We see some amazing sunsets in this part of Texas. Earlier this week I saw one that took my breath away. It was the reddest and brightest sunset I’ve ever seen. I just had to stand there in awe and gratitude for a few moments and savor it.
Jews have a tradition of offering a brief prayer of thanks to God (berakhah) whenever they have a new experience. I appreciate the tradition and try to practice it daily at every point when I experience the hand of God at work in the world around me. So, on the occasion of seeing the amazing sunset, I said, “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe and Creator of all things, for showing me your handiwork.”
The function of a berakhah is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessing. These short prayers also serve to transform a variety of everyday actions and occurrences into religious experiences that increase awareness of God at all times. For this purpose, ancient rabbis taught that it was the duty of every Jew to recite one hundred berakhot every day.
I wonder what would happen if every believer from every faith tradition were to adopt this practice. Greater awareness of the One who created all things might make us better neighbors, better stewards, better parents, and better sons and daughters. Offering a blessing to God for the abundance of blessings from God could, over time, transform us into more generous people. Acknowledging the majesty and wonder of our Creator would humble us and change us into more grateful creatures.
Let’s try it for a few days and see what happens!
Blessings!
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
My remaining time as Interim Dean at St. Andrew's Cathedral is getting shorter by the day. It's a big transition for me, not simply because I'm saying farewell to people I have grown to love and respect, but also because I have notified the Church Pension Fund that I am ready to retire. I've never looked forward to retirement because I love what I do and I love the people with whom I am honored to work for the building up of the Church during healthy transitions.
This transition for me marks the end of a way of life and service that I've known all of my adult life. But it also marks the beginning of a new series of adventures, serving the Church in different ways - consulting, supplying, mentoring, coaching, and a few other possibilities. Gay and I will finally start living in the house we've occasionally stayed in for the last four-and-one-half years, get to know our neighbors, and explore a part of Texas we've barely visited, even though it is our home state.
The chorus from W.H. Auden's Christmas Oratorio is on my mind today as I reflect upon my life and ministry and the people and places I have known. It describes the journey into a new kind of normal with all its dangers and surprises, traveling with our memories and the Lover of our souls.
He is the Way. Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness; You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.
He is the Truth. Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety; You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.
He is the Life. Love Him in the World of the Flesh; And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.
(W.H. Auden – 1907-1973)
This poem is set to two different tunes in The Hymnal 1982 of The Episcopal Church. Here's a beautiful choral setting: The Way, The Truth, The Life (Royal Holloway Choir, University of London, Samuel Rathbone & Rupert Gough)
Please hold us in your prayers and stay in touch. We are excited for you and your new Dean and will be watching with eager anticipation as you begin a new era of mission together.
I'll see you in Church (one more time)!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi
As I draw closer to the completion of my ministry among you at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, I’m mindful of so many things I need to do and say. Was this how Jesus was feeling during the time leading up to the Ascension? He sure took the time to give some instructions, provide some reminders, and make some promises before saying goodbye. I think I will too.
My last Sunday will be June 16. I’ll preside over the Vestry one more time on June 17. My first event at St. Andrew’s was the Dean’s List and so it will be the last on June 18. Then, on June 19, we will head for our house in Arlington, Texas. I’ll be on vacation for the rest of the month. Anne Maxwell will become your Dean on July 1 and you will soon begin to experience an entirely new transition. You’ve had time to “practice” on David Elliott and me for almost three years. I hope you’ve experienced some things that will help you step into a new era of mission with a new spiritual leader.
Here are a few things that are on my mind as I prepare to leave you:
• We’ve emphasized involvement, created or revitalized groups to pursue God’s mission, and developed charters to guide their work. There's a healthy process in place to help a lot of people do a lot of good. If you are involved, thank you. If you are not, take some time to discern how God may be calling you to get involved. HERE is a pretty complete description of how things are organized at this time. Where might you connect and express the gifts God has given to you?
• There’s a new online pictorial directory. Have you logged in and provided a photo? Your new Dean will want to get to know you, know how to find you, and recognize your face. If you have not already signed up, please take a few minutes to do that. HERE is the information you will need.
• Another way you can help your new Dean (and fellow communicants as well) is to wear a nametag. We’ve placed blank ones and Sharpies at entrances and gathering places. If you have a permanent name tag that you bring to the Cathedral with you, that’s great. But if you forget it, these are always here.
