The Sunset Juggler (formerly The Dragon's Mouth)

So, catching up on several personal bits:

First, it looks like my daughter Audrey’s Crohn’s Disease may be stabilizing.  She will have to live with it for all of her life.  And she’s started some heavy-duty treatment (that could have serious side effects).  But it’s not been 2 1/2 weeks since she’s had to go to the ER.  And it seems like she’s starting to have a life again.  I am very thankful.

Second, my recovery from gastric bypass surgery is proceeding.  Now that my passage out of my new stomach has been enlarged by scoping, and I’m being treated for ulceration found during the scoping, I seem to have finally stopped with the random throwing up that was happening.  I’m eating solid foods, including proteins.  And I feel like I’m back on track.

Third, I’m progressing with my use of Matins and Vespers from the Order of St. Helena Breviary.  It’s well on its way to developing as a routine.  My main problem seems to be missing the first Vespers for first class feasts (I forget to check out upcoming feasts until the morning of the feast).  I’m also waiting with anticipation for my copy of “Holy Men, Holy Women” (the new expansion of our calendar which replaces “Lesser Feasts and Fasts”) to arrive and find out who some of these new people are.

Well, today we remember Irenaeus of Lyons (c.125-202).  And while I was looking that up in Kathleen Jones’ “The Saints of the Anglican Calendar,” I noticed I’d underlined a lot about Cyril of Alexandria (376-444).  I checked, and Cyril (unlike Irenaeus) is not in the calendar of the Episcopal Church – not even in the expansion (by about 100 names) that came out of our last General Convention.  In my mind, this may well be a good thing.

About the only good thing in the book about Cyril is that he was “a champion of orthodoxy.”  But he also refused to consider any doctrine not found in the early church fathers.  And that denies God’s continuing revelation.  I have a problem with that. (more…)

One of my “things” for years at St. George’s has been being able to talk about the faith that is in us.  It hasn’t really taken.  Some people do get it, but most members of the congregation look at me blankly when I talk about sharing the faith that is in them — though they can do it if I ask the question another way.  So here, in advance, are my thoughts for next month’s newsletter:

One of the things I keep talking about is sharing the faith that’s in us. I get a lot of puzzled looks when I say this. But I suspect it’s really a question of terminology. I think we are all living out our faith in God. That’s just not how we name it. (more…)

I preached a homily at the celebration remembering the life of Bruce Buel, the  brother of one of our active parishioners, this afternoon.  This is it: 

I never met Bruce. Cathy talked about him, and how much his presence meant in her life. And how she misses him, now that he’s gone. And the fact that he was afraid to die. And how much that troubled her. But I never met Bruce. I did not have that privilege. (more…)

I was struck, this morning, as I finished the office, to read these words from Ignatius of Antioch to the Christians in Rome, “The delights of this world and all its kingdoms will not profit me.  I would prefer to die in Jesus Christ than to rule over all the earth.”  If I remember correctly, these words were written while he was on his journey to Rome, under arrest, on his way to his death.  And they were written during a time when the Church defined its faith by its martyrs.  But I’m still struck, as he continues, “I seek him who died for us, I desire him who rose for us.  I am in the throes of being born again.” (more…)

So, for those of you who are interested in the Daily Office, here’s how things are going for me. (more…)

This past week, while at continuing education in Los Angeles (training for transitions ministry) I had the privilege of attending the midweek (Thursday night) service at Holy Spirit in Silver Lake.  This is a small, emergent congregation that started in someone’s home and now meets in a couple of rooms for Eucharist on Thursday nights.  They describe themselves as a meal in three courses, gathered around the altar.  And there is intentionality about being open and welcoming to the GLTBI community.

One of the things they do differently is the sermon. (more…)

What if doing evangelism meant simply being yourself?  That’s the question they ask at the dooable evangelism site (dooableevangelism.com).  I looked it up because I’d heard it described by a colleague, and it sounded attractive and, well, dooable.  They right up ordinary actions, normal daily practices of  your life of faith.  Here’s one.  Maybe it will whet your appetite:

Half Of What’s Mine Is Yours (more…)

Well, for a bit over a week, I’ve been using all for offices in the St. Helena Breviary.  And it’s been good.  I’ve even been supplementing beyond this a bit.  I’ve appreciated the sense of continuity.  But, as of yesterday, I’m looking at yet another change.  I finally ordered the monastic (as opposed to personal) edition of the breviary.  And it came yesterday.  So, as of yesterday, I’ve been trying to use the monastic edition. (more…)

In my car this morning, I ended up behind a truck with a bumper sticker that read (something like) I’m a Christian (in big print) and I’m at war (in smaller print).  It said more than that, but I didn’t have time to read the rest.  And my bet is that this is a conservative Christian who sees themself fighting the culture wars on behalf of Christ.  I’m a Christian too.  And there are certainly parts of our culture that I might like to convert.  But I hope I’m not at war — not even with the guy driving this truck, with whom I’m pretty sure I’d find much with which to disagree. (more…)