e-piphanies

An Epiphany From a Table

 

We once lived in a rectory that had a beautiful dining table with extensions at each end that could be pulled out from under the top to double the size and seating capacity. The first Thanksgiving with that table, Gay and I were setting up for guests and positioning the extensions so we could seat twelve. After we pulled the extensions out, we noticed that they would not sit flush with the central tabletop because the tongue and slot on each end were not aligned. We immediately decided that at some point the two extensions had been reversed and that, by removing them and putting them in the original positions, we could make the tongues and slots align properly so the top and the extensions would fit perfectly.

We tried that. It didn’t work because the rails attached to the extensions have to bypass each other under the table and they had to glide through channels that were positioned differently on each side.

Obviously, we thought, someone had screwed the extensions to the wrong rails. To correct the problem, we would need to remove the screws and return the extensions to the proper rails. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the screw holes in the table extensions were not in the same locations on the two rails. So that wouldn’t work either.

We felt completely defeated, but were not going to be outsmarted by a wooden table.

Finally, we saw that the tabletop was not fastened to anything. We picked it up, turned it 180º, sat it back down, and moved the extensions into place. With the tongues and slots now in perfect alignment, everything fitted together perfectly. Problem solved!

There is an epiphany in this incident; Effective problem solving depends upon a reliable understanding of the situation. And, sometimes the challenges in our lives are not so much problems to be solved, as they are situations to be understood. The Bible is full of examples. Here are some examples from the ministry of Jesus.

There was a man who was born blind. Some Pharisees saw the problem and concluded that his blindness was the result of someone’s sin – either his parents’ sin or his own. Jesus’ response was to say, “His blindness is not the result of sin.” They didn’t understand the situation and that led them to a solution that wrote the blind man off. Jesus, on the other hand, saw the situation from a different point of view. The man needed healing, not condemnation. His problem was an opportunity for God’s compassion to be revealed. So Jesus healed him.

When Jesus was teaching a huge crowd of people and mealtime was approaching, his disciples decided that the solution to the problem was to send them into the village so they could find some food. They didn’t understand the situation. Jesus did. He said, “You feed them.” They protested that there were only five loaves of bread and two fish. Again, they didn’t understand the situation. Jesus did. He told them to distribute the food. It was another opportunity for divine compassion to be displayed. After everyone was full, there were twelve baskets full of leftovers. Jesus understood that the solution to hunger was to feed people.

King Herod was threatened when he heard that a new King of the Jews had been born. This new King might try to supplant him. So he ordered his soldiers to kill all the male babies they could find. Mary and Joseph fled into Egypt with the infant Jesus. When Jesus grew up and began his public ministry, there were those who wanted him to be their king. He tried to tell them that his kingdom would be of a different kind. Still, he continued to be a problem for those in positions of power and they tried to solve the problem by putting him to death. They didn’t understand the situation. God understood and the Resurrection was the result.

We’ve just come through an election season when every candidate had all the solutions to all the problems. In some cases, I had to wonder if what I was hearing was in fact a solution in search of a problem. However, as we will see in the days ahead, few actually understood the situation and, because of that, many problems will remain unsolved. I would have been more inclined to vote for a candidate who admitted being stumped but was honestly committed to seeking understanding before trying to solve a problem.

Seeking to understand before trying to solve problems is supposed to be a specialty of people of faith. The King James Version puts it this way, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).

I’ll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew's Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

 

 

Are you ready to give?

A friend of mine, when he was a clergyman in a downtown church, was confronted one day by a street person who was seeking assistance. My friend observed that the man was wearing only one shoe. “I see that you’ve lost a shoe,” said my friend. “No,” the man replied with a cheery, toothless smile, “I found one!”

My friend said he learned a valuable lesson that day from an unexpected teacher. Things are not always as they appear. Sometimes we tend to notice what is not there instead of what is. It’s a matter of perspective. Faithful stewardship requires a perspective that is focused on what is rather than what is not, on abundance rather than scarcity. That is why St. Paul held up the generosity of the poor and persecuted Macedonians as an example to the more affluent Corinthians. He counseled them, “…if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what one has not” (II Cor. 8:12).

God doesn’t expect us to give out of what we don’t have, but from the resources God has provided. God has certainly been generous with us. Shouldn’t we in turn be generous with God?  Of course! All we need now is the readiness to follow through on that belief.

