Les' Reflections

2 Christmas Sermon at St. John's Suffolk

2011-01-02T18:02:00.002-05:00

I'm trying new things as I preach sermons since coming to St. John's. I have started using a mind map as opposed to full written texts. As such, I can't post the text but will endeavor to post audio copies of my sermons and if I can figure out how to do a mind map for the web I'll post that here. A link to the sermon is:

http://chirb.it/qeyFqM

Peace to you all,

Les+

Interesting Reflection: Why God Created Us

2010-10-13T12:47:00.003-04:00

A blast from the past. This year Forward Movement is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Forward Day by Day by rerunning posts from previous years. This one was presented for Saturday October 9. Interesting reflection to ponder:

Psalm 104. And there is that Leviathan, which you have made for the sport of it.

Asteroids, storms, centipedes, nettles, flounders, black holes, persimmons, people. Why does God make these things? Some say God creates because it is the nature of God to create. But that's like saying the sky is blue because it is the nature of the sky to be blue. Others say God creates in order to have someone to love. But that would seem to suggest that God is incomplete or unfulfilled without us to relate to.

I don't know why God creates. But I like the idea of this psalmist, who looks at one of nature's more implausible creatures, the whale (leviathan is Hebrew for whale), and suggests that God made it simply for the fun of it.

I like to envision God sitting wherever God sits and dreaming up things that will amuse him: "I think I'll make a funny little wingless bird and plop it down in Antarctica. Then tomorrow, I'll make the Amazon. The day after that, icebergs. Then I'll put together the Crab Nebula, and then grapevines. And then I'll make ocean waves, snowflakes, sunbeams, blueberries, and quarks. Then, for the sport of it, I'll make a huge sea creature that blows air out the top of its head. All this I shall do, just for fun! Then I'll make human beings and let them wonder why I did it at all."

Originally posted in 2001.

Sermon for August 15, 2010

2010-08-16T00:41:00.000-04:00

St. John’s, Chuckatuck, VA

August 15, 2010 (Proper 15C)

Rev. Leslie C. Ferguson, Deacon

Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56

I would like to thank you for inviting me to be with you this morning; for giving me an opportunity to worship with you. I’d like to introduce myself; I am Les Ferguson and I’m a recent graduate from Virginia Theological Seminary. Before I attended Seminary I was an officer in the Navy for over 22 years. My wife, Kathy, and I relocated from Norfolk to Alexandria for school. We are looking forward to the next part of our journey, the places that God is leading us to.

I’m hoping to have a little audience participation this morning as the sermon progresses… you’ll see your part when it comes around.

What are some of the ways that we define who we are or how we identify ourselves? {{Wait for responses}} (If there aren’t responses offer any or all of the following: gender, sexuality, education, social class [although that isn’t often how we refer to ourselves but how we refer to others], medical conditions, racial or ethnic heritage, career or job, religion/denomination, sports/leisure activities we participate in – just about anything that sets us apart from the crowd). For instance I am the 2nd son of Mike Ferguson and Carolyn Muller; I am the first child in my family that got married; I am a marathoner; I am hard of hearing; I am retired; I am a Disabled American Veteran; and I am an Episcopal clergy person. Some of the ways I identify myself are direct and others are more inferred than stated (sexual preference, education, profession, religion, etc.) yet they are the ways that I am distinguished from those around me.

Is our identity the same thing as who we are? It may be easy for many to answer that question with a “yes” our lives truly define who we are. They describe us and how we’ve arrived at this place and time. However, it can be easy to get lost in our identity: those characteristics that others can readily see and appreciate; but are our distinguishing marks our identity – who we really are? I believe the reality is no – those identifying marks are not wholly who we are but are a simple means of distinguishing ourselves.

There are many stories about identity in today’s readings; how people define themselves both explicitly and implicitly. Looking at the Old Testament we see how Israel is self-defined: they rightly claim status as the chosen people of God; they affirm that they are children of the Covenant delivered to Moses; they’ve become residents in the Promised Land; and many of the Israelites believed they “had arrived.” But in all their identity they lose sight of what they’re supposed to be. They were called out of Egypt to be a people in a living and growing relationship with God. Yet over the years, as they’ve lost sight of their principle defining factor we hear today that they have, little-by-little, lost their self-awareness until they begin violating their promises to God. And the worst thing is they don’t even recognize their error.

Their descent began when they forgot their past; the providence of God in their lives from their deliverance from captivity in Egypt through their establishment as a community of God’s people in the Promised Land. In losing sight of their past they lose sight of יחוח and actually return to self-reliance and the worship of the Ba’als in Canaan. As they lost sight of their past they change the direction and nature of their future. They ultimately lose their homeland and their status – the things they have used since their foundation to identify and define themselves.

Yet, as we know, יחוח does not completely abandon the Israelites. יחוח steps back in with them and sends their deliverer; the one who will make the difference for them and for all who will come to believe through them and their relationship with יחוח; Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. We’d hope that their restoration would make all things well – that would make for a fairy tale ending to the story. Alas, that’s not the case demonstrated by the Epistle to the Hebrews today. The new Christians begin to fall into the same traps the older Israelites did: they begin drifting back into their history – notably becoming focused on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets. They lose sight of their new relationship with God through Christ. They appear to be tempted to move back to their comfortable and stagnant relationship with the God of their forefathers. They move away from their new life in Christ; away from the relationship highlighted by the Apostles and Paul. They stop growing and become fixed in place; not growing or deepening their relationship with God. They lose sight of their future by becoming focused on their past.

Channeling my mother a little… is there a limit on who we can be? My parents always taught me that I could do anything that I set my mind to; that I had choices in my life to make that define who I am. Is our identity limited to what we’ve always done or been? {Pause} Obviously no; people change, talents change, passions and desires change, and we evolve personally, professionally, and emotionally. That growth is part of what it means to mature and become more self-aware and self-differentiated.

I’ll confess that there is truth in what the philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” As with those who have gone before us, our past has made us what we’ve become – but we aren’t our past. Our past shapes the people we are, for better or for worse, but it does not define us or what we can become. Yet, when we forget our past we lose sight of what makes us special; set aside by God, redeemed by Christ, for God’s special work in the world. Yet, when we focus on the past too much we miss God in the present.

But if we shift our focus solely to the future that God is calling us to we can (will) miss God in the present. Does that mean we should shift our focus from the past to the future – to the place that God is leading us (skipping over the work we have to do today)? I don’t believe that’s the message for us today. We are called to strike a balance between the past, the present, and the future. We are doomed to repeat the past if we forget it. Likewise, we cannot be wholly prepared for the future if we don’t make the most of the present – the situations that God calls us to in the here and now.

We need to remember that we are called and made special in our dynamic relationship with God. The relationship that is grounded on the past and what has helped shape us for today; the relationship that has been made special in Christ coming into our lives in the here and now; and the new and special relationship that God is calling us to in the future – both in this place and in our lives, individually and collectively. Are we guaranteed success? As we’ve seen, on our own we may have short term success but we will never fully achieve all that God calls us to. But we have been provided good guidelines to help us along the way. We are called to embrace the things that make us special: that we’ve worshiped in THIS PLACE since 1755; that our church and diocese affirms that we have been set aside for God’s work in this place; and that our humanity and hominess is something that provides an image of God to those who come into our midst. We have been invited through the years to invite others to share with us and help us refine the image of God present here and now.

We carry forward God’s message to our community by sharing the life of love that God has given us in Christ. We should feel empowered to share God with our neighbors, locally and globally; and not only in our words but in our relationship centered on but not flaunting our special nature in God. The challenge is to live our lives in an honest and consistent manner with who we have been, who we are, and who we envision ourselves to be in the future. Yet we cannot live a life that is unable to be human and fallible. Otherwise, we forget the hiccups we’ve made in the past, the things that have shaped who we are today.

How do we shape the future without forgetting the past? We accomplish this by not focusing on the past so much that the past prevents us from moving on to the future. How do we gauge our actions against the past and the future; the covenant with God in THIS place and THIS time?

We wait patiently for God… We remain open to the possibility that “someone else may have the right answer” even when we believe the “real” solution is both simple and obvious. All the while we challenge ourselves to see God’s presence in the here and now while leading us to the blessing of the future… We strive to recognize God’s presence in this place and time, in the past, and in the future.

Our challenges for today: we are called to make choices to seek and serve Christ in our lives. We are all called to carry forward the message of Christ’s redeeming love to others. We are called to honor where we’ve been but not more than where we are headed. That’s why we’re here today; that’s why we come to worship. That’s our calling in life.

Thanks be to God! Amen!

Anglican Prayer Beads

2010-06-10T00:00:00.003-04:00

6 sets of Anglican Prayer Beads. One set for each of the 6 Diaconal Ordinands from the Diocese of Southern Virginia this coming Saturday. They will be given to: Bob Coniglio, Nik Forti, me, Willis Foster, Julia Messer, and Anna Noon.

New Beginnings - Easter 6(C) at St. Anne's Reston

2010-05-09T15:59:00.001-04:00

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston, VA

Easter 6 C (RCL), May 9, 2010

Leslie Ferguson, Seminarian

Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5; John 5:1-9

Let us pray: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: therefore, let the words of our mouths and the mediations of our hearts be always acceptable in your sight, our strength and our redeemer. Amen

There is a place for congregational participation; hopefully you see it when it comes around.

Let your ways be known upon earth, *

your saving health among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

let the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *

for you judge the people with equity and guide all the nations upon earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

let the peoples praise you.

Psalm 67:2-5 BCP

God is good, all the time… all the time, God is good.

Life is full of blessings, new beginnings, and endings. That’s just part of life and today is no different. We are chock-a-block with symbols of new beginnings: we will/have baptized three new members of the Body of Christ, Eleanor, Emily, and Anna; three new children of God welcomed into our midst. Our teens will be/are outside washing cars in preparation for the upcoming mission trips; bringing hope and new life to a world that can be less than hospitable for many. The mothers in our midst and in our memories are being called back to the forefront on our annual celebration of Mother’s Day; honoring the new beginning each of us shared at our birth.

Yet, in the midst we of these new beginnings we are forced to acknowledge the endings that also permeate today. As we remember Mother’s Day we allow space to remember those whose mothers and grandmothers may no longer be with them. Likewise, we recognize an ending signaled in the baptism of three young girls, an ending of one part of their childhood being “outside” the anointed family of God. We also recognize the end of another step in the growth of our teens as they begin to carry their baptismal covenant promises to the world as they look to “seek and serve Christ in all others.”

Yet, there’s another new beginning lurking in people’s minds today; one that I’ll expand on in a little bit – but there’s more ground to cover before those observations can be made. New beginnings are not simply generative events; our new beginnings are marked periods of letting go of old ways in a healthy way, gaining a new perspective on an emerging reality of life, often a time of mourning at the end of something that has been good and blessed, yet at the same time we are encouraged to count the blessings of our lives in celebration of the friendships and relationships developed over the time together.

However, most poignantly, today we recognize the ending of a relationship, a loving relationship of just under 2 years. Today, we recognize the relationship that we’ve shared as Seminarian and church family; Seminarian family and family of God; we acknowledge how much we’ve grown together and learned from each other. Today we celebrate the mutual ministry we’ve had in and around Reston since September 2008. Today is a time when we reflect on endings, blessings of relationship, hopes and aspirations for the future, vision of God present and active among us, and new beginnings shaped by our intentional and loving celebration of life together as members of the body of Christ.

God is good, all the time… all the time, God is good.

Instead of looking at today with sadness I’d like to focus on the blessings of the day. At St. Anne’s I have come to understand every day is a blessing; a time to find God at work in the most mundane yet amazing places. It is in this place that I’ve seen the body of Christ living together in faith and hope – hope in a loving and caring future where all people are welcomed as children of God regardless of their faith, orientation, social status, or political party. It is from this place that I’ve seen people honored as a blessing – Citizenship classes, ESL tutors, Common Ground Day School, Smiles for Liberia, and all the mission trips are but a visible handful of the blessings that we can claim as parts of our day-to-day existence.

Yet, blessings that are focused “out there” can leave a little to be desired “in here.” The blessings that can be most important to us are the ones that are right here and right now. The blessings most tangible to us are Mother’s Day; the blessing of the teen car wash; most certainly the blessing of three baptisms; and oddly, the blessing of my departure. My departure may not seem like blessing; there’s a part of me that doesn’t really feel blessed to leave this place. But the blessing is the new beginning that is signaled by my departure. The new beginning is at least three fold; my new beginning in a new congregation as an ordained minister in the Church; the new beginning where Patrick and Audrey serve as your Seminarians; and the new beginning of the family dynamic of life within the body in a new and engaging way.

What are the marks of endings and new beginnings? As we travel through our life we are faced with countless endings and beginnings; along with these transitions we are marked with symbols of our passage: the birth announcement our mothers gave on our birthday; the sign of the cross in our baptism; the “anointing” of youth in service; and soon, the conferring of a degree, laying on of hands by a bishop, and a vesting with the mantle of priesthood. Yet with all these passages we are met with challenges: the challenge to grow up healthy and loved, even when we hurt or disappoint our families; the challenge of a faithful life in the body of Christ; the challenge of a faithful life as one who cares for the world outside our walls; the challenge to live our life faithfully into God’s calling. In our new beginning we are blessed and should celebrate. The question is, how?

Today is a celebration of our blessings by God, both individually and communally. Our challenge is how to respond to those blessings. Do we choose to stay and bask in the blessing, not growing in the commission we’ve received from God? Or do we look for new ways to better live into God’s plan? Our psalm provides an outline for our response to God’s blessings, even when they “hurt” or challenge us to grow. The Psalmist tells us that God will make God’s self known upon earth – the plan for believers to follow as they develop their relationship with God. God guides us along the way if we but listen for his guidance. In response we are called to branch out from our places of security and comfort move into the places of the world where God needs us to serve. And our response to these blessings is to: first sing for joy; then to be rejoined in community under God; next to faithfully acknowledge and follow God’s guidance as a blessing; and last to faithfully proclaim God’s message to the corners of the world.

Practically we begin in the Baptisms today. As a community we participate and affirm that we will proclaim God’s truth in word and example; we bear witness to Eleanor, Emily, and Anna and God’s blessings as children of God in community. We are blessed to be bound together in mutual responsibility – us taking care of these three girls as they provide an image of God for us. Through our relationship with them we shape their lives and they shape our life as a community in relationship with God. We also share in the foundation of a community of faith in action that leads to proclamation of/witness to Christ as evidenced in the actions of our youth. They serve our community with a helpful service while preparing to serve the wider community and the world. Their actions are self-empowering and enhance the world by helping others see God present in the here and now. The car wash also enhances the youth’s experience of community by working together for the common goal of God’s work and being in community.

