The 12 Days of Christmas . . . and Christmas Blessings

Dear Friends in Christ -

"Jesus is the reason for the season." Indeed, that's true.

In addition to that, I want to offer a new saying:

"Christmas: it's a season for a reason!"

Yesterday, Christmas Day, wasn't just an event, a one-off holiday. Christmas Day was the FIRST day of the TWELVE days of Christmas. Christmas is a SEASON so that we can live into the incarnation we celebrate, a mystery so powerful and amazing that it takes more than a day to let it sink into us and begin to transform us.

During these 12 days of Christmas, my prayer for you is that you will be able to spend some time doing whatever it is that brings you closer to God - praying, playing, singing, resting, dancing, creating, sharing, giving . . .

And I pray that in doing so, you will find yourselves receiving the Christmas blessing prayed over us all on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day:

May Almighty God, who sent his Son to take our nature upon him, bless you in this holy season, scatter the darkness of sin, and brighten your heart with the light of his holiness.
May God, who sent his angels to proclaim the glad news of the Savior's birth, fill you with joy, and make you heralds of the Gospel. Amen.
May God, who in the Word made flesh joined heaven to earth
and earth to heaven, give you his peace and favor.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever.

Faithfully rejoicing,
Janet+

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’ - the angelic host (Luke 2:14)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dear Friends in Christ -

This is the greatest joy, the greatest hope, the greatest wish of all: that God would be glorified and that all people would have peace. God 'favors' the whole human race above all creation, even above the angels.

On this Holy Day, this is what the angels pray for us: peace. To be at peace with ourselves is to live into the fullness of who our Father created us to be, whole and joyful. To be at peace with each other is to respect the dignity of every human being and seek justice's fulfillment: love. To be at peace with God is to open ourselves to receive everything He has for us, and to respond with adoration to Him and kindness to ourselves and others. A prayer for peace is a prayer for God to overwhelm us with good.

On this most Holy Day, we join the angels in singing glory to God for His fresh inbreaking into our world, into our lives. And the angels - the angels who sang at Creation, the angels who greeted our Lord at His birth - pray for us peace. That's powerful stuff!

With that power filling me, surrounding me, I'm going to rest in joy . . . and take a nap!

Merry Christmas!
Joyfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Ready for Christmas?

"'By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.’" - Zechariah (Luke 1:78-79)

Dear Friends in Christ -

"Less Hurry, More Holy" - the title of this series of Advent meditations now makes me chuckle and shake my head. When I started writing these daily reflections, I had in mind an increasingly peaceful spiritual glide toward the holy port of call that is Christmas. For me, this Advent was anything but that!

For many others, too, it seems. Everyone I have spoken with these past few days has said the same things: 'I can't believe it's Christmas; I'm not ready!'

What does it look like to be ready for Christmas?

The words from the prophet Zechariah (John the Baptist's father) remind us of this: the goodness that Christ brings is not about who we are, it's about who He is. And the goodness 'breaks upon us' like the dawn, ready or not.

In these waning hours of Advent, may you conclude your preparation with the only thing that's really necessary to be ready for His coming: asking God for an open heart.

(Almost) Merry Christmas!
Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: . . . again! . . .

"'so I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing.'" - GOD (Isaiah 29:13-14a)

Dear Friends in Christ -

It's the night before the night before Christmas, and all through the house . . . nothing is finished, nothing is ready. The holiday menu hasn't been planned, the refrigerator is empty, the Christmas packages aren't in the mail, the sermons aren't finished, the kids' Christmas vacation play-dates haven't been arranged.

I thought that I had figured out the keys to Christmas success - plan ahead, shop early, get the packages in the mail before Dec. 15th, fill the freezer. But this year, the demands on my time have been unusually heavy. I've done some good things, made some good choices, but I've also fallen prey to distractions. Much is left undone. In the midst of the rush and crush, I missed fulfilling some basic commitments, like the honor-your-father-and-mother commandment: my parents' Christmas gifts won't be under their tree for Christmas morning.

The words of the prophet Isaiah give me hope. What is God's response to my imperfect habits and heart, to things left undone? "So I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing."

How wonderful is that? God's response to my limitations and failings, my inconsistencies and insufficiencies (and yours, too!) is to do amazing things AGAIN.

On this night before the night before Christmas, as I sit by the fire with my children going crazy with excitement all around me, I'm slowly breathing in and out, letting my heart fill with anticipation of the amazing things He will do . . . again . . . soon!

In joyful expectation,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Remembering how it all started . . .

‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ - Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:28b)

Dear Friends in Christ -

Three days to Christmas and counting! And what do we hear from the Scriptures? A reminder of how this whole incarnation thing got started. Just one young woman.

One young woman who said 'yes.'

After Mary's first 'yes,' then Joseph was convinced to get on board with the plan. Then Elizabeth and the infant in her womb (John the Baptist) confirmed that this was something special. Then Zechariah, Elizabeth's husband. Then shepherds and wise men. Then, eventually, many-many-many people - from poor Israelites to Roman kings.

What might happen if you said 'yes' to God?

"Well," you might say, "God hasn't asked anything of me lately."

Really? He hasn't asked anything of you? Nothing has stirred in your spirit, pushing you on to some good thing? Nothing has pricked your conscience, challenging you to a change that would bring more health and wholeness?

What God is asking of you might not be as dramatic as birthing a Savior, but if you say 'yes' to God, the good from your choice will ripple out to places and people you never expected.

Say 'yes.'

Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Hearing from God

"'Do not be afraid . . . for your prayer has been heard." - Luke 1: 13a

Dear Friends in Christ -

"Dear _______ - I got your message, and the answer is yes." This is what we most want to hear from God, right?

But what would you DO if you did actually hear this from God?

Zechariah heard these words. From an angel, no less. And what did he do? He basically said, "I doubt it." The angel struck him mute for several months in order to convince him.

I've always thought that if I heard an angel speak directly to me, I would believe him. But then again, maybe I wouldn't.

It's hard to believe God, to receive God. But as chosen ones, that's what we're called to do. And here's the good news: we don't have to believe or receive God perfectly in order for Him to come to us. God won't pass us by if we're doubting or afraid.

This Christmas, God wants us to offer our honest requests and praises to Him . . . and then wait. He's coming.

Faithfully with you, praying and waiting,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Peace on earth?

"The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid . . . They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain . . ." - Isaiah 11:6a, 9a

Dear Friends in Christ -
Peace on earth. This time of year, we sing these words. We read them printed on pretty cards. We see them emblazoned on the sides of buildings in twinkly red-green-yellow lights.

Peace on earth . . . an activist slogan? a dream? Maybe it's just my imagination, but as we sing and think and read about peace MORE this time of year, I seem to see it LESS: families torn apart by addiction or divorce, communities hurt by partisan politics, nations plotting war.

What do families, politics, and war have in common? They're complicated. Perhaps it seems unrealistic or even silly, then, to look to the prophet Isaiah for answers. The picture he paints is so simple: wolves laying down with lambs and all that.

It seems unrealistic until you actually see it happening. Some of the most popular videos on YouTube are videos of the unlikely - dogs and cats sharing beds and food dishes, people singing in shopping malls instead of shoving people to get at sale items. Yes, I know some of the stuff on YouTube is staged. I also know that for every incident that is staged, there are many wondrous peace-making gestures that are never caught on tape.

Peace is possible. As St. Francis said, it begins with us. The requirement is this: willingness to believe in what we hope for, and willingness to take a risk - just one small step - in that direction.

Faithfully believing,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Messages in the midst of the unexpected

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid . . ." - Angel of the Lord, to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20b)

Dear Friends in Christ -

When the unexpected happens, we have those regular, human reactions . . . we cringe in fear, lash out in anger, and/or laugh with nervousness. In Advent, the call of God is - even in the midst of those emotions - to listen. Something new is breaking forth.

The following story came to me yesterday from a friend. It's about seeing something new in the midst of our hectic Christmas routines. It touched me, called me to listen. I hope it touches your heart, too.

Blessings,
Janet+

The "W" in Christmas

Last December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm, peaceful experience. I cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten. It was an exciting season for a six-year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher, who said there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down.

Around the room, I saw other parents quietly scampering in. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. When my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C.

Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child held up their letter and the complete message was presented, "CHRISTMAS LOVE".

The performance was going smoothly until suddenly, we noticed her; a small girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at her mistake, but she had no idea they were laughing at her. She stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although the teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, the reason for our festivities. When the last letter was held high, the message read:

"CHRISTWAS LOVE"

Indeed, He was. And He still is.

Less Hurry, More Holy: Reveling in the love of God . . . and music . . .

". . . keep yourselves in the love of God . . ." - Jude 1:21a

Dear Friends in Christ -

The Scripture passages we've been reading these past couple of weeks have carried many serious messages and stern warnings. I've been picking many of the lightest bits to share with you, but even so, I've grown weary of challenges to prepare and calls to repent.

Last night, I took a break from it all and indulged in some pull-out-all-the-stops virtuoso music. My husband and I went to see PRINCE in concert. WOW! What a funky, joyful reveling in art for the ears. For the whole body, for that matter; we couldn't help but dance to the music!

