Modern personnel practices in secular business settings emphasize the importance of performance appraisals. Some of that spills over into our perspective on our life as followers of Jesus Christ. That is not necessarily a good thing.
Business and the economy are concerned with performance and productivity. People are useful as long as they are able to contribute to the bottom line. People easily become cogs in the wheels of commerce.
Jesus was concerned about fruitfulness. He said, "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).
I helped a family say goodbye to a loved one who was a renowned surgeon, husband, father, and Christian gentleman. During those last minutes of his life, they were not concerned in the least with his performance. They spoke of the wonderful life he lived and the stewardship of his gifts as a physician that allowed him to heal, save lives, give people another chance. "That was why he was put here," they said. He understood that God had made him a physician and guided his hands in God's healing work. He lived a fruitful life.
Every life he touched made a difference to others. We'll never know how many. I recalled a bit of wisdom:"Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed." Fruitful people go around planting seeds. Those seeds germinate, take root, sprout, grow, and produce fruit. And so the process continues from generation to generation.
Here's a question: When you die, do you want someone to say about you, "He always had good performance appraisals," or do you want it said, "He lived a fruitful life"?
Do what you have to do to earn a living, keep your job, and provide for your family. Be a top performer. But don't confuse being a cog in the wheel with living a fruitful, abundant, Christian life.
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
Here is a question I am often asked: What has been the most valuable learning experience in your work as an interim minister and why? Here's my response.
Mission and transition are dynamically related.
When a faith community is intentional about discerning the mission entrusted to it and committed to engagement in that mission, it is also willing to be intentional about the transitions that are necessary. The dots have to be connected.
While considering leaving the parish I had served as rector for almost a decade, I was intrigued by the work being accomplished by colleagues who were intentional interim rectors. In conversations with them, I was encouraged to explore service to the wider Church through transitional ministry instead of as a settled rector in one parish. That discernment led to training in intentional interim ministry, during which I suddenly realized that all churches are in some sort of transition most of the time, although often unconscious of it. That was a big epiphany for me. I had a firm grasp of the obvious!
Transition training should be core seminary curriculum. Transitions between settled rectors provide a unique opportunity to explore transition – remembering where we’ve been, clarifying where we are, discerning where God is calling us, making changes that are needed, connecting with the wider church, and embracing a new era of mission with a new spiritual leader. But that is not the end of transition!
During this epiphany, I recalled some words of Titus Presler: “Mission is not fundamentally something we do as Christians but a quality of God’s own being. It is not a program of ours but the path of God’s action in the world. The mission of the Church, therefore, derives from the mission of God, and it has meaning only in relation to what God is up to in the universe. Already engaged in mission, God simply invites us to participate in what God is doing.”
The Church doesn’t have a mission. The mission has a Church. Everything we do as followers of Christ in community is related to and in the service of that mission. And God’s mission is constantly in transition. It became clear to me that when a church continues to function as if nothing has changed, the mission suffers. It also became clear to me that the mission suffers when changes are needed but are avoided or resisted.
So, intentional transition work in the Church, whether between rectors or at any time, must involve discernment about mission, participation in what God is doing for the sake of the world at our doorstep. Transition work matters only in relation to mission.
This insight guides my leadership so that after our interim time together, consciousness of the dynamic relationship between ongoing mission and ongoing transition will continue. Churches that are engaged in mission are healthier, happier, and more attractive to those who are seeking what Christ offers through them. In such places, transition evokes transformation.
In my service to the wider Church, I would like to leave a legacy of healthy, mission-focused, transformative congregations.
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(The Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Proper 10)
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
As hymnals fade, theology also suffers. The rich repository of religious wisdom contained in hymns will be lost. The old-fashioned language of hymns may strike some as unusual, but their text teaches the Christian faith far better than most of the praise choruses that dominate contemporary services. Old hymns were carefully crafted with theology at the forefront. Traditional hymns present doctrine clearly and beautifully convey the gospel story of saving grace.
My thoughts about this quote are mixed. Hymnals are a product of a new technology from another era - moveable type and the printing press. Just because the technology changes doesn't necessarily mean that the new technology will negatively impact our theology. Praise choruses are not that common in our tradition, but there are plenty of them that express sound theology. I wouldn't write them off. And, likewise, there are plenty of traditional hymns that express a theology that I would never embrace.