But there’s still the elephant in the room – my departure. How do we engage my departure through Scripture? In the beginning of my service at St. Anne’s I had a vision of my life in God’s service in the Church. I freely admit that this community was instrumental in realizing and developing clarity in this vision. Along the way you have celebrated God at work in me. I have been deeply moved by your perception of God in your community and those who you minister with and to; you have let yourselves be shaped by the presence of the Holy Spirit in your midst. In the long run you have given me a new vision, a new beginning of carrying God forward. But that vision is leading us to work apart, your work apart from me, and in my work apart from you. Along the way, we have come to better understand what we are in God’s kingdom as ambassadors of Christ. Today, I see us as having come full circle. In the beginning I had a vision of my place with God. As we’ve lived through the transitions of the past 2 years we have found God present in each other, in this place, and in our community away from St. Anne’s. Yet we have faithfully returned to our starting place changed and enriched, ready to carry the little piece of each other and celebrate the blessing of life with and in Christ together. Now, the cycle restarts; it begins with my new ministry in a different but like place; it begins with a new Seminarian who will need the same care and feeding, the same life without walls that is St. Anne’s

In Benediction, St. Anne’s needs to keep moving forward without losing sight of where it has come from. I was recently told by someone who has watched me evolve over these past three years in Seminary and remind me that I need to remember to bring my “hat-man” - the person who keeps people smiling and looking for a bright spot in times of darkness - along with me to my new church. I am reminded that I need to be real, to be human like you have shown me that I can be accepted for who I am - a Child of God. I believe you need to remember where you’ve come from - the place where all are welcome and where we are a church without walls or barriers. By each of us faithfully living into our calls we can praise God, to show your presence in the world, and to make a difference for God in the world. In closing I share the words of the Psalmist when they say:

Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

let the peoples praise you.

The earth has brought forth her increase; *

may God, our own God, give us his blessing.

May God give us his blessing, *

and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

Psalm 67:5-7 BCP

Which leads me to remind you that… God is good, all the time… all the time, God is good!

Thanks be to God! Amen!

Easter 2 - Faithful Thomas

2010-04-11T20:47:00.001-04:00

Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston Virginia
Easter 2C (RCL); April 11, 2010
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Psalm 111; Acts 5:27-32; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31

What a busy time the last 2 weeks have been, especially here at church. This season is a special time in the Episcopal Church – between Palm Sunday and today the church has had liturgies and lectionary entries for 16 distinct services, celebrations, and commemorations. During these two weeks we’ve experienced every imaginable human emotion; triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, bitter rejection on Maundy Thursday, immense sadness on Good Friday, bleak abandonment on Holy Saturday, joyous celebration of the resurrection on Easter, and a little fear the week after Jesus’ crucifixion. Yet in the week between Easter and today all the Disciples and others close to Jesus have met Jesus “in the flesh” with the possible exception of Thomas who meets the resurrected Jesus today. Ironically, by all accounts almost everyone did not initially recognize Jesus after his resurrection.

It is our human nature to want explicit proof and factual presentations. We hear it in our mottos like “the proof is in the pudding;” “100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back;” and “30-day risk-free trial.” From my perspective, the need for explicit proof was no clearer than in my 22 year career in the Navy. From the outset I was encouraged to test everything for veracity – “the information is not real or true unless you can see it, touch it, taste it, and feel it.” The other mantra instilled in me, and something I passed on to those who followed me, was don’t do anything wholly new, if you found something that worked in the past (either your own efforts or the efforts of someone else) don’t change lest you fail in your endeavor.

Changing how you do things presents risks and takes confidence. Today’s gospel presents a contrast of risk and confidence in the face of change. We hear,

25 So the other disciples told him [Thomas], ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’
John 19:25-27 (NRSV)

It is easy from the last portion of this passage to figure out why Thomas gets hung with the “Doubting Thomas” moniker – Jesus tells him to “not doubt but (only) believe.” Surely, there is a good reason to call Thomas doubting, Jesus did – right? Personally, I don’t like calling Thomas doubting; let’s face it, he’s looking for information at a time when the world as he knows it is spinning out of control; his Jewish sensibilities have been crushed and the one that he has come to love in the past 3 years is gone. Lots of reasons to question life and the way the world works.

Thankfully I’m not alone in my questioning of equating Thomas with a doubter. The writers of our gospel didn’t choose to imply that Thomas doubted Jesus’ resurrection. Scholars claim that Thomas was more skeptical than doubting and they point out that the scriptures convey Thomas’ desire to believe but that his reasoning about life and death was stretched to the point that it didn’t make rational sense anymore. The scholars also intimate that Thomas uses language that belied a distinct and long standing Jewish perception of life after death and the resurrection. As a faithful Jew, Thomas’ belief about death was being called into question by Jesus. It can be said that Thomas knew what a recently dead person looked like since he had seen Lazarus – so he was qualified to verify Jesus’ death and resurrection and make sure it wasn’t just an image like a ghost.

Thomas wanted to believe but found it hard to bring about the change of faith. His faith and all he held sacred was shattered and rattled by Jesus’ resurrection. In my opinion, Thomas was no different than any of the other Disciples – he needed to see Jesus with his own eyes. Thomas may have been colored by the reports that the other disciples didn’t recognize Jesus at first even though they felt they should have recognized him. Things didn’t work like they always had – the rules had changed. He wasn’t prepared to call his impression of a faithful life into question.

Yet we see a model of an appropriate reaction to a skeptic in this same passage. Jesus, the model of right practice and right action, sets a high bar for those who will follow him. How does Jesus do this? He models presence and perception in his interaction with Thomas. By our society’s rules it would be easy to dismiss Thomas – to send him away because he didn’t believe “correctly.” Jesus could break relationship with Thomas because Thomas hadn’t changed his perspective of what it meant to be the risen Son of God. I know I could be tempted to go there.

But this isn’t where Jesus went in his relationship with Thomas. Jesus came to Thomas in his questioning and skepticism; Jesus met Thomas where he was even though Jesus wanted him to be someplace else – a place of faith based on relationship not proof based on facts. Jesus met Thomas in the place where he was; not the place where others, especially us and the Disciples, thought he should be. In love, Jesus ministered to Thomas’ disbelief and transformed his skepticism into a commission – to become a bridge between the old ways of faith and the new way of belief in the risen Christ. Thomas was the bridge to the future world of God in Christ, one where Jesus was not physically present and the old ways had to be rethought and re-visioned.

It can be said that Thomas is more of an image than he is a person. Thomas was the image of the old ways; he was all that was good and proper in the Jewish faith centered on the covenant with יחוח. The “image Thomas” can be viewed as one that is stuck in its way, the tried and true practice that is fixed and steady (but maybe stagnate). Today we see Jesus as an image leading to a change in the way the world of faith worked; a change that wasn’t momentary but forever. As understated as this may sound; Jesus’ resurrection turned reality on its ear and upset the religious structure and society for eternity. The imagery of Thomas is one that marks a change; a change of perspective in our faith. Thomas shows us that we can either choose to be held and comforted in the old ways of our belief – in a place that is comfortable and secure but not moving forward; or we can move forward in a new way, looking for God’s direction and revelation; movement into a new place.

A poignant illustration of this type of journey can be found within 20 miles of St. Anne’s; a life-changing place for many people. I am talking about Virginia Seminary. In my class alone there are 47 people who have changed the outward trajectory of their life’s journey. They have “given up” their past security and dependability and moved to a new, life changing place. Many have given up steady employment and financial security to pursue their calling by God. They have chosen to attend Seminary with no surety about what is laying ahead on the road to God’s kingdom.

How does this illustration lead us as we reflect on Thomas? The message from today; we have a choice. We can live like the image of Thomas – wedded to a life of security and the old ways of doing things and believing. Or we can move forward into the new and often scary ways where God is calling us out of security. If we choose the latter we will be charged, like Thomas was, to carry the message of Christ forward and help others live into their understanding of the Holy Spirit in and around them. We will need to be open to a new life as an “Easter Person.”

Where is our challenge? Where is God challenging us – our personal lives and the life of St. Anne’s as a community of Easter People? We believe we hear God’s call to proclaim equality and fair treatment for all people, not just those who are in the majority; those who meet the old standard of “normal.” But we are called to meet others who don’t share our perception about God’s call to action; we are called to love the “other” and honor their position and perception of equality and fair treatment. We are called to mutual ministry – sharing our story and working in community.

Likewise, we are called to grow spiritually without losing sight of our heritage. St. Anne’s came into existence over 40 years ago as a church without walls. As we continue to move forward from this time we need to keep our eyes open to change without losing sight of the bedrock of our communal existence. By living authentically and in consonance with our past we will be able to work together and move forward with a sense of trust and belief that God is present and will provide for our needs – if we but strive to do God’s work – to remain a church without barriers to Christ.

Last, we need to be a loving congregation of searchers. We live out our perception of God’s call in community and are called, like Thomas and the Disciples, to remain in community as each of us searches for the “right fit” between our recognition of God’s plan and God’s actual plan. And that support is for all people in our midst; not just the ones who habitually need our support – Seminarians, Postulants, and Aspirants in our midst; our support is demanded for each other and for our clergy as they continue to form their lives after God’s call.

When the going gets rough we need to take comfort, like Thomas, that we will not be nor ever have been abandoned by God – even in our doubt. God will never cast us aside, even if we try to create God in our image of God or make “him” play by our rules. We are blessed to be able to love and care for those who have doubts and lapses of faith in their walk; we need to walk with them; we need to hold their hand when they are scared and deeply challenged by their perception of God.

As Easter people, in the spirit of Thomas, we are called to question our past in light of what we’ve been told about the present with an eye towards the future with God.

You are but dust... Ash Wednesday 2010

2010-02-17T22:47:00.002-05:00

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston Virginia
Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 103:8-14; 2 Corinthians 5:20 b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

“He remembers that we are but dust…” More years ago than I care to admit my wife and I were at an Ash Wednesday service in California. The service had started like most of the Ash Wednesday services I had been to before that; just like we are getting started on the service today. I vividly remember the scene as it came time to impose ashes; the Rector began the ritual, dipping his thumb in the container of ashes, citing the formula at the imposition of ashes, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Except that he mixed up the formula with the portion of the Psalter we recited that day, “Remember that you are but dust.” And to compound the misstatement he put a pause into the middle of the recitation as he looked down to dip his thumb, making the statement, “Remember that you are but dust…” and started again; “Remember that you are but dust…” My wife leaned over and asked me, “is but dust like belly button lint?” We spent the rest of the time trying not to smirk every time he said that phrase – with little luck I might add.

Looking back, I might think that people thought that we were being disrespectful of the moment (and we may have been). I know that it is hard to find anything humorous in the Ash Wednesday service or the season of Lent. Many also fail to find a humorous story like that worshipful, holy, or sacred. But there is something to be said about the touch of humor and how that impacts our relationship with God and our community. It is interesting how that experience has stuck with me all these years and how I’m compelled to remember that day quite frequently. Not specifically because it is humorous but because it is a reminder of the day and of what Lent is about; not just taking things on or giving things up but making the season holy and sacred; preparing ourselves to live our lives as faithful believers and followers of Christ.

In a few moments Mother Jackie will ask us to spend time in silence as we prepare ourselves for the observance of a Holy Lent. Whether this is the first time you’ve been to an Ash Wednesday service or, like some this is one of countless services, by stopping and preparing yourself for the observance of a holy Lent you will be joining countless Christians around the world and throughout eternity who have affirmed their belief in Christ’s resurrection as the event that pays for our sin and separation from God’s intended kingdom. This is and will be an awesome event yet it can be one that is a little overwhelming.

In fact, I know people who choose not to attend Ash Wednesday services, not because they don’t believe that Christ lived, was tempted, and died for our sins. Rather, they choose not to attend because the gravity of the admonition can be overwhelming and a bit damning - too many reminders of a Roman Catholic or Evangelical “you’re a worthless sinner” mentality. But there’s more to living a holy life and observing a holy Lent than berating yourself as a “worthless sinner.” That’s not the implication of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. The fact that we are of worth, even though we are sinners, is the true reason that Christ will suffer through the coming weeks of Lent.

Let’s unpack the phrase “a holy Lent” a little to shed some light on where we should focus our attention during the upcoming season. First, the object of the phrase is the word “Lent” which the church sees as a time of preparation for Holy Week, Easter, and Jesus’ Ascension - pretty clear. The modifier in the phrase, “holy,” is where I think the focus of our attention should be directed. What does it mean to be holy, especially when most of our lives are less than holy or pure? To be holy, something needs to be set aside; made sacred or directed towards God; or made worshipful. I see this as something that doesn’t happen all at once; rather we become holy through practice and in relationship with God our creator, redeemer, and sanctifier.

Today’s lessons should be helpful as we move into a holy place and a holy relationship with God. But I find a mixed message between today’s scripture and what many people do on Ash Wednesday. We are called in scripture to not do things that aren’t the practice of our lives; not do things in a special way to bring attention to ourselves. Yet, what are our practices today? We place the marks of the cross on our foreheads that signifies our relationship with God to the world - not just those we are in relationship with but everyone who we meet for the rest of the day. Some are participating in a fast, maybe something that won’t be seen by others but I know that when I actually fasted two years ago my stomach was making so much noise by the end of the day that everyone on campus knew I hadn’t eaten anything in a while. Probably most notable and noticed is the fact that we have come to church at a time we wouldn’t normally come to church. And for many of us, we will have taken time from our normal routine to come here for service.

I know that I’ve been led to get focused on a portion of the scripture today that makes me miss the point of Ash Wednesday. That scripture tells me to do the opposite of the things that I have done today that will be seen and noted by others. Many focus on the admonition to not do things so that others will know what you are doing so that God in heaven will reward you for your faithful actions. Our gospel starts with Jesus telling his followers to, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Now we may not practice our piety for others to see but it would be unreasonable to believe that that outward sign would not be seen by others. We are called to do things for God to see so that God will reward us at our final accounting; so that we can build our relationship with God.

In the mix today we miss the invitation from God related by Isaiah to, “remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.” Isaiah reminds us that we are supposed to fast, serve the Lord, and be humbled before God. But Isaiah also tells us to life the burden of our society, to return ourselves to a right relationship with God and our community. We’re supposed to restore ourselves and become the person that God calls us to be. We’re not called to be anything or live any other way than the way God made us to be.

We are supposed to proceed on our Lenten journey with an eye on God’s call; the way that we’ve been ordained to live in community with God, other Christians, and our world. That begins with being honest about who you are and what makes you who you are. It is through our honesty with God and our self that we begin to live a holy life; a life focused on being worshipful; on being set aside for God’s plan; and living in sacredness, always living life in search of God in the present moment.

Living our lives in an honest manner can and should encompass many different things. We are called to live our lives consistent with who we are. God wants us to be genuine with him and with others, both Christian and non-Christian. We should laugh, tell jokes, love, and share our joys with others and God. Likewise, we should cry, be emotion-filled, and push back when necessary. We should strive to be quiet in our soul, not so much without speaking or sounds but limiting the “noise” of our lives that gets in the way of our search for God’s true kingdom on earth. We will be expected to not carry extra or superfluous burdens, those things that are barriers to us living a life with God - this might be what it means to give up something during Lent. Likewise, we are expected to carry the load that God calls us to carry; to be intentionally burdened with the things that make God’s kingdom become present and recognized here on earth - this might be what it means to take something on during Lent.

