Dear Friends in Christ -
A Tuesday mission update from our team - sent this morning (Wed.) around 12:15 a.m.! . . . Heeeeeere's a note from Rev. Eric:
About 1/2 the youth and Jayne had a great conversation that just now ended--so I'm going to sleep now.
I shared about some of my past job difficulties last night in group, conversations bubbled up a bit, and tonight I offered to field questions after lights out, be with them/listen to whatever they've been through, etc. We talked for an hour, . . . covered ((confidential! "what's shared by the kids in OH stays in OH!")) and how campaigners is a powerful group both at St. Paul's and in the world as evangelists, and a vocab lesson that ended with Joe's contribution of the example: so it's right to say if I have a poptart and I want to give it to Craig, here's the gospel of poptarts and that's evangelism? Exactly.
Goodnight!
Eric
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Mission updates from Rev. Eric - From Day 2 (Monday)
Dear Friends in Christ -
Each day, Rev. Eric is checking in via email, just to keep me posted on how things are going. Now that I'm home from my own trip, I'm posting what he's sent so far. Here's part of the email he sent on Monday . . .
"Our second day brought us surprises... First, we each got our work group assignments for the week. There's 'kids club' vbs for around 80 children--Mark Thunem led 5 of our youth for that. Youth Works also had a couple painting and cleaning projects for the rest of us. Jayne Bolton and I led the rest of our group at 'the marina' where we weeded and cleaned a massive concrete wall/sign that welcomes drivers to Steubenville and Ohio as they cross the river. When Carolyn told me we had just driven through West Virginia on our way in, I thought she was joking!
The second surprise is that I got sick from the lunch--I think it was the cheese. That laid me up for a few hours, so I missed the scavenger hunt, Fort Steuben tour, and pizza. After some sleep and ginger ale--thanks Luke and Jayne!--I was back in shape for worship, group prayer time, and a few games of connect four.
Group time was awesome. We heard about Peter' short walk on water and shared about our fears. Our group of 18 is definitely in mission trip mode now. The theme is 'Jesus must increase, I must decrease'. Through service projects, getting to know new people, and building stronger friendships with each other we are experiencing God's Spirit taking the place of our own usual comforts and habits. Well, there's also the wall to wall sleeping bags, the "stop singing it's 2 am!" And the constant endless supply of potato chips and candy.
But seriously, there is so much Spirit here. We actually increase too when God increases in our lives--we get stronger and grow in ways we never would have expected all by ourselves. Mission trips are the bomb!
Peace and joy, and no more sickness, please :),
Eric"
Each day, Rev. Eric is checking in via email, just to keep me posted on how things are going. Now that I'm home from my own trip, I'm posting what he's sent so far. Here's part of the email he sent on Monday . . .
"Our second day brought us surprises... First, we each got our work group assignments for the week. There's 'kids club' vbs for around 80 children--Mark Thunem led 5 of our youth for that. Youth Works also had a couple painting and cleaning projects for the rest of us. Jayne Bolton and I led the rest of our group at 'the marina' where we weeded and cleaned a massive concrete wall/sign that welcomes drivers to Steubenville and Ohio as they cross the river. When Carolyn told me we had just driven through West Virginia on our way in, I thought she was joking!
The second surprise is that I got sick from the lunch--I think it was the cheese. That laid me up for a few hours, so I missed the scavenger hunt, Fort Steuben tour, and pizza. After some sleep and ginger ale--thanks Luke and Jayne!--I was back in shape for worship, group prayer time, and a few games of connect four.
Group time was awesome. We heard about Peter' short walk on water and shared about our fears. Our group of 18 is definitely in mission trip mode now. The theme is 'Jesus must increase, I must decrease'. Through service projects, getting to know new people, and building stronger friendships with each other we are experiencing God's Spirit taking the place of our own usual comforts and habits. Well, there's also the wall to wall sleeping bags, the "stop singing it's 2 am!" And the constant endless supply of potato chips and candy.
But seriously, there is so much Spirit here. We actually increase too when God increases in our lives--we get stronger and grow in ways we never would have expected all by ourselves. Mission trips are the bomb!