However, the writer, who is not cited, does offer a compelling testimony for the strength of our traditional hymnody, prompting me to reflect on the importance of hymns and singing in our worship.
Sometimes, when people ask us what The Episcopal Church believes, our answer is, “Come and worship with us.” That’s because both our liturgy from The Book of Common Prayer and the hymns in our hymnals beautifully express the heart of our theology and our faith.
For the past year or so, due to COVID protocols, we have not been able to sing aloud as a congregation. That’s been the case in many other places as well. However, in our parish, we have tried to compensate by placing the words and music in our bulletins, which are viewed online or downloaded for use during worship. We have gone to some lengths to ensure that we have all the permissions we need in dealing with copyrighted materials. In addition to that, our Organist/Choirmaster has sung the hymns for us.
As we are beginning to return to in-person worship, we are also continuing to live-stream our principal Sunday morning service. We have removed all prayer books and hymnals from the pews because we aren’t confident that we can adequately sanitize them. They will be returned to the pews as soon as we deem it safe to do so. However we access them, our prayers and the hymns teach us, remind us, inspire us, convict us, and assist us in our journeys as a worshiping community and as individuals. I'm reminded of a word of wisdom attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo: "Whoever sings, prays twice."
So, it’s important for us to include hymns in our worship when possible, even during a pandemic. Whether or not you can actually sing the hymns, you can read and listen attentively to the words and the music. When we reach the point when we can have congregational singing again, with or without masks, it will still be important to read the words and listen to the music. You can do that even when you don’t recognize a hymn. The hymn you don't recognize may be the favorite of the person sitting next to you in the pew.
Singing or silent, if you will be attentive to the words and listen to the music, maybe you will experience the joy that comes when we “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 98:1).
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
Jesus has just finished a long day of teaching. He has taught the parables of the sower, the growing seed, the mustard seed, and explained the need for parables to his disciples. He is exhausted from his work and he wishes to sail from the Jewish territory of Galilee to the Gentile region of Gerasenes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 4:35-41)
The Sea of Galilee is really a lake. It is thirteen miles long and eight miles wide and is located on an ancient trade route linking Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia. Towns founded by Greeks, Romans, and many others flourished in the region and there was a thriving fishing industry there. Although the lake continues to provide an abundance of fish, most of the ancient towns have long since been abandoned. But in Jesus’ time, people from all over the Roman world would have traveled through Galilee on their way to other places. It figures prominently in the stories of Jesus that have been handed down to us in the gospels.
On the occasions Mark tells us about, all of the disciples of Jesus are on board. At least four of them are fishermen. Jesus finds a cushion and goes fast asleep in the rear of the boat. As local fishermen, Peter, James, John, and Andrew would have been quite familiar with the lake’s unpredictable weather, including violent storms, and how to handle it. That they panic and wake Jesus up from what was probably a much-needed nap shows that this particular storm was especially intense.
The storm has pushed them to their limit. In spite of their knowledge of boats and the Galilean weather, their boat is sinking. In desperation, they wake Jesus, to warn him that his own life is in danger and because they had nowhere else to turn. Their question, “Don’t you care that we’re drowning?” is also a desperate cry for help. They wanted to be out of the danger so they called out to Jesus. They’d seen him do other miracles. Maybe he could deliver them from this perilous situation.
Their reaction to Jesus’ response indicates that it was not what they expected. This act of control over the elements of sea and sky stunned them. Only God has such power! In an instant they are removed from the life-threatening situation and brought to a new place, to a place not just of safety, but also of understanding, even if they cannot yet fully comprehend what is happening.
How many times in life do we find ourselves in a “storm” beyond our ability to handle? When we reach our limits trying to handle the situation, we simply want out of it. And when it becomes desperate enough, we often find ourselves crying out to Jesus, “Don’t you care that we’re perishing?”