This multi-faceted approach to our lives of faith is what we are called to do as we observe a holy Lent. Yet we are reminded that there is no specific (by rote) action that will get us “closer” to God with the exception of spending time with God. By spending time with God we become more attuned to the reality of God’s presence in our lives; in the mundane, in the ludicrous, and in the emotion. As we spend time with God we will naturally find ourselves begin to free ourselves from distractions - not all at once but as part of the process of maturing with God. We will begin to find our hearts and eyes being opened to the presence of God in our lives and in our communities. And we will find ourselves caring for all of God’s creation - not just others but ourselves. As we spend time with God we will find struggles, “road blocks,” challenges, laughter, and joy. This mix of emotions and reactions are the things that are sacred and holy in God’s kingdom.

May we be encouraged to live a holy Lent and begin our journey to a deeper relationship with God; with an eye towards the death and resurrection of Christ. My prayer is that this journey might be punctuated with silence, joy, self-reflection, challenge, and a sense of community and a communal journey. And may the sign of an ashen cross mark our soul with that holy cross and reminder of God’s presence in our lives and in our actions. May our journey be one that encourages us and others into a deeper relationship with God.

To God be the glory through his son Jesus. Amen!

The Feast Day of Reverend Absalom Jones - Feb. 13, 2010

2010-02-14T17:03:00.002-05:00

Diocese of Southern Virginia
Feast Day of Rev. Absalom Jones, February 13, 2010
Leslie C. Ferguson, Candidate for Holy Orders
Isaiah 61: 1-4; Psalm 137: 1-6; John 15: 12-15

Today we celebrate the feast day honoring the life and ministry of the Reverend Absalom Jones. The Episcopal Church recognizes Absalom Jones’ life as one that presents an image of profound healing for the community of believers. I think it is fitting that we honor Absalom as we celebrate and pray for healing; personal, denominational, and global.

One of the blessings I have attending Virginia Seminary is the interaction with international students. One of the things we do is meet these new students at the airport and bring them to the Seminary. This past year, as part of these duties, I had the opportunity to bring a young South African woman who had flown for the first time and landed at Dulles after leaving Johannesburg. During our travels we shared part of our stories and one thing that came out in our discussion was the fact that she was a vegetarian; not because meat upset her stomach but because her friends in South Africa did not have meat to eat, so in solidarity with her community she chose to not eat meat. Her example of community living exemplified Absalom Jones’ to me as I was reviewing his life and ministry to his community - standing up for those who had no voice or were on the margin.

As we prepared for this service we had discussions about the person of Absalom Jones and his story. We discussed our impressions of Absalom and what he stood for, and not just our own impressions but our cultural heritage; what his legacy had to offer to the Episcopal Church of the 21st century; and what his life and ministry challenged us to do.

We honor Absalom Jones as the first Black Episcopal priest, a man who served the church in the Diocese of Pennsylvania; first as a Deacon in 1795 and later a Priest in 1802. Lesser Feasts and Fasts tells us that Jones bought his wife’s freedom before his own; he chose to free her from slavery before himself: to break his legacy’s bond to slavery. He put the status of his family ahead of himself - he loved them as he believed that God loved him. Next Lesser Feasts and Fasts points out that Jones partnered with Richard Allen to create the Free African Society in 1787. This society was a social organization that was responsible for seeing to the needs of black society in the growing United States. Under Jones’ and Allen’s oversight, the society built a church that was admitted into the Diocese of Pennsylvania in July 1794 as St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. Ironically, Richard Allen is probably better known by our society for the role he played in the growth of the black Christian church in the United States, even though he and Jones stood shoulder-to-shoulder for human rights and religious freedom.

Absalom Jones was a man who stood as a prophetic example of God’s love and faithfully following God’s call. He was a renowned pastoral leader, a vibrant preacher, and a steadfast abolitionist. He began his lay ministry and his life of faith in the late 1780s at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. In response to the white congregation at St. George’s demand that the growing black membership in the congregation move to the balcony out of the main part of the sanctuary, he and Allen chose to walk out of church rather than be relegated to the balcony. Both Jones and Allen led a break from a faith tradition that followed the social norm of the day yet failed to honor the Christian commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Along with Allen, Jones earned his reputation as one who stood by his conviction against oppression and segregation. For these reasons Absalom Jones was chosen as a model leader in the Episcopal Church; a model who stood faithfully in God’s call; against long odds, in personal peril, and in violation of “accepted” behavior. Yet, Absalom Jones’ story is more involved than that; his life is not as neat as we might make it out to be; and often doesn’t receive the respect it deserves in the whole Episcopal church and universal Christianity. Absalom Jones had a hard life in turbulent and oppressive times; he faithfully listened for and followed God’s call; and yet his story isn’t always all that comforting.

From the surface we appreciate Jones’ story because it is a good news story - an oppressed person stands against the oppressive society and makes a difference in his community, his faith, and ultimately in his nation. His story is one that goes beyond the simple good news; it’s a story of steadfast conviction to faithfully live a call to love all others as he loved himself. Specifically he put his wife and children ahead of himself when he bought her freedom. He lived faithfully into his call to be a witness for and to God in the world above all else.

I also believe Jones’ story is challenging because of the distinction between Jones’ and Allen’s path with God as agents of change for God’s kingdom on earth. In Allen’s case he chose to live in a world separated by his design; one where race was important, where it was important to be black, a world that lived in parallel to the “white” world. It was here that Jones broke with Allen: he wanted to live a life in a community where distinctions made a difference but as a point of celebration of the diversity of God in creation. He advocated for a community that was integrated with white society, a faith community that worshiped God; not a black faith community worshiping a black God alongside a white faith community worshiping a white God; rather a community of the faithful worshiping the one God of creation. By his choice he put the future of the black Christian community ahead of his life and his family; he chose to live out his call with God from a place that was both isolated from the mainstream black community and un-embraced by the white community because he bucked “proper” society.

He was faithful to a call that flew against the social norm; he held fast to that call against long odds. He had to know by his choice to follow the one true God that he would set himself against the black society - one that wanted to be freed of the life and influence of the oppressive white society. Likewise, he had to know he wouldn’t be accepted by the majority white society; he wasn’t like them, he was someone who “should remember his place,” and he was bucking their impression of a God-ordained society. Jones affirmed something that we’ve come to stand by in the Episcopal Church; where two societies attempt to live in parallel neither one is a true image of God’s true kingdom. That kingdom where all are welcomed; where differences are acknowledged and celebrated; and where people of faith live in love and community with each other.

Imagine if you will Jones reading the passage from Isaiah. He’s so struck by it he hangs it on his wall as the guiding light for his life. Jones devoted his life to being the voice for God who proclaimed liberty to the captives, not just the enslaved blacks but the whites who were bound by in their own form of slavery - slavery to life in a parallel and unequal universe. He lived a life that provided release to the prisoners - he bought his wife and his family’s freedom from slavery; he paid for the release of the black Christians from slavery “in the balcony” and released them to the main sanctuary. Jones lived his life comforting those in need; being a steward of the Free African Society bringing positive change to his society. In the end, Jones stood for what was right; a life modeled after Christ. He stood firm in his call to show us the falsehood of life as we lived it: there is no place in God’s kingdom for parallel universes; we are all children of God, each with our own special talents and special place in God’s heart. And those differences should be celebrated and honored above all else.

Here is our challenge: to stand firm in our call by God. And as we stand firm we need to look at our understanding of that call through the lens of the reading from Isaiah. A true call from God is good news to the oppressed, it is freedom from captivity, it provides comfort to the brokenhearted, and proclaims a time of God’s favor.

Our call is complex but Absalom gives us a model to live by. We are called to live our lives in community; celebrating our differences and honoring those who we feel are different from ourselves. We honor the differences by being honest and open in our life in community, loving others as God loves us. We need to realize that the work of God is not complete on earth and that we are all important members of the body of Christ doing God’s work in the world. How do we do that work? We need to be present as we are and be open to hearing the “other” in our conversations and discussions in community. We need to look for those things that trouble us in society and learn (1) why we are troubled and (2) where God is in the troubling place. We do this through open discussion; sharing and honoring emotions on both parts; and remembering the “other” is made in the image of God and that God is present in this and every situation. Our conversation cannot be limited to those who are like us either. We need to be open to conversation with those we don’t agree with or who are different from us in: race, sexual orientation, country of origin, denomination, or faith tradition. By being open to and in conversation in community we will naturally become more attentive to God in us, in others, and in the troubling situation.

Today, we celebrate the life and ministry of Absalom Jones: priest, innovator, pastor, and human rights advocate. May we continue forward in our call with our eyes on God’s commission to share God’s love, not as we want to but as God would want us to.

Amen!

Sermon from Advent 2C (RCL) - Preparation...

2009-12-07T13:13:00.002-05:00

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston, VA
Advent 2C (RCL), December 6, 2009
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 126; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

“Prepare the way of the LORD, make his paths straight… and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Luke 3:4b-6

A long time ago I vividly remember hearing my defensive line coach tell me, “Struggle in preparation prevents undue perspiration later,” and “if you aren’t willing to prepare you won’t prevail on game day.” I bet he never guessed that he would make it into a sermon later in his life; I know that I didn’t believe I’d remember that statement so vividly almost 30 years later. Maybe his line of thinking is part of the reason that I can look at preparation with dread.

I wonder how John the Baptist felt when he realized that he was the prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord that was predicted by Isaiah. Imagine – preparing the way for the Lord! I wonder if he was anxious about the monumental nature of that task. The bible never says but by all appearances John starts off in his calling as a prophet without trepidation. Given our world-situation, I wonder if a modern-day John the Baptist would be as calm and steadfast as John in first century Palestine.

But life is about preparation, we can’t get away from having to prepare. Right now, we are all too familiar with preparation at personal levels: teachers, parents, and students are ensconced in preparations for final exams and the end of a semester; our religion is marching through the season of Advent in preparation for Christmas; our society is pushing through a season of preparation with Thanksgiving right behind us and Christmas bearing down on us; and this Church is preparing for the coming fiscal year: new vestry members, new budgets, and new pledges; all to equip us to do the work of God in our world. But there is a less obvious yet more pertinent preparation in our midst – there are two families who have prepared their children for baptism; prepared them for full inclusion in the Body of Christ. This preparation signals a change of life and hopefully a change of view.

Many people, me included, feel some anxiety about the amount of planning and preparation that is occurring right now. It is said that the holiday season is the most stressful and anxiety producing time of the year. Many folks dread preparing for things because of the anxiety produced by the unknown, the test that is looming ahead, the desire to get things right by our power and through our preparation. Our dread and the quantity of things we’re making decisions on, coupled with the unknowns in our society today can cause anxiety to run rampant in our lives. As Ed Friedman said in his book Failure of Nerve, too much acute anxiety can lead to emotional paralysis; physical exhaustion; lack of clarity; and failure of nerve.

But preparing doesn’t have to be as anxiety riddled as we have let it become. But where can we take our cues for the decisions we have to make on a daily basis? We can take a cue from the Hope and Smiley families who have brought (will bring) William, Emma, and Jack into our family today. Their baptism and the ritual of the church reflects on what we believe it means to live as a member of the Body of Christ; to live in covenant with God through our affirmation of the relationship we have with God through Christ; the kind of relationship that trusts God to lead us where she wants us to go.

In baptism at their presentation, the candidates and sponsors affirm their faith in the saving grace of God. It is this saving grace that provides our strength and helps lessen the hold of anxiety on our lives and our bodies. The candidates and sponsors help us remember where our power comes from when they pledge to “renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God; ” sometimes viewed as anxiety and fear. And strive for peace by putting “their whole trust in God’s grace and love. ” But it doesn’t stop there; we, as a community, affirm that we will do “all in our power to support them in their life in Christ ” that also means each other in the Body of Christ. Likewise, we affirm with every baptism we participate in that we will strive to live our lives after the life of Christ, not as anxious members of an over-prepared society but as members of a trusting and loving community of faith.

So, what decisions are plaguing us personally today? What about as a community of faith? We are looking at a new year with many sources of uncertainty and anxiety. We are in the middle of our annual stewardship campaign in the midst of the competing interests of Christmas and Thanksgiving. We are staring at the bottom of one of the worst financial crises in our collective history. And yet we feel the sense that there is more that we should be doing to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves. We, as a church, have said that what we have isn’t really ours and that we have been put here at St. Anne’s, at this time, to make a difference in our community, our state, and our world. We affirm this with every baptism and in every celebration of the Eucharist in our confession of faith. So where do we turn in our days and hours of need? I suggest that we need to look at our communal lives through the eyes of faith and with an eye on our baptismal covenant that we just (or will) recited. Therein is the key to help us know that we are making the right decisions for God and the furtherance of God’s plan.

As we affirm in the baptismal ceremony we are not the ones whose power will help us succeed in the important relationships and decisions in our life. Most know that they need help to reach their full potential. Now, I won’t downplay the place of preparation, that is essential in achieving our goal but I subscribe that it’s not our personal strength that allows us to prevail in God’s work. The baptismal promises made by the parents and godparents say it all: “I will with God’s help.” Yet, it doesn’t stop there. Our baptism reminds us that our community is responsible to support us to make a difference in our world.

Our participation in the Body of Christ demands we make a difference; have a change of heart; and return to God’s fold. But we cannot expect to make a lasting change in our life or the world simply by relying on ourselves; and we are getting closer to realizing true change when we lean on our community to help. But the real power to effect real change comes through our dependence on God’s help.

What important decisions are we preparing for? How are we focusing on our preparation as we look for refinement in our solution and clarity of thought? Our refinement comes from trusting God to provide the direction we need. Our clarity comes from testing our decisions against the “refining fire” of scripture in relationship with our community. Our fulfillment and peace come from working together in community to effect real change in the world to bring about the Reign of God.

Only with God’s help can we comprehend the answers to the tough questions we are asking; the critical steps in our personal and communal lives that we are preparing for. Only with God’s help can we lessen our anxiety so we can make the decision that best fits God’s plan for our personal and communal lives. When we come to God, realizing that it is God’s strength and not our own, in prayer and humility are we able to be the people we promised to be in our baptismal covenant, as ones who seek and serve Christ in all others and love our neighbors as ourselves.

In faith and trust we find the key to the tough decisions of our life; the place where we find calm in the storm of preparation. May we continue to see and sense the presence of God in our lives and decisions during this season of preparation of Advent.

Amen!

Reflections about deafness

2009-10-26T21:33:00.001-04:00

What is my feeling about hearing loss? Do I want to get my hearing back? Why or why not. There’s a part of me that wants all of my hearing restored – I do miss all the beautiful music and hearing all the things that I can’t hear (and know they are present). But there’s a part of me that has become accustomed to not being able to hear clearly. Would it be better to be totally unhearing? I don’t think so, I’m happy with where I am and the ability that I have to hear and to not hear.

Why would I care about getting my hearing back or not? Is it worth worrying about? I don’t think so – it’s not like I expect I’ll ever get my hearing restored and certainly not like I had before. I don’t ever think that I’ll be able to hear at 0-5-10 again and I’m not sure that I’ll be able to deal with all the sound that would impede on my life.