Peace and joy, and no more sickness, please :),
Eric"
Wednesday "devo"
Dear Friends in Christ -
You're invited to join the kids on the youth mission trip in today's devotional . . .
Blessings,
Janet+
FOCUS (foh-kuhs): a central point of attraction, attention or activity.
What do you want today?
What are you focused on right now?
Where does God want your focus to be?
Read Psalm 24.
Psalm 24
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who do not put their trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Selah
Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
Selah
Rewrite it in your own words.
As you do, focus on the greatness of God.
What do these verses say about your focus?
Sometime today (maybe right now!) take 10 minutes to re-focus on God.
Make a decision about where your focus will be during this time.
Will I Focus HERE…
on what I’m worried about
on what people think about me
on how I think I sound to God
on what’s next in my day
on what I look like today
on something I’m looking forward to later
or
Will I Focus THERE…
on honoring God
on trading what I want for what God wants
on how BIG God is
on God’s forgiveness
on remembering what Jesus did for me
on God’s love for the world
Conclude your prayer time by committing to RE-FOCUS when you find yourself thinking too much about yourself and your worries and problems and not enough about God.
You're invited to join the kids on the youth mission trip in today's devotional . . .
Blessings,
Janet+
FOCUS (foh-kuhs): a central point of attraction, attention or activity.
What do you want today?
What are you focused on right now?
Where does God want your focus to be?
Read Psalm 24.
Psalm 24
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who do not put their trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Selah
Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
Selah
Rewrite it in your own words.
As you do, focus on the greatness of God.
What do these verses say about your focus?
Sometime today (maybe right now!) take 10 minutes to re-focus on God.
Make a decision about where your focus will be during this time.
Will I Focus HERE…
on what I’m worried about
on what people think about me
on how I think I sound to God
on what’s next in my day
on what I look like today
on something I’m looking forward to later
or
Will I Focus THERE…
on honoring God
on trading what I want for what God wants
on how BIG God is
on God’s forgiveness
on remembering what Jesus did for me
on God’s love for the world
Conclude your prayer time by committing to RE-FOCUS when you find yourself thinking too much about yourself and your worries and problems and not enough about God.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mission Trip - Day 3
Dear Friends in Christ -
Today we've got another opportunity to spiritually hang out with our missionaries by doing the "DEVO" (that's short for 'devotional') exercises that they're doing. When you look at the exercises below, you may think 'whew, that's too much for me,' but DO IT ANYWAY. We adults get spiritually flabby sometimes! If our kids can do it, we can do it too! So here goes . . .
THERE ARE 4 "STATIONS" - you can do one, or you can do them all . . .
STATION 1 - PRAYER
Read Psalm 46. What words stand out to you? Which words do you connect most with?
Focus on one word and talk to God about it for a little while. When you are ready, move to a different word.
STATION 2 - SELAH: STOP AND LISTEN
Although it’s a little hard to translate, a lot of scholars think the Hebrew word “Selah,” found in many psalms, basically means, “Stop
and Listen.” At this station, that’s all you need to do. Just be still and listen. Don’t be impatient or restless. It’s OK to simply be with God at this station.
Stop
dreaming about what’s next
remembering what’s happened
regretting that mistake
focusing on the people around you
worrying about that thing
trying to figure out that problem
being distracted
Listen
to what God is telling you
STATION 3 - Reading
Slowly read God’s words from Psalm 46:10. Write out the verse and then go back and trace over each word a couple of times. As you do, focus on that word. Repeat it to yourself as you trace over it. Think about the word’s meaning and why it is included in this message from God. Think about each part of this verse and what it means. Talk to God during this time.
STATION 4 - Scripture
Slowly read Psalm 46. As you do, think about God’s command to “Be still” even among all the distractions, dangers and fears of life.
Faithfully with you being still before God,
Janet+
Today we've got another opportunity to spiritually hang out with our missionaries by doing the "DEVO" (that's short for 'devotional') exercises that they're doing. When you look at the exercises below, you may think 'whew, that's too much for me,' but DO IT ANYWAY. We adults get spiritually flabby sometimes! If our kids can do it, we can do it too! So here goes . . .