For me, music is the eighth sacrament, an outward and audible sign of the wild, deep, glorious roaring of God's heartbeat as it echoes through the universe. Immersing myself in music allows me to let go and just flow, and reminds me that my chief role in God's creation is to be a 'being,' not a 'doing.'

As we prepare for Christmas, may we all remember to 'keep ourselves in the love of God,' remembering to let go a little and revel in His goodness, which is manifest around us in so many ways.

Reveling in the joys of creation and creativity,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Getting perspective on this Jesus thing

"When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his* disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’" - Matthew 11:2-3

Dear Friends in Christ -

OK. Now I'm feeling impatient. Didn't I just hear this story last Sunday? Why do I need to hear this again? Can't we just move on?

As I sit here writing to you, I can practically see God shaking his head and hear His deep chuckle.

How do we 'move on' from the question of who Jesus is for us?

We don't. Ever. What we have with Jesus is a relationship. Not a result, not resolution, but a relationship. The fact that Jesus is our Savior is a reality that we sink into, delight in, wrestle with. We attempt the impossible: to "get perspective" on what it means for Jesus to be our Savior while existing within this truth. Sort of like fish trying to get perspective on what it means to live in water.

There is no graduation, no "moving on," from relationship with Jesus. Acknowledging this allows me to relax. God's time becomes my time, God's sky opens up and the clouds part to reveal a more distant horizon.

Jesus is the Living One who has come, who is coming, who will come again. There is no other. Living into relationship with Him is traveling on the glory bridge that extends from the beginning of time to eternity.

Faithfully - and a little more patiently - in relationship,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Preparing to receive

"Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him [John the Baptist], and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." - Matthew 3:5-6

Dear Friends in Christ -

What was it about John the Baptist that made people want - all of a sudden - to tell the truth about their sins, things they had been hiding for months, years, decades?! Certainly, it couldn't have been his wardrobe or eating habits that were so compelling. Camels' hair . . . locusts? No; it must have been something else.

The compelling thing about John was his passionate message: "PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD." In no uncertain terms, John said they needed to get ready, NOW. He reminded them of the promises of God and announced their fulfillment in the present.

People flocked to John for miles and miles around. If the promises of God were going to be fulfilled, they didn't want to miss out! They knew the stories. God had created the universe, called the people of Abraham to be His chosen ones, delivered them from slavery, sustained them in the wilderness . . . if God was going to do His next big thing . . . well, they didn't want ANYTHING to get in their way. Not even the things they had been stumbling over inside themselves for ages.

What internal box or bag do you need to give up - to confess - in order to prepare the way for God to come to you? We don't need John yelling from a local hill-top; the echoes of his words are enough to stir our consciences.

Make no mistake, it's GOD who is coming this Christmas, fulfilling more promises in His wake. So . . . PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD!

Faithfully with you, preparing to receive . . . -
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: When everything that can go wrong . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

Today, I had one of THOSE days . . . when a whole series of best-laid plans had to be scrapped, when a whole string of hoped-for things didn't materialize. Sigh!

In wrapping things up for the evening, I stumbled over the following email, something lingering in my inbox since last week. For me, now is just the time for these words, written by one of my clergy colleagues, David Anderson.

May David's reflection encourage your heart as much as it is encouraging mine.

Blessings,
Janet+

When Everything That Can Go Wrong DOES Go Wrong
By David Anderson

In her wonderful book, "Traveling Mercies," Anne Lamott relates a striking story.

"Carolyn Myss, the medical intuitive who writes and lectures about why people don't heal, flew to Russia a few years ago to give some lectures. Everything that could go wrong did---flights were canceled or overbooked, connections missed, her reserved room at the hotel given to someone else. She kept trying to be a good sport, but finally, two mornings later, on the train to her conference on healing, she began to whine to the man sitting next to her about how infuriating her journey had been thus far. It turned out that this man worked for the Dalai Lama. And he said---gently---that they believe when a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born---and that this something needs for you to be distracted so that it can be born as perfectly as possible."

We have all lived through periods when everything seems to go wrong. What if we could believe that such moments were crackling with the power and presence of God? What if we could see it all as a holy distraction---God diverting us so that something big could be born?

It's true. We have to be distracted, otherwise we'd try to "help" it be born. Or we'd try to kill it. We'd worry to death about what could go wrong at its birth. We would try to control its gestation, its formation, to make it what we think it needs to be.

Advent is a gestational season. Something big is aborning. If things are chaotic and going hopelessly wrong right now, lift up your head. In a moment of quiet, ask God if something is being born. And then---don't touch it. Let it be.

Less Hurry, More Holy: Catching a vision . . . by looking . . .

". . . there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish." - Isaiah 9:1a

Dear Friends in Christ -

Today, I'm clinging to this vision - a vision of deliverance for those who are in the darkness of suffering, those whom I'm comforting in my roles as priest and friend.

People often ask me: "How do you do it; how can you bear to spend so much time with people who are in distress, who are dying?"

My answer to that question changes constantly, because God is always finding new ways to sustain me. Today, as I sit here writing to you, I realize that I catch sight of this vision of "no gloom" by looking . . . literally, by looking up and by looking down.

When I look up, I see light. Even on this cold, gray day, I just looked out the window and caught a sight of a sliver of light through barely parted clouds. The physical act of looking up allows more breath to flow into my body, and the sight of the light lifts my spirits.

When I look down, I notice that I am connected, connected to the wonders of the sustaining earth. This morning, when I was cooking in my kitchen, looking down brought me into awareness . . . my nose was smelling cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, pine; my ears were hearing melodious Christmas tunes. Pausing to look helps me notice how I am sustained by goodness, even in the midst of very difficult struggles.

Today, I'm clinging to a vision, a vision of "no gloom." I'm sustained in this clinging by the simple act of looking, expecting to see. May it be so for you as well.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: The manger and the cross

‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’

Dear Friends in Christ -

Yesterday, during the Children's Moment at church, I spoke with the kids about the story of Jesus' birth. The story was the focus of their Sunday School classes, preparation for their pageant next week.

I asked them: "What is so important about this story?" A little towheaded five-year-old boy spoke up right away: "Because Jesus is the one who died on the cross."

Wow. I honestly didn't expect them to make that connection. I was especially surprised because the little boy who spoke up is my son, and we haven't talked about this at home! In our family, we've been talking about the baby and the shepherds, but not about how the manger connects with the cross.

This is, however, at the heart of it all; it's why Advent and Christmas really matter. The Gospel readings assigned in the daily office devotions during these Advent weeks are a walk through the story of Jesus last days - the last supper, Judas' betrayal, Jesus' arrest and trial and death.

Today's Gospel passage includes Jesus' plea to his Father not to make him go through this. Though generally in less dire circumstances, this is a prayer that we're familiar with because we pray it, too. What burden or responsibility do you bear that you would like God to take from you? Have you taken it to God directly? Have you let Him hear you say what you want?

In this prayer, Jesus sets a pattern for us to follow. The first part of the pattern: to ask God for what we really want. The second part of the pattern: to tell God you trust Him and that you'll be satisfied with what He brings out of it all.

Following Jesus' pattern isn't easy, but it's guaranteed to bring us to where it brought Jesus: from the simple beauty of the manger through the saving danger of the cross to the awesome wonders of heaven.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Evidence

"'Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them'" - Jesus (Matthew 11:3b-4)

Dear Friends in Christ -

As John the Baptist is suffering in prison, he begins to wonder - in spite of what he himself proclaimed - whether Jesus is really "the one".

When John's disciples bear John's question to Jesus, Jesus isn't offended. And he doesn't chastize John for doubting. Jesus' response to John is simply this: look at the evidence. The prophecies are being fulfilled. Desert lives are blooming.

As I read this passage, I wondered: when John's disciples returned to John after this encounter with Jesus, was John disappointed that all they brought was this message? Did John hope that Jesus would prove his Messiah-ness by miraculously causing the locks to spring open, 'setting the prisoner free'?

There are so many things that I wish Jesus would do. So many wounds in myself and others that I wish were healed. So many war zones that I wish were lushly peaceful.

How can I know that Jesus cares about these things, that he's going to make good on his promises? This morning in church, members of our congregation listed things that Jesus has been doing . . . really amazing things. A child's first words, healing from cancer, the loving faithfulness of a spouse, the miraculous birth of a child after several miscarriages. Hearing these stories reassured me at a deep level: the Messiah is coming. Even now, his power is stirring among us. Jesus challenges us directly: look and see!

Faithfully seeing . . . and waiting for more,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: The gift of an invitation

"Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right." - 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Dear Friends in Christ -

A while back, I told you that I was pondering what to do about Christmas presents. Well, I decided this year to focus on giving gifts of invitation and experience. Rather than giving stuff, I'm sharing experiences that I've enjoyed (ie - CDs of two new musical groups that have had a powerful impact on me this year) and I'm sharing invitations (ie - inviting people to join me for lunch so I can cook a favorite dish for them).

The following story by Jason Cho reminded me that there's another gift I might give to friends and neighbors this Christmas: an invitation to church. "That's not a REAL gift," you might protest. And I thought that too. For a moment. But then I realized this: Jesus SAVED me. I am who I am, I have what I have all because of Him.

Jesus isn't a limited edition. There's more than enough to go around. So I'm going to make more of an effort to invite people to come to church to meet Him so they can have the Light, too.