What would it mean to be “normal” again? I’m interested to figure out what it means to be “normal.” I guess it’s like everything else – it’s situational and can be defined by those who are associated with the “norm” whatever that may be. I think I’m “normal” but it’s hard being “different” than the mainstream society. But how does my life as a hearing and deafened person in a society that is dominated by hearing people.

2009-10-26T13:12:00.002-04:00

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston, VA
Proper 25(B) [RCL], October 25, 2009
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Job 42: 1-6, 10-17; Psalm 13; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52

How long, O Lord? will you forget me forever? *
How long will you hide your face from me?
Psalm 13:1, BCP

How long? I have spoken this phrase more than I care to admit and the story related by the Psalmist and echoed in the gospel this morning hits close to home. Many may not know but I have been afflicted with a “mild to profound sensorineural hearing loss” for over 18 years. A long time ago I experienced spiritual healing. The irony is I believed that I would get my hearing back but after my pastor laid hands on me my hearing level actually got worse. I was disappointed but I plugged on, but with a self-generated hole inside because of my hearing loss. However, I came to realize that I was profoundly healed in this situation because I was “forced” to listen with my soul and not just go through the motions with people. The hole I created was filled by an overwhelming realization of the presence of God in my life. My healing has led me to focus my efforts on helping others become aware of the presence and providence of God in their lives.

But, this sermon isn’t about me; this sermon is about Bartimaeus, Jesus, and the crowds of people in Jericho. This sermon is about the healing that took place on that eventful day and how that healing applies to our current social situation.

We may remember that God’s law to the Israelites is summed up by “love your neighbor as yourself” yet today’s passage shows Israel not loving one of their own; they are not living in community with, or being hospitable or welcoming to Bartimaeus. I wonder how long it took Israel to become a nation that felt empowered to exclude a disabled person like Bartimaeus. At the beginning of today’s story we see that Bartimaeus is treated worse than a Gentile – he is placed squarely outside the margin in society. And yet, Bartimaeus interacts with Jesus and in his desperation he turns to his one last hope and is miraculously healed of his blindness and returned to an “acceptable” status.

Since our country’s beginning we have been a place where people came to overcome oppression and tyrannical governments. Yet throughout our national history we systemically oppressed and marginalized classes of people, often with our government’s support or at least its silent consent. Sadly this statement shouldn’t be a shock but in 21st century America there are still people who are marginalized. There are people who are systemically marginalized for the same reasons they’ve always been: race or ethnic heritage; religion or lack thereof; social status; economic status; employment status; or worse, just because they are different than our image of the norm. I must say that it is our nature, as creatures of God, to gather in groups that are alike or else we wouldn’t be humans or our animals wouldn’t be herds and flocks. Yet our quest for those who are like us sets us up as a society that excludes people for any number of “justifiable” reasons. It’s been said that both oppressor and oppressed like to be separated and affiliated with those who are just like themselves; because we feel there IS security in knowing that everyone around us is living in the same conditions (more or less) we are. Misery loves company. This isn’t right as I know it, it’s just how we are; not how we should be. But how do we change the way we are wired? What can we do to not exclude the “other?” I think today’s gospel message holds a key.

Today’s gospel is one of healing. There is the obvious healing event, Bartimaeus had his sight miraculously restored, and he was healed of the thing that separated him from the rest of society. But I see another healing of sorts in the story. Prior to Jesus’ arrival on the scene and while Bartimaeus was ignoring the crowd’s order to be quiet, Bartimaeus was an outcast, broken from society, invisible to the folks in the “in crowd.” But Jesus does more for Bartimaeus than just heal his sight, he returned him from the margin and invited him back to the road, to become a member of the society and walk with the Disciples and Jesus. By his invitation Jesus did more than just restore Bartimaeus’ sight; Jesus restored the sight and perception of the society; he made them acknowledge and recognize the marginalized person in their midst. He caused them to stop and remember the one who they had so easily forgot.

By his action, Jesus served as a bridge in the gap between the “ins” and the “outs.” He claimed a place in society for the one systemically excluded by prejudice and intolerance. He helped heal the rift that had been created in the society; the condition that allowed the Israelites to discriminate against Bartimaeus. Jesus helped fill the hole that had been created in the fabric of the community, not just the visible needs of one like Bartimaeus but the unspoken need of all the people in the Jewish society. Jesus helped create a community that better demonstrated God’s command to love one’s neighbor as oneself; regardless of their apparent sin or separation from the “ideal” of God’s kingdom on earth.

So what? This is a nice story for the Israelites; we want to believe the story has applicability for places in our world that continue to discriminate or oppress others who aren’t like them. “But not in our United States.” Yet, it struck me last weekend, when I was driving to Reston for the homelessness walk that I wasn’t going to have many issues on Saturday, even though it was raining cats and dogs and cold. Then the gravity of what I was doing set in; I was fully prepared for the weather: Gore Tex, multiple layers, and a rain coat; yet I almost forgot the people I was walking for – those who would be struggling in those same conditions because they didn’t have my stuff. They were beyond the margin in our society. When I read the Psalm for this week the image from last Saturday haunted me: I had found the marginalized in our life; I found my sight that had been missing.

But what is the challenge for us at St. Anne’s? We do a lot already. But first and foremost, we need to live the instituted by Embry Rucker at St. Anne’s over 40 years ago. But that’s not enough, we cannot rest on our past, we have to continue to move the message of God forward into our community and our world. We must consciously look for those people who are marginalized by our city, nation, and world. We cannot assume that if we don’t see them they aren’t there. We have to call into our faith community and our society all people, especially those who are or have been systemically marginalized. We must continue to be an advocate for healing in our society in our outreach ministries like: the Homelessness walk; in FACETS; our participation with Reston Interfaith; our national and international mission trips; and the assistance for the underprivileged in our midst. We need to continue to live out the good news of God’s salvation through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ until all people are liberated from oppression.

All people need healing of one type or another. God heals all people, not always in ways we see immediately not always in ways we expect but God is always present to heal our lives. God heals all wounds and infirmities – some take more time and patience than others. We participate in God’s healing of all by searching for God’s presence in ourselves and all people in our midst. We participate by witnessing to God’s providential interaction with all humanity. Then, and only then, can we bring true healing to our world. Then, and only then, will we be healed of our brokenness. Then, and only then, can we be made spiritually whole.

In faith, let it not be “How long?” Rather, let it be… Amen!

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Fall 2009 Quiet Day - A Reflection

2009-10-19T19:03:00.001-04:00

A Life of Joy in a World of Anxiety
Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb

My 5th quiet day – I approach this one with great anticipation.

I am amazed that I am still surprised by some of the physical aspects of the seminary. There are still things on this campus that are new to me – not just the “annuals” of the newly installed stuff. I am amazed by the St. Francis statue by the bench at the corner of the graveyard. That’s an odd combination. Then right next to that is a bridge and a bench right next to Mitzi’s yard.

I am also amazed at the insulation we have from the outside. We have room to be a place of peace and (relative) quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Alexandria and Washington D.C. When we are here we seem to be protected from the community – even though there is nothing stopping an “assault.” At best we have two gates to keep people out (why?) but otherwise it’s a sidewalk and some fencing. Our only buffer is open space (like the grove, Trotter Bowl, and parking lots) – inviting to some, excluding/isolating to others.

Why do we choose to live this life of semi-isolation? What is it about the outside that keeps us here, especially on a quiet day? There is tension: we are called to minister in and to the world; we are called to come away and separate ourselves from society; we are called to be in community with others “like us.” Sometimes these feel like they are at odds.

Anxiety and joy: emotions that are opposed to each other. What (at least for me) causes these two emotions/states of being? Anxiety: isolation, self-dependence, self-reliance; joy: community, partnership, God-reliance. Anxiety: dis-trust; joy: faith. It’s interesting that this profession puts us in tension. Why? I won’t say for spiritual growth – that sounds too flippant. But there is truth there. As we grow in trust we become better able to live the life of joy because we stop making it all about us. The reality of our life is it’s all about the relationship with/between God, community, and self. To truly live joyfully we cannot be divorced from the relationship/equation. Joy, for God, proverbially resides at the intersection of our sacred-human relationship.

…shifting gears…

What is it about being wholly present with a person that prevents me from “forgetting?” Ironically, I was slightly overwhelmed yesterday in ethics class when we had a discussion about theodicy and untimely death. My immediate response was flashing back to Children’s National Medical Center and the day the 8 year old died. Not wholly surprising – that was a life changing day (no pun intended) – still, the vividness of my memory was mildly shocking. What does that say about my “suitability” to be a pediatric hospital chaplain? I don’t think it precludes the option, it just means I have to live there in joy and not anxiety.

On my own, the world can be (is) overwhelming. In community/with God, I will not be overwhelmed; I will be blessed by trying situations and I will be able to live in joy and not anxiety.

The Labyrinth
It’s not that God is at the center of the labyrinth. God is there but God is everywhere.

Why am I called to the center? Not to stay there sitting with God; I’m called to pause there, refocus on where God is; challenge where I claim God “to be;” and carry the revelation that God is wherever we stop to look for him.

Our humanity is our belief that we know where to find God – someplace besides everywhere. But the reality is God is there where we are. Our journey revolves around God, always and everywhere present. God is like (but not really like) the canvas that “houses” our labyrinth. God is the fabric that our journey takes place in/on/over/through/about/around. (How do we journey in company with God anyway?)

Our joy is remembering all the journey is with God, regardless of where we turn. We can wend our way all over creation and never leave God’s presence. God is at the center of our universe, at the center of your universe, at the center of the universe; in/of/about/beyond time and space.

Our mission is to help others see God in the fabric of life; not because we’re better at it. Rather, because we are touched by God’s presence in a special way. Because we’ve had someone point out the presence of God at our center we must share that understanding of God’s presence at the center of all life and all over.

Thanks be to God

Sermon audio for Teresa of Avila - Oct. 15, 2009

2009-10-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

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Fall 2009 Quiet Day - A Life of Joy in a World of Anxiety

2009-10-15T16:08:00.002-04:00

Fall 2009 Quiet Day

A Life of Joy in a World of Anxiety
Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb

My 5th quiet day – I approach this one with great anticipation.

I am amazed that I am still surprised by some of the physical aspects of the seminary. There are still things on this campus that are new to me – not just the “annuals” of the newly installed stuff. I am amazed by the St. Francis statue by the bench at the corner of the graveyard. That’s an odd combination. Then right next to that is a bridge and a bench right next to Mitzi’s yard.

I am also amazed at the insulation we have from the outside. We have room to be a place of peace and (relative) quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Alexandria and Washington D.C. When we are here we seem to be protected from the community – even though there is nothing stopping an “assault.” At best we have two gates to keep people out (why?) but otherwise it’s a sidewalk and some fencing. Our only buffer is open space (like the grove, Trotter Bowl, and parking lots) – inviting to some, excluding/isolating to others.

Why do we choose to live this life of semi-isolation? What is it about the outside that keeps us here, especially on a quiet day? There is tension: we are called to minister in and to the world; we are called to come away and separate ourselves from society; we are called to be in community with others “like us.” Sometimes these feel like they are at odds.

Anxiety and joy: emotions that are opposed to each other. What (at least for me) causes these two emotions/states of being? Anxiety: isolation, self-dependence, self-reliance; joy: community, partnership, God-reliance. Anxiety: dis-trust; joy: faith. It’s interesting that this profession puts us in tension. Why? I won’t say for spiritual growth – that sounds too flippant. But there is truth there. As we grow in trust we become better able to live the life of joy because we stop making it all about us. The reality of our life is it’s all about the relationship with/between God, community, and self. To truly live joyfully we cannot be divorced from the relationship/equation. Joy, for God, proverbially resides at the intersection of our sacred-human relationship.

…shifting gears…

What is it about being wholly present with a person that prevents me from “forgetting?” Ironically, I was slightly overwhelmed yesterday in ethics class when we had a discussion about theodicy and untimely death. My immediate response was flashing back to Children’s National Medical Center and the day the 8 year old died. Not wholly surprising – that was a life changing day (no pun intended) – still, the vividness of my memory was mildly shocking. What does that say about my “suitability” to be a pediatric hospital chaplain? I don’t think it precludes the option, it just means I have to live there in joy and not anxiety.

On my own, the world can be (is) overwhelming. In community/with God, I will not be overwhelmed; I will be blessed by trying situations and I will be able to live in joy and not anxiety.

The Labyrinth

It’s not that God is at the center of the labyrinth. God is there but God is everywhere.

Why am I called to the center? Not to stay there sitting with God; I’m called to pause there, refocus on where God is; challenge where I claim God “to be;” and carry the revelation that God is wherever we stop to look for him.

Our humanity is our belief that we know where to find God – someplace besides everywhere. But the reality is God is there where we are. Our journey revolves around God, always and everywhere present. God is like (but not really like) the canvas that “houses” our labyrinth. God is the fabric that our journey takes place in/on/over/through/about/around. (How do we journey in company with God anyway?)

Our joy is remembering all the journey is with God, regardless of where we turn. We can wend our way all over creation and never leave God’s presence. God is at the center of our universe, at the center of your universe, at the center of the universe; in/of/about/beyond time and space.

Our mission is to help others see God in the fabric of life; not because we’re better at it. Rather, because we are touched by God’s presence in a special way. Because we’ve had someone point out the presence of God at our center we must share that understanding of God’s presence at the center of all life and all over.

Thanks be to God!

Teresa of Avila - Perfectionism, Excellence, and You

2009-10-15T16:04:00.001-04:00

Virginia Theological Seminary Chapel
October 15, 2009; The Feast of Teresa of Avila
Leslie C. Ferguson
Psalm 42:1-7; Romans 8:22-27; Matthew 5:13-16

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in your sight O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

Perfection… excellence… the pursuit of all things that are good and right in our ministry…

Today we celebrate the life and ministry Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Spanish nun and Christian mystic; a reformer of the Carmelite monastic movement. She was an example of tireless pursuit of an ideal for her ministry in the face of personal setbacks. We could view Teresa as our matron: she continued to strive towards the perfection of her ministry against the recommendations of her family and faith community. We are called to remember Teresa as a virtuous and exemplary Christian. Our collect today reminded us that she manifested the way of perfection; she is an exemplary teacher about the faith; and she can help us find true holiness. All these are wonderful ways to describe perfection in ministry.

I bet this next statement isn’t a shock to some – I’m a perfectionist; an “A+” personality; a Myers-Briggs “SJ;” striving for perfection is my middle name. There is an order and perfection in all things I do. In my prior life, there was no acceptance of less than perfection, or at least that’s what I always told myself; my society and community always rewarded incessant striving for perfection. I know I’m not alone in this seminary or society when it comes to a perfectionist gene. And yet, my striving for perfection did little more than make me lose my hair; lose weight; lose sleep; and lose time with my family: not ideal rewards for my efforts.