THERE ARE 4 "STATIONS" - you can do one, or you can do them all . . .
STATION 1 - PRAYER
Read Psalm 46. What words stand out to you? Which words do you connect most with?
Focus on one word and talk to God about it for a little while. When you are ready, move to a different word.
STATION 2 - SELAH: STOP AND LISTEN
Although it’s a little hard to translate, a lot of scholars think the Hebrew word “Selah,” found in many psalms, basically means, “Stop
and Listen.” At this station, that’s all you need to do. Just be still and listen. Don’t be impatient or restless. It’s OK to simply be with God at this station.
Stop
dreaming about what’s next
remembering what’s happened
regretting that mistake
focusing on the people around you
worrying about that thing
trying to figure out that problem
being distracted
Listen
to what God is telling you
STATION 3 - Reading
Slowly read God’s words from Psalm 46:10. Write out the verse and then go back and trace over each word a couple of times. As you do, focus on that word. Repeat it to yourself as you trace over it. Think about the word’s meaning and why it is included in this message from God. Think about each part of this verse and what it means. Talk to God during this time.
STATION 4 - Scripture
Slowly read Psalm 46. As you do, think about God’s command to “Be still” even among all the distractions, dangers and fears of life.
Faithfully with you being still before God,
Janet+
Monday, June 28, 2010
Mission Trip - They've left, but you can still go . . .
Dear Friends in Christ -
Yesterday, our amazing youth and their fearless leaders set off on a six-day mission adventure to Steubenville, OH. I received an email late last night from Rev. Eric, just letting me know that they all arrived safely and just in time for dinner!
One of the reasons that I'm so excited our youth go off together for a week to work on YouthWorks projects is that they not only have interesting, challenging opportunities to work with children and to help those in need, but also they are called EVERY DAY during their time away to GO DEEPER IN GOD.
Our team has already arrived in Steubenville and is hard at work, but there's still a way you can joing them. You can read this blog every day this week and GO DEEPER IN GOD, too. Each day, I'll post bits of the devotional materials the kids will be reading and thinking about so that you can pray through them - to support THEM and to grow YOU!
This year, the theme is MORE OR LESS . . . and here is the text of the opening reflection in their daily devotional book . . .
WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS CONSTANTLY TELLING US
WE NEED MORE – MORE MONEY, MORE POPULARITY,
MORE STUFF. BUT WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED MORE OF?
AND WHAT DO YOU NEED LESS OF?
JESUS ASKS US TO HAVE LESS “ME” THINGS – LESS
FEAR, LESS HERE-AND-NOW REWARDS AND LESS EGO.
SOMETIMES WE EVEN NEED TO DO LESS SO THAT WE
CAN HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WHEN
WE WORRY LESS ABOUT “ME” AND, INSTEAD, FOCUS ON
JESUS, WE GET MORE – MORE COURAGE, MORE TIME TO
BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND MORE ABILITY TO
LOVE OTHERS.
THIS WEEK, YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO PURSUE THAT
ONE THING WE ALL NEED IN OUR LIVES – MORE JESUS.
STEP 1 Write this . . . List the fears you have about life right now. If you have a pen or pencil, write the bigger ones bigger and the smaller ones smaller.
STEP 2 Read this . . . a Bible story. Choose from the following . . .
Ananias – Acts 9:1–22
A man who hates Jesus’ followers is in town to find and arrest Ananias
and his friends, and God tells Ananias to go see him.
Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:1–28, 2:18–21, 3:19–21
All Hannah wants is a baby, but once she finally has a boy, she has to
decide if she will keep a promise to give away her only son.
Daniel – Daniel 6:1–28
When a terrible law gets passed, Daniel has the choice to stop talking to
God or get eaten alive by wild animals.
Paul – Acts 16:16–40
When he is unjustly beaten and imprisoned, Paul passes up a “get out of
jail free” card.
STEP 3 - Think about this . . .
What fears did the person need to have courage to overcome in order to follow
what God wanted?