Advent blessings,
Janet+

ADVENT REPAIR AND PREPARE

Miss Rose refused to let any volunteers near her house. She was worried that it was beyond repair and would be demolished, and she would not have that. Our supervisor told us we would likely have to move on to another work site, but to give it a try anyway.

The largest member of our group was assigned to make the pitch to Miss Rose. He is physically one of the largest people I have ever known, a true mountain of a man. He banged on the door of the trailer parked in Miss Rose's back yard. When she opened it and saw him, she was speechless.. His size has that effect on people. He immediately announced in a very forceful voice: "Miss Rose, we are going to fix your house!" She said, "OK," and slammed the door to her trailer. During the next few days we began the repairs and renovation of Miss Rose's house. On the third morning, she played music for us out the window of her trailer. On our last day she brought us cookies I told her we would be leaving at the end of the Second Week of Advent day, but that another group of volunteers would be coming, and another group after that. I asked her to be nice to them. She promised she would.. When we left she gave the big guy a hug.

Not everyone prepares for and welcomes the gift of the Lord Jesus at Christmas. To many, Advent and Christmas are annoying, and they would just as soon be left alone. We probably all know someone who is openly skeptical, who would rather that the whole "holiday season" end, and end quickly. Perhaps you know someone in this mindset. Consider inviting that person to church during Advent. And don't give up if the answer is no the first time. You never know what might happen.

--Jason Leo
from We Shall All Be Changed: Daily Advent Meditations
reprinted from CREDO: A Window on Wellness

Less Hurry, More Holy: The glory is . . .

"God chose you as the first fruits for salvation . . . . For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13a-14b

Dear Friends in Christ -

This afternoon, glittering dust drifted from the sky and coated the world like powdered sugar. Before my eyes, the world was transformed from mousy-mossy greens and browns to gleaming, sparkling white.

I love the first snow because it makes me feel chosen. The snow fell HERE. Earlier this week, it fell a bit north of here, in Waterbury. Perhaps in the days to come it will fall along the shore in Bridgeport. In this moment, this is the beautiful place, the blessed place.

While being where the snow is (or isn't) is really a fairly random act of nature, the words of the apostle Paul - "God chose you" - remind us of a blessing that isn't random at all. You and I are chosen of God. On purpose. So that God, having chosen us, can bless us by giving us His glory. And what is that glory - the best, most awesome thing that God has to give? Jesus.

Think about that. God chose you and me to receive the incarnate Word, God's love with skin on, Jesus.

May all the little blessings around us - the dusty snow, the twinkling lights, the steam rising from a warm cup - draw us into peace, preparing our hearts to receive, more and again, Jesus.

Blessings,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Standing Firm

"If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all." - Isaiah 7:9b

Dear Friends in Christ -

(Sung to the tune of 'Deck the Halls'. . . )

'Tis the season of preparation
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
And the season of desperation
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Early on we had such visions
Fa-la-la La-la-la La-la-la
Now we're running in all directions
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la . . .

Trust yourself. You know what's good for yourself, for those around you. You know right now that half the things on your list won't get done, yet you let them stay there, tugging at your mind, draining your energy. Let your God-guided conscience lead the way. Be kind to yourself. Breathe deep.

Let today's Advent preparation include trimming the list so that you can be still, so that not only your house, but also your heart can be ready for the good things that God is bringing this Christmas.

Faithfully trimming the tree . . . and my own list!
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Real Repentance

"‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’" - Jesus (John 8:7b)

Dear Friends in Christ -

We're in the midst of the second week of Advent, the week that begins with John the Baptist calling everyone to repentance to "prepare the way of the Lord." How are you doing with that? Have you spent more time this week pointing out other people's sins or repenting of your own?

Some people are confused about what repentance really is . . .

Repentance IS the appropriate way to deal with a wrong YOU'VE actually done or a good YOU'VE failed to do.
Repentance IS saying you're sorry, making amends, and then letting it go.
Repentance IS NOT something you can do for someone else. If you have been hurt by someone else's sin, you might need support or counsel, but you don't need to "confess" your pain, and you can't repent of their sin for them.

Repentance IS being sorry for what you've done or failed to do.
Repentance IS NOT beating yourself up about it.

Repentance IS, in addition to being sorry, doing something to help ensure that you won't repeat your error.
Repentance IS NOT saying you're sorry for something you did and then turning right around and doing that same thing again.

It IS appropriate to repent of sins actually committed or the intent/desire to commit sin.
It IS NOT appropriate to repent of emotions. Emotions - both the ones we often consider 'good' and also the ones we consider 'bad' - are just a normal, natural part of being human. It's OK to be sad, tense, angry, etc.
It IS appropriate to repent of unhealthily hanging on to an emotion in order to manipulate, seek revenge, etc.

The apostle Paul said, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Indeed, it's true. We see the results of sin both in and around us every day. You would think that with all the expertise we have with sinning, we would also have a great deal of expertise with repenting. In fact, we're pretty bad at it. How do I know? Even though we're Christians, our lives look too much like the lives of those around us. We're often impatient with others, unkind to ourselves, and more willing to stay stuck in our own messes than we are to get out by repenting.

Today, Jesus invites us to take a good, hard look. Not at the sins of our family members, our neighbors, or our government, but at our own sins. As we repent of these sins, we find freedom and new life.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Be on guard

"‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.'" - Jesus (Luke 21:34-35a)

Dear Friends in Christ -

What do wasting time, getting drunk, and worrying have in common? They're all things that Jesus says we're supposed to stay away from. Why? Because they keep our hearts from rising to notice when and where Jesus is coming to us.

We often think of Jesus' coming as something that happened "back then" in a stable at Bethlehem or as something that will happen "sometime in the future" when Jesus descends through the clouds accompanied by trumpet fanfare. But Jesus' incarnation signalled to us that God is always coming to us. Now. Wherever we are. In ways we wouldn't expect. In ways we wont' notice unless we're ready, listening, open.

Wasting time, getting drunk, worrying. What do these things have in common? Avoidance. The purpose of wasting time is often to avoid an unpleasant task. The purpose of getting plowed is often to avoid dealing with difficulty or pain. The purpose of worrying is often to avoid being surprised by possible problems.

The trouble is not only that wasting time, getting drunk and worrying DON'T WORK. They also result in being unawake, unaware, and unattuned to the good possibilities of what might happen in this present moment. Jesus is HERE (He promised to always be with us), and in these preoccupations we're too distracted to notice.

Today, if you're tempted to waste time, get drunk or worry, STOP in your tracks. ASK yourself, 'what am I avoiding?' TRUTH will come to you in that moment, and you might feel fear, pain or stress. But call on Jesus, and he'll come. And he'll help you cross through . . . to something new.

Faithfully on guard with you,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Doing God's Call

"For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Dear Friends in Christ -

You are a chosen child of God. As such, you have a role to play. You're called to be a saint, someone who encourages and builds others up. How are you doing with that?

Here's the good news: we have good examples to follow in this saint business, folks who show us how it's done. Folks like Nicholas (today is St. Nicholas Day!) who made their own unique contributions by just doing what they could.

If Nicholas had been working down a prescribed tick-list of do-gooding activites - working 24/7 to write like St. Augustine and to help the poor like St. Vincent and to talk to animals like St. Francis - he might have missed HIS calling. What was Nicholas' lasting legacy? Anonymous gift-giving (what wonderful work to be called to do!). For exampel, when Nicholas heard that three girls from a poor family were going to be forced into prostitution because they didn't have dowries, he secretly pitched coins through the window and onto the hearth when he walked by their home, making them eligible for marriage.

Are you trying to do everything? Or are you trying to do the thing God is especially calling you to do?

God's word to us today is this:
focus, and be free
build others up, leave a legacy

Faithfully striving to focus,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: The Second Sunday of Advent

"Prepare the way of the Lord . . ." - Matthew 3:3

Dear Friends in Christ -
Advent is a season, yes. But Advent it also an attitude. Here is a little snippet that captures the essence of this time of expectancy.
Blessings,
Janet+


The Moment is Advent

"The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is far off in the deeps of it somewhere a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You walk up the steps to the front door. The empty windows at either side of it tell you nothing, or almost nothing. For a second you catch a whiff of some fragrance that reminds you of a place you've never been and a time you have no words for. You are aware of the beating of your heart...The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment."
- Frederick Buechner
Whistling in the Dark, pages 2-3

Less Hurry, More Holy: Worth it . . .

"‘When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified'" - Jesus
(Luke 21:9a)

Dear Friends in Christ -

In some of his last conversations with his disciples before his own time of trial, Jesus talks with them about the trials they will face. Jesus speaks to them with urgency - and confidence. He is sure that he's right in telling them this: they don't need to be afraid. The trials they will face will be extremely difficult, but temporary. Then Jesus directs their attention to what will happen beyond the trials themselves.

That's the hard part, really, - being able to hold onto the goodness that lies ahead tightly enough not to lose your grip on it. Tightly enough to get through the painful challenges of the present.

But Jesus promised his disciples - and us - that hanging on through present struggles is worth it. In the process, we'll be drawn closer and closer to God; so close, in fact, that God's thoughts will be on our lips at a moment's notice. And, finally, we'll gain the ultimate prize: "by your endurance you will gain your souls." To gain our souls is nothing more or less than this: to come into our full, whole, lively, wonderful selves.