• Invite / Welcome / Connect. Don’t be shy about inviting others to St. Andrew’s. It doesn’t have to be to a worship service. Almost any event can be an entry point for newcomers. And, don’t be shy about speaking to people. Introduce yourself, show newcomers the way to Coffee Hour, help them navigate our beautifully complex liturgy, and be the “Face” of St. Andrew’s. Also, don’t be shy about connecting people to others in our loving Cathedral community. They very well may be looking for a community like ours.
• Set the example as the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Mississippi. The diocese is looking to St. Andrew's for leadership, encouragement, resources, and hospitality, all of which are here in abundance. Join the Cathedral Guild. Serve in a diocesan role. Look for opportunities to be a representative of the Cathedral in the City of Jackson and beyond. St. Andrew's is not just another big church; you are the Cathedral Church, serving the diocese and the Bishop.
• Pray for your Bishop, Dean, Canons, Staff and the leadership of the Cathedral. Prayer has made a difference during the past three years. It will continue to be the one thing we all have in common. (Get it? Common Prayer?)
• Show up. Your presence matters. It matters to you, when you didn’t feel like coming and something happens that changes your life. It matters to others, when the room is full of singing, praying, loving people and when the smile on your face or the sound of your voice is exactly what someone else needs to get through another week. It matters to God, who calls you to worship and service and dwells among God’s own people.
• I have invited you to view Christian stewardship as a spiritual practice, which, like prayer, strengthens your faith, hope, and love. You have responded in amazing ways and I pray that you have found the practice to be everything I told you it would be and more. “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:12-13)
• Remember that Gay and I love you and will think of you often wherever we may be. Our time with you has enriched and changed our lives. We are grateful for your lavish hospitality and generous friendship.
The best days, the golden years, of St. Andrew’s Cathedral lie just ahead. God’s promise to Israel is yours as well: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
Have you thought about the fact that, while the Ascension Window in the rear of the Cathedral Nave is our largest window, we hardly ever talk much about the Ascension other than when we're reciting the creeds?
Perhaps the reason the Church has neglected the Ascension in its preaching, teaching, and liturgical life is that it is so easy to let issues such as the location of heaven, behavior of clouds, and laws of gravity obscure the central theological affirmations of the event. I invite you to look beyond the literal description of the event with me and consider those affirmations.
The first affirmation is that it rings the curtain down on the earthly ministry of Jesus.
He had walked with them and talked with them about the Kingdom before and after the resurrection. He had walked the way of the cross. He had journeyed with them along the road to Emmaus and appeared to them in the breaking of the bread. He stood among them in that fear-filled room in Jerusalem and restored their courage and their faith. For forty days he had shared with them his risen presence. He had prepared them for his going away and promised them that he would send the Comforter, power from on high, and that because he was going to the Father, they would be able to do even greater works than he had done. Now it was time for the earthly part of his ministry to cease.
The Ascension was a farewell scene. They needed a transition and this was the event that made it possible. We know the need ourselves. His departure points to a new day in God's Realm, a new relationship with his followers, and a new responsibility for his work. So, the Ascension affirms that his earthly ministry has come to a close and his work in the world is now to be done by those whom he has chosen and empowered.
A second affirmation of the Ascension is a broadening understanding of the purpose and mission of the Church.
The figure in white asked them, “Why are you standing there looking up into heaven?” That may be another way of saying, “You have been told what you are supposed to do and it is NOT to stand there looking up into the sky. Jesus told you he’ll return but he didn’t give you a schedule. You have things to do. Go and do them!”
The challenge to the Church now as then is, while we expect his return at any moment, we are not to spend our waiting time looking up into the sky and meditating on the past but moving into mission in the world. Theologian Leslie Newbigin once observed, “The Church is unique in that it exists not for its own sake but for the sake of those outside it.”
We are not to become so caught up in gazing in wonder that we fail to capture the vision of the mission field at the doorsteps of our churches into which we are sent at the end of every service. We must not be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good in advancing the reign of God in our part of the world!
The third affirmation of the Ascension is that Jesus, the suffering and crucified One, is now with the Father.
What does that mean? I am reminded of Luther’s debate with Zwingli during which Zwingli was challenging Luther’s perspective on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Zwingli declared, “He can’t be in two places at once, and the scripture says he’s at the right hand of God.” Luther responded, “The right hand of God is here, there, and everywhere.”