How did this person act out “More God and Less Me”?
What might have happened (or not happened) if this person would have put
what they wanted first?
STEP 4 - Pray about this . . .
How can you have MORE Jesus this week?
Go back to the page where you wrote your fears and pray about each of those
fears. As you pray about each one, scribble it out or erase it.
Hey, I know it takes a few minutes, but if our youth can do it, we can, too! And as we do so, we watch our fear . . . start to disappear 'cause we've given it over to God! Awesome!
Blessings,
Janet+
Yesterday, our amazing youth and their fearless leaders set off on a six-day mission adventure to Steubenville, OH. I received an email late last night from Rev. Eric, just letting me know that they all arrived safely and just in time for dinner!
One of the reasons that I'm so excited our youth go off together for a week to work on YouthWorks projects is that they not only have interesting, challenging opportunities to work with children and to help those in need, but also they are called EVERY DAY during their time away to GO DEEPER IN GOD.
Our team has already arrived in Steubenville and is hard at work, but there's still a way you can joing them. You can read this blog every day this week and GO DEEPER IN GOD, too. Each day, I'll post bits of the devotional materials the kids will be reading and thinking about so that you can pray through them - to support THEM and to grow YOU!
This year, the theme is MORE OR LESS . . . and here is the text of the opening reflection in their daily devotional book . . .
WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS CONSTANTLY TELLING US
WE NEED MORE – MORE MONEY, MORE POPULARITY,
MORE STUFF. BUT WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED MORE OF?
AND WHAT DO YOU NEED LESS OF?
JESUS ASKS US TO HAVE LESS “ME” THINGS – LESS
FEAR, LESS HERE-AND-NOW REWARDS AND LESS EGO.
SOMETIMES WE EVEN NEED TO DO LESS SO THAT WE
CAN HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WHEN
WE WORRY LESS ABOUT “ME” AND, INSTEAD, FOCUS ON
JESUS, WE GET MORE – MORE COURAGE, MORE TIME TO
BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND MORE ABILITY TO
LOVE OTHERS.
THIS WEEK, YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO PURSUE THAT
ONE THING WE ALL NEED IN OUR LIVES – MORE JESUS.
STEP 1 Write this . . . List the fears you have about life right now. If you have a pen or pencil, write the bigger ones bigger and the smaller ones smaller.
STEP 2 Read this . . . a Bible story. Choose from the following . . .
Ananias – Acts 9:1–22
A man who hates Jesus’ followers is in town to find and arrest Ananias
and his friends, and God tells Ananias to go see him.
Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:1–28, 2:18–21, 3:19–21
All Hannah wants is a baby, but once she finally has a boy, she has to
decide if she will keep a promise to give away her only son.
Daniel – Daniel 6:1–28
When a terrible law gets passed, Daniel has the choice to stop talking to
God or get eaten alive by wild animals.
Paul – Acts 16:16–40
When he is unjustly beaten and imprisoned, Paul passes up a “get out of
jail free” card.
STEP 3 - Think about this . . .
What fears did the person need to have courage to overcome in order to follow
what God wanted?
How did this person act out “More God and Less Me”?
What might have happened (or not happened) if this person would have put
what they wanted first?
STEP 4 - Pray about this . . .
How can you have MORE Jesus this week?
Go back to the page where you wrote your fears and pray about each of those
fears. As you pray about each one, scribble it out or erase it.
Hey, I know it takes a few minutes, but if our youth can do it, we can, too! And as we do so, we watch our fear . . . start to disappear 'cause we've given it over to God! Awesome!
Blessings,
Janet+
Sunday, June 27, 2010
A letter from camp
Dear Friends in Christ -
At summer camp when I was a kid, there was always time after lunch when we were forced to lay down on our bunks and rest. The only approved activity during rest time was to write a letter to your parents. Though the cabin counselor even provided pencils and paper, I remember writing only one letter in three summers of camp. Of course I LOVED hearing my name called out during mail call (my mom was one of the faithful ones who wrote every day), but I wasn't so good at writing back.