We as a society “know” about excellence and the way of perfection. It would be hard to think of a place where perfection isn’t rewarded: personal bests in sports; graduating with distinction or cum laude in school; or honored with an award like the Nobel Peace Prize or an Emmy. How do we achieve our perfection? The model I’ve always used is, “Study, Act, Practice, Do, Repeat.” This never ending cycle looks a lot like a hamster wheel - unfulfilling. But how can we break this pattern? How do we strive for perfection that satisfies, if that exists?

One would think that our Seminary and our Church would be a welcome break from the incessant need to strive for excellence. And yet, even here the most laid back person can be enticed to attempt to achieve excellence at an immeasurable cost. So where is our hope?

Today’s lessons show us a way to sanely search for perfection. The example of Teresa and the lessons on her feast day provide images that show us how to strive for an excellence that fulfills. The images of perfection we see are summed up by living in faith, hope, and love of God. We demonstrate these traits by living a life of trust and lightness in our soul. A soul that gratefully praises a loving and living God.

But how do we build this kind of trust? How do we find lightness in our soul – a state of not being weighed down by the illusion of worldly excellence and perfection? We are told in the Psalm that we grow in trust by longing for God’s presence like a deer longs for water. It is in this quietness and our silence before God that we are able to truly hear God’s voice and grow in perfection by sensing and proclaiming God present with us and around us.

In Romans, we are called to wait for adoption by God; we are told that in waiting we will find redemption of our bodies – redemption from the false perfection that consumes us and adoption into a place of true excellence. We are assured that we will not have to go alone in our toil but that the Holy Spirit will intercede for us and with us to prepare us for excellence according to the will of God. But we won’t be able to see the Holy Spirit without being present and still before the Lord; unless we get off the hamster wheel of action we will never be able to remove the barriers that we erect against our completeness in God; we will never fully sense the true and blessed relationship with God.

What is our challenge? How do we model our lives after Teresa? What is it that prevents us from living into a perfect life with God? Our challenge is letting God be perfect for us – all our efforts will always fall short on their own but with God they will succeed as they NEED to. We need to look for practices that fulfill us and challenge us to live a life that is different and in line with a holy life devoted to God present in the here and now. We only find these practices when we let the Holy Spirit guide us on the way.

We are able, when we stop trying to do OUR best, to see a better image of God present in our life and in our world. We are able, when we wait for the Holy Spirit to lead us, to find God in our life. We are able, when we wait with lightness and faith, to achieve perfection –completeness in our lives and the true reward of God’s love and grace.

As we wait for the Lord with patience we will be filled and enkindled with an unquenchable longing for true holiness; filled with the love of God; and nourished in our living and vital relationship with God. And when we do these things, we can truly say…

Thanks be to God!

Amen!

Sermon from the 4th Sunday after Pentecost

2009-07-03T17:05:00.001-04:00

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Blackstone, VA
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8[B] RCL), June 28, 2009
Leslie Ferguson, Seminarian
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in your sight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

Healing… what a perfect topic for a church like St. Luke’s. You have a tradition of healing ministry in this church; your Rector has a reputation within the larger Christian community regarding her profession of God’s healing power in her and others’ lives; and you are partnering with other churches in your community to carry forward God’s words of healing to a world that is desperately in need of healing.

So let me share an account of a recent story of healing I observed. A younger person, in good health, with no history of early heart issues in their family ended up visiting the emergency room on a Friday evening. Their visit was spurred on by recurrent chest pains that didn’t really fit the mold for a heart attack but were still present. After an overnight stay and a full battery of tests, including a stress test, the person was discharged in excellent health. While following up, the person admitted to their doctor and their spiritual director that they were feeling anxiety and stress from fear of failing in their chosen field. After an intervention, they admitted that most of their anxiety was caused by grading themselves against a standard of perfection that they held no other person to. The short conclusion to this story is that person began to heal their heart and their life by being forgiven and healed of their fear by prayer and their community’s action. How is this story related to the healing story from today’s gospel? You’ll probably have to bear with me for a few moments to see the connection.

The healing story from today’s gospel is one of the more recognizable stories heard in Jesus’ healing ministry. Sadly, we hear the story so often that we may not look at it critically. But that’s what I propose today, to step back from “regular” story and look at a message that I see hidden in Mark’s Gospel.

In today’s gospel we see two apparently different stories. The woman was an outsider, a person who was unclean and excluded by society because of her medical condition; contrasted with Jairus who was a prominent leader in the synagogue. But hidden in today’s account is something that ties the woman and Jairus together. What is it? We hear the Evangelist say that “the woman came to Jesus in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told the whole truth (about her healing).” Later, we hear Jesus tell Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” Fear was the thing they shared besides being healed by Jesus. Both people lived lives ruled by fear in one shape or another. The woman was rightly fearful that she would be caught but before her healing she also feared that she would continue to be unclean, that she would become wholly destitute, and that in reality no one would be able to help her be made whole again. In contrast, Jairus was fearful that he would lose his daughter to some unnamed illness. Each of them came to Jesus with fear and trembling, not because they were in awe of his power but because they were truly afraid that their worst fear may actually become the reality of their life.

I will have to admit that fear can be both good and bad. Bad fear is one like I described; one not based in fact but based in insecurity. While good fear is one that has foundation and justification, like ultimate death from a terminal illness like cancer or heart disease. So which type of fear do we hear about in today’s gospel? I’d say in one case bad and the other – you’ll have to answer that one for yourself.

I think the woman may have had a bad but justifiable fear. She had spent all her money without avail and there was little hope that she would be made clean or whole again. And yet her worst fear wasn’t realized. Even in that fear, the woman came to Jesus hoping beyond hope that she would be healed. It doesn’t seem that she was all that confident about her possible healing because she silently slipped in from the edge of the crowd and “stole” the healing power from Jesus. However, when she was confronted by Jesus she admitted that she had been healed by him. But she had to overcome her fear, or better yet, she had to let Jesus’ presence overcome her fear of being a social outcast. She had to let her true illness be healed by Jesus’ touch.

But what about Jairus, it certainly looks like he was possessed with good fear. The loss of his daughter to illness should be considered a good fear but what other fear might he be holding onto? In his case, the commentators believe that he had to risk his personal capital as a leader in the synagogue to go to Jesus for healing because Jesus was not “acceptable” to the other leaders of the synagogue. And yet again, Jesus works to heal his real and unspoken fear to make his life whole again, this time through the healing of his daughter. Jesus overcame Jairus’ fear that his family would be broken by the death of his daughter. And Jesus healed Jairus’ fear of being outcast for believing and trusting in him and the truthfulness of his ministry.

What is it about fear that needs healing in this gospel story? What about in our lives today? It has been said that our greatest sin, the place where we need healing in our lives most frequently is in our fear and anxiety of the unknown, those things that we try to control, like our image or our imagined failings. This fear and anxiety is the biggest thing that separates us from God’s grace. But this kind of healing is almost as important if not more important than the physical healing we hear about in today’s lessons. In today’s society we live in fear, sometimes it is a good and healthy fear while often it isn’t. What fears do we have that need to be healed? I can think of a few that we hear about in our daily lives: financial concerns; not being “better than the rest;” not comparing to the standards set by our society to name a few.

Even though the church doesn’t view healing as a sacrament, healing can be sacramental: a token of God’s sacred relationship with each of us. The obvious healing in today’s Gospel is the physical healing of the woman and Jairus’ daughter, an outward and visible sign of God’s action in the lives of these two people. But I believe the healing missed in today’s Gospel is the inward and spiritual grace: the healing of the fear and anxiety impacting their relationship with God. Likewise, the healing we crave is relief of fear and anxiety in our relationship with God, with our self, and with each other. And this is the story of grace and redemption for our lives today, the active and vital participation in our lives by a loving and caring God.

How do we find our path to reach out to God for this sacrament of healing in our lives? There are many things we can do but first and foremost we need to be open to the desire for God to heal us, not only of our physical infirmities but also of our internal and emotional hurts. We can only do this by sharing our fears and anxieties with God and Christ and with our community. Second, we need to be faithful in asking for physical and emotional healing, especially in the hidden areas of our lives. Our openness will come from sharing our deepest concerns with others and coming clean with God in that community. Last, we need to be faithful in asking for healing for others, not just the things we see or the things they ask for; but for the hidden things that only God knows and only God can heal. It is from this place that we can begin to reconcile ourselves to God and to be healed of the things that separate us from fully participating in God’s family.

As we become more aware of the Holy Spirit moving in our lives and our community we will become more attuned to opportunities to share the healing power of God in Christ. We need not come to God in fear that we may not be healed, we just need to come to God in the assurance that God will truly heal the things that need to be healed in our lives… at the right time… for the greater purpose of God.
Amen!

Easter 4 Sermon at St. Anne's Reston - The Good Shepherd Sunday

2009-05-03T20:10:00.003-04:00

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston, VA
Easter 4(B) (RCL), May 3, 2009
Leslie Ferguson, Seminarian
Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Recently, I commented to some friends that I felt like my life was spinning out of control. This shouldn’t be surprising considering I’m just over 2 weeks from the end of the school year and have all the requisite stuff to do for my classes. One of my friends said that she had a mantra that might help: I should repeat “I’m in control, I’m in control” over and over until I felt like I was in control. Oddly, that didn’t help because the more I tried to get control of the situation the more maddening it became. I can only get a handle on a few things these days and I would hope those have to do with my faith and our church - things that are essential to me.

Then there’s today’s lectionary. Does it seem odd to you that there are no stories of the Resurrection in today’s readings? We are in the 4th week of Easter and we don’t have a direct reference to the Resurrection or a Resurrection story. Granted we see references to the resurrected Christ but here, just 21 days after Easter, we’ve moved past Resurrection stories into stories of action. That seems odd to me that a church that sees the Resurrection as the transformational event in its history would move so quickly away from that story.

You may be wondering why I’m struggling to find the Resurrection in our readings today and I hope you may wonder how these stories of action help us understand Christ’s redeeming action at Easter. In answer to the first question: I think, like many people, I want to hang on to the Resurrection as a sort of stable place to live and bask in Christ’s presence but I’m convicted to move when I try to stay fixed in a place with God. For my answer to the second question you’ll have to stay tuned for the next 5 or 6 minutes.

Recently, I’ve been asked to explain what the Resurrection means to me. I’ve also been asked why the Resurrection is important to us as Christians. I can’t argue with them because these are valid questions for someone who is in the process of becoming ordained in a Christian Church. Quite frankly, these questions aren’t trivial, and how we answer them is important to who we are as a church and how we witness the message of the gospel to our community.

The Resurrection is the defining event for us as Christians. I’ll grant that the world began in the Creation but our faith began at the Resurrection. Christ’s Resurrection is the creative event for Christianity. But the Resurrection isn’t that simple, even if we want to make it simple. We can’t distill a “once in an eternity” event into something as simple as “the defining moment in the faith.” The Resurrection is the event that signals a radical change or a radical shift in the perspective of our life. The Resurrection is the singular event that changes the way the world operates forever. It is in this moment that all the rules about life and death change.

But that’s not all that happened in the Resurrection. Christ rising from the dead makes our life new and vigorous. We are recreated by the power of the risen Christ. And as we experience the risen Christ we begin to see the need to live our lives differently, to make a difference in the world around us; this is where our readings come into play.

I believe that’s why there are all the references to laying down our life for others, because the example of Christ dying on the cross is one of his surrendering his human self for all of humanity. But that thought is troubling to me as I strive to be more like Christ in my daily life. Does my faith in the Resurrection and profession of a changed life mean that I have to die on the cross for someone or at least be willing to die for someone or for society? That may be where I am call to act in laying down my life and I hope I could go there but I also hope that the demands aren’t that extreme.

Dying for someone may be better understood as dying to your self. With that in mind let’s look at a few questions to challenge ourselves with. Is dying to my self complete surrender of who I am for someone else? What does dying to self really mean to us in the 21st century? Why is dying to our self a big deal for us to remember now, not just in the Easter season but in May 2009, in the midst of an economic recession and a swine flu pandemic?

First, is dying to self complete surrender of who I am for someone else? If we use Jesus’ example we may be tempted to say yes to that question. But there is something that doesn’t ring true in that response, Jesus never lost who he really was in his laying down his life and his Resurrection. He never stopped being the Incarnate Word of God, the only thing he stopped being was tied to his earthly body. Because Christ didn’t lose his essential nature I don’t think we should give up our essential nature for someone else. My experience, especially at St. Anne’s, is that I’m more successful in my ministry when I let my true self come through, when I invite people into my world and my experience of Christ at work in my life.

Second, what does dying to self in the 21st century really mean? Since we aren’t called to surrender our essential nature for the other, what might we be called to do for the other? We all have things that keep us from moving to the future with Christ; family relationships, personality traits, and insecurities. We are called to surrender the imperfect things in our life, those things that bind us to our former self, so that we can live into our relationship with the Resurrected Christ as a member of his body. And these actions are essential to help change the life of the other in our lives - that is how we mirror Christ’s surrender; that is a changed life. That is the fruit of the Resurrection.

Third, why is dying to our self a big deal today? We are bombarded with competing influences in our life and a society that will try to separate us from our life as a member of the body of Christ. Any number of us could identify things in our life that separate us from living into the full love of God. Let me name a few: self-dependence in light of overwhelming circumstances; turning inward in response to the external pressures of the financial crisis; closing our doors to others as we fear an outbreak of swine flu in our midst; reducing our interaction with our community because of fear about the future of our church; failing to move forward into those places that we are called by God, individually and communally. All these are examples of not losing our self for God.

Wow, that’s a bleak picture isn’t it? But I call us back to the present and the joys that we have in our midst. We ARE living in the light of the Resurrection. We are living a life that has been made anew by the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and his being raised by the Father. We are a community that is willing to put itself on the line and be a witness to the Resurrection. We live our lives for the others in our ministries to the poor and underprivileged in our community - at the Embry Rucker homeless shelter, at the Jean Schmidt Free Clinic; and the list goes on. We live a life that is sacramental giving of time, talent, and treasure to help the church be a beacon to its community and spread the light of Christ so that others can enjoy a new life in Christ.

Now there is a challenge in our success: how do we move forward from here while living into the promise of the Resurrection? How do we realize the Resurrection in our lives laid down for others? We look for those moments where we experience a resurrection event in our lives as we faithfully follow the calling of Christ our Shepherd. As we begin to recognize the actions of Christ in our lives we need to share those revelations with others whom we love and who come into our lives. We need to intentionally set aside the things that keep us looking backwards to our old lives and look forward to the fullness of Christ living and acting in our community. We need to help others in our midst share in the Resurrection joy.

Moving from the Resurrection to our full and complete lives is what it is about in this the 4th Sunday of Easter. This is why we are called to lay down our lives for our friends and look to the Good Shepherd to lead us along the way. This is why we are placed into a loving and living community at St. Anne’s.

THAT is why we say:

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

What does it mean to be in relationship?

2009-04-22T10:59:00.005-04:00

How do we understand the nature of our relationships: with God, with ourself, and with another (or an other)?

We are relational beings. Some can and will say that we cannot exist without others, in support or in companionship. But what does it mean to be in relationship? How are our relationships defined and shaped?