Rembrandt’s Painting Storm on Galilee depicts that scene from Mark’s Gospel. In the painting, each disciple faced his fears in his own way. Two go to wake Jesus – maybe he can do something. They are looking at Jesus in anger. One struggles to hold on to the tiller, five wrestle with the sails. One hides in the rigging and one in the bottom of the boat. One is crouched over in dread and one is sick. There is also one who is kneeling in front of Jesus. If you have been counting, you’ll realize Rembrandt put thirteen – not twelve – disciples in the boat with Jesus. The extra man, the one who is kneeling, looks very much like Rembrandt! The artist puts himself in the same boat with the frightened disciples – as a stand-in for us.
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus asks. Because we are human, we struggle with our fears and our limits just as the disciples did. Yet, if we remain open to the unexpected, Jesus will “handle it.” And, in spite of our doubts, fears, and lack of faith, he by whom and with whom all things were created, the One whom the wind and waves obey, will bring order out of the chaos that threatens us as well. Who knows? Maybe his solution won’t be an obvious one. Maybe he’ll even make us a part of his solution and a part of his answer to our own prayers.
Blessings,
The Very Rev'd Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
The Holy Trinity is a doctrine, a teaching, developed over time by the Church as an aspect of the unfolding revelation of God derived from, but not confined to the pages of sacred scripture.
Doctrine is not Truth, with a capital “T”, but rather our faithful approach to or reach for the Truth. Doctrine that really matters is more than an intellectual pursuit or a theory. The best doctrines are those that speak to deeply felt needs of those who seek God. For example…
We have a need to know who created the universe and placed us in it. In response, the Church tells us that it is the Lord God Almighty who is the Creator and Parent of all life and being. We see God’s hand at work in the world around us. It is powerful, though only a glimpse. To see God face to face is something we hope for and long for and live for.
We also need to know that we have a source of forgiveness and understanding that will not let us down. In our declaration of the divinity of Jesus Christ, we are saying that God sees us not just from the viewpoint of a loving Creator/Parent, but with redemptive concern as well. God’s reason for dealing with us in Jesus Christ is to offer us forgiveness of sin, release from guilt, to reconcile us and draw us closer to the ultimate purpose for all creation.
And, we need to know that we have a friend who is near, always able to sustain our faith, bind us together in worship, and empower us in God’s mission. So, we proclaim that God is the Holy Spirit, ever present in our midst for guidance, comfort, and strength. As St. Paul says, the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and heirs with Christ of God’s amazing grace (Romans 8:16-17).
The Holy Trinity: Three expressions of how One Living God relates to everything and everyone in the universe. More than a theory, it is a teaching given to us to help us better know who God is, how God loves us, and how God abides with us.
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
There are three great festivals of the Church: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Pentecost was neglected for a long time and, in some ways, is not given much attention even now, if you consider that retail merchandising and greeting cards have not figured out a way to make money from it. What happened on the Day of Pentecost and why should it continue to be important to us?
Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish festival that took place 50 days after Passover. The Hebrew name is Shavuot. Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals (Passover being the first and Sukkot the third) and occurs exactly fifty days after the second day of Passover. This holiday marks the anniversary of the day when God’s people received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
The word "Shavuot" means “weeks.” It marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot. During these seven weeks the Jewish people cleansed themselves of the scars of Egyptian slavery and became a holy nation ready to enter into an eternal covenant with God with the giving of the Torah. So, the day celebrates a gift from above.
Jesus had commanded his followers to wait in the city of Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them. They needed the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in order to do what he required them to do. Suddenly, their waiting was shattered by the noise of a strong driving wind. They saw what appeared to them to be tongues of fire spreading over and resting on each person there. Everyone touched became filled with the Holy Spirit. The apostles began to speak in different languages. Moving out into the street, they encountered devout people who were in Jerusalem for the feast. As the apostles preached, people heard the message in their own languages and asked, “what does it mean?” And that is the question we ask today. What does it mean that the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us? When we baptize people in this Church, we declare that they are “sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.” What will that mean for them? And, what does it mean for you who also in Baptism have been sealed by the same Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever?
The Holy Spirit creates and renews the Church.
As the Spirit spoke to Ezekiel while he was standing in the Valley of Dry Bones: “I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land.” The Spirit who draws people to God draws them into God’s Church and there God shapes and molds them according to God’s will into the creatures they were designed to be. God’s indwelling Spirit brings order and unity, inspires, illuminates, and gives the gifts that are needed for the Church to carry out God’s mission, as it is constantly being created and renewed.