Many churches are asking members to make new stewardship commitments at this time of year.  At St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Consecration Sunday is October 14. Wherever you may be, I invite you to give prayerful consideration to the stewardship commitment you will make to God for the coming year. Christian stewardship is not about the Church’s need to receive but about each Christian’s need to give. When we are dealing with our need to give to God, we are probing one of the most sensitive areas of our spirituality. Money comes between people and God more often than anything else. That is why prayer has to precede decisions about giving.

As you pray, first ask God to remind you how much you have received. Next, ask God to grant you the readiness to give from that abundance. Then, ask for a clear, honest assessment of your priorities. After you have answers to these requests, you will find it easier to decide how much to give and to make an intentional commitment to approach your giving as a spiritual practice

Several members of our parish have shared their stories about giving and about having their eyes opened to see God’s gracious hand at work. You can find their stories HERE. Perhaps their perspectives can help yours.

None of us ever fulfilled our destiny or achieved anything great by focusing on what we can’t do. Let the extent of our gifts reflect a perspective that sees an abundance of possibilities and resources. When the readiness is there, God can accomplish amazing things through us.

I’ll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

Too Much Stuff!

I write this on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who reminds us of our uniquely human capacities and responsibilities as stewards of creation.

Last Sunday, St. Andrew’s hosted a service of Blessing of the Animals. The liturgy included the Collect for the Feast of St. Francis from the Book of Common Prayer:

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace gladly to renounce the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We were reminded of our relationship with the other living creatures with whom we share this planet and, in particular, those for whom we are protectors.

Francis and his companions took Jesus instructions to his disciples when he sent them out on their mission quite literally:

"As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food" (Matthew 10:7-10).

These words of Jesus reminded them, as they should remind us, of the relationship human beings have with their possessions. It certainly has been a reminder for me each time Gay and I have prepared for a move to a new place of ministry. This happens every year or two for interim clergy. Each time it has happened and we start packing for the move, we realize that we have accumulated too much stuff.

There was a time (1996) when all of our worldly possessions would fit in a 900 square foot apartment and one 10x10x10 foot storage unit. Then, we bought a 3,200 square foot house in Galveston that had a full attic and an above ground “basement” in which to accumulate things. When we sold that house in 2012, we had to come face to face with all our stuff.

This point was driven home again when we contacted movers! I won't go into the details, but the costs for a full-service move took my breath away. I could not imagine spending so much money to move our stuff from one place to another. There are better ways to use those funds. We eventually worked out a reasonable and affordable solution for our move, but for a few moments I almost wished I had taken a vow of poverty like Francis and his Friars as a part of my rule of life.

Perhaps we already have enough people living in poverty and those of us who are in a position to earn may be able to help them when they find it impossible to help themselves. So, for now, I won't take that vow. But I will be more mindful of how my stuff can get in the way of life and my relationship with God, my neighbors, and my own spiritual being.

But there is a kind of vow I take that helps me live in a healthy relationship with my possessions. I make a pledge to give on a regular basis throughout the year for God’s work. I have learned that it is important that my rule of life includes that spiritual practice along with other practices, such as daily prayer, study of the scriptures, works of mercy, worship, and weekly Holy Communion.

You are invited to join with your Cathedral community on October 14 as we gather to make our pledges of faithful stewardship for the coming year. Following the one great service at 10:00 a.m., we will share a complimentary meal at the Capital Club around the corner. Let us know your attendance plans HERE so we can provide an accurate count for the club's management.

So, thank you, Francis, for doing what most of us cannot bring ourselves to do and for offering us an example of a life that is not weighed down by possessions to the extent that we cannot see beyond them to all that is eternal.

Here is a beautiful hymn, composed by Sebastian Temple and based upon a prayer attributed to St. Francis.

I'll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

Reflections on Pledging and Tithing

On Consecration Sunday, October 14, we will be invited to complete a pledge card as an act of worship during. In discussing this with a group, one person suggested that some of our members don’t make a pledge because they don’t understand why it is important to them or to the Cathedral. Perhaps the following thoughts will be helpful.

What's it all about?

Financial stewardship is an important component of a balanced spiritual life. We emphasize the giver’s need to give rather than the Cathedral’s need to receive. Our generosity toward God is a grateful response to God's generosity toward us. When we make giving to God our first priority, it helps us remember that everything we have - spent, saved, or given away - is a sacred trust from God. We are the stewards of all of it and we want to be faithful in using what God has given in ways that align with our faith. Maintaining a healthy relationship with our possessions keeps them from getting in the way of our relationships with God, our neighbors, and our own inner being. Returning to God from what God has given us is a tangible way to express our faith. When each of us gives, together we fund ministry within our parish and to the community and the world.