So how do we hang on in the midst of wars and insurrections that tear our world apart, in the midst of deep wounds and broken relationships that tear us apart? We do what the disciples did. We stick with those who believe, those who speak truth, those who encourage us and who by their good example point the way.

Blessings,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: In the midst of the noise, music!

"You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore." - Psalm 16:11

Dear Friends in Christ -

Last night, I took time to step away from work and family obligations. I did something that feeds my soul: I went to a concert. A friend and I heard "Robert Randolph and the Family Band" - rockin' gospel rock!!!

I went to bed late, but when I woke, the riffs and refrains of the music were still playing in my head, and I felt energized.

I can always tell when things are good in my soul . . . there's music there.

I offer you this little piece by Robert Benson about songs; his words resonate with me today.

Blessings,
Janet+

THERE HAS TO BE A SONG

There has to be a song -
there are too many dark nights
too many tiresome days,
too many wearisome miles.

There has to be a song -
to make our burdens bearable,
to make our hopes believable,
to transform our successes into praise,
to release the chains of past defeats.

Somewhere -
down deep in a forgotten corner
of each man's heart -

There has to be a song -
like a cool clear drink of weter,
like a gentle warmth of sunshine,
like the tender love of a child -

there has to be a song.

Less Hurry, More Holy: In case you're wondering . . .

"May he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father" - 1 Thessalonians 3:13a

Dear Friends in Christ -

Wondering about the source of the Scripture quotations I've been using for these Advent reflections? Well, they're from the Daily Office, a two-year cycle of readings listed in the back of the Prayer Book. If you read the assigned passages every day for two years, you read through pretty much the entire Bible. There are three short readings listed for each day - a reading from the Old Testament, a reading from Paul's letters, and a reading from the Gospels.

There's a place you can find a list of these readings online, too: http://satucket.com/lectionary/.

What I've been doing is just sharing a snatch of one of these readings and offering my reflections on that.

Sometimes it seems that Scripture is random - and doesn't really apply. Sometimes it seems that the words on the page of the Bible were put there especially, specifically for you right at this moment.

Either way, daily reflection on Scripture starts to change us, shape us. As I look back over my sermons and blog posts, I start to see themes and patterns, things that God is systematically trying to reveal to me, to us. So that we can be stronger, holier, closer to the One who loves us and gives us fullness of life.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: KISB

"'Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, . . . Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?'" - Luke 20:21,22

Dear Friends in Christ -

I blame my parents for a lot of things, including this: I'm a dyed-in-the-wool rule-follower. They raised me to color inside the lines, read the instructions, do what I was told.

This is usually seen as a good trait, a praise-worthy way of being. But there's a problem with following the rules: everywhere you look there are rules. The government has rules. The workplace has rules. Families have rules. The culture has rules. Even God (and the church) have rules. And you can make yourself crazy trying to follow them all and keep everyone happy. I know; I've done it.

What rules are you going to follow this holiday season? The Emily Post rules of etiquette that say you have to get a gift for every person who gives one to you? The Biblical rules of caring first for those in need? The Suze Orman rules of personal finance that say cut back on gift giving and never pay for anything on a credit card?

In the midst of seemingly competing demands, Jesus' response to the scribes and chief priests invites us to peaceful resolution: don't make things more difficult than they need to be, know where your responsibilities lie, allow yourself to simply do what needs doing - no more, no less.

In other words - Keep It Simple, Beloved.

Faithfully striving to live more simply,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Testing . . . testing . . .

". . . not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts . . . " 1 Thessalonians 2:4B

Dear Friends in Christ -

That's right, it's not your imagination. Sometimes God's doing exactly what you think He's doing: He's testing you.

What is the test that God is putting in front of you?

Yesterday, I asked God to give me an opportunity to do something on His list, and WOW! Today, I was presented with a doozie of a challenge: Something I didn't feel I had time to do, and when it came up, I could have said 'no.' But I said 'yes.' I was glad I did, because not the woman feel helped, but I think I caught a glimpse of the beginning of a miracle!

We don't want God to test us because we're afraid we'll fail. And we might. But even in trying, our focus is turned more toward the One who calls us to more goodness than we can ask or imagine.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: Who's in charge of the things-to-do list?

"learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

Dear Friends in Christ -

As a priest, Monday is my day off. So this morning, I got up and went through my morning routine (yoga, kids off to school, shower, starting a load of laundray), and then I sat down to pray . . . and make "the list."

This time of year, my things-to-do list is LONG. In addition to the regular grocery shopping and dry cleaning and returning (overdue!) books to the library, now there's shopping for gifts and preparation for parties and shipping Advent calendars to our godchildren and . . . and . . . and . . .

And then, as I prayed and read my Bible, I ran across God's list: "seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

Hmmmm . . . what are we supposed to do with that list? Compare it to our own list? Add it to our own list?

My usual approach when I read something like this in my daily devotions is to FEEL GUILTY about all the things I'm not doing. And then, out of guilt, try to add something from God's list to my already over-long list. And then not do it. And then feel guilty about that.

Today, I'm going to try something different. Right now, I'm asking God to give me an opportunity today to do something on His list. And I'm asking God to give me the courage to turn aside from my list and do the "His list" thing when it comes up.

I dare you to join me by pray this prayer, too, and doing a "His list" thing today as the opportunity arises. I'm excited to see what happens, and I invite you to share your story in the comments section below!

Blessings,
Janet+

Less Hurry, More Holy: 28 Days of Watching and Waiting

"But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you,* not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:8-9

Dear Friends in Christ -

Remember when you were a kid and it seemed to take FOREVER for Christmas to come? I remember complaining to my mom, asking "how many more days?" She always said, "It will be here soon enough!", as she rushed around wrapping packages and cleaning house in preparation for my grandparents' annual holiday visit.

Now that I have children of my own,the Advent season seems to fly by and Christmas seems to arrive to soon. I long to savor the Season, to sit by the fire with a steaming cup of hot tea. And pray. And wait.

There's something about waiting . . . when I'm forced to wait (stuck in traffic, in a line at the grocery store) I hate it. But when I'm looking forward to something - like a date with my husband, a party with friends - waiting is the time for joyful anticipation, for preparation.

What do we wait for at Advent? The fresh inbreaking of God. Something to rejoice over, something worth waiting for.

These words from Peter's second letter remind us of this, too: God is waiting for us, waiting for us to prepare. He doesn't want us to miss the unique way He will come. Here. This time.

Do you find it hard to wait? What do you imagine might be up to for you, for us, that's worth waiting for?

Blessings,
Janet+

An Island of Peace

Dear Friends in Christ -

During the holidays, St. Paul's transforms into an island of peace. Over this weekend, as I've sat in my home office in prayer and reflection and Bible study (I have to have a sermon ready for tomorrow!), I've looked out over a nearly empty parking lot.

It's an unusual sight. Most of the time, the parking lot is full morning to night - people coming to AA meetings and Weight Watchers, people coming to art classes and scout meetings, people coming to the counseling center. All this activity is great: a sign of physical, emotional, spiritual health for the parish and our guests. (The intrepid AA folks have still been here in the mornings - good for them!)

During the next four weeks, however, there will be less bustle and more peace. Parish meetings will be at a minimum. The parking lot will only fill up for worship services, health-building gatherings (like AA, weightwatchers, Bible studies, etc.) and holiday celebrations. This is ON PURPOSE. You could use the extra time to shop more. You could use it to work more around the house. But the invitation FROM GOD is to set aside time during Advent to WATCH and WAIT. This watching and waiting makes space in us to receive the AMAZING, POWERFUL gift that's coming our way at Christmas.

TODAY you're probably doing one (or more!) things to prepare for the season that lies ahead. I invite you to do this: set aside 15 minutes each day to watch and wait. RESERVE TIME ON YOUR CALENDAR (otherwise it won't happen!) to sit down with A HOT CUP OF TEA, THIS BLOG (there will be an Advent Reflection here each day - plus comments from you and your fellow parishioners), and YOUR BIBLE. This is the best gift you can give yourself, and doing this will transform your whole holiday experience. It will bring St. Paul's 'island of peace' into your home, into your heart.

Blessings,
Janet+

Answers to the questions

Dear Friends in Christ -

Last Saturday, I wrote about three things over which I had been pondering -
1. How I was going to preach on Christ the King Sunday about a "downer" Gospel text
2. What I am going to do about Christmas gifts for friends and family this year, since I haven't made things like I usually do
3. What I am going to for Advent Bible study this year at St. Paul's.

Well, the sermon went pretty well (Summary: The story of Jesus on the cross is a shocking story, a gruesome story, a story it's hard to explain to the kids. But it's also the most powerful story, because it reminds us that we are SAVED by God, who loves us and continues to extend himself for us.).

As for the Christmas gifts, God has helped me understand that getting people stuff won't satisfy my desire to give and to connect. Though there's something that always compels me to want to rush out and be part of the Black Friday experience (I think it's the wave of energy that comes with shared experience), God convinced me to stay home and enjoy the rare pleasure of sleeping in AND the peace of not having overspent my budget. For Christmas this year, I'm going to give experiences to the people I love - a gift certificate for lunch with a friend, an album of music I've enjoyed with a note about what I hope they'll enjoy about it when they hear it, tickets to see/do something that will stimulate their own creativity.