It is simpler (and I believe that is a relative term here) to be in relationship with God. Simple in so far as we can only understand God as a relationship. We cannot imagine God and humans in any other form except in relationship. But how much of that relationship is us and how much of that relationship is God? One could rightly say that the relationship is governed by God and God's providential actions to and for us. But what about us? Where is our free will included in the "equation?"

As I progress in my call to ordination I am troubled by a couple questions:
1. How do I live my relationship with God in and through my relationship with God's people? How are these relationships tempered by the presence or influence of the church (or other Christians)? Is my relationship different when I am in relationship with others in or at Church, in worship? Is my relationship different when I meet the other (Christian or otherwise) outside the confines of the Church?
2. How does my relationship with God impact my worship, both as a participant and a leader? How much do I have to do with the liturgy (the order and practice of worship)?

We (hopefully we all do) often struggle with the nature of our relationship with God and how that relationship shows in our relationships with others. Our nature is the single thing that we can bring to any relationship - but living into and with our nature is a difficult thing for me (and maybe many others).

Grace and peace to you all during this Easter Season!

The Ordination of a Priest - what I must affirm

2009-04-21T15:27:00.003-04:00

The Ordination of a priest: What does the Church ask of all who are answering the call to ordination as a Priest in the Episcopal Church?

As a priest, it will be your task to proclaim by word and deed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to fashion your life in accordance with its precepts. You are to love and serve the people among whom you work, caring alike for young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor. You are to preach, to declare God’s forgiveness to penitent sinners, to pronounce God’s blessing, to share in the administration of Holy Baptism and in the celebration of the mysteries of Christ’s Body and Blood, and to perform the other ministrations entrusted to you.

In all that you do, you are to nourish Christ’s people from the riches of his grace, and strengthen them to glorify God in this life and in the life to come.

Bishop: My brother, do you believe that you are truly called by God and his Church to this priesthood?
Answer: I believe I am so called.

Bishop: Do you now in the presence of the Church commit yourself to this trust and responsibility?
Answer: I do.

Bishop: Will you respect and be guided by the pastoral direction and leadership of your bishop?
Answer: I will.

Bishop: Will you be diligent in the reading and study of the Holy Scriptures, and in seeking the knowledge of such things as may make you a stronger and more able minister of Christ?
Answer: I will.

Bishop: Will you endeavor so to minister the Word of God and the sacraments of the New Covenant, that the reconciling love of Christ may be known and received?
Answer: I will.

Bishop: Will you undertake to be a faithful pastor to all whom you are called to serve, laboring together with them and with your fellow ministers to build up the family of God?
Answer: I will.

Bishop: Will you do your best to pattern your life [and that of your family, or household, or community] in accordance with the teachings of Christ, so that you may be a wholesome example to your people?
Answer: I will.

Bishop: Will you persevere in prayer, both in public and in private, asking God’s grace, both for yourself and for others, offering all your labors to God, through the mediation of Jesus Christ, and in the sanctification of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: I will.

How am I living into the affirmative answers to these questions? How do I live my life to reflect these things in the world around me?

Taken from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, pages 531-532.

What is our call to ministry?

2009-04-02T11:45:00.004-04:00

An interesting reflection for someone who likes concrete things (being a Myers-Briggs ESFJ) and understanding things:

I was asked about how I dealt with not being able to understand God (because there is no way to truly understand God).

My reflection is: in my life, it's less about understanding God but rather, it's about recognizing God and God's presence in the here and now. I know that I'll never understand God, even if I had forever to try, but my "job" is to try to recognize and help others recognize God's presence here, regardless of the situation or condition of the moment.

A second question had to do with my desire to fix things. How is it that I appreciated working in an environment where I couldn't, and knew I couldn't, fix things?

My realization is that when it comes to my real life, fixing is actually finding the presence of God and letting that be enough to fix the issue. Not as much a fait accompli, but the realization that there are many things that can't be fixed by human hands but that the movement of God and the Holy Spirit will make things anew.

A question to ponder: What is it about the Resurrection that makes that event the incarnational event in the lives of Christians and the Christian Church? I believe that the Resurrection (1) defines who we are as a people, and (2) sets the stage for all that has come to be and that will continue to be as God works in and through the world. So how does this reflection impact who we are and how we operate as faithful followers of God through Christ?

Peace dear friends.

All about the serpents

2009-03-22T15:45:00.004-04:00

St. Anne’s Reston Virginia
Lent 4 (B), March 22, 2009
Leslie Ferguson, Seminarian
Numbers 21: 4-9; Psalm 122; Ephesians 2: 1-10; John 3: 14-21

A show of hands… Who here gets annoyed by questions you feel you should know the answer to but don’t? Do bible passages not make sense from time to time? I freely admit that there are things in my spiritual life that just don’t make sense to me as a rational, facts-oriented person. My friends are apt to hear me say, sometimes wagging a finger, “This doesn’t make sense; when I get to heaven and if I have an ‘extra’ I’ll ask God to explain it.” Maybe clarification is in order: I normally ask this question about topics that I don’t really believe are critical to my salvation like: Did Adam or Eve have a belly button? Just how many angels can dance the jitterbug on the head of a pin? Why did the writer of Genesis say “we” in the creation story?

I’m troubled and puzzled by today’s scripture passages on many levels. I’m troubled by the snake and the idol passage and not because I don’t like snakes, because I do. I’m also troubled by the “bumper sticker” passage in the gospel. I’m almost tempted to send these to two passages to my list of “extra” questions for God at my arrival in heaven, but I’m afraid to because: 1) today’s lessons may actually be essential to my salvation; and 2) the message was obviously important to the writers of our scripture because the story shows up in both the Old and New Testaments.

Why am I troubled? I’m troubled by my reaction to the lesson from the gospel and from Numbers. In the first case, I’m troubled by being “put off” by an overused cliché, or a passage that some see as cliché. In the second case I’m troubled by the presence of an idol and the apparent veneration of an idol – at God’s direction none the less. I think I know what it means to be faithful; and I think I know just how God will work with the Israelites; that’s why I’m gong to school right? So I think it’s best to look at Numbers and the most perplexing issue in the readings to me.

If we remember back, but not too far back, in the Israelites’ history they had another run in with an idol. The setting was a little different because the Israelites had just been delivered from the hands of the Egyptians in the Exodus and they were waiting impatiently for Moses’ return from the mount. In their self-reliance they fell back to their old ways and created an idol to worship as their god – the one they understood, the one they thought they knew well. The story is different now: the Israelites get impatient with God again and grumble at what they perceive as maltreatment by God. So what does God do? He lets them know part of his power by sending poisonous snakes to kill them. Then, in order to save them he tells Moses to create an idol and have those who have been bitten by the snakes look on it so they would not perish. I just have to say: What!? What signal is God sending? I thought he punished for “worshiping idols” and now he’s saving by having them look on the idol to bring health and wholeness.

Idols had been around for the Israelites for a while and their last recorded attempt to honor an idol landed them in the desert for 40 years. Now arguably, this story may have been told by the Israelites just because there were a lot of legends and mythology in the Ancient Near East regarding snakes and snake gods that wielded great and awesome power. Hence, the Israelites would have been working from a familiar story with a god working through the power of the serpent. They “knew” the story of the saving nature of the serpent, or so they thought. But still, with all the other things I know about God protecting the Israelites from their own shortsightedness, it doesn’t make sense to me to have an idol nearby that could lead them astray.

The other part of the reason I can’t ignore or put off these passages is my sense that there’s something more in God’s plan regarding the snake idol; otherwise it wouldn’t have shown up in John’s gospel. There we see the snake idol passage used to introduce the passage about Nicodemus today. I think Nicodemus’ story is the key to my understanding today – something in that passage about Nicodemus and Jesus’ interaction is the message that God has in store for me and hopefully for us all. Some scholars have postulated that Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus is a challenge to Nicodemus to change his view of what God and the Messiah might be, to open his eyes to a new understanding of the Christ. Nicodemus believes he knows what the Messiah will do and be – he’s assured by his training and education, he’s self-reliant. By the end of today’s gospel we see Nicodemus realize that his preconception was flawed, he really didn’t know what it meant to live a life where his mind was open to the workings of God. Nicodemus is called to have an open mind about the power of God.

Now the snake story starts to become clearer. The story isn’t about the idol per se; it’s about the power of God working in ways that God wants, not the way that we expect. It’s not clear what the Israelites think about God in their time but the writer shows them as people who were fairly headstrong and self-reliant in their understanding of what is right and necessary for them as opposed to trusting in the things that God was already providing for them. Thus, God’s action in Numbers took something that was “known” and translated it into something miraculous – something that really showed what God is capable of. God’s power can now be understood in a new way.

How my eyes have been opened by this revelation. It was almost like God was talking directly to me. I don’t know how many of you know but things are not anywhere near peaceful on campus these days what with layoffs, the loss of beloved staff, and stories of hard times for priests and graduating seniors all across the country. And there has been much personal turmoil over all of this and more. However, what has become clear to me through all this is that I need to open my eyes to the message that God is sending me each and every day in scripture and in community. I’m starting to understand that if I keep my view closed to new potential I’ll be “left behind” or not fully find my way with God. I now realize (again) that I don’t need to and probably won’t get “it” right without changing my view to see God anew in and around me.

How does this apply to us, right here and right now? We are almost smack dab in the middle of Lent. Remembering back to Ash Wednesday we are called to practice repentance (BCP pg. 265). It may not be obvious but these passages tell me a story about repentance, at least as illuminated by a philosopher named Hammond who said: “repentance is a change of mind, or conversion of sin to God.” It is in our repentance, our changing of our mind to be more like God that we better understand God’s active participation in our lives, both individually and communally. Now is the perfect time to hear stories about God’s power working in unexpected and “untraditional” ways.

I think these stories appear in our communal life at this exact time for a reason. In this Lenten season we are being challenged to look at our lives afresh and anew. We need to ask ourselves: Where we are being challenged to convert ourselves to the mind of God both individually and corporately? Where are we being made anew in our vision of God at work in and through us? How are we being challenged to move from self-reliance to reliance on the grace-filled nature of God?

We can either try to imagine a God that we know and control and probably get frustrated along the way. We can imagine a God that is totally different than we ever knew before and probably end up not finding God’s presence her and now. Or else we can reshape our vision to see God working in and around us in an “old place” and in an amazing way. My prayer today is that we continue to convert our minds from sin to God and continue on our path to Easter this year, being open to a living, dynamic, and self-changing relationship with God.

Amen.

Ash Wednesday Reflection...

2009-02-26T20:30:00.007-05:00

February 25, 2009
Ash Wednesday
Virginia Theological Seminary

Silence… We are often called to enter into silence like it is something that is wholly therapeutic and recharging. So why do we run from silence like it is a demon?

Maybe we should look at entering silence, not as something that takes us away from the comforts of the noise that populates our lives but rather as an invitation to a place where clarity of thought resides. Many fear silence but why would that be the case?

When we enter silence we do so with trepidation and misunderstanding. Why might that be? Maybe we are carrying too much with us when we enter silence. Maybe we need to lighten our load to better enjoy the silence.

Christ gave specific directions about little but when it came to entering silence, he was specific: shut the door (don’t leave it ajar) and be alone with God. We were told to leave everything else outside and enter retreat with God.

Questions for reflection:

What does it mean to me to enter into silence?
How is my search for silence punctuated?
Where is the noise that invades my silence (and there will be noise)?
Where does the noise come from?
What do I do about the noise?

I can fight it (and probably lose).
I can enjoy it for what it is.
I can co-opt it to move from the noise to silence.

How do I lighten my load as I enter into silence and contemplation?

Within the Labyrinth...

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One Have mercy upon us
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One Have mercy upon us
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One Grant us thy peace

What does it mean to have the peace of God?

To be an agent of change
To possess a lightness of spirit
To sense God’s presence
To have an awareness of others

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One

How do we share God’s peace?

How is silence affiliated with peace?

Observation: It’s hard to slide when you’re on the path of God

Kathy's 50th Birthday party -- a little late

2008-12-06T22:00:00.003-05:00

We had a blast this evening - a bunch of friends from all over, some from St. Anne's and some from Seminary. Many loved ones sharing good times and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. :)

Mark 1 Sermon for Homiletics class with a "focus haiku"

2008-12-01T13:12:00.003-05:00

Reform and prepare
But why should we get ready?
The Truth is in us.

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston, VA
2 Advent B (RCL), December 7, 2008
Leslie Ferguson, Seminarian
Mark 1:1-8

Did John the Baptist really understand what his life as a servant of God was all about? If he did understand, what was it that allowed him to follow his calling as a servant of God?

We come to know John by the many names he’s called both in today’s Gospel reading and throughout the gospel accounts. In today’s reading we hear Mark refer to John in 3 different ways – the messenger who will prepare the Lord’s way; the prophetic voice of a new age; and the baptizer. All faithful images of who John is. If we couple those images with the others of John in the gospels – the miraculous son of Zechariah and Elizabeth; the accuser of the religious order; the one who would be executed for his cause; the one who was viewed as a wild man; and the one who is the cousin of Jesus we get a better picture of John. As a whole these images help us define the place John held in the life of Jesus and show the complexity of what John was called to do.

In contrast to our images of John he seems to be certain and resolute about who he is and what his mission is in Israel and in God’s kingdom. He is quite capable of shifting the focus of society when he needs to. In today’s reading he ably deflects the people from making him something that he isn’t – he is not the Messiah or the redeemer, he’s just the one who proclaims a new order: the world needs to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. It’s here that I get troubled by John: he seems so at ease with his lot and he seems to genuinely understand his place in the world; the ability he has to sift through the tugging and pulling of the religious order and society without question; and the conflicting images portrayed of him in Scripture. How is it that John comes off as having a good grip on what his place in the religious and social order of his day? He unhesitatingly affirms that he is the one who was to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to shake up the religious right in their understanding of God’s kingdom and nothing more. I wish that John didn’t come off as strong as he does today – that would make me feel better about his and my ministry.

Through it all, the trials in the desert, the butting of heads with the religious right, the expectations of his family and community on him, John appears to coolly know what it meant to be the proclaimer of the new age. His message today is one that fits well into the life of the church in Advent as we get ready for the birth of Jesus. But I can’t help but wonder if John really understood what his calling would ultimately lead to. I wonder if he could see the future well enough, whether in reality or as led by the Holy Spirit, to see that he would end up paying the ultimate cost for his ministry. Did John know what he was getting into when he set up shop in the desert, proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, baptized Jesus (the Messiah), and confronted the priests and social order?

It would be improbable to believe that John knew exactly what it meant to announce the coming of the Lord in the desert and what the ultimate ramification of his prophetic voice on his present community and religious order; on those who would follow in his footsteps; and on his physical life would be. In the end, it appears that John came to peace with his lot and what he understood his calling to be – his place in the greater community of Christ. And he unhesitatingly followed his understanding of the truth in his life as proclaimer of the Christ, even unto his death.