So before I leave "Camp Bishop's Ranch" here in sunny California, I want to write one letter from camp to all of you . . . it's written by the nine-year-old within me . . .
Hey!
Camp is grate! The food is awsome - no one makes us eat anything we don't want to and everything tastes grate! I walk the trails in the woods every day. I didn't get a tick sucking my blood but two other people did. The speakers are interesting, but there's a little too much sitting still and listening. I like the singing and the praying isn't too bad either. The part I like best is when I get to hang out and talk with my new friends (my cabin has people in it from New Jersey, Florida, California and Minnesota!). Since my bunk here isn't as comfy as at home, I want to come home soon even though it's grate here.
I love you!
Janet
PS - There's an art studio where we can make stuff and I made something cool!
. . . I hope these early days of summer are "grate" for you, too.
Faithfully returning home on Tuesday (I miss you!),
Janet+
At summer camp when I was a kid, there was always time after lunch when we were forced to lay down on our bunks and rest. The only approved activity during rest time was to write a letter to your parents. Though the cabin counselor even provided pencils and paper, I remember writing only one letter in three summers of camp. Of course I LOVED hearing my name called out during mail call (my mom was one of the faithful ones who wrote every day), but I wasn't so good at writing back.
So before I leave "Camp Bishop's Ranch" here in sunny California, I want to write one letter from camp to all of you . . . it's written by the nine-year-old within me . . .
Hey!
Camp is grate! The food is awsome - no one makes us eat anything we don't want to and everything tastes grate! I walk the trails in the woods every day. I didn't get a tick sucking my blood but two other people did. The speakers are interesting, but there's a little too much sitting still and listening. I like the singing and the praying isn't too bad either. The part I like best is when I get to hang out and talk with my new friends (my cabin has people in it from New Jersey, Florida, California and Minnesota!). Since my bunk here isn't as comfy as at home, I want to come home soon even though it's grate here.
I love you!
Janet
PS - There's an art studio where we can make stuff and I made something cool!
. . . I hope these early days of summer are "grate" for you, too.
Faithfully returning home on Tuesday (I miss you!),
Janet+
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The vows we take . . .
Dear Friends in Christ -
Vows. Most of us have taken some. The marriage vows are the ones we remember most because our spouse is front-and-center present in our daily life. But before that, most of us took baptismal vows. Or they were taken on our behalf. Do you ever think about those?
I have to confess that I hadn't thought of them for a long time. A couple of months ago, one of my clergy friends mentioned that she was making a special effort to focus on living her vows - marriage, baptism, and ordination. "Yikes!," I thought, "I can't even remember mine!
Basically, my ordination vows were/are an extension and deepening of the baptismal vows we all took . . .
. . . to believe in God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit . . .
. . . to go to church . . .
. . . to resist evil and when we mess up, repent and start over . . .
. . . to proclaim good news . . .
. . . to seek and serve Christ in all persons . . .
. . . to strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being.
Ordination vows are an extension of these - with an emphasis on being a wholesome example and proclaiming the Good News.
This week, I'm going away to "clergy boot camp" to think and pray and work toward making sure my life is rooted in the keeping of these vows. For my good. For the good of my family and friends and church. For God's glory.
Faithfully,
Janet+
PS - Please pray for me!!!!!!!
Vows. Most of us have taken some. The marriage vows are the ones we remember most because our spouse is front-and-center present in our daily life. But before that, most of us took baptismal vows. Or they were taken on our behalf. Do you ever think about those?
I have to confess that I hadn't thought of them for a long time. A couple of months ago, one of my clergy friends mentioned that she was making a special effort to focus on living her vows - marriage, baptism, and ordination. "Yikes!," I thought, "I can't even remember mine!
Basically, my ordination vows were/are an extension and deepening of the baptismal vows we all took . . .
. . . to believe in God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit . . .
. . . to go to church . . .
. . . to resist evil and when we mess up, repent and start over . . .
. . . to proclaim good news . . .
. . . to seek and serve Christ in all persons . . .
. . . to strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being.
Ordination vows are an extension of these - with an emphasis on being a wholesome example and proclaiming the Good News.