And about Advent Bible Study: God is really pushing me to try something new, a parish-wide online Advent Reflections. I've spent the past couple of weeks looking at various options. Many of the things I've seen online have ranged from sublime to silly, beautiful to head-spinningly BUSY. And I've realized that none of them will draw us together as the people of God. Togetherness is essential to watching and waiting. Only together will we have the strength to KEEP AWAKE to the things of God in a season that has become so frenetic.

SOOOOOO . . . during the 27 days of Advent, I'm committing to post an Advent Reflection each day, to which you can respond with comments. Hopefully, we'll start a sort of online discussion this way . . .

I'll work more on this tomorrow . . . But for now, I hope you can sense how much God longs to impart His goodness to us in all the facets of our lives. In the small things - like Christmas gift-giving - and in the bigger things, like helping us to stay centered on the Reason for the Season.

Yours always in Him,
Janet+

Good Thanksgiving

Dear Friends in Christ -

On this chilly, quiet Thanksgiving evening, with the kids in bed inside and the rain quietly falling outside, I'm giving thanks for so many things. Central among them are my family and friends, this lovely home and community, the grace of God and YOU.

Because it's Christ's love that binds us together, the best way I know to celebrate this holy day is to take a moment to give thanks to Him who is all in all.

May you be filled with deepest peace as you take a moment to give deepest thanks.

Blessings,
Janet+

Thank you, Father God, for all your gifts so freely bestowed . . .
For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea,
For all that is gracious in my life, revealing the image of Christ,
For my daily food and drink, my home and family, and my friends,
For a mind to think, and heart to love, and hands to serve,
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
For those who inspire me: the brave and courageous, those patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
For those who draw me to follow in their footsteps: those who valiantly seek after truth, liberty and justice,
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
Above all, I give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to me in Christ Jesus my Lord; and to him be praise and glory, with you, Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

-- Adapted from a Litany of Thanksgiving, "The Book of Common Prayer"

Sometimes when I don't write . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

Sometimes when I'm not writing to you on this blog (which I love to do, by the way!), it's because I'm busy - busy wrestling with God.

I've been wrestling with God over three things this week:

1. The sermon for Sunday. Frankly, it's Christ the King Sunday and I don't like the Gospel reading; it's a downer. So God and I have been having a discussion about what I'm going to say.

2. Christmas presents. Usually I make at least some of the Christmas gifts we give. This year, I haven't been knitting scarves or making jam, and now - all of a sudden - it's November! I prayed for help and God's making some suggestions about gift-giving, but I'm not sure I like His ideas!

3. Advent Bible study. I want to do one; some of you have told me that you want to one. I've been praying about what to do (topic, format, etc.), and God has a suggestion that I find exciting; I'm just not sure I want to commit . . .

Sooo . . . on this quiet fall evening, I'm just taking a moment to sit quietly in God's presence, so I can remember God's delight in me - whether or not I figure these things out, whether or not I do all the right things.

May you know God's delight in you this day, too, - in the midst of and/or in spite of everything!
Blessings,
Janet+

To those who have been away for a while . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

Yesterday I was leafing through the parish directory to find a phone number when I noticed names of a few people whom I haven't seen in church recently. This wave came over me . . . It took me a second to name the feelings present in it - wistfulness, sadness, longing.

To those who haven't been around much lately (I would list your names here, but I wouldn't want anyone to feel embarrassed!), please know that I MISS YOU! Others at St. Paul's miss you, too. And not only that, GOD misses you.

If you've been away a while, please come to church. Don't wait 'til Christmas. Rich blessings are happening NOW, and you're missing out! I want so badly for you to receive the good things God has for you here.

Blessings,
Janet+

PS - Sometimes people who have been away from church for weeks or months or years need a personal connection to help them "get back in." If you've got something on your mind or heart that you would like to talk about, please drop me a note at revjanet@stpaulsct.org or give me a call at 203-929-1722.

The Other Thing that's Saving Me Now

Dear Friends in Christ -

A couple of days ago, I wrote that what's saving me now is good routine. That's absolutely true. It's also only about 2/3 of the equation. There's something else that's saving me now: Taking Risks.

A week ago, I got back from leading a mission team to Ecuador. I had never been to a third world country before. I had never been to South America before. With a church to run and a family to care for, the time away was enough of a stretch by itself. Not to mention the risk of traveling to a country where the President had been kidnapped by the police just weeks before.

My natural inclination is to manage fear with planning and not with the paralysis of worry. So I prayed like fury, did my research, made sure our team had the appropriate insurance coverage, packed a lot of bug spray and sunscreen and went.

The risk was worth it. I'm still in the process of articulating all the ways that the experience has re-shaped my heart and renewed my spirit. But one thing I was really humbled to discover - again - this time just in a new context: fear makes me hesitant to do things that I really CAN do. That I really SHOULD do. That I really MUST do in order to be the kind of follower Christ is calling me to be. The kind of disciple that makes a difference in the world.

The next risk God is calling me to take is this: to come to church and fill out a commitment card on Sunday. For Ed and me, this is a risk every year. I don't know if I've told many of you this, but in the 14 years of our marriage, Ed and I have been simultaneously employed at full-time, permanent jobs for only six months. Every single year, our employment and financial situations have been different - and often in ways that we couldn't predict the year before. And God has sustained us. And we're not in horrific debt. And we have followed our hearts and have the privilege of doing things we love.

We're still praying about our financial commitment to the Lord's work in the coming year. But we've made one firm commitment: we're showing up on Sunday (at 9:00 a.m.!!) to receive the gift of God's Spirit in worship, the gift of God's word through Bill Barfield, and the gift of fellowship over brunch. Please take the risk and join us.

Faithfully,
Janet+

With Gratitude to our Veterans

Dear Friends in Christ -

Today, I pause to give thanks to all those who have sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy in our country. I pause to pay respect to all those, living and deceased, who have served in the armed forces of the United States. I pause to pray a prayer of blessing and protection over those who are currently serving in the military, especially those deployed overseas.

On this bright Fall day, as I breath deeply of the clear, clean air in these rolling Connecticut hills, I look heavenward and my heart fills with gratitude. It's sobering to realize that I wouldn't enjoy this beauty and freedom without the labor and loss of those who fought in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the World Wars, and all the other wars around the globe over these most recent decades.

Oh, how I long for the time when the fighting will cease, when swords are beaten into plowshares and there isn't reason for anyone to need to wear a uniform and carry a weapon! Until then, I pray to see the day when all wars shall cease, and I give thanks for our Veterans, past and present.

Faithfully,
Janet+

THREE PRAYERS FOR VETERANS' DAY

O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer - p. 839)

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP - p.823)

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP - p.815)

The Glories of Good Routine

Dear Friends in Christ -

Ever since I got back from Ecuador last week, I've been scrambling about. But not to do more things or new things. I've just been trying to settle into good routine.

When I was younger, I equated "routine" with "boring." But not any more. While I'm often hungry for new experiences and get a thrill out of trying new things, the rhythms of the day-in, day-out shape my body, mind and spirit in profound ways.

When I was younger, I equated "good" with "not excellent." But not any more. While I really enjoy things that are truly excellent, these days I would trade quite a bit of "occasionally excellent" for steady rhythms of "good."

Perhaps the kids I went to High School with - the ones who voted me not only "most likely to succeed" but also "most likely to be rock star" - would be disappointed to hear me at 40+ writing about the glories of good routine. But I'm now at an age where I've gained the courage to tell the truth. And the truth is that what's saving me now - in the midst of the unpredictable seas of daily life - are the steady routines of things like taking a hot shower in the morning, driving the kids to school, reading the prescribed passages of Scripture from the Daily Office, cooking dinner, praying at meetings and tucking kids into bed at night.

"And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the _________ day."

Faithfully,
Janet+

Home . . . different . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

It is SOOOOOO good to be home. It's good to hug my husband and kids. It's good to sleep in my own bed. It's good to be greeted by all of you with hugs and questions, with words of welcome and sighs of relief that our team got home safely.

It's a bit of culture shock to be home. It's not the level of busyness (though Latino culture runs at a slower pace, the priests and lay people we met were all moving at a fast clip; there's so much work to be done!). It's not the weather - though it's certainly colder here! It's not the disparity in wealth - though everything from houses to newspapers are ritzier here. It's . . .

Well, it's taken me a while to put my finger on it, but I think the "culture shock" I'm feeling is the pressure of still trying to process everything I saw and heard and took part in THERE while being plunged full-speed-ahead into things that kept on going HERE.

This I know for sure: If we're alert and alive in the world, there is not a one of us who ends a day exactly the same as we started it. We learn new things; we are pressed in on by events and experiences. For me, this past week in Ecuador, such an overwhelming flood of new information and experiences that it will take a while for me to know what it means, how I am changed.

Several folks that I've talked to since I've been home have ministered to me by encouraging me to "ease back in," to "take it easy." I'm grateful. It's tempting to fall right back into step with things as they were. But the experiences I had in Ecuador are meant to make me different than I was before. Now - right now! - I have to find enough still moments that the marks on my soul settle in and become indelible.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Turning toward home

Turning toward home

Dear Friends in Christ -

I hope you all had a blessed Sabbath and a happy Halloween.  Here "el Dia de Los Muertos" is a five day celebration.  The kids get three days off from school.  Many people go on vacation and many people have family celebrations and visit the graves of their ancestors.

