 1835 he was educated at Harvard and Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1860 and named as rector of the Church of the Advent in Philadelphia. At that time he was known for his support of freeing slaves and allowing former slaves to vote. In 1869 Brooks became rector of Trinity Church in Boston. In 1872 he helped design the Trinity Church building which is still standing today in Boston's Back Bay.

In 1891 he was elected Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts and died in 1893.

Many of his quotes are good words for us to live by today.

"A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words.

A prayer in its simplest definition is merely a wish turned Godward.

Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious.

Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God's Paradise.

Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.

Call your opinions your creed, and you will change them every week. Make your creed simply and broadly out of the revelation of God, and you will keep it to the end.

Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.

Charity should begin at home, but should not stay there.

Christianity helps us face the music even when we don't like the tune.

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.

Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours. Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious.

Make your creed simply and broadly out of the revelation of God, and you will keep it to the end.

No man or woman can be strong, gentle, pure, and good, without the world being better for it and without someone being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.

Set yourself earnestly to see what you are made to do, and then set yourself earnestly to do it.

The best advisers, helpers and friends, always are not those who tell us how to act in special cases, but who give us, out of themselves, the ardent spirit and desire to act right, and leave us then, even through many blunders, to find out what our own form of right action is. "

Any of his sentences are still excellent advice today to follow to help us live more Christ-like lives.

Prayers

O everlasting God, who called your servant Phillips Brooks to The ministry of preaching, and gave him wisdom, charity, and eloquence that he might speak the truth with grace and power: Grant, we pray, that all those whom you call to preach the Gospel may steep themselves in your word, and conform their lives to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

O everlasting God, who revealed truth to your servant Phillips Brooks, and so formed and molded his mind and heart that he was able to mediate that truth with grace and power: Grant, we pray, that all those whom you call to preach the Gospel may steep themselves in your word, and conform their lives to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Julia Chester Emery, January 9

Today, January 9, we honor Julia Chester Emery, a modern additon to the Episcopal Kalendar who was added in1994.

She was a daughter of a New England sea captain with two brothers who became priests. Her sister, Helen, cared for a sister who was ill, and provided hospitality in her New York City home for missionaries on leave. Sister Mary was National Secretary of the Women's Auxiliary of the Board of Missions for its first four years, from 1872 to 1876. At this point, Julia took over, and was National Secretary of the Auxiliary for forty years, from 1876 to 1916.

Julia visited every diocese in the United States, co-ordinating and encouraging work in support of missions. She traveled to London for as a delegate to the Pan-AnglicanCongress. Her travels included Japan, inland China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines in an effort to advance missionary work there, and to be able to report on it to the Episcopal women in the United States.

She invented the United Thank Offering (UTO). This works by giving each woman a small box with a slit in the top.(I still have my small blue box), and encouraging her to drop a small contribution into it whenever she feels thankful about something. Once a year, the women of the parish present these at the Sunday service, and the money is sent to national headquarters to be used for missions. In 2005, UTO awarded 131 grants for a total of $2,710,247.22 . The UTO prayer is:
"Source of all creation, all love, all true joy, accept we pray, these outward signs
of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life. Bless those who will
benefit from these gifts through the outreach of the United Thank Offering;
and keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenge that
come our way; through him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ
our Lord and Savior. Amen"

Prayer for Julia:

O Almighty God, who have surrounded us with a great cloud of Witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Julia, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with her attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Feast of St. Stephen

Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr. What little we know about him is found in Chapters 6 and 7 of the Book of Acts. Most people are familiar with this hymn that mentions his feast:

Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.

“Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes’ fountain.”

“Bring me food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
You and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
Through the cold wind’s wild lament and the bitter weather.

“Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger,
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, my good page, tread now in them boldly,
You shall find the winter’s rage freeze your blood less coldly.”

In his master’s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
You who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.

Prayer
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand: where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.

To learn more about Stephen, go to here

Venite Adoremus

Of course this is a most appropriate title for this day before Christmas - but it is also the name of an art exhibition for the Episcopal Church and Visual Arts virtual display of items that, as the curators Frank and Griffin Logue requested:

We asked artists to respond to the challenge to let the hymns of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany serve as their muse in both creating and selecting the art for this exhibit. The resulting exhibit offers an interesting array of thoughtful works in varying artistic styles and media.

They did not disappoint with their creativity in combining the hymns of the season to their particular medium or media. For a feast of the eyes and soul, visit the online exhibition. It will nourish and enhance your journey as we all prepare for Christmas.

Interestingly, I counted 4 contributors from the Diocese of Georgia. If I missed anyone please let me know!

Check it out here - which one is your favorite?

You can also check out their blog here at ecva.blogspot.com.
What a wonderful gift these artists have given us.

Let Love be your Guide and Your Delight

Today I received a most timely email from Barbara Grafton's Almost Daily Emo - her emails come just as she states - almost daily, with each carrying a message for its readers to "mark and inwardly digest" - some of them hit the spot at the right time and this paragraph was written just for those of us that feel a bit harried (much of it self imposed) this season. Grafton writes:

Cut down the number of things you do until you can genuinely love every last one them. Let love be your guide and your delight, and inhabit a world small enough for that to happen -- it will grow later, as needed, as love fills and softens you and makes you more elastic. God, the author of love, isn't interested in giving us nervous breakdowns at Christmastime or any other time. Love isn't supposed to wear us out. It comes among us to make us strong.

So, as the next few days prior to Christmas Day, this shall become a prayer for me, as the season of Advent, in which we have been preparing for this special day, ends the Feast Day of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated.

For those of you interested in subscribing to the daily emo of Barbara Grafton, go to her web site The Geranium Farm and subscribe.

A Little Advent and then some Bach

Topmost Apple, a blogger, is posting links to music of the Advent season, including the O Antiphons. In addition, he is providing you the images of the music as it might have originally been written.

For the Bach lovers, the BBC radio will offer 24 hours of Bach's music for 10 days - playing his complete works. What a prolific composer that has offered so much to church music. Go to this site to hear. Click on the Radio player icon to listen.

Special thanks to LutheranChik who posted these two links on her site.

We hope these will enhance your preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

In today's Gospel lesson we read the familiar story of Gabriel's vist to Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end"
And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you:
therefore the child to be born will be called holy,
the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke1:28-38)

How would any of us react to such a heavenly visitor? Questioning?( I am noted for asking why.) Angry? Sad? Astonished? Laughing? Surely he jests? Why me? No thanks, I am not worthy of such honor. Are you sure you mean me? This is another example of ' letting go and letting God.'
Of course God knew that he had sent Gabriel to the right woman.

Henri J.M. Nouwen is a favorite author of mine and he wrote"You have to say yes fully to yor powerlessness in order to let God heal you. But your willingness to experience your powerlessness already includes the beginning of surrender to God's action in you. Your willingness to let go of your desire to control your life reveals a certain trust. The more you relinguish your stubborn need to maintain power the more you will get in touch with the One who has the power to heal and guide you. And the more you get in touch with that divine power, the easier it will be to confess to yourself and to others your basic powerlessness....
Nouwen then compares us to seeds planted in the ground, reminding us that if we keep digging the seed up to check and see what it is doing, it will never become a plant. We need to stay there and trust that we are in good soil and will grow as a result.

Lord Jesus, I know that I try to control too much of my life. Help me to repent and to learn to look to you for the nourishment that I need to grow. Amen.

May this prayer help us to maintain watchful anticipation for the real Christmas, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we take time each day to meditate on the true meaning of Advent as the great day draws nearer.
In Christis love, Naomi