We could assume that by nature of his calling John, as an ascetic, would have spent time in prayer and meditation when faced with tough questions in his life. I would believe that John was able to live his life as a prophet for God by listening to the burning desire and ache in his belly. And that movement probably wasn’t caused by bad locust and wild honey but rather it was caused by the movement of the Holy Spirit. But what was it that sustained John as he proclaimed the tough message of his day? Hold your place there, I’ll return to that in a minute.

How many of us are faced with challenging decisions when it comes to our ministry for God? Many of us have made some decisions about our lives that others in our community would see as difficult – to abandon a lucrative career to become a minister; to forgo positions of relative power for the church; or to leave our family home to study in seminary and probably move to the far reaches of our diocese or community. Why would anyone, whether it be John in first century Israel or one of us in twenty-first century America, choose to follow Jesus in the face of long odds and an uncertain temporal existence?

It would be tempting to explain our response to our call in acceptable social terms – that we are devoted to our cause. Or we may also say, not incorrectly mind you, that we are answering a call from God. But what does it mean to follow a call from God? What was it that gave John the power to stand firm in his day against strong oppression and misunderstanding? What is it that helps us stand firm today against uncertainty in our social, political, and religious order? What sustains me is a sense of the truth that is Jesus at work in my words and deeds. It is nothing other than that burning in my belly that helps me know that it is God at work and not my own efforts. It is the knowledge of God calling and acting in me that helps me stand firm in my calling to follow God.

What is it that allows me to know and perceive the burning nature of the Holy Spirit in my life? It starts with personal prayer and contemplation. If I am honest enough to listen for God and where God is calling me to act I will hear the truth. How do I know that what I hear is the truth? My perception of my mission and its outcomes tell me that I am sensing the truth – and that is nothing other than a sense of joy that burns in my stomach, not a sense of dread in my life but a sense of joy – even in the face of long odds.

How can we stand firm and proclaim the word of God, even in the face of long odds and loss of self? When we faithfully look for God and the Holy Spirit in all that we say and do; we will see and feel the truth. And just like John, that is what we need to proclaim, not something that will continue the status quo but something that will rock the world and shape society. That something will truly allow us to make a difference and prepare the way for the one who will redeem society and make every person whole. It is when we search for and proclaim the truth – Jesus as Savior – that we will experience the truth in our life and fulfillment in our proclamation of our personal mission and ministry for Christ. For it is only in the truth that all things will be known and understood.

Mark 1:1-8 reflection - what about John...

2008-11-23T22:56:00.002-05:00

Mark 1:1-8

Interesting that locust and wild honey were foods eaten by poor/lower class people. Untying a sandal was something that only the lowest person would do. Why would all the images of John the Baptist be those that the people of the day would have associated with a menial laborer or a poor person? Especially since he’s announcing the coming of the Lord.

Maybe it’s because the messenger isn’t as important as the one being announced. But still it would be “better” to have a more prominent person announce the Messiah’s coming.

Does this tie to Moses not being able to enter into the Promise Land somehow? Not sure there’s a connection but it might be something to think about. Moses obviously had a special relationship with God, so much so that he couldn’t go into the Promise Land for feat that the Israelites would worship him like God. Now John the Baptist is clearly important to the story of Jesus but his prominence is downplayed by Mark in his gospel (and the other Synoptic Gospels too) and he is cast as inferior to Jesus even though there is a lot going for John - he’s the miraculous child of past their prime parents. He is a chosen prophet ordained by God to proclaim the coming of the Lord.

Maybe therein lies the issue. John could be mistaken for the Messiah if it isn’t clear that he’s not of high enough rank to be considered the messiah - either the popular (social or militaristic) messiah or the Messiah proclaimed to issue in the day of the Lord.

Sunday Sermon, Proper 28A - Nov 16, 2008

2008-11-15T18:16:00.004-05:00

St. Anne’s Reston, VA
Proper 28A (RCL), November 16, 2008
Leslie C. Ferguson, Seminarian
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!

I have to admit I like the Revised Standard Version better… “Well done good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your master.” How many of us want to be counted as good and faithful servants by God? How do we demonstrate our faithful service to God?

I know that I, for one want to be considered good and faithful. I think we demonstrate our faithfulness as we live out God’s plan on earth as members of a community of faith. It is our privilege and responsibility as Christians to live our lives as faithful stewards of God’s blessings both in our Church and in the world around us. But our response to that privilege is often tempered by the fact that we don’t live in wholly sacred spaces but at the intersection of the sacred and the secular and that juxtaposition frequently places us in competing circumstances. We desire to live wholly faithful lives for God but try to balance that life fixed on the eternal with the reality of living life in a society that demands our time, talents, and treasure. It is in this balancing act that we find our stewardship challenged, and if you are like me you feel compelled to find an answer to this question, “Why do I choose to give to the Church?” As I’ve embarked on my theological education and pursuit of ordination I’ve been haunted by this more difficult question, “Why do I want others to give to a Church that I’m attending?”

Scripture is foundational to me in many aspects of my life and in determining whether or not to give to the Church. As I look for answers in the Hebrew and Christian Scripture I find God’s response to the question of being a faithful steward both to the Church and as the Church, the body of believers living in community. From the beginning: God, in his covenant with the chosen people of Israel, was clear about the tenets of our relationship. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might,”[1] from Deuteronomy makes us believe it should be easy to move from that imperative to justify our giving of what we have to God - time, talent, and treasure - because those things are the few things that we have some control over. But even back then giving just to God wasn’t enough and it’s clear from God’s word through Moses in Leviticus, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy… but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord,”[2] that our action must benefit our neighbors like it does God or else it isn’t fully an act of love.

As a Christian, I find a few other examples that make me believe it is right to give to the Church. Recently we heard the writer of Matthew remind us we are supposed to do things for our neighbor when he told the disciples and the crowd that their actions towards God were reflected in their actions to others when he said, “…truly I tell you that as you did it to the least of these you did it unto me.”[3] Then in today’s gospel parable we hear the story of the faithful servants and hear Jesus say, “His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy (faithful) slave; you have been trustworthy (faithful) in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”[4]

Lastly, the writer from Matthew gives another perspective on giving and how we should give to the church when he related the following, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’”[5] Although at the extreme end of the scale, it is clear from this passage that Christians are expected to give to help the poor and in the first century they would have been giving to the Church to help the poor in their community.

In light of the scriptural justifications presented, I believe we are called to give to the Church, I have come up with some reasons why I choose to give to the Church, not only my treasure but also my time and my talents. This list is neither comprehensive nor static, as I come to understand my life with God through prayer and community interaction and living with people who choose to faithfully serve God my answers will change over time.

It may seem a little off for a discussion of giving to the Church but when I think about giving the first thing that comes to mind is my decision to follow a call to ordained ministry. Answering the “why” question is certainly beyond the time available for a sermon but I’ll try to summarize the key reasons that I give this gift to the Church. It is in serving the church that I find completeness and wholeness. It is in devoting my life to the Church that I feel integral and true to my self. I give my “self” to the Church because it’s the best thing I have to offer and the only thing that I really have control over, nothing else is really mine to give.

Paul was assuring the Thessalonians that Jesus would indeed return to earth and even expected Jesus to return in their lifetime. While they were disappointed in their day that doesn’t change the fact that I truly believe that God will return to earth to judge the world and those who have professed to be Christians. Because I will be called to account for my stewardship and execution of God’s mission I choose to give to the Church. However, I don’t feel that my giving is from fear or a feeling of necessity but from a sense of love and the expectation that God is coming back and I want to be ready for God’s return.

Today’s Epistle reading talks about how the Thessalonians need to be prepared for the imminent return of God and although they don’t realize Christ’s return their charge is still levied on the Church. As a faith community the church is dedicated to re-forming the world in preparation for Christ’s return. I believe the Church has as an example the highest standard to model its actions after - Jesus Christ. I believe the Church is uniquely qualified and expected to make a positive change in the world. God expects Christians to make the world ready for the day of the Lord and the Church is in the enviable position to make changes for God from the grassroots level - truly affecting change from the ground up.

Likewise, the Church gives me hope of a better place, especially in a less-than-hopeful time. The Church and its actions assure me that there can be a better place here on earth and that we will enjoy a better place in heaven in our eternal life. I give to the Church because I realize the presence of God in its actions and the things that our Church stands for. Without time, talent, and treasure from me and others in the Church I don’t think the Church would be nearly as effective in reaching out to those in need of the healing power of God’s word and deed.

One might think this last reason I give to the Church may sound a little sarcastic but I really think it has a lot of influence on the discussion. I choose to give to the Church because I am privileged to have the time, talent, and treasure available to give to something and the Church seems to be the best place. Coupled with that is the belief that I want to make a positive change in the world and the Church has a good track record in affecting positive change in the world. Also, when I give to a Church I see a more direct connection between the things I give and the ministry, mission, or cause that I support. And probably the least “sacred” reason I give to the Church is I’d give my time, talent, and treasure some place anyway so why not the Church.

As we all know, making a positive change in the world isn’t something that comes without cost, not just monetary but time and talent, thus I need to give from my God-given bounty to make that change in cooperation with others in the Church. And what does this mean to each of us as members of St. Anne’s? We hear secular society tell us to “put our money where our mouth is.” Considering that society can make and lose millions if not billions of dollars in a day based on self-centered reasons, just how much more could the Church do if it focused its attention on living out the message of the gospel on a daily basis, not only in words but also in temporal resources, personal energy, and finances?

I think it is important for each of us to reflect on and to be able to answer the two questions I posed earlier. Why do I give my time, talent, and treasure to the Church? Why do I want others to give to a Church that I’m attending? I have found my answer to those questions aren’t static and continue to be shaped by my life of prayer and reflection on God at work in my day-to-day life. I don’t think that my answers will necessarily be your answers but I think my questions and answers will provide a good jumping off point. With that, I’d like to leave you with a couple more images to ponder as you think about stewardship and its relationship to God.

We know it is unreasonable to believe that we can change the world all by ourselves yet we firmly believe we can change our little corner of it. But if positive social and political change is something that we as a Church embrace, how will we go about ensuring that we will truly be able to make that change? It starts with stewardship.

Our stewardship and its relationship with God is not a one-time-a year thing and many are finding it easier to keep a steady-strain focus on stewardship throughout the year. In my life I find it less worrisome to think about stewardship and being in relationship with God when I focus on those things on a daily basis. With that in mind, how do we make stewardship a reflection of our relationship with God? Do our prayers and life reflect a life of stewardship? How might we include our stewardship in our vital life of prayer with God and then take the fruits from that prayer relationship to our active life in Christ?

Is your stewardship a matter of joy or drudgery? What makes your stewardship a joy? If your stewardship is drudgery, how can you transform your understanding and application of stewardship to make it more joyful?

Ultimately, God wants to be able to call all of us good and faithful servants when he returns to judge the world. We have faith that God will return and hope that we can be counted as one of the good and faithful servants. We pray that God will illuminate our hearts and minds to better see how we can continue to be fruitful stewards for God in the world, not only today but always. And at the bottom line it begins with stewardship.

Thanks be to God!
[1] Deuteronomy 6:5 (NRSV)
[2] Leviticus 19:2b, 18b (NRSV)
[3] Matthew 25:40 (NRSV)
[4] Matthew 25:21 and 23 (NRSV)
[5] Matthew 19:21 (NRSV)

Some random reflections...

2008-11-13T14:06:00.003-05:00

As I get thrust into situations where I have to address situations in a church (not any specific church but one that I may work at in the future - certainly none that I'm involved with today) where I have to minister with (1) people who lovingly serve the church as devoted volunteers, (2) people who have been in the church longer than I have, and (3) will be at a church long after I leave. Some of these people may have projects that are near and dear to their hearts and may take offense if they believe they are given less than equal "billing." As such I wonder...

1. What does it mean to practice equal treatment for all? Do that mean that everyone gets the same number of minutes at announcement time? That everyone gets the same amount of space in the newsletter? Does it mean that everyone gets the same level of funding for their project? I'm inclined to say tha tequal treatment for all is more about not biasing in one direction or the other - everyone gets the same opportunity for "press" or time. I can't give more time and effort to someone's project just because I like that project. But it doesn't seem to be that easy - I can be blinded by my personal bias in unexpected ways.

2. How do I know when I'm doing things in love, especially with people who have different priorities than I do? Seems easier, if I think I'm not doing something in love then I certainly am not. But just like #1, it's not that simple in my experience. I guess that having someone to critically look at what's going on is helpful.

3. How do I prevent myself from being a "people pleaser?" Good question - if I figure this out I'll be thrilled.

4. How do I ensure that I keep the "other" as a person who is made and living into the image of God in their life and our mutual life together? It starts by reminding myself that all people who faithfully live into their relationship with God are conducting vital ministry for God. If I keep that as my focus then that makes good headway into keeping the other person as being one who has the image of God.

5. How do I prevent being overrun by the distortion of importance, specifically between the eternal and temporal? I understand that we need to be fixed on the eternal part of our life but our eternal life is of little consequence if the day-to-day life isn't sustained and held up.

6. How do I discern which voice belongs to God and which voice belongs to doubt? One is laden with joy and the other with accusatory tones.

Thoughts?

2008-11-09T21:24:00.001-05:00

Church of the Ascension, Norfolk, VA
November 9, 2008, Proper 27A (RCL)
Leslie C. Ferguson
Joshua 24: 1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78: 1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

Thank you David for inviting me to come and preach and catch up with the folks here at Ascension, it has been a wonderful weekend with our Norfolk family. Kathy and I feel blessed to have been greeted so lovingly this weekend and it’s been wonderful to worship at Ascension after all these months. It’s hard to believe just how long it’s been since Kathy and I have regularly worshiped here and yet we’ve been welcomed like it was yesterday. It is nice to come home, and this place really is home to us. It’s nice to share communion with all of you who have experienced the hope in the assurance of God’s grace as they’ve crossed its doorstep and sat in its pews. This is a hopeful place that is a beacon in a time that may not be considered all that hopeful.

But, for now, let’s return to the lessons for today. In our Hebrew Scripture text today we hear Joshua say:

“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living…” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.”
Joshua 24:15, 24

We hear Joshua’s question ring out by implication throughout today’s readings and we hear the practical response of the people of Israel to his question. We hear Joshua’s question and Israel’s response as Matthew recounts Jesus’ parable about the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins. We hear the 5 wise virgins chose to serve God by being prepared for the bridegroom’s return. We hear its contrasting story when we hear the comments about the 5 foolish virgins who chose to serve their own god. To me, it would have been nice to hear that all 10 virgins chose wisely and chose to serve the Lord but alas that wasn’t the case. But it annoyed me that there is no way to understand exactly why the 5 foolish virgins chose to serve the wrong god or even what their wrong god looked like - all we know is they ended up being excluded from the heavenly banquet because they chose poorly.

And yet, Joshua still rings out, “Choose this day, whom you will serve…”

In welcome contrast we hear Paul tell us that many in Thessalonica chose, and continued to choose wisely. He told the Christians in that strife-filled city that they had assurance of eternal life because they chose God and that even when things were difficult to start with, they could believe that they made the right choice in the long run and that any of their current strife and persecution was of little import when compared with the blessing of God’s calling them home. Many in their time would rejoice that they made the right decision, even in the face of overwhelming odds. That’s great news for the steadfastly faithful in Christ.