Yesterday we spent the morning worshipping with the people of Esmeraldas in their church, Santa Maria.  Like the people of Tacusa, they don't currently have a priest there, so part of the grace of our coming was that we had two priests (me and Padre Raul) who said mass and did baptisms.  Usually on Sundays the can have only morning prayer led by a lay volunteer.  The temperature in the church was 90+ because there was no breeze like on the shore in Tacusa, and vandals had stolen their fans.  We gave a gift of money for replacements, and they were grateful!

We then put our tired, sweaty bodies back on the bus and headed back to Quito, enjoying the beautiful scenery and stopping for and amazing lunch of Argentinian food - an amazing array of roasted meats - including cow udder, liver and heart - along with sausages pork chops and steak.

Padre Raul gave us his blessing as we parted.  He is a deeply spiritual, deeply hopeful, hardworking man of God.  It was such a grace to have him leading us, along with our spirited translator, Dolly Mejilla.

Again in the evening, as we have each evening, we took time to debrief as a team, talking about the things that inspired us, broke our hearts and challenged us.

Today, we evaluate, pray, celebrate and have a little down time before packing our suitcases.

Blessings,
Janet+

A blessed day!

Dear Friends in Christ -
It's Sunday morning, and having just finished a walk on the beach, I'm sitting in the breeze under grey skies and a thatched roof preparing for this morning's worship and writing to you.

We spent the whole day in Tacusa yesterday.  On the drive there from our hotel, we stopped at the church of San Marco, an Episcopal church where there is now no congregation.  It's a long story, but it's sufficient to say that the former bishop (before Wilfrido) damaged many,many things through his bad choices.

When we arrived in Tacusa, the community greeted us with joy.  The children came out in droves, curious and expectant.  We spent the morning playing games with them and singing songs.  They have been learning English, and loved to show off their skills, saying the colors and numbers in English as we said them in Spanish.  We had a conversation with them about what they like about their community!  Muy interesante!

The workmen worked on the church all day while we were there.  We watched them mix cement by hand and set all the footings.  By the end of the day they even had some of the rebar supports up.  Their goal is to have it finished by Dec. 23, the 50th anniversary of their town and the 30th anniversary of their church community.

Another amazing feast for lunch (chicken soup, crab, longostino - HUGE shrimp, lobster, ceviche, roasted plantains and rice) was followed by a walk down to the beach with the children.  

Then La Misa - the worship service.  Worship was held in the school building because it was the biggest building in town, and people gathered inside and outside.  Padre Raul asked me to concelebrate with him (a real honor, as he is a very important priest here, an assistant to the bishop).  El servicio todo en Espanol, pero no es un problem para mi!  Gloria a Dios!

When it was time for the baptisms, four members of our team became godparents.  One mother asked particularly that the Reverenda Janet be the godmother for her daughter, Farami, and I joyfully accepted.

Then it was time for me to bless the cornerstone of the new church. What a joy!  And we stood in the midst of the construction and prayed and shared and celebrated.  Afterward, the community shared a treat with us - they cut open coconuts for each of us to drink from.  Deliciosa!

All of this was followed by a brief rest at our hotel, a delicious dinner of steak and seafood and a walk along the beachfront, which was pulsing with life!

A truly blessed day!

Today, worship with another community and return over the mountains to Quito!

We're praying with you today as you pray!

Blessings, 
Janet+

Tacusa!

Tacusa!

Yesterday, after six hours on winding mountain roads, through the Andes and across the equator, we arrived at the coast of Ecuador.  Ah! The Pacific Ocean!  (for those of us born and raised in the western U.S., the greatest ocean - but also the biggest one in the world)

The first adventure was finding our hotel with limited and not very accurate directions.  The second adventure was finding ANOTHER hotel, because the hotel we were supposed to stay in was undergoing renovations.  It's a holiday weekend here, so we had to try a couple of places, but we found something clean close to the beach.

Then on to Tacusa!  No one has been willing to tell us what we would (or wouldn't) find there in terms of progress on the church.  They wanted us to be surprised!  We pulled into the little town, and the first thing we saw were dozens of smiling faces - people from the church and Patricio the building project manager, and many, many children.

Everyone greeted us - hugs and laughs all around - and walked with us the short distance to where the dumptruck was delivering the final load of sand for the cement for the foundation of the church.  All of the other materials for the church had already arrived.  Construction has begun!  The land for the foundation has been prepared; the holes for the rebar pillars that stabilize the walls have been dug.  The leveling lines for the floor are set.  They asked me to bless the cornerstone tomorrow.  What an honor!

After giving the kids soccer balls (a mad scramble!), the kids disappeared down to the beach to play with them, and the community ushered us into a small comedor (stand alone dining room) to feed us dinner.  What a feast!  Shrimp soup followed by seabass and rice and beans.  And the best orange juice I've ever tasted.

Travelling back to the hotel in the bus, we got to see the coastal nightlife.  Little storefronts uninhabited by day sprang to life!

Today is a day of community connection and worship, including four baptisms!

Blessings,
Janet+

Quito...and heading to Tacusa

Where the tourists don't go

Dear Friends in Christ- 
Our mission team spent yesterday crisscrossing the city, in yellow taxis, from the southernmost neighborhoods to the northernmost neighborhoods.  We visited three mission churches (none of the 26 churches in the diocese is a parish because none are self-supporting - not even the cathedral!

Every mission church we visited greeted us so warmly!  And it wasn't just the priest who was there in the middle of the week in the middle of the day, but members came to greet us (and feed us!) as well.  They weren't just curious about "Los gringos"; they wanted to share their joy in their church and show us their ministries.  Each church had a particular ministry or two.  One had a ministry to Colombian refugees (1,000 come over the border each month), one is recovering from leadership under a dissident priest and looking to start a restaurant where they can employ people and feed the poorest for free, and one has a nursery school in the poorest part of town.

Today we head over the mountain for Tacusa.  We can't wait to present the school supplies to the school and soccer balls to the kids .... And to see how progress on the church is going.

The weather is beautiful; the sun is coming up and the birds are singing as I write this.  No houses here have heating or a/c, so the cool not cold fall air is most welcome.

Blessings
Janet+

In Ecuador

Dear Friends in Christ -
Living at 2 miles up in the Andes is breathtaking in so many ways!  A little shortness of breath walking up hills, the beauty of the mountains, the mix of the peoples - not many Anglos, but people from many of the tribes in Ecuador walking the streets in native dress.

We have been welcomed most warmly - food excellent, accommodations suitable, not-quite warm showers available (at least for now).

We all arrived safely and on time.  We spent yesterday receiving an orientation from on of the Episcopal missionaries here, touring the Cathedral and Cathedral school, and touring the historic district of Quito.

I was touched by the tender (read:short!) history of the Episcopal church here, the large number of people saying private prayers in all of the Catholic churches we visited, the beauty of the works of the local artisans, and the curious joy of the school children in meeting us.

Contact by phone and email limited and expensive, but I will be in contact as I can!

Blessings,
Janet+

A gift for you . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

In less than an hour, the car taking our team to the airport will be departing from here. I am filled to overflowing with the blessings that you prayed for me and the rest of our team on Sunday.

These past 24 hours, while my planning work has been focused on Ecuador, my prayers have been focused on you. God has turned my heart toward you, and I have been praying prayers of blessing and safety on you. It's Halloween week, with all sorts of extra busyness. And with Halloween comes looming anticipation and pressures of the holidays to come.

So Jesus put these words, His own words, on my heart for you . . . "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." (John 14:27-28)

May God keep us all in perfect peace!

I look forward to being with you again soon!
Faithfully,
Janet+

T-minus 7 and counting

Dear Friends in Christ -

I occurred to me today that - WOW - I'm leaving for Ecuador in 7 short days. Sometimes big things like this sneak up on me because I'm not prone to enough anxiety to jar me into grasping the reality that SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

But, something big IS about to happen. Seven people from three different churches in our deanery are praying daily, trying to learn a few more words of Spanish, gathering essentials like insect repellant, cameras and hats, and getting ready to pack.

The volume of emails that have been flying back and forth signal that people in Ecuador are working hard to prepare for our arrival. The sweet fragrance of their generous hospitality is gently wafting through the e-waves.

How can I best prepare for this experience? Notice what's here. I need to really see and hear and taste and smell and touch HERE so that when I get THERE and go about seeing and hearing and tasting and smelling and touching I can make some connections and be a bridge-builder. Between cultures. Between peoples. Between 'you' and 'me.'

"Blessed are the peacemakers." That's what the Bible says. So how exactly to we MAKE peace?! Well studies show that we treat people we know better than people we don't know, so it seems that making connections is the first step in making peace.

Now, you might be thinking: 'Why is she talking about peace? We're not at war with Ecuador." Indeed, we're not at war with Ecuador. But I submit to you that there's a lot more to making peace than not being at war. Real PEACE has to do with living in harmony with each other, with living in a state of freedom that allows appreciation of differences and creative energies to flow.

Please pray that as our ministry team members do the outside preparation - packing our bags, finding our passports, etc. - that God helps us with the inside, heart preparation May God make us peacemakers that we may be known as children of God.