What is a pledge?

A pledge is an estimate of giving and a statement of intent representing your commitment to a spiritual practice within the community of Christians. The amount of your pledge may be changed at any time as your financial circumstances change. 

Why should I pledge?

Pledging allows you to make intentional decisions about your giving along with the rest of your financial commitments. When you plan ahead for your giving, you make conscious choices about spending in ways that reflect your faith and values.

The pledges of our members also allow our Vestry, the Cathedral’s governing board, to plan wisely for the use our resources in support of the mission and ministry to which God has called us. The Vestry sets a budget based on the total amount pledged. While regular giving that is not pledged is important to the parish, your pledge helps the Vestry plan more accurately.

How do I pledge?

Annual giving pledges at St. Andrew’s are made each year. While our annual giving campaign is held in the fall, pledges may be made at any time. Every new member during the course of the year is invited to make a pledge.

How do I fulfill my pledge?

Contributing toward your pledge is a matter of your personal preference. You may give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly via cash, checks, credit card, or electronic fund transfer (EFT). You may place your contribution in the offering plate. You may also initiate your own bank payments, via Paypal, Online, or you can arrange for the Cathedral to charge your credit card or debit your bank account. Some members make gifts directly from a retirement account or a donation of stock. Many companies have matching funds for charitable donations of their employees. For assistance, contact Tom Williams, Business Administrator at 601-487-2742 or twilliams@standrews.ms.

How much should I pledge?

The amount of your annual pledge is between you and God. The Cathedral offers some guidelines to assist you as you make this important decision. HERE are two charts that may be helpful. You may download and print them. The main thing is your commitment to the spiritual practice of giving to God.

What is proportionate giving?

Proportionate giving is basing your pledge amount on a percentage of your income. 

What is a tithe?

A tithe is 10% of your income. Since its General Convention in 1982, the Episcopal Church has affirmed the tithe as the minimum standard for giving and encourages members to tithe or be work toward a tithe. A tithe may sound like an unattainable goal to begin with, but if you start with a certain proportion of your income and increase the percentage each year, you will be tithing in a short time. You could start with 5%, a half tithe. Another option is 2½%, which is equivalent to the first hour’s pay of a 40-hour work week.

Just do it!

Where you start or whether you tithe on your annual or gross income is not nearly as important as simply making your first pledge.

Questions?

If you have questions about financial stewardship or tithing, your clergy are happy to talk with you in confidence. You can reach us at 601.354.1535.

I'll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

 

The First Fruits Principle and Recovery of the Spirit of Generosity

The concept of first fruits in the Judeo-Christian tradition has its roots in practices that existed long before references appeared in the Hebrew Scriptures. The faithful were expected to bring the first tenth (tithe) of their harvest to the temple and offer it to God. “Put the first of the fruit which you harvest into a basket, and set the basket down before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all the good which the Lord has given to you” (Deuteronomy 26:1-15).

Then, as now, people raised questions about what was to be included in this first fruits offering. For example, today it is not uncommon to hear someone ask, “Is the tithe to be calculated before or after taxes?” The Temple authorities were not hesitant about providing specific answers to questions like that. For example, agricultural product from non-Jews were not to be included in their offering. It had to be from their own crops; not from fund-raising! And, the portion of the crop at the corners of the fields and whatever was dropped in the fields was not to be included in the first fruits offering; that was charity for the poor and foreigners passing through. So, this offering did not satisfy the requirements of charity and hospitality.

In the Christian Testament, St. Paul uses this harvest language to describe the Risen Christ. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (I Cor. 15:20-23).

St. Paul also draws upon the first fruits principle when writing about the salvation of the Gentiles, “If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy” (Romans 11:16). Jesus Christ, according to Paul’s gospel, is God’s own first fruits offering on behalf of humanity and creation itself. The original first fruits were the first, the best, the ripest, and the most valuable of the fruits of the earth. For Christians, Christ is the first to rise from death. As the first fruits sanctified the rest of the harvest, represented the whole, permitted and ensured the harvest, so Christ arose from the earth to new life and sanctified this new life for his followers. Our lives in Christ are the rest of the harvest. Jesus Christ, the first fruits, has sanctified us and the life we share with him.