Even in the Hebrew Scripture we hear a story of good choices amidst tales of woe in the Psalms. We hear that Israel ultimately made the right choice and served God - YAHWEH albeit after they were nearly decimated in the exile. After the Israelite’s see the error of their ways, they re-establish the covenant relationship with God, and remember God’s faithfulness even in spite of their unfaith. Good news for the Jews and a great story of faith and wisdom.

Yet, we are still haunted again by Joshua, “Choose this day, whom you will serve…”

But there’s that passage from Joshua that troubled me and one that we may be tempted to ignore because it doesn’t resonate with our image of life with God. I’m unsettled by the exchange: why did the writer of Joshua choose to repeat the question three times? Why did Joshua doubt Israel’s fidelity and ability to choose the right path? In any case, you’d figure it would only take Joshua asking the question once to cement the community’s fate. Once should have been sufficient - especially since he had somehow received God’s insight before posing the question. What point is Joshua driving home to the Israelites? What point might Joshua be trying to drive home to us more than 2,500 years later?

I am struck that even though Israel appears to be sure of themselves their responses seem to exhibit a little bit more self-doubt each time. I know that I make my response more emphatic when I’m less sure of the response I’m giving. And it is readily apparent that Israel is getting more and more emphatic with each response to Joshua - so much so that they add details he never asked for.

As I was reflecting on today’s readings, my impression of Israel’s response hit close to home with me. I kept trying to avoid a nagging feeling that resonated in the Joshua passage. Like Israel, I was struggling with some internal questions about all kinds of disassociated things; questions about what I was doing at school, that I wasn’t measuring up to my self-imposed standard for performance, that I may have made the wrong choice in going to Seminary and that I would wake up and realize that it was all a dream and I was left with nothing…

In my life I hear a slightly different question coming from Joshua besides: “who do you choose to serve?” I admit that I hear Joshua’s question quite frequently, yet I believe I hear it amplified by:

Do you choose to serve the heavenly assurance that frees you from fear? Or do you choose to serve personal doubt that binds you?

And that is what I think Joshua is asking us today. That is the god Joshua is querying us about. Whom will you serve? Joshua is pointing out that we have a choice of which god/God we will serve. On the other hand, I see these options are easy to choose from: we can choose to serve the god that binds us, the god of fear and doubt or we can choose to serve the God of heaven who assures us of our life.

But in my experience it’s not that easy - my human nature doesn’t let me see simple answers to who the god or God in my life is. I sense that when we think we are prepared for an assault of self-doubt and personal questioning, somehow an internal attack from any number of unhelpful voices that are spawned by the devil pops up when we least expect them. But I know that while it is something other than God our Savior that derails us; yet we still adamantly choose to respond, “…you are my God.”

And yet a third time we hear these words “Choose this day, whom you will serve…” ring out in our life.

So how do we decide who to serve and once we make that decision to stay the course? We decide who to serve by listening to the voice of joy inside and around us and not the voice of doubt. As Paul reminds us, it is only in faithful obedience with encouragement from faithful believers, friends, spiritual directors, mentors, and parish families that we can truly answer that we will serve the Lord. We stay the course by being in relationship with a community that founds itself on love and prayer.

Another way is to respond to God, in spite of our self-doubt. As we hear the prophet respond to God by saying, “Here I am, send me.” The reality that I’m coming to understand is a response is the only thing we can give. We must respond to God positively, regardless of our doubt, each time that we are asked to choose. When all is said and done, we must listen to those who are with us. We must listen to those who challenge us to clear our mind and fight our self-doubt. We must listen to that prophetic voice that speaks to us that will drown out that nasty voice of doubt.

We need to be assured that our life is normal when we live the cycle of doubt: We listen to the call, respond to the call, stumble with regularity, fall down often, get up, and do it all over again because we understand that the goal is to be admitted to the banquet with the Lord, lamp burning brightly, the door shuttered tightly against the voice of doubt and living forever with God.

And it all starts with our response to the questions: Who do you choose to serve today? Do you choose to serve the things that bind you? Or do you choose to serve the God that sets you free to live?

I choose to serve the Lord! Here I am, send me!
Amen!

An early Birthday (3 months early) for Kathy

2008-10-20T15:01:00.002-04:00

An early 50th birthday celebration for Kathy with friends at the Canstage production of "Dream in High Park" at Toronto's High Park in August 2008.

Reflection on Exodus 32:1-14... "Bring me your rings..."

2008-10-16T11:57:00.002-04:00

There are many perplexing things in the passage from the Hebrew Scripture.

1. Why did Aaron tell the Israelites to bring the rings from the ears of "their wives, sons, and daughters" and not the rings from their own ears? Was it that the men didn't wear earrings? Or maybe Aaron had some other thought in mind for the men in the group.

2. Why did Aaron proclaim a "festival for the LORD (the tetragrammaton - from the Hebrew the personal name of the God)" when he created an idol? Was he that far gone that he mistook his own work, the golden calf, for the actual God of Israel? I would hope not.

3. I wonder if Moses was taken aback by God's statement that a great nation would come from Moses considering he must have been pretty old at that time.

4. In building and worshiping the golden calf it seems that the image of the Israelite's comfort (the gold and jewels that came from Egypt - the land of their oppressors) had been transformed into the idol - the thing that they worshipped.

A perplexing question: are we tempted go back to where we thought we were comfrotable (although we know our comfort in that place was a lie) or do we choose to go on to where God has called us to go, even if it is a difficult place?

It is my prayer that I find the courage to trust God and continue on to that place where I believe God has called me to go.

Peace and God's speed...

In the Labyrinth

2008-10-11T22:21:00.001-04:00

There is darkness all around the path to the center. That darkness both defines the path (outlines? separates? inhibits?) and describes the path. But the path is not the darkness/dark parts. The dark parts can be distracting as I travel the path to the center. But I am called to travel on the light path through the dark spots to the center. I must be mindful that the dark spots are there for a purpose and everything within the space is the Labyrinth – both the light path and the dark border.
As I travel on that path to the center I am aware of all the nooks and crannies, both light and dark. My choice, if I have a choice, is to travel on the light path close to the dark spots but not getting stuck there or distracted there [the dark places]. As I come back towards the entrance there seems to be more light, almost like the big block of light in the center is “leaking out” through the open door.
The Labyrinth: a blending of dark and light. But why would there be both dark and light in the Labyrinth? God does not need the dark for definition but sometimes (often?) we need the dark spots to truly see God’s light in the world around us (God does not live in or need the darkness). It shouldn’t be that way but that is how it is. We have problems seeing God at work at times (and we cannot see God’s divinity this side of the grave) but often it is as we stand at the dark places that we can honestly catch a glimpse of God and God’s light.
Our journey is to become more aware of God’s light in our midst and see God’s definition, even in our day-to-day existence. (We) I hope that at some time I become even more able to see God’s light without the darkness and learn to bask in the light and then take that awareness of God’s light to help others find the light of God in the world.

Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth

For the Blessing of the Animals

2008-10-06T21:00:00.003-04:00

What a great service. There were nearly as many pets of all sizes and shapes as people. I saw everything from a rabbit (that was pretty terrified); to dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes; and cats (some that couldn't get any closer to the back or floor of their cages); and one lone hamster with his wheel. Oh, and there were plenty of stuffed (plush) pets there too. Because of a change in plans and a time constraint there was a move by the holy spirit to change the sermon I delivered. I actually felt a little better about this one than the other - but then I wasn't in the way of the message. Parts will look familiar and others will look a little odd. Still what a blessing to preach with the backup of dogs and cats as the chorus.

To clear the content a little, imagine the last two whole paragraphs with the beginning posted below.

Enjoy and peace!

A change of perspective: That’s why we’re here in this place. A change of perspective: We are joined by our pets today in celebration of the feast of Saint Francis and his life of peace and ministry to others. It is said that Francis, after his conversion, so lived a life of peace that the animals did not fear to come near him in the fields. His story is one of change and denial of his past way of life after an encounter with the risen Lord. A change of perspective: His life was changed so dramatically that he gave away everything he had and devoted the rest of his life to begging and sharing what meager things he got with people who were less fortunate than he was. A little on the extreme side for my tastes but definitely an example of what can happen when a person has a real and personal encounter with God. Their life is changed and they find fulfillment in unexpected places.

Francis experienced a radical change of heart and profession after his encounter with Christ. After he met Christ he found that his “successful” life didn’t make him feel whole and fulfilled while the ministry he was called to by Christ was something that made his toils worthwhile. Francis has been held up by others because of his changed life and steadfast message about a new life in Christ.

It was by coming to a new understanding of a life with Christ, that Francis’ and our life is changed. It is only because Francis has experienced Christ that he has a change of perspective about his own claims of importance. His self-image is radically changed as he compares himself to Christ.

We, as Francis came to understand, are more than what we did. It is easy to define ourselves by what we’ve done, but I think there’s something more important about the past - it has helped shape who we are and how we interact with the society around us. I think that was the point that Francis was trying to model. He had a lot of credibility in what he was before, but based on his life-changing experience of Christ he realized that his past was of little import in comparison to living his true life of ministry in Christ.

And add the last two paragraph.

First Sunday Sermon at St. Anne's Reston

2008-10-06T20:52:00.004-04:00

What an interesting day at my field education site. I was scheduled to preach 3 sermons on October 5th. That wouldn't be an issue on any other day except for this past Sunday. Partly because we celebrated the Blessing of the Animals in honor of the Feast of Saint Francis (October 4 is the feast day). Anyway, this is the sermon that I intended to preach at all three services. But that didn't come to fruition - the second was different (and what I can remember is posted later). But this is what got preached more or less twice on Sunday. The focus text was Philippians 3:4b-11.

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Reston
Proper 22A (RCL)
Leslie C. Ferguson
October 5, 2008
Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-14; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46

Around the world today, many churches have or will include a blessing of animals in their worship. In some traditions there would be a more obvious connection to a celebration of the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Because of the peace that Saint Francis exuded after his life was changed by Christ, the tradition within the church holds the Sunday following the feast of Saint Francis as the Sunday of the Blessing of the Animals. But I think there is something more important about St Francis for us today.

A history of Saint Francis of Assisi: He was born to a rich fabric merchant in Northeast Italy and when he was young he wanted to be a religious person but his father objected so he became a troubadour. Later, he joined the military and had a less than illustrious career but continued to serve. While he was en route to a new posting in the Army he had a vision that changed his life. That vision led him to renounce his position and become a mendicant - a beggar monk. In rebellion with his past he sold his horse and some of his father’s fabric and gave the proceeds to a poor person. In a later vision, he heard Jesus tell him to sell what he had to rebuild the church. His life has been held up as an example of helping the poor and those without a voice in society.

Although I think it’s a gross simplification of Francis’ life as a faithful follower of Christ this past summary tells us about Francis’ life, conversion, mission, and ministry. Francis probably had a lot to brag about in his society - much that set him apart from the “common” citizen of Assisi. He had wealth and education; he was free to do things that satisfied his interests; and he was free to pursue his “dreams” wherever they may take him. The excerpt sounded familiar to me - one of searching for the “right” thing to do with his life - the thing that would fulfill him.

However, midway through the story we see a shift, one that would lead Francis to a new life and ministry - that of a mendicant monastic. His life was changed so dramatically that he gave away everything he had and devoted the rest of his life to begging and sharing what meager things he got with people who were less fortunate than he was. A little on the extreme side for my tastes but definitely an example of what can happen when a person has a real and personal encounter with God. Their life is changed and they find fulfillment in unexpected places. Now, I’d like you to put your finger there as we look at today’s Epistle reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

“Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of
Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have
suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I
may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness of God based on faith.”
Philippians 3:7-9, NRSV

Paul predates Francis by more than 1,100 years so it would be easy to believe that Francis was influenced by Paul’s story and transformation after meeting Christ on the road to Damascus. Like Francis, Paul experienced a radical change of heart and profession after his encounter with Christ. After he met Christ he found that his “successful” life didn’t make him feel whole and fulfilled while the ministry he was called to by Christ was something that made his toils worthwhile.

Paul has been held up by others and seems to hold himself up because of his changed life and the steadfast message he gives about a new life in Christ. But what are we to make of today’s reading? Paul offers us something that really doesn’t make sense to us - not as confusing as Francis but confusing none the less. Somehow, it seems clear that Paul is proud of what he was and asserts that there is plenty that he has, by human standards that put him a notch above the “common Joe/Josephine.” Then Paul muddles the story a little by telling the Philippians, and us, that the things he did and who he was helped define him; yet somehow during his transformation Paul came to realize that in the grand scheme of things, his accomplishment were pale in comparison to what he experienced in meeting Christ. It is Paul’s past that shaped him but it is no longer who he is. He is changed and there is no doubt in my mind that a meeting with the Savior of the World would be a life changing situation.

It was by coming to a new understanding of a life with Christ, that Paul’s life was changed - just like Francis 11 centuries later. It is only because Paul has experienced Christ that he has a change of perspective about his own claims of importance. His self-image is radically changed as he compares himself to Christ - he becomes one of the fiercest proponents for God, a shock when others remember what he did in his past.

If I asked for a show of hands I believe there would be more than a few who would join me in defining themselves by their accomplishments. We all could probably mirror the opening lines of Paul in some manner at some time in our life. But there’s more to our individual stories. We are more than what we did. It is easy to define ourselves by what we’ve done, but I think there’s something more important about the past - it has helped shape who we are and how we interact with the society around us. I think that was the point that Paul was trying to make. He had a lot of credibility in what he was before, but based on his life-changing experience of Christ he realized that his past was of little import in comparison to living his true life of ministry in Christ.

So what in Paul’s reading today brings us good news? Where is the gospel for us today in the words of Paul? The Epistle to the Philippians gives us an understanding of Paul’s encounter with Christ and he gives us hope as we encounter Christ in our lives. Our hope for change is in the assurance given by Paul that Christ meets us where we are, and will continue to meet us where we are. Our past shaped us and prepared us to meet Christ in a real and personal manner. But our past is not what we are, especially after our meeting with Christ. Our past is our preparation for our ministry to and for Christ; it should not be a stumbling block but a channel leading us to fulfillment in Christ.

Should we expect a change of the magnitude of either Paul or Francis? My guess is those types of changes or conversions are rather rare, but in our process of figuring out what changes we “need” to make in our life we have to ask ourselves, “Where have I experienced God? Where have I been filled by the knowledge of the Eternal?” It is in accepting our past that we can move on to reach fulfillment and not be blocked from our true ministry in Christ. It is from the past that we move forward and get closer to where we are called by Christ to be.

To this I say… thanks be to God!

Greetings friends!

2008-10-06T10:55:00.001-04:00

Howdy friends and esteemed guests, thanks for stopping by to visit. Hopefully you enjoy your stay and are intrigued by what you see here. Comments are welcome and encouraged - part of the reflection process is hearing what others have to say.

I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do and come back often.

Faithfully,