The Holy Spirit enables us to speak God’s message.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we read, “The Spirit enabled them to speak.” This is the same Spirit who called the Prophets. We are in the communications business. By that I mean we are the instruments, the delivery system for the message of God. In our words and actions, we are called to communicate that message wherever we may be. And, because it is not our message, the giver of the message provides everything that is necessary to deliver it. If we could do it on our own, we’d have to question whether it was God’s in the first place.
The Holy Spirit enables us to hear God’s message.
The Acts of the Apostles also tells us that the people gathered for the festival heard the apostles “speaking in the native language of each.” St. John tells us that Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” The miracle of Pentecost was not so much a miracle of speaking as it was a miracle of hearing. Each person heard the message in a language he or she could understand. We have to first hear the message if we are going to deliver it to others.
The Holy Spirit comforts and heals us.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “counselor,” “comforter,” “helper.” The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts when we are hurting, afraid, angry, or struggling with the cost of discipleship. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God, the presence of God, the power of God at work in and among us to give us the sense, the awareness of God and to recognize God’s hand at work.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin.
Jesus said, “And when he comes he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Sometimes, we attribute this phenomenon to our conscience. For Christians, the conscience is inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. When we become aware of our sinfulness, it is the Holy Spirit moving within us, providing us an opportunity to turn in a new direction.
The Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation.
In the eighth chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans we are told that when we do sense our need of God, we are giving the assurance of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit.” That’s how we know, truly know, that God loves us, forgives us, and restores us to a relationship that we cannot either create or sustain on our own.
The Holy Spirit magnifies Christ.
Jesus said, “he will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” St. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 12:3). When we gather for worship and when we are sent out into the mission field, the Holy Spirit prompts us to magnify Christ in words and actions.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to want others to know God’s deeds in Christ. The Holy Spirit moves people to praise the mighty works of God and to offer themselves, their souls and bodies, to participate in those mighty acts for the sake of the world.
I invite you to join me in reflecting on the work of the Holy Spirit as you listen to my favorite Pentecost hymn, Come Down, O Love Divine. Together, let us seek the indwelling Spirit in our own lives and in the life of the Church.
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
The Reverend Ken Kesselus tells the following story:
Once when a certain preacher launched into a children’s sermon, she was confronted by a visiting child, an eight-year-old friend of a regular member. The boy was new to this church, but was a regular attendee at another congregation that did not have children’s sermons. Nevertheless, the visitor tried his best to follow the line of the preacher’s effort to connect with the children. Attempting to hook the children with something familiar before making her point, the priest asked the children to identify what she would describe. “What is fuzzy and has a long tail?” No response. “What has big teeth and climbs in trees?” Still no response. After she asked, “What jumps around a lot and gathers nuts and hides them?” the visiting boy could stand the silence no longer. He blurted out, “Look, lady, I know the answer is supposed to be ‘Jesus,’ but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”
Human beings usually want to give the “right” answer, the answer others expect. The eight-year-old boy had more courage than most of us might have had. He acknowledged what he thought others might want him to say, but he found a way to express his doubt.
Each year on the Second Sunday of Easter, we read the gospel account of St. Thomas the Apostle in which he expresses his own doubt about reports of the Resurrection of Jesus (John 20:19-31). He had not been in the company of the other Apostles when Jesus appeared to them that first Easter. When the others told him they had seen the Risen Savior, he couldn’t believe it. He may have wanted to “go along in order to get along” with the others, but he was compelled to express his doubt. He might have said, “I know the answer is supposed to be that I believe you saw Jesus, but it sure sounds like a ghost to me.”
A week later, Thomas had the opportunity to see for himself and confirm in his own experience that the Risen Christ was not a ghost. But for a period of time, he was skeptical. His questioning and doubting must have been as hard for him as it was for the little boy trying to understand the illustration about the squirrel. Because we too struggle with what may seem clear to others and with accepted norms, we can identify with Thomas and the little boy. I am grateful to be a part of a Church where it is safe for people to express their doubts and ask their questions and challenge accepted norms. It is a Church where we don’t have to mindlessly accept what seems to be the accepted answer or point of view. It is a Church where it is okay to be doubtful, confused, and skeptical. It is a Church where we can remain in the company of others as we struggle with matters of doubt and faith. It is a Church where from childhood we are encouraged to ask questions and to wonder as we journey toward faith.