So, what does this have to do with us and our self-examination as we consider our vocation as faithful stewards of God’s bounty? The principle of first fruits is at the heart of how we think and act as followers of Christ. When we learn to put Christ first and to offer the first of everything we have to him, that offering spills over into the rest of our lives.

The Episcopal Church teaches that the tithe (10%) is the minimum biblical standard for Christian stewardship. Far be it from me to object to the canons of the Church! However, my reading of the Bible, especially the New Testament, tells me that the minimum standard is 100%. The tithe, the first tenth offered to God for God’s purposes, represents a spiritual discipline that sanctifies everything else in our lives. It helps us make conscious and faithful decisions about what we do with the remaining 90%. Whatever we have - 100% - whether spent, saved, or given away, is a sacred trust from God. The first fruits, the tithe, forms our perspective in ways that help us remember that everything belongs to God and we have the privilege of being stewards of it. That is a vocation given to no other creature. It is what makes us truly human and is a necessary aspect of civility. We are called to be the givers.

This week, as I have been reflecting upon this theme, I came across the words of a very wise person, Ohiyesa, (Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman) a Wahpeton Santee Sioux.  He said, “It was our belief that the love of possessions is a weakness to be overcome. Its appeal is to the material part, and if allowed its way, it will in time disturb one's spiritual balance. Therefore, children must early learn the beauty of generosity. They are taught to give what they prize most, that they may taste the happiness of giving.”  He also said, “As a child I understood how to give; I have forgotten this grace since I became civilized.”

When we look at civilization as we know it today, we’d have to agree with Ohiyesa that many have forgotten how to give. That is a fundamental reason for war, economic woes, crime, violence, the breakdown of families and communities, and a host of other ills that plague us. We, as a civilization, have not done a very good job of teaching our children and one another the necessary discipline of generosity. Like Ohiyesa, many of us have forgotten.

Christians still have an opportunity to change that. And, in order to do so, we must encourage one another in ways that will result in the change, starting with the first fruits. If we will remind one another of this ancient principle and teach it to our children, God will use us to transform the world in ways we cannot begin to imagine. If you are concerned that the remaining 90% won’t be enough, I invite you to remember these words of encouragement from St. Paul, “God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous” (2 Corinthians 9:11).

Let’s give it a try.

I'll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

Beyond Civility

Recently, I have found myself in the midst of conversations that became heated and the need for civility became obvious. I was less than successful in accomplishing that and I left those conversations feeling that I should have found a way to express myself with more civility.

Sunday's reading from the Letter of James is a word of wisdom that offers something even better than civility.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. - James 3:1-12

Such wisdom takes Christians beyond “civil” discourse, which is a good thing, into a higher level of conversation wherein our words can be a blessing to others. If only I can be mindful that the same tongue I use to bless God should also be used to bless those who are created in God's image!

I wonder if I can apply this wise insight the next time I become involved in a conversation about a controversial topic. My viewpoint may not be the one that changes another person's mind. But my blessing might change that person's life.

I’ll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

 

The Emerging Question

Sunday’s Gospel finds Jesus in Gentile territory. He first encounters a Syrophonecian woman who pleads with him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Next he encounters a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. They are not his people. Why is he there and why would he heal people like them?

Behind this story is the question of whether Jesus’ mission was consciously just to the Jews or intentionally extended to Gentiles. The biblical record is clear; Jesus never turned away anyone, Jew or Gentile, who sought his help. The realm he proclaimed is an inclusive realm of grace, open to everyone.

In the early Church, the question shifted to whether one had to become a Jew first before becoming a Christian. Paul's more inclusive way prevailed over the more exclusive approach of Peter. The grace of God was offered freely, without the need for circumcision or a particular religious pedigree.

Today, this question has emerged in yet another way. It comes to us transformed by the growing awareness that Christendom as we have known it in the West no longer is (and perhaps never was) the dominant religion in the world, and by the growing visibility of the diversity and vitality of the many other religious and spiritual traditions in the world. The emerging question is: What does it mean to be a Christian in the world?

Biblical scholar and preacher, Fred Craddock, tells the story of a missionary sent to India near the end of WW II. After many months the time came for a furlough back home. His church wired him the money for passage on a steamer. When he got to the port city, he discovered that a boatload of Jews had just been allowed to land temporarily. They were staying in attics and warehouses and basements all over that port city.