The right hand of God is not a geographical location you can Google, but rather the power bestowed upon the Son by the Father. He brings God’s power to us. It means that the One who has been given all power and authority has been touched with the feeling of weakness, knows our pain, has wrestled with temptation. His incarnation, which began with his Nativity and concluded with his Ascension, has brought something of our humanity into the very life of God.
It means that he is Sovereign of the Universe. All that is left is for the universe to acknowledge that truth.
And, it means that the ultimate outcome of history is no longer in question. The Kingdom, the power, and the glory are his now and forever. He has triumphed and, we who are his sisters and brothers through Baptism are heirs of all that he has won. His victory is our victory. You might say that his victory is hidden in our history, to be perceived only through eyes of faith. What do you see when you look around? Look again!
In the Letter to the Ephesians, we are told that the world should be able to get a glimpse of God's Reign when it looks at the Church, his Body. We have to confess that is not always what the world sees. It’s not always what we see either. But he’s probably doing more with us than he’s getting done with any other group on this planet. The Church is still alive and at work in human lives, bringing compassion, healing, purpose, and victory to people of all types in all places.
Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (BCP)
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi
P.S. This Charles Wesley hymn about the Ascension is a favorite of mine.
We are at that time of year when people complete their courses of study in schools, colleges, and universities. Those who have completed their course of studies take part in an important ritual called “graduation” or “commencement.” I’ve always found it interesting that our words for that ritual have more to do with the next step than with the series of steps leading up to it. We “graduate” from our studies into a new set of challenges. We “commence” that for which we have been preparing.
When Jesus was with the twelve in the Upper Room, he knew it was time for them to “graduate.” He was preparing to complete his earthly mission and leave them, so he had to tell them things they needed to know in order to “commence” the next era of proclaiming his gospel. Scholars typically call this section of John’s gospel “the farewell discourse.” However, when you read it you will clearly see that it is far, far more than a farewell speech - it is a commencement address.
For the followers of Christ, the focus is always on the future! To those who are graduating from the course of study in which you have been involved and who are about to commence the next phase of your life’s journey, we say, “congratulations!” The future opens before you and it is filled with possibilities and opportunities. It also holds uncertainties and challenges. Perhaps it seems frightening or overwhelming to you.
In light of these options, remember the words of the Psalmist (Psalm 139:13-14):
For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your Creator designed you to face the future with remarkable gifts. Those uniquely human gifts, employed in partnership with the Creator, equip you to make something from nothing!
Long ago, when you were Baptized, God and the Church made a promise to always be there for you. As you commence your next educational pursuit or your career, remember that. I have a bookmark that has printed on it an invitation to face the future in confidence. It says, “Don’t be afraid of the future, God is already there.” That is a paraphrase of God’s message through the Prophet Jeremiah: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (Jer. 29:11).
God bless you as your journey continues. Along with God, we promised to continue with you and we will keep that promise. Wherever you may be, there will be a Christian community that has made the same promise. Get to know them. Participate in their worship, life, and companionship. Let them help you continue to grow spiritually while you are growing in knowledge.
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi
Legacy – Something handed down from one generation to another…
There are many ways people leave legacies. For example:
A legacy of wise leadership
A legacy of moral character
A legacy of professional excellence
A legacy of compassion
A legacy of faithfulness
A legacy of friendship
All of these, along with many other qualities and accomplishments, are worthy of our attention. While we focus on what endures beyond our lifetime, the truth is that we must live our legacy now in order for there to be something to pass along to the next generation. Each day, how we live our lives, practice our vocation, relate to others, contribute to the welfare of our society, is an investment in the legacy that remains when we have reached the end of our days.
In Church circles, when the term “legacy” is used, it is most often in reference to monetary gifts bequeathed to a church by members, as in “Legacy Stewardship.” In fact, that is one very important way one generation can hand something of value down to another generation. And, like any legacy, we have to live it day by day in order for there to be something to pass along.
At St. Andrew’s Cathedral, we have a permanent endowment, contributions to which are held in trust, invested and reinvested, with only a portion of the earnings made available to spend on the purpose for which the gifts have been restricted by the donor. Our endowment makes it possible to maintain our historic facilities, do extraordinary things to strengthen parish and diocesan life (e.g., music, youth, formation), and to serve our neighbors in need.
Much of our discussion about the Cathedral endowment focuses on estate planning, wills, trusts, and bequests. All of those things seem more of interest to our communicants who are retiring or who have come to the point where they want to be sure their affairs are in order as they face a shorter future.