Faithfully,
Janet+

A good laugh . . . about money!

Dear Friends in Christ -

So here's the joke a heard today in the Finance Committee meeting (see, we do have some fun!):

One day, a $20 bill was talking to a $1 bill.
The $1 bill said, 'So, what have you been up to lately?'
The $20 bill said, 'Well, I've really been getting around. I've been to a couple great restaurants, and I've been out to the movies. I've travelled a good bit and even made it to a foreign country recently. What have you been doing lately?'
The $1 bill said, 'Well, I've been pretty active, too. I've been shuffling back and forth between the bank and several churches in town.'
The $20 bill said, 'What's a church?'

Perhaps part of evangelism is introducing our money to Jesus! :-)

Have a great sunny Sunday!
Blessings,
Janet+

Today's quotable quote . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

Here's the quotable quote I'm pondering on this blustery Fall Saturday:

"Life will either make you better or bitter."

I've certainly observed the truth of that. I wonder, though, what makes the difference? If God's saving love and care are available for all of us, how is it that some of us seem to grow stronger and have enough hope to carry on, while others grow more depleated and defeated?

Some time ago, a priest friend of mine said, "You must always remember that people are doing the best they can." Hmmm. On the one hand, it makes sense that no one intentionally does a bad job of living. On the other hand, it's tragic that many folks can't manage to do more than make one questionable choice after another, and/or fall into one bad situation after another.

"Life isn't fair." I think every parent on the planet has probably said that to her/his children. And likely with a knowing note of resignation in their voice due to personal experience with unfairness.

But here's another truism that's just as important, though perhaps less often cited: "God is here." Helping, healing, holding. Always. Tapping into God's presence and power is sometimes challenging, but it's possible. Always. Sometimes connecting with God's presence and power takes only a fleeting prayer; other times it requires a long obedience in the same direction. Either way, connecting with God is often the difference between 'better' and 'bitter.'

Faithfully praying into 'better' -,
Janet+

aaaaRRRRRRRRGGH!

Dear Friends in Christ -

I've been betrayed. Again.

Betrayal is, unfortunately, a common occurance in life. Relying on someone, and then finding that they've cheated you. I don't know about you, but I have sort of a "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, and I'm not sticking around for long" policy. And that rule of thumb works pretty well for a me in relationships.

Human relationships, at least.

This week my betrayer was electronic: my computer. I would like to throw the stupid thing over altogether - over the cliff, that is! But I NEEEEEED it. So I've allowed a very nice fellow from "customer support" to talk me back from the edge. Again. For now.

Nancy's computer crashed and died this week. Mine has a "little glitch" which is supposed to have been mended. And for an untold number of weeks, a good chunk of my email (25%?!) has been somewhat randomly disappearing as "spam." If you've sent me an email to which I haven't responded, you may be a victim of my computer's betrayal too. Sorry! If you haven't heard back from me about whatever you were emailing about, please write again . . . hopefully this time I'll get the message. Sigh.

Hope - nope; I don't think I can call it that . . . DESPERATE DEPENDENCY springs eternal . . . so I'm sending this message electronically!!! Oh, the irony!

Still not done grinding my teeth, but trying to move on . . .
Blessings,
Janet+

Wild Church

Dear Friends in Christ -

Churches that have WILD, OUTSIZED PASSION for God and for the good are doing some really unexpected and powerful things. Here's a story I heard last week about one such church:

A church in Massachusetts decided that they could make a difference in their community by picking up the garbage that was littering their neighborhood and making everyone feel low about the place where they live. They set seven dates for litter pick-up and got to work. After the first few, people started noticing what they were doing. Neighbors started being curious about a church that would do something for others, something of no clear benefit to themselves. Their good efforts were written up in the local newspaper. They mayor of the town noticed, and he worked to get them funds for a handicapped ramp for their church.

Someone who was with me when the story was told said, "You know what's interesting about that? It's something that didn't cost any money. And something that lifted the church up and gave community a positive boost, even in this economy."

Yes indeed! And it gets me to wondering: what might our wild, outsized passion draw us to do in our community?

Wondering and wondering . . .
Janet+

Wild, outsized passion . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

What do you want your church to be? To do?

Tonight some of our adult leaders and our confirmation class talked about this question together during the beginning of our Ministry Team Meeting. If you weren't there, you missed out!!

Fundamentally, those of us who were gathered together agreed that we want to be a part of a church that
- helps the community
- prays and worships (a.k.a. - connects with God)
- shares how good God is

Do we dare help and pray and share in a way that makes us stand out as Christians?

I don't know about you, but I want our church to encourage the WILD, OUTSIZED PASSION that I sense stirring in our souls for God and for the good.

Hmmmm . . . how might this happen?? Here? Soon?

Blessings,
Janet+

Praying in new ways

Dear Friends in Christ -

Our mission team is traveling to Ecuador in just over two weeks. As part of the preparation of our hearts for this mission, we're committing pray the Lord's Prayer every day in Spanish.

As I prayed this prayer this morning, I realized that understanding of another language, another culture, begins with the willingness to open my heart and my mind, to take the risk to believe that I can understand, rather than protecting myself with "I can't."

As I pray this prayer, I hope that God will begin to build a bridge between me and the people I'll meet, making a way for us to understand and bless each other.

I invite you to pray it with our team. May the humble act of trying something new be a blessing to you, build a bridge in you.

Faithfully,
Janet+

THE LORD'S PRAYER
Padre nuestro que Estás en los cielos:
Santificado sea tu nombre,
venga tu reino,
sea hecha tu voluntad,
como en el cielo Así también en la tierra.
El pan nuestro de cada Día, Dánoslo hoy.
Perdónanos nuestras deudas,
como también nosotros perdonamos a nuestros deudores.
Y no nos metas en Tentación,
mas Líbranos del mal.
Porque tuyo es el reino, el poder
y la gloria por todos los siglos.
Amén.

Do our lives look different?

Dear Friends in Christ -

Years ago, a long-time preacher said to me, "Whether you're aware of it or not, as a preacher, you're always preaching first to yourself."

This past Sunday, I heard myself say something in the sermon that I preached, something that's been ringing in my ears ever since. It wasn't something I planned to say, it just came out as spoke.

"As Christians, do our lives look different than the lives of people around us?"

The reason that that question has been ringing in my ears is that I've worked so hard to have my life look the same as the lives of those I admired, to look good. When I was young and poor and struggling to figure out how to make a go of life, I aspired to have what others had: a nice place to live, a family, an education, a good job. Now, I feel totally blessed to have all these things, but I have to admit that I've cut some corners, that things in my life aren't always as good as they look - on the outside and, especially, on the inside. I'm not always true to my values. I hedge at doing some things that God asks me to do because I'm afraid that I'll be less comfortable or that people won't like me or that people will think I'm weird.

Honestly, I'm terrified of becoming one of those people whose life is a travelling bill-board for the causes they believe in. Yes, yes, I know - that white collar thingy is sort of a dead giveaway that I'm a church-type! But, sadly, I've discovered that many people don't actually think the collar means that much. Many people are so disillusioned with church that simply belonging to one doesn't raise people's expectations that there's something special, something God-power-sparkly, happening in my life.

The little devil on my left shoulder says, 'It's good to keep a low profile. You don't want peoples expectations of you to be raised; you'll just make God look bad when you make mistakes or get impatient and out of sorts.' The little angel on my right shoulder says, 'You sell yourself short thinking like that! Just DO IT - tell the truth, help where you can, push for fairness. Even if you don't get very far, you'll have made a bit of difference. It all adds up!'

Little choices. Little changes. Living a little bit closer to my values . . . Watch out! In a week or two or three, you might notice that something looks a little bit different . . .

Faithfully,
Janet+

A burning question

Dear Friends in Christ -

I spent the day with our three excellent Bishops and about 200 of my fellow clergy at a mandatory training day. Sometimes such meetings can be boring, but not today!

Our new Diocesan Bishop, Ian Douglas, has this idea that we experience more of God's awe-dropping power by:
1. Sharing our stories of how we've seen God move powerfully in our lives
2. Noticing how our collection of stories reveals our unique role in God's mission of reconcilation and renewal in the world
3. Moving out together as a parish (a deanery and/or a diocese) as agents of transformation in our community

As we talked together at this meeting, I felt very proud of St. Paul's. Over the past four years, we've done a lot of work - especially in the leadership workshops with Mac Barnum - sharing our stories and noticing our strengths. We've accomplished a lot together, too.

I came away with a burning question on my heart. WHAT would GOD have US to do NOW? What one big thing can we do together that would use our gifts and talents and really make a difference?

Hmmmm . . . Let's share our stories, notice the common threads, and see where God's calling us!
Faithfully,
Janet+

Garden Guilt

Dear Friends in Christ -

I spent time on this quiet, gray morning tackling my guilty conscience. Almost since my garden was planted this spring, I've felt guilty about not tending it well. Over the course of the spring and summer, I spent time going on training walks (in preparation for the Prayer Walk Around Shelton) instead of gardening, and my garden was the worse for it. Weeds grew up every which way. Beautiful produce went unharvested until it was past its prime.

Today I expected to have a rough go of it. I expected there to be little or nothing to harvest. I expected the weeds to be unconquerable. But I got my wheelbarrow and my garden gloves out and set to it.