The example of Thomas’ honesty and forthrightness fosters hope in us and empowers us in our seasons of doubt. We need that kind of faith community as we wonder where God fits in with harsh and frightening realities of life and death. We need a faith community where we can be encountered by the Risen Christ who can lead us to the truth, just as he led Thomas. In such a community, we can work through our uncertainties and emerge on the other side with an even stronger faith, just as Thomas did.
The story of Thomas affirms that doubt can give way to faith, just as death is overcome by life. It assures us that the God we worship can handle our doubts and fears. It tells us that honesty is necessary in our relationship with God and God’s own people in times of uncertainty as well as in times of confidence.
The Apostles were blessed because they saw the Risen Christ and believed. The chief requirement for those first Apostles was that they were witnesses to the Resurrection. Their subsequent ministry was to nurture faith among others who had not seen. Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” The ongoing work of this Church is to continue the ministry of the Apostles and foster the even greater blessing that comes from walking by faith and not by sight.And for every generation of Christians since the first one, if we are honest about it, we have to admit that faith in Jesus Christ requires at least some struggle with doubt.
That’s really what Easter is all about. We are Easter People, traveling together on a marvelous journey toward those faith-filled moments when we discover the Risen One at work in our lives and in our world – moments so profound that we can only exclaim with Thomas, “My Lord and my God.”
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
So much of our conversation regarding faith is centered on what each of us is doing about it. We are preoccupied with human liberty, some notion of “the individual,” and overly concerned with the subjective experience of God. We tend to want to play the leading role in the story, which we are writing, and we offer God a supporting role in a cast of thousands. We like to be in control of our universe.
The Annunciation is a reminder to me that what I'm doing about my faith is always in response to what God is first doing in my life, even when I'm not thinking of it in that way. God sent Gabriel to make an announcement to Mary about the role she would play in God's story, not to ask her to "volunteer." Like Mary, we are often perplexed when God enters our lives uninvited and calls us to do what seems humanly impossible.
Reflect with me on that thought today in pursuit of a more God-centered and objective life of faith.
St. Augustine was aware of the divine initiative when he wrote, “Thou didst strike on my heart with Thy word and I loved Thee.” - from Confessions (397-398 A.D.) If you know anything about Augustine's life, you know he started out as a very self-absorbed and strong-willed individual. It would take a major epiphany to get his attention. God's undeserved grace knocked on Augustine's heart and by God's grace he was able to love God in response.
C.S. Lewis offers this perspective:
Christianity “does not tell of a human search for God at all, but of something done by God for, to, and about Man. And the way in which it is done is selective, undemocratic, to the highest degree. After the knowledge of God had been universally lost or obscured, one man from the whole earth (Abraham) is picked out. He is separated (miserably enough, we may suppose) from his natural surroundings, sent into a strange country, and made the ancestor of a nation who are to carry the knowledge of the true God. Within this nation there is further selection: some die in the desert, some remain behind in Babylon. There is further selection still. The process grows narrower and narrower, sharpens at last into one small bright point like the head of a spear. It is a Jewish girl at her prayers. All humanity (so far as concerns its redemption) has narrowed to that” (Chapter 14, Miracles:A Preliminary Study, Harper Collins, 2001).
And, because I love the poetry and music of our faith so much, this 19th Century hymn comes to mind:
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me; it was not I that found, O Savior true; no, I was found of thee.
Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold; I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea; 'twas not so much that I on thee took hold, as thou, dear Lord, on me.
I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee; for thou wert long beforehand with my soul, always thou lovedst me.
(Author: Jean Ingelow 1820-1897)
Maybe today would be a good day to say with Mary, “Let it be with me according to your word.”
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
Earlier in the week, the Ten Commandments came up in a conversation with a couple of other people. One of them said, “For some, Christianity seems to be a list of rules to obey.” I think he’s right. There are those who view Christianity that way.