Here is another way of thinking about legacy stewardship, one that may be of interest to younger families and individuals. It is possible to name an endowment fund when contributions to that fund reach $25,000. You can make a pledge to create such a fund and add to it as you are able. In fulfillment of your pledge, you can invest a certain sum each year for a certain number of years to reach the goal of $25,000 in a designated fund. At that point, you can name the fund.
What’s even better is that your endowed fund at St. Andrew’s Cathedral will be there in perpetuity. You, members of your family, or others who want to honor you can make a gift to it at any time, before or after it is named, increasing the legacy you have begun. And, when you reach the age when you are facing retirement or the end of your days, it will be there, almost like a member of the family, to be included in your estate plans.
If you are interested and want to have a confidential conversation about how to live your legacy in this way, contact the Endowment Committee ([email protected]).
Think about it.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississipi
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday every year. Our collect and readings remind us that in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament, the middle eastern shepherd is a metaphor for the divine nature. The gospel readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter are always from the tenth chapter of John. If you read the entire chapter you not only hear about the Good Shepherd but also the flock.
It helps me to pay more attention to the flock in these readings. The character of the flock reveals something about the one who guides and cares for it. The fact, for example, that there are different kinds of sheep indicates that the shepherd values diversity along with unity.
I’m very grateful that the Good Shepherd values this sort of unity in the midst of diversity, yet I am aware of how difficult it is to achieve and how challenging it is to maintain. We tend to associate with people with whom we share racial, cultural, economic, and religious characteristics and values. At times we may even ridicule those who appear to be different.
The Good Shepherd calls us all, "from every nation, race, people and tongue." Unlike the societies in which we live, in the Good Shepherd’s flock our differences are to remain as distinctions but not as separations. They enhance the color and texture of the community of believers rather than alienating or marginalizing. There is no dominant or superior group in this flock. We are all God’s people, "one flock, one Shepherd."
It is a paradox of our faith that the Good Shepherd is also the Lamb of God. Of his own accord, he laid down his life for the sheep. He paid for the undisputed right to lead us by the shedding of his blood. If we hear his voice and follow him, he will make it possible for us to live together in peace. If we can do that, as diverse a flock as we are, perhaps the flock of Christ can offer hope to our divided world. This is reason enough to cry out Alleluia!
I'll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi
P.S. I want to share with you one of my favorite musical settings of the twenty-third psalm. It is by composer Howard Goodall and some of you will recognize it as the theme song from a BBC television production about a flock that was tended by a very interesting shepherd. The choir is that of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
What a glorious Easter we've had! Thanks to everyone who contributed to the beauty and the joy of our celebrations at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. As we enter the Great Fifty Days of Easter, we are especially conscious of the renewal of life. It seems like an appropriate time to address one of the important tasks of transition; taking stock of the present identity of the parish. Here are a few ways we can do that during this season.
Worship – Corporate worship is the heart of our life together. In worship, our faith is renewed and restored, lives are transformed, significant decisions are inspired, and God’s call to service is heard. If you have become less than regular in worship, I invite you to attend more frequently. For example, if you come about once a month, perhaps you could resolve to be in worship at least twice a month. If you are already a weekly worshiper, perhaps you might offer to serve as an usher, a greeter, a lector, or in some other capacity that contributes to our worship. Give it some prayerful consideration.
Membership Information Update – We have placed notebooks with current membership information in the Rotunda, St. Francis Hall, and the Parish Hall. Please take the time to check to be sure we have up to date and accurate contact information, birth dates, anniversary dates, baptism dates, and names of everyone in your household.
Communication – Effective communication is vital to every family, community, and organization. We have begun using our new Realm program for membership information and internal communication. Also, if you are responsible for informing the Cathedral community about an event or something your ministry group is doing, please work closely with our Communications Director Josh Geter to ensure that our messages and graphics are consistent.
Involvement – There are places of purposeful service in our life together. Many of you indicated interest in beginning or exploring new places of service through the recent “I Will, With God’s Help” survey. All of that information has been shared with leaders of various ministry groups and they are in the process of making contact.
Short Range Planning – This is a very active parish. Quite a few things need to be accomplished during the coming months as preparations are made to welcome a new Dean. The staff, commissions, committees, guilds, and others are in the process reviewing plans, assignments, and objectives to ensure that the momentum continues.