It happened to be Christmas, and on Christmas morning, this missionary went to one of the attics where scores of Jews were staying. He walked in and said, “Merry Christmas.” The people looked at him as if he were crazy and responded, “We're Jews.” “I know that," said the missionary, “What would you like for Christmas?” In utter amazement the Jews responded, “We'd like pastries, good pastries like the ones we used to have in Germany.”

So the missionary used the money for his ticket home to buy pastries for all the Jews he could find. Of course, then he had to wire home asking for more money to book his passage back to the States. As you might expect, they wired back asking what happened to the money they had already sent.

He replied that he had used it to buy Christmas pastries for some Jews. They wired back, “Why did you do that? They don't even believe in Jesus.” He wired back: “Yes, but I do.”

This missionary was a doer of the word and not a hearer only! So are we when our ears are opened and our tongues are loosened, for the hearing and the doing of the reconciling word entrusted to us.

In May of 1738, Peter Bohler, a Moravian missionary, said to Charles Wesley, “If I had a thousand tongues, I’d praise Christ with all of them.” On the 21^st of May, Charles’ quest for such a faith was fulfilled. He was so stirred by those words of Peter Bohler that near the first anniversary of his conversion he wrote a hymn beginning, “Glory to God, and praise, and love.” The seventh stanza recalls Peter Bohler’s words: “O for a thousand tongues to sing my dear Redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!” (Here is a lively rendering of that great hymn.)

Much of what passes for evangelical Christianity today is aimed at closing ears, tying tongues, and excluding people. It sometimes seems to me that much of what is presented as good is in fact demonic. In contrast, we have the inclusive, healing, liberating ministry of our Redeemer, who not only talked about God’s love, but did something about it. Each of us can only ask that he liberate us from whatever demons torment us, unstop our ears to hear him, and loosen our tongues to praise him – with our words and with our actions – so that we become an extension of the heart and hands of Incarnate One who came not to condemn, but to give life.

I'll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

 

Companions For Ever

While reviewing study notes in my file for the coming Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary, I came across the following handwritten entry:

The New Testament knows no more meaningful act for affecting and witnessing to the relationship of Christians with one another and with Christ than eating together. Whoever removes eating from the list of profoundly religious acts will have great difficulty with the Gospel message.

If these are someone else’s words, I failed to footnote them. I would like to give whoever wrote or spoke them credit. Wherever the words came from, I believe they are words of wisdom.

On the same note card, I had also listed the words “companion”, “companionship”, and “company.” Perhaps I did that because the etymology of “companion” relates to the substance of my note about Christ, Christians, and meals. The origin of the word teaches us that food fuels relationships. The word “companion”, from the Latin com “with” and panis “bread”, reminds us that food and meals we share with others satisfies more than physical hunger. To share a meal with someone implies a level of comfort and a sense of security with another person or group of persons. The English “companion”, the Spanish “companero”, the Italian “compagno”, and the French “copain” all come from the Latin root that means “with whom one eats bread.”

Is it any wonder that the heart of the Church’s worship is a meal, that the presence of Christ is known in the breaking of bread, and that eating together at other times is such a central part of life in Christian community? Is it any wonder that we are spending five Sundays in a row exploring the layers of meaning in the sixth chapter of John?

I remember a story told by an Episcopal Priest concerning an experience early in his ministry. He came home from a very difficult vestry meeting in which he was denied pursuit of a vision about which he was passionate. He put his little daughter in her high chair, tied her bib around her neck, opened a jar of baby food, and proceeded to feed her. During the meal, his mind was still on his profound disappointment and he began to weep. His daughter, who could not yet speak, understood the language of her father’s tears. She picked up her spoon, scooped up some baby food, and held it up to his lips. After he opened his mouth and tasted his daughter’s offering, she picked up the napkin and wiped the tears from his eyes.

In the course of a meal, without words but with signs and actions, a little child brought compassion and helped the healing begin in her father. Jesus Christ does that with us each time we feast at his banquet table and whenever we break bread with one another in his Name. He did for the multitude on the hillside, for his first disciples in the Upper Room, for those two pilgrims at Emmaus, and he does it still in simple country chapels and magnificent cathedrals. He promises to gather us at a great banquet in heaven. We are his companions in this life and the life to come.

"Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51).