But for me, Christianity is first and foremost about relationships – with God, with others, and with my own spiritual being. The “rules” God gives us are intended to help us cherish, protect, and sustain those relationships. Following the “rules” don’t make us worthy of our relationships; they help us abide in them.
For starters, God invites us into relationship not because we are worthy, but because God is worthy. And God always takes the first step, even when we falter. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), after the son wakes up to his own prodigal reality, he rehearses a speech that he hopes will convince his father to accept him back into the household just as a hired hand. When the father sees him coming toward home, he runs out to meet him. And before a word comes out of the son’s mouth, the father embraces him and restores him to his place in the household as a son and not a servant. Our relationship with God is grounded in God’s worthiness and not our own. The rules God gives us are to hold us close in that relationship as God's beloved daughters and sons.
Our relationships with others are healthiest when we place the worth of the other ahead of our own. Jesus demonstrated that in his life, death, and resurrection for us. St. Paul summed it up when he wrote, “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The heart of the Paschal Mystery is that Jesus Christ overcame death for our sake. Before we even knew there were any rules to follow, he deemed us worthy to act on our behalf. But it is the Savior’s worth and not our own that makes it possible for us to live in him. He calls us again and again to love others the way he loves us.
And, it is vital to our spiritual well-being that we be mindful of our soul’s progress throughout life and aware of how all other relationships affect our inner being. Because we live in a material world, it is easy to forget that we are, first and foremost, spiritual beings. Things often block progress on the spiritual journey. Some people bring good into our lives. Others have a harmful or hurtful influence. There are spiritual disciplines and rules of life that help us be mindful and to monitor the soul’s well-being.
To couch my point in sacramental terms, the inward and spiritual needs to be expressed in the outward and visible. It is the relationship that drives the behavior. Because I value the relationships, I strive to act in ways that sustain them.
I love my wife and I will never forget that she loved me first. Some important rules have been helpful in strengthening the bonds of our marriage for fifty-two years. But following those rules grows out of the deep love and respect we have for one another. The rules don’t make us love one another. It is our love that gives the rules their purpose.
Our parents taught us not to play in traffic because, before we knew it was dangerous, they loved us enough to give us that and other rules that protect us from physical harm. We teach our children to brush their teeth and other rules because we love them and want them to take care of their health. We follow COVID protocols in an attempt to live out the Great Commandment, loving others as well as ourselves. The Church commends spiritual disciplines because Jesus loved us enough to create the Church for that purpose.
The Godly Play Curriculum for children speaks of the Ten Commandments as “The Ten Best Ways to Live.” I like that. Because God loves us so much, God has provided these and many other ways to live in a sacred relationship with our Creator, with those around us, and with our own true self. The purpose of the rules is always about relationships.
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
Next Wednesday, we will begin our annual observance of the Season of Lent. Lent is a time for engaging our new life in Christ more deeply, risking new levels of trust. The purpose of Lent is not to dwell on suffering, or to spend forty days bewailing our manifold sins and wickedness for the sake of feeling our pain. Lent is about engaging in the ongoing process of renewal, regeneration, and new birth; it is about encouraging us to trust and to risk going forth and being sent out with the promise of new life.
Lent may require us to “think outside the box” of piety and religiosity, just as Abram and Sarai had to break with their past, and Saul and Nicodemus the Pharisees with theirs. The promises of God bear not only upon the future of our individual lives in relationship to God, but also upon the future of our parish, our diocese, and our Church as a whole.
To respond to the promise for new life means we have to be ready to redraw and rename the places on the journey. When the ancient ones told the story of Abram and Sarai, they were also inscribing new place names and creating a new social geography on the territories of their migrations in company with God.
God may be inviting us to rethink how we do Church in light of the socio-geographies of the times we live in. When Saul the Pharisee became Paul the Apostle as we know him, he brought new words, images, and new community structures into being, “calling into existence things which do not exist,” by trustfully following Jesus into new life.
Lent is for listening to that call in our own lives. In the words of James Russell Lowell, “New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth.” Lent is for careful thinking about how to step into the as-yet-unmapped future, to deepen our relationship to God, to trust the picture of new life in Christ, and for identifying the breaks with the past that we need to make in order to respond to the promises of God.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.
Blessings,
The Very Reverend Ron Pogue Interim Rector St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church Keller, Texas
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