Same Old, Same Old?

It's hard to believe that I've not visited this blog since July. What's even more difficult to believe is that we're already in the midst of October. I know that these kinds of rants about how quickly time flies are nothing more than clichés, but they're important considerations in the spiritual life.

Remaining tethered to God and each other through prayer, both private and communal, is our opportunity to allow time to slow down and, if done correctly, nearly stand still. My personal favorite time of day to pray is in the morning. The light is soft, the air is chilled and house sounds are muffled. Be evening, I feel so frazzled that it's hard to find the energy to "let go" enough for prayer which, as I write it, seems somewhat oxymoronic.

Developing normal patterns and routines are important in our prayer lives. Praying at the same time and in the same place everyday can give us enough stability that invites us into a habitual pattern that frees us from having to plan or think about it prior to simply doing it. But these habits develop over time and with repetition. Oftentimes, in the midst of developing the habit, a crisis or unusual circumstance arises that throws us off course. By the time we shake off the distraction, we feel out of sorts or guilty, perhaps, and find ourselves dismissing the habitual pattern we originally sought out to establish. This is where true spiritual maturity and discipline play an important role.

The spiritually mature and disciplined person is able to shake off the temptation to throw in the towel after the first disruption occurs. In fact, the spiritually mature and disciplined person grants themselves enough freedom to be disrupted from their routine once, twice, or many times over and still repeatedly return to their attempt at habitual prayer without guilt, shame or discouragement. So, it's not that the spiritually mature or disciplined person doesn't fall victim to failure in their spiritual practices. Rather, the spiritually mature and disciplined person tries again...over and over.

God doesn't expect perfection of us any more than we expect perfection of our own children. Instead, God invites us into places of fidelity. Fidelity, that is, faithfulness, is what draws our hearts back to Him no matter how many times we forget to show up in our prayer lives.

Even though it feels like our lives are moving at warp speed and we get so far down the calendar that we're somewhat embarrassed to show up in front of God at the appointed prayer hour that we've missed for days, weeks or months, if we swallow our pride and simply show up, we will discover a familiar embrace during those prayer hours. By practicing this type of fidelity over and over again, the same old, same old becomes a familiar blanket of love instead of a chain of burdens.

Who wouldn't want to crawl under that blanket and let time slow down?

America's Newest Cathedral

Anyone who knows me even minimally knows how much I love pro football. Most especially, the New Orleans Saints. My grandfather and I bonded over our love of the Saints when I was quite young. Paw Paw took me to see my first Saints game at Tulane Stadium which is now an ancient memory, replaced by the world's largest indoor arena, the Louisiana Superdome.

As much as I love the Saints and consume every nugget of information about their current Training Camp being held in West Virginia, my love of God, Jesus Christ, the Church and faith in general far surpasses any devotion to football.

That's why I was so upset to read an article from the New York Times about a church being demolished in Atlanta to make way for the new Falcons stadium. In the interest of full disclosure, I feel it important to acknowledge my general loathing of the Atlanta Falcons as they are the biggest rivals of my New Orleans Saints. But, my personal feelings about the Falcons have nothing to do with how I feel about the information contained in the article, which you can read for yourself through this link: Atlanta Stadium Article.

Professional football has grown in my own lifetime to become such a money-making machine that it should come as no surprise to me that disregard for the historical significance of a church like Friendship Baptist is trumped by a desire for a new football cathedral. As the article points out, the Falcons' previous stadium, the Georgia Dome, was built in 1992. Meanwhile, a church which was founded by freed slaves 152 years ago gets quickly brushed aside. Apart from Friendship Baptist's historical significance, I'm saddened by the societal shifting of priorities from respecting gathering spaces of the faithful to gathering spaces for the fans. The communal nature of humans worshipping God has become less important than the communal nature of humans screaming for their favorite team.

I believe strongly in the power of God, good people and a hope-filled future for all of God's children. As St. Paul writes clearly in his Letter to the Romans: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Perhaps, St. Paul could have added to his list: "nor Falcons."

Roundtable 2: Parish Groups

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Rapid City, South Dakota 

June 29, 2014

Roundtable Discussion 2:

PARISH GROUPS

 

On Sunday, June 29, 2014, an open-forum discussion was held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church to discuss the purposes of our parish groups and envisioning general goals for all groups collectively.

Though extensive in content and participation which would be impossible to record in its entirety, a very brief outline of the discussion follows:

1.       What groups are there at Emmanuel (in no particular order)?

a.      Altar Guild

b.      Episcopal Church Women (ECW)

c.       Vestry

d.      Daughters of the King (Black Hills Chapter)

e.      Choir

f.        Youth Group

g.      Outreach

h.     Book Groups

i.        Grants Committee

j.        Bible Study

k.      Social Committee

l.        Liturgical (i.e. LEM, Greeters, Ushers,  Lectors, etc.)

m.   Pastoral Care Committee

n.     Health/Wellness Committee

o.      Grounds/Buildings Caretakers

p.      Fiber Guild (i.e. knitting, cross-stitch, etc.)

q.      Celebration Dinner

r.       Sunday School

s.       Library Caretakers

t.       Prayer Intercessors

u.     Convention Delegates

2.      What groups are inactive or should be considered for the future?

a.      Welcome/New Comers Committee

b.      Finance Committee (Currently proposed by the Vestry)

c.       Centering Prayer

d.      5 Guilds (including: St. Margaret Guild, Dorcas, et. al.)

e.      Men’s Groups (i.e. formerly “King’s Men”)

 

3.      What is the focus/purpose of each group?

a.      Altar Guild – Care, preparation, and sanctity of the worship space, vessels, etc.

b.      ECW – Provide food, dishes, hospitality (i.e. “Ministry of the Kitchen”)

c.       Vestry – Manage temporal affairs of the church; 3 primary areas of responsibility:

                                                              i.      Fiscal (or ‘fiduciary’)

                                                           ii.      Physical Plant

                                                         iii.      Leadership in the finding, hiring and working collaboratively with a priest

d.      Daughters of the King – Prayer, service, and evangelism

e.      Choir – Lead congregation in worship musically

f.        Youth Group – Educate and engage young (Middle School, High School and Young Adults)

g.      Outreach – Ministry outside our walls; facilitate interaction with outside organizations/groups (i.e. Habitat for Humanity, Love INC, WAVI, Cornerstone Rescue Mission, etc.)

h.     Book Groups – Education and spiritual growth through mutual support

i.        Grants Committee – Recommend to Vestry endowment grants from the John T. Vucurevich grant

j.        Bible Study – Bible study; increase spirituality

k.      Social Committee – Fun activities for congregation; fellowship

l.        Liturgical – Worship support and participation; guide adherence to rubrics for worship in an Episcopal context

m.   Pastoral Care – Provide for the spiritual needs of parishioners and non-parishioners (i.e. Hospital visits, homebound visits, Stephen Ministry, etc.)

*NOTE: Due to time limitations, the discussion of group focus and goals was stopped at this point. Hereafter is a summation of my own understanding of the goals of the remaining groups:

n.     Health/Wellness Committee – Provide counsel and advice on the integration between healthy living and spirituality.

o.      Grounds/Building Caretakers – Volunteer to maintain the garden areas and building maintenance needs.

p.      Fiber Guild – Fellowship through a shared interest

q.      Celebration Dinner – Coordinate bi-monthly meals, volunteers, menus, etc for fellowship

r.       Sunday School – Determine curriculum, identify volunteers, and enthusiastically teach/introduce children to the Word of God and the life of the Church

s.       Library Caretakers – Identify and articulate parish-wide the purpose of the parish library and coordinate library contents accordingly

t.       Prayer Intercessors – Pray daily for lists of needs provided them through the life of the church

u.     Convention Delegates – Represent Emmanuel at diocesan convention and communicate diocesan needs/news to local parishioners

4.      What are the goals for groups as a whole?

a.      Evaluate need for inclusive language in names, titles or descriptions of various groups so as not to exclude individuals unintentionally (i.e. Episcopal Church Women might consider an organizational name so as to welcome the presence of men). An alternative understanding of this reality was proposed, however, acknowledging that having a men’s group for men to fellowship and share spiritual conversation might be of great benefit to them. Future prayer and discussion on this matter may be necessary.

b.      Representation from each parish group to serve on the proposed Leadership Committee.

c.       Increase collaboration and communication between groups.

d.      That each group identify the way(s) in which they live out our common parish-wide mission of “To Know Our Lord and To Make Him Known.”

e.      Increase visibility by groups on the website changes proposed for 2015.

f.        Intentional increase in membership and participation through direct and personal invitations.

 

Unfortunately, the lively discussion was cut short by time constraints. The apparent enthusiasm and interest conveys a liveliness at Emmanuel among our congregation and the groups represented at the meeting.

Due to the constraints of time, the group was unable to address the topic of when the ministries fair should be held. Traditionally it is held in September, however, the Stewardship Drive doesn’t take place until later in the fall. It seems that the two could potentially be tied together for a more integrated approach to stewardship. Future discussion on this specific issue may be held at another roundtable discussion.

The parish groups provide opportunities for parishioners to put into action the faith which we profess. As the Letter of St. James says, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22) and “…faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

Roundtable 1: SUNDAY SCHOOL

 

 

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Rapid City, South Dakota

 

June 22, 2014

Roundtable Discussion:

SUNDAY SCHOOL

 

On Sunday, June 22, 2014, an open-forum discussion was held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church for the purposes of planning the future of our Sunday School program. The meeting was well attended by Sunday School and Youth Group leadership as well as interested parishioners, parents and volunteers.

 

Though extensive in content and participation, a very brief outline of the discussion follows:

 

1.       What is Sunday School?

a.      Foundation for Spirituality

b.      Translating the Faith Understandably

c.       Teaching the Basics of the Faith

d.      Relating the Faith to Everyday Life

e.      Companionship/Relationship with our Family of Faith

 

2.      What does a successful Sunday School look like?

a.      Commitment of teachers and families and congregations

b.      Fulfilling our Baptismal Vows

c.       On the children’s level:

                                                              i.      Colorful

                                                           ii.      Loud

                                                         iii.      Active

                                                          iv.      Happy

                                                            v.      Fun

                                                          vi.      Lots of Kids

1.       (however): Quality trumps Quantity

d.      Children  who take ownership

e.      Youth Sundays throughout the year:

                                                              i.      Children participating in the liturgy:

1.       Readers

2.      Ushers

3.      Acolytes

                                                           ii.      Children’s Sermons periodically

f.        Strong Leadership

 

3.      What does an UNsuccessful Sunday School look like?

a.      Empty

b.      Quiet

c.       Inconsistent

d.      Boring

e.      No Participation

f.        No Curriculum

g.      No Leadership

h.     Disorganized

 

4.      What do kids want?

a.      Fun

b.      Popcorn (We have a popcorn machine which has been used in the past to generate excitement and curiosity to draw children downstairs to the Sunday School activities)

c.       Feel Connected

d.      Hungry to Learn

e.      Acknowledge Different Learning Styles

f.        Music

 

5.      What do Parents want?

a.      Children Educated in the Faith in collaboration with Parents, not in place of parents who have the primary responsibility

b.      Lead to further discussion at home

c.       Help raise the children with parents

d.      Faith perspectives to the world

e.      Relationships between Sunday School Teachers and Children to be life-long.

f.        Set Curriculum that is age/grade appropriate

 

6.      How do we attract Parents, Kids, Volunteers?

a.      Website

b.      Word of Mouth – Direct Invitation

c.       Enthusiasm

d.      Substitute Teachers identified and on stand-by

e.      Use current ministry schedule software

f.        Short sessions leading to short commitment times by volunteers

 

7.      First Things First (prioritizing the plan):

a.      Build Curriculum

b.      Identify volunteers in advance of the fall term

c.       Market Sunday School early

d.      Schedule interfaces between Sunday School and Church Calendar for children’s liturgies

e.      Plan and Host an Autumn Kids Kickoff with Sunday School Registration

f.        Get kids registered!

 

A recommendation was made that the computer room be restored. Investigation, planning and coordination is necessary to ensure maximum utilization of the space considering that the space has been repurposed into the Family Fun Library.