The first surprise was that the weeds came out so easily. The weeds had gotten so big that they choked other weeds out, so it wasn't difficult to quickly make progess in clearing the garden beds.

The second surprise was that there was still so much to harvest - 3 kinds of tomatoes, 3 kinds of kale, 2 kinds of swiss chard, cucumbers, 2 kinds of onions, and even a beet! Garden grace gave me the tomato I ate today for lunch, the kale we had for dinner, and the potatoes and onions that are on the menu for tomorrow night.

I was really amazed at how fearlessly and faithfully the garden grew with such little tending. I was humbled to think of what might have happened if I had given the garden even a tiny bit more attention. I could have done a bit more, too, if I hadn't been avoiding the garden because of the guilt.

So today, as I weeded and harvested, I determined to learn from the error of my ways. Next year there will likely still be times when I don't tend the garden well, but instead of letting guilt keep me away even longer, I'll do whatever I can whenever I can. Next year, I'm going to forego the garden guilt and remember the garden's grace.

Faithfully learning . . .
Janet+

Tacusa or Bust - October 26 thru November 2

Dear Friends in Christ -

Three weeks from this Tuesday, our seven-person mission team will be "wheels up" en route to Tacusa, Ecuador. The mission team met together for the first time today. What an amazing, diverse group of people . . .
- Four from St. Peter's in Oxford, one from Good Shepherd in Orange and two from St. Paul's (Kate Rennie and myself)
- People ranging in age from 20 to 60(+/-)
- Two men and five women
- A couple of seasoned vetrans of many mission trips; some folks who have never been on a mission trip before
- A couple of nurses, a priest, a college student, and folks of several other occupations
. . . a group of people united by enthusiasm for reaching out to others in God's loving care.

We're not just A mission team, we're YOUR mission team. We represent all of you, carrying your hopes and concerns and joys. Please keep us tethered to you by supporting us as you can. Want to help? Here are some things you can do:
- Show interest - ask us how preparations are going, ask to see the pictures when we return
- Give generously - THE CHURCH WE'RE BUILDING IS PAID FOR (HALLELUJAH!), but we could use help with travel expenses (about $1,300 per missionary) and some gifts (soccer balls and uniforms) for the kids (we're also taking 3 suitcases full of school supplies)
- Pray! - Pray that the political situation calms down (there was an attempted coup this week). Pray for safety in travel. Pray for good health. Pray for us to be good listeners to those we meet and fearless witnesses about God's goodness and love.

What our Deanery has done in building relationships with folks in Ecuador and in providing money to build a new church for the people in Tacusa is AMAZING! I'm grateful to be a part of it all, and I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us as we travel. Our team fully expects to catch a fresh, greater vision from God.

Faithfully,
Janet+

Son Burn

Dear Friends in Christ -

One of the "mysterious" stories about Moses in the Bible is "The Case of the Glowing Face" (Exodus 34). After spending time on Mount Sinai, Moses came down the mountain with his face glowing. His face was shining so bright that it scared people, and he had to wear a veil! Moses picked up that rosy glow from spending time in God's presence. It was as if the light of God rubbed off on him - literally!

It's been a long time since I thought of that story, but this evening when I looked in the mirror and saw my face glowing like Rudolph's nose, bright and shiny as can be!, it sprang right to might. And for good reason: I spent this beautiful day exposed to Glory - in the beauty of creation, in watching my kids play soccer and daughter ride a horse, in spending time with friends over lunch and bocce, and in blessing over 100 pets (and some of their owners!) at St. Paul's annual Blessing of the Animals. Perhaps a little sunscreen might have kept my face from glowing after all that, but I'm not so sure. When you see my face tomorrow, you might see only a sun burn, but I tell you truly, I think the glow is the result of spending this glorious day in the Presence of God!

Blessings,
Janet+

Remembering the password

Dear Friends in Christ -

Almost a month ago (September 3rd!), I put up a blog post about getting back to blogging, after a lull in posting over the summer. And I haven't posted a word since. It's been so long since I posted that when I went to put up a post today, I couldn't remember my password! Yikes!

In all honesty, it happened to me once before that it had been so long since I posted that I couldn't remember my password. In that case, I just got distracted . . . took my eye off the writing/connecting ball. This time, it was just a really difficult month for me.

Personally, my kids started back to school, with all the school-shopping, lunch-box-filling chaos that involves. Also, my husband and I took the plunge and did away with all remaining daily child-care for our kids, which means that we've made adjustments in our daily work schedules to allow one of us to be with the kids after school every day. We love spending more time with our kids, but work has been taking over every spare second that we're not with them - (early) morning, noon and night! In addition, I suffered a personal loss: a dear friend of mine died. She was the first person who reached out to me when my husband and I moved to Connecticut 13 years ago; she was a really amazing, bright-light sort of person, and I miss her.

Professionally, there were a number difficulties, too. I had to relieve my part-time assistant minister of his post because he just wasn't able to fill his role here. I had such great hopes that he would be able to help me shoulder the leadership burdens here, so it's a great loss to me and to the parish that it didn't work out. It's been a month of many pastoral crises, too: for the entire 30 days of September, there was a least one parishioner in a hospital somewhere in Derby, Bridgeport or New Haven. Most signficantly, a beloved parishioner, Kathy, passed away after a four-year struggle with metastasized breast cancer. She's safe at home in heaven now, but the world is a less good place without her.

There's a difference between password-forgetting due to distraction and password-forgetting due to overload. In "normal" times, praying and blogging are both "requirements" for me - for my sanity and, increasingly, for our parish connections. For the past month, it was either one or the other - either oxygen or food - and I chose to breathe!

But now, back to writing. There's something really good for me in the work of writing. I find joy in the art of wrestling to speak truth, speak hope, speak life! I was lamenting the struggles of the past month in conversation with a friend this week. He shared his philosophy of leadership, of life: "It's OK to lose your balance for a time, but make sure that 'time' doesn't last too long, or you might lose your self - and THAT'S a problem."

Today, I remembered my password, and thus I begin re - membering myself!

Faithfully yours,
Janet+

Letting my fingers do the walking

Dear Friends in Christ -

The Prayer Walk Around Shelton was a huge success. About 50 parishioners from St. Paul's and two Methodists participated over the course of the 2-day, 30 mile event. We prayed for ALL the various parts of our community - from garbage collectors and dumps to children and schools to farms and grocery stores - and had a wonderful time talking about the various things going on in our lives.

Even with all the training I did (about 400 miles over the course of 5 months), I was surprised to have actually been able to walk the whole way 'round. I've never done anything remotely like that in my life! I know that training works in my spiritual life (the "heavy lifting" of daily prayer and Scripture reading allows me to go the distance connected to God in my life and work), but I didn't know if it would work with my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body. Well, I got through the whole 30 miles without so much as a pulled muscle or a blister!

Now, it's time for my fingers to do the walking. This blog and my garden have been sorely neglected over the course of the summer. This back-to-school season of transition brings plenty of anxiety, so now we need to do the important work of regathering . . . and storytelling. Down through the centuries in cultures all around the world, sharing tales of tragedy and triumph, deaths and resurrections, has kept communities together and moving forward for good.

Sooo . . . this blog is the perfect medium for story-telling, and I've got a bunch saved up from my summer reading and adventures. May the words on these pages and the meditations of our hearts bring joy to God and encouragement to one another!

Faithfully and joyfully with you,
Janet+

I'm scared to ask, but I'm dying to know . . .

Dear Friends in Christ -

Summer is the time when priests plan the worship services for the coming year. It's a time when I reflect on our successes and failures, tune things up, gather ideas, and pray for inspiration. It's a time when the voice of God comes to me - guiding, directing, shaping.

For us Episcopalians, some things in worship are tradition, things we "always" or "never" do, things we love and can't live without. Of course, there must be Scripture and prayer, or it's not a Christian worship service. Of course, we must regularly share the sustaining, invigorating Body and Blood of Christ. MOST things do NOT fall in that category, however. We have more flexibility in our worship together than you and/or I have probably imagined.

Because we have the preferences and needs and expectations of so many people to take into consideration, planning for our weekly times of worship together is a daunting task. It's also daunting because no matter what we do or don't do, we can't meet the preferences/needs/expectations of everyone. Fundamentally, worship is about our connection with God, and therefore NOT to be primarily driven by whims and fads, NOT to be changed up constantly just for the sake of enteretainment.

All that said, I WONDER . . . why is it that more people don't make (and keep!) the commitment to worshipping together EVERY WEEK?? I know, I know . . . . busy lives, family demands, sports, etc. . . . but all of us MAKE time for the things that are most important to us. I was looking at photos from the 1960s recently, and I was remembering that Sunday School as so big in those days (in most churches across the country) that MOST kids in the whole country were in church on Sunday mornings. What happened to change that? Can we - should we - change back to that?

Soooo . . . I'm scared to ask, but I'm dying to know, WHAT WOULD GET YOU TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY MORNING? What would make two hours each week with God and your Christian brothers and sisters (on Sunday or Wednesday) an absolute priority on your calendar? These are NOT rhetorical questions; I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW! If you want to share your answers with me, please do! I'm all ears at revjanet@stpaulsct.org.

Thanks, in advance, for sharing your thoughts with me.
Blessings,
Janet+