This week, I'm going away to "clergy boot camp" to think and pray and work toward making sure my life is rooted in the keeping of these vows. For my good. For the good of my family and friends and church. For God's glory.
Faithfully,
Janet+
PS - Please pray for me!!!!!!!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Response #367563
Dear Friends in Christ -
In my sermon last Sunday, I mentioned that I had sent an email message to the folks at BP. As you may recall, the reason I did it was that I had been in a number of conversations (some of them pretty nasty) about the oil spill caused by BP. I realized that while I don't in any way want to let them off the hook, I do want to encourage them in getting the leak stopped and the mess cleaned up. The best thing I could think to do was to pray for them AND to let them know that I was doing so. So I sent BP an email message.
And I got a response back - a personalized response, response #367563. It thanked me for my support and said, among other things, "we are taking full responsibility for the spill and we will clean it up."
For me, the power in this connection is that I feel like this massive oil company and I have touched down in at least one tiny place of human understanding and agreement. And that's a very good thing. Because going forward, in order to deal with this mess, we're all need each other.
Faithfully,
Janet+
In my sermon last Sunday, I mentioned that I had sent an email message to the folks at BP. As you may recall, the reason I did it was that I had been in a number of conversations (some of them pretty nasty) about the oil spill caused by BP. I realized that while I don't in any way want to let them off the hook, I do want to encourage them in getting the leak stopped and the mess cleaned up. The best thing I could think to do was to pray for them AND to let them know that I was doing so. So I sent BP an email message.
And I got a response back - a personalized response, response #367563. It thanked me for my support and said, among other things, "we are taking full responsibility for the spill and we will clean it up."
For me, the power in this connection is that I feel like this massive oil company and I have touched down in at least one tiny place of human understanding and agreement. And that's a very good thing. Because going forward, in order to deal with this mess, we're all need each other.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Thursday, June 10, 2010
A Letter from the Bishops
Dear Friends in Christ -
Bishops Douglas, Curry and Ahrens wrote us a letter. You can view a copy on the second page of the Good News diocesan newspaper available at http://www.ctdiocese.org/Content/Good_News_Diocesan_Newspaper.asp
For me, a few things really stuck out:
1. The letter was a written by Bishop Douglas on behalf off all the Connecticut bishops. It's clear that Bishop Douglas means it when he says that he views the Episcopate in Connecticut as a shared ministry, not him at the top and the other bishops as side-kicks.
2. Bishop Douglas doesn't intent to start by changing a lot of things. Instead, everyone in the diocese - staff, parishes, clergy, etc. - are being invited into a process of discernment. The outcome of that process will then dictate the changes that are made.
3. The bishops are open to talking about issues that have been contentious in the past. The letter raises the question of whether we should continue with Confirmations at the Deanery level or whether we should have confirmations more locally, when the Bishop makes his/her visitation. It sounds like a simple question, but there are lots of considerations. The Bishops are signalling, though, that they value our input on the matter.
4. Last but certainly not least, Bishop Douglas outlined how he plans to stay healthy in the midst of the large and challenging ministry to which he's been called. He told us what his schedule will generally look like and what he does in his time off to rest and rejuvenate. His words have caused me to continue to reflect on my own pattern of life.
If any of these topics spark your interest, please do read the letter from the Bishops. And don't hesitate to share your thoughts with me . . . revjanet@stpaulsct. org.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Bishops Douglas, Curry and Ahrens wrote us a letter. You can view a copy on the second page of the Good News diocesan newspaper available at http://www.ctdiocese.org/Content/Good_News_Diocesan_Newspaper.asp
For me, a few things really stuck out:
1. The letter was a written by Bishop Douglas on behalf off all the Connecticut bishops. It's clear that Bishop Douglas means it when he says that he views the Episcopate in Connecticut as a shared ministry, not him at the top and the other bishops as side-kicks.
2. Bishop Douglas doesn't intent to start by changing a lot of things. Instead, everyone in the diocese - staff, parishes, clergy, etc. - are being invited into a process of discernment. The outcome of that process will then dictate the changes that are made.