I'll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

The Basis for Christian Mission

From time to time I remind myself and those given into my care that the Church doesn't have a mission. Rather, the mission has a Church! Christian communities are the delivery system for the mission of Christ.

The other name for The Episcopal Church is "The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society." We're taught that each member of this Church is a missionary. What is the basis for our work as missionaries? I don’t mean to be overly simplistic, but I believe the Christian mission has its basis in the Great Gift, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission:

• The Great Gift (John 3:16-17) ~ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God’s greatest gift of Love surpasses all I possess, given not for condemnation but for redemption. The Gift of the Son of God to reconcile us to God inspires, empowers, and motivates us in the work of reconciliation he has entrusted to us.

• The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) ~ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus' summary of the law is the guide for our words and actions. Everything else depends on these two commandments, like a door depends on its hinges. Demonstration of love for God and love for our neighbors are the highest values of the Christian’s life.

• The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) ~ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Jesus gave this commission to the Church. It is his intention for us to be united in his mission to be and to make disciples for the sake of the world.

How are we doing, Jesus?

I'll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

Al Tira

If I asked the average Christian what is the greatest of God’s commandments, I suspect most would respond, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” And, if I asked what is the second greatest commandment, I’m pretty sure most would respond, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments. Like a door depends on its hinges.

If I asked what is the most frequent commandment in the canon of Scripture, I might not find such a strong consensus. But there is one commandment that is found in most books of the Bible. Often, it is spoken by God. Many times, it is spoken by an angel. Sometimes it is spoken by Jesus.

Here is the answer: The most frequent commandment in the Bible is

Do you recognize that? Probably not. It’s Hebrew and is pronounced Al tirah. Still don’t recognize it? Okay, I’ll bet you recognize the English translation FEAR NOT. This commandment appears 365 times in the canon of Scripture, once for every day of the year. In my review of the occasions in which the commandment is expressed, it seems that it is usually spoken in a situation in which anxiety is running very high. Now is one of those times.

Only this week, articles have been published describing the intentional use of anxiety to motivate people in the political process. The use of anxiety to motivate is not a new idea. It is customary in all unhealthy emotional systems, including religious communities. “Healing” those systems involves a decision on the part of each member to manage his/her own anxiety and to resist the efforts of those who use anxiety to motivate or influence others.

People are anxious about terrorists, gun rights, politicians, access to healthcare, the world economy, fluctuations in the market, job security, the Sunday morning schedule, and a host of other things that can be perceived as threatening to our lives or at least our way of life. Many are feeling that the situation around them has moved beyond their control. They feel powerless and maybe hopeless. When human beings reach such a state of anxiety, our primitive “fight or flight” program instinctively engages. When that happens, we lose some of our ability to reason. We might say or do all sorts of irrational and hurtful things as we express our anxiety and even take extreme, sometimes violent measures to regain control to protect ourselves, our loved ones, our values, and our possessions.

Our brains are designed to react in frightening situations. We have that in common with other living creatures, such as lizards. Without our survival instinct, our ancestors would not have made it. But human brains are also designed to help us reason and work with other humans in finding meaningful ways to respond to what threatens us.

When we don't use those God-given, uniquely human gifts, things go bad. Eucharistic Prayer C recalls that cause and effect relationship:

From the primal elements you brought forth the human race,
and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us
the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed
your trust; and we turned against one another.

That’s where the most frequent Biblical commandment comes in. God who designed and equipped us to care for each other and oversee the entire creation, tells us not to let our fears conquer our faith, our hope, our love, and our reason! "Al tirah! Don’t be afraid!"

In spite of that, many people are anxious right now. Not everyone is having a good time. Not everyone feels secure. Small things are magnified so that they evoke reactions that are out of proportion to the facts. Even good news is frightening to some people.

So, let’s resolve to be a light in someone’s darkness. Let's take responsibility for and manage our own anxieties. Let’s take the time to listen to one another and honestly try to understand what is really being said. Let's seek and tell the truth, give the benefit of the doubt, exercise that part of our brain that facilitates reason, self-control, and compassion. Let's build trust. Let’s resolve to make our words and our actions to be expressions of the most frequent commandment. Let’s start with ourselves; look into the mirror and say, “Fear not!” Then, let’s find a way to help those around us conquer their own fears

The promise is that faith conquers fear. Our hope is that perfect love casts out fear.

 

 

I’ll see you in Church!

 

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi