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?
Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Rapid City seeks "To Know Our Lord and To Make Him Known."
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
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."
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."
Monday, July 7, 2014
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).
Monday, June 30, 2014
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.
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