3. The bishops are open to talking about issues that have been contentious in the past. The letter raises the question of whether we should continue with Confirmations at the Deanery level or whether we should have confirmations more locally, when the Bishop makes his/her visitation. It sounds like a simple question, but there are lots of considerations. The Bishops are signalling, though, that they value our input on the matter.
4. Last but certainly not least, Bishop Douglas outlined how he plans to stay healthy in the midst of the large and challenging ministry to which he's been called. He told us what his schedule will generally look like and what he does in his time off to rest and rejuvenate. His words have caused me to continue to reflect on my own pattern of life.
If any of these topics spark your interest, please do read the letter from the Bishops. And don't hesitate to share your thoughts with me . . . revjanet@stpaulsct. org.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Risky business and the best insurance policy
Dear Friends in Christ -
The front page of today's Connecticut Post bore sobering news. In Connecticut, teens do more drinking and drugs than, on average, kids in other places in the country. They also attempt suicide more often. That news is sobering, but not altogether surprising. We know all too well that life is stressful here. Unfortunately our teens are not immune from those stresses.
But there's good news, too. Kids with loving, supportive families are 30 percent less likely to drink, binge drink, have sex or be depressed. Wow! That's an insurance policy that money can't buy!
Summer is often the time when families take a step back and relax. It's also a time when we hit the reset button and make plans for the next year. As you spend some time reflecting on the past school year and planning for the next, consider how you can get more time together as a family. Perhaps limiting kids to one sport at a time. Perhaps increasing the number of meals you have together each week as a family. Invite your kids to do things with you (even 'boring' things like going to the grocery store) and let them know that you are committed to spending time with them.
Now is the time. These are the days. And the investment you make in "family time" will pay dividends for years to come.
Faithfully going off to spend time with my kids!
Janet+
The front page of today's Connecticut Post bore sobering news. In Connecticut, teens do more drinking and drugs than, on average, kids in other places in the country. They also attempt suicide more often. That news is sobering, but not altogether surprising. We know all too well that life is stressful here. Unfortunately our teens are not immune from those stresses.
But there's good news, too. Kids with loving, supportive families are 30 percent less likely to drink, binge drink, have sex or be depressed. Wow! That's an insurance policy that money can't buy!
Summer is often the time when families take a step back and relax. It's also a time when we hit the reset button and make plans for the next year. As you spend some time reflecting on the past school year and planning for the next, consider how you can get more time together as a family. Perhaps limiting kids to one sport at a time. Perhaps increasing the number of meals you have together each week as a family. Invite your kids to do things with you (even 'boring' things like going to the grocery store) and let them know that you are committed to spending time with them.
Now is the time. These are the days. And the investment you make in "family time" will pay dividends for years to come.
Faithfully going off to spend time with my kids!
Janet+
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Imagination
Dear Friends in Christ -
One of the joys of my work is that I regularly have the opportunity to be creative . . . writing, trying new things, finding ways to fan the spark of an old tradition into flame in our midst today.
Ironically, I'm finding it a challenge to put together something fresh and new for the blog today. Perhaps it's because this week I'm using my creative energy to write seven sermons (in addition to the regular 2 for St. Paul's, I'm giving 5 this week at the Yale Summer Course that Ed and I are teaching) and a couple of things for parish publications.
Part of the joy in all the writing I'm doing is that I'm not penning down ideas in a vacuum. I'm reading what others have written and am hearing others' thoughts in discussion. Engaging with others about beautiful and true and good things is so encouraging and up lifting! It's also, according to renown Episcopal preacher Barbara Brown Taylor, the central task of the church. Who else is going to dare to pray and hope and work for renewal in and through all things? Businesses are committed to doing what's profitable. The academy is committed to upholding tradition and expanding knowledge. The political system is committed to governance (and getting re-elected!). Only the Church is committed to transformation (of ourselves of the world, in spite of the difficulties of change) for the sake of justice and joy for all.
This day and always, may God fire our imaginations and empower us to bring His Kingdom here. Now.