As Easter People, we are always open to renewal and this is one such opportunity. We are going to need everyone’s attention and assistance as we nurture our life together. Please watch for communications and participate at every opportunity. One reason St. Andrew’s is such a vibrant and healthy community of faith is the level of participation. We want that to continue! Think of this as something like an annual checkup to sure everything is working and that nothing is being overlooked.
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississippi
In Baptism, we are incorporated into the Paschal Mystery. That is, we are incorporated into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His life is our life. His death is our death. His resurrection is our resurrection. It is for this reason that Christians observe Holy Week every year. It is a commemoration intended to put us in touch with that life which the world can neither give nor take away. It is a time to look at the Paschal Mystery and to recover our true identity, our authentic self, in him.
Five hundred years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem, Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would be a king. Since the time of the Exile, no Jewish ruler had borne the title of king. “Look, your king is coming to you. Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion.” The time was just right and the people were happy that day to acknowledge it.
They wished to crown him their king. In their enthusiasm, they missed the paradox. They saw the glory but overlooked the shadow. But Jesus was conscious of both.
He knew who he was so the acclamation of the crowd did not impress him. He saw that their palm branches cast the shadow of a cross. He sensed that the kingly crown they were offering to him that day would become a crown of thorns by the end of the week. Jesus knew that the identity the world offered was not a secure identity, not a legitimate identity, and certainly not a dependable identity. No, for Jesus, the only true identity is consciousness of who we are in the eyes of our Creator.
To the disciples, on the next weekend, it must have looked like the world’s biggest failure, a cruel joke. Imagine being sucked in to a group like “the Twelve.” To them “the Way” must have appeared more like a primrose path. Because they were still so dependent upon the things of the world for their sense of identity, they had to be the most embarrassed people around Jerusalem.
Then came Easter. Out of the tomb came the Risen Messiah with his identity still intact. “He is risen” is shorthand for Jesus message of resurrection, “Behold, I have overcome the world. Behold, I died and I am alive. Behold, who you are need never again depend upon who you know, what you wear, where you live, what you do, how much you possess, or even what people say about you. Because I live, you will live also. You will experience new life in me and you will be able to face the popularity contest the world is running with confidence that you don’t really have to enter it in order to find out who you are. Here is my crown. It is yours! Take it! And believe me when I tell you that this crown of glory, which is both mine and yours, will never fade away.”
Who and whose we truly are – that’s what Holy Week and Easter are all about.
One of the most poignant passages we will read during this Holy Week is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Church at Philippi:
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Phil. 2:5-11
I am struck by the description of the depth of Jesus’ obedience “to the point of death – even death on a cross.” His journey, especially during the days leading up to the Crucifixion, was a journey of obedience. That gets right to the heart of Holy Week, doesn’t it?
We know that the journey was not without its moments for Jesus. He prayed about it until he sweated blood. The temptation to take another path, to escape, to avoid the cross, was always there. But he knew his mission and was obedient to the One who had set this path before him.
By his obedience to that higher vocation, Jesus was able to overcome his inner conflict. By his commitment to the mission entrusted to him, he was able to remain steadfast until he fulfilled it. By his discipline in the midst of confusion, he was able to discern the way forward toward his redemptive objective.
In the story "Ninety-three," Victor Hugo tells of a ship caught in a violent storm. When the storm was at its height, the frightened crew heard a terrible crashing below. A cannon they were carrying had broken loose and was banging into the ship’s sides, tearing gaping holes with every smashing blow. Two men, at the risk of their lives, managed to secure the cannon again, for they knew that the loose cannon was more dangerous than the storm. The storm could toss them about, but the loose cannon within could sink them.
So, too, the outside storms and problems of life aren’t the greatest danger. It’s the terrible destructiveness of a lack of obedience to the highest, best, and noblest dimensions of life that can send us to the bottom.
The cross could have destroyed Jesus. But it didn’t because in humility he submitted himself to a discipline that kept him within the Divine Will. We could use some of his obedience in our own lives. Maybe some will rub off on us as we walk with him in the Way of the Cross during Holy Week, through the Crucifixion, into the Tomb, and into the glorious Resurrection on Easter. Let’s do it together!
I’ll see you in Church!
The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue Interim Dean St. Andrew’s Cathedral Jackson, Mississipi
Your thoughtful comments will make a visit to e-piphanies a richer experience for everyone. By clicking on the "Comments" link beneath each post, you can read the remarks others have written or add your own. If you leave a question, I will respond in the journal. In order to maintain the integrity of this blog, all comments are reviewed before being published on line.