Faithfully,
Janet+
One of the joys of my work is that I regularly have the opportunity to be creative . . . writing, trying new things, finding ways to fan the spark of an old tradition into flame in our midst today.
Ironically, I'm finding it a challenge to put together something fresh and new for the blog today. Perhaps it's because this week I'm using my creative energy to write seven sermons (in addition to the regular 2 for St. Paul's, I'm giving 5 this week at the Yale Summer Course that Ed and I are teaching) and a couple of things for parish publications.
Part of the joy in all the writing I'm doing is that I'm not penning down ideas in a vacuum. I'm reading what others have written and am hearing others' thoughts in discussion. Engaging with others about beautiful and true and good things is so encouraging and up lifting! It's also, according to renown Episcopal preacher Barbara Brown Taylor, the central task of the church. Who else is going to dare to pray and hope and work for renewal in and through all things? Businesses are committed to doing what's profitable. The academy is committed to upholding tradition and expanding knowledge. The political system is committed to governance (and getting re-elected!). Only the Church is committed to transformation (of ourselves of the world, in spite of the difficulties of change) for the sake of justice and joy for all.
This day and always, may God fire our imaginations and empower us to bring His Kingdom here. Now.
Faithfully,
Janet+
Monday, June 7, 2010
Family
Dear Friends in Christ -
It happened again today. Someone referred to St. Paul's as a family. There's a part of me that rejoices over that description of the congregation, and there's always a part of me that's hesitant to embrace that description.
I grew up with the campy '70s song "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God." After the first verse, the song goes on to say, "You will notice we say 'Brother' and 'Sister' 'round here, because we're a family and folks are so dear." In my experience with the church, though, it's not all so warm and fuzzy and glow-y as that. Some of us (including my own impatient, occasionally surly, nit-picky self) aren't very "dear" sometimes. And though we strive to be caring and to treat everyone well, we sometimes don't.
Though we know that our biological families are imperfect, we hope that our church family will fill some of the holes and needs that our "natural" family has long failed to address. Sometimes our church family manages to do a great job of this. Sometimes we fail miserably. Mostly, we muddle along doing our best, which is usually good enough to really sustain and encourage most folks and to dash the hopes of a few others.
Today I found myself saying, "Yes, we St. Paul's is a family - and a good one." We're not perfect, I thought, but I don't need to add the qualifier. This is a REALLY wonderful community of faith. We strive to accept each other as we are. We offer what we have. We fail miserably sometimes, but God' grace helps us tell the truth and apologize and try, try again.
In these Spring days between Mother's Day and Father's Day, I'm painfully aware of how far I live from my biological family. And I'm sooooo thankful to belong to a church where I am accepted for who I am and offered opportunities to extend love to others. That's family. And that's good. Not perfect. But VERY good.
Faithfully one of the family,
Janet+
It happened again today. Someone referred to St. Paul's as a family. There's a part of me that rejoices over that description of the congregation, and there's always a part of me that's hesitant to embrace that description.
I grew up with the campy '70s song "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God." After the first verse, the song goes on to say, "You will notice we say 'Brother' and 'Sister' 'round here, because we're a family and folks are so dear." In my experience with the church, though, it's not all so warm and fuzzy and glow-y as that. Some of us (including my own impatient, occasionally surly, nit-picky self) aren't very "dear" sometimes. And though we strive to be caring and to treat everyone well, we sometimes don't.
Though we know that our biological families are imperfect, we hope that our church family will fill some of the holes and needs that our "natural" family has long failed to address. Sometimes our church family manages to do a great job of this. Sometimes we fail miserably. Mostly, we muddle along doing our best, which is usually good enough to really sustain and encourage most folks and to dash the hopes of a few others.
Today I found myself saying, "Yes, we St. Paul's is a family - and a good one." We're not perfect, I thought, but I don't need to add the qualifier. This is a REALLY wonderful community of faith. We strive to accept each other as we are. We offer what we have. We fail miserably sometimes, but God' grace helps us tell the truth and apologize and try, try again.
In these Spring days between Mother's Day and Father's Day, I'm painfully aware of how far I live from my biological family. And I'm sooooo thankful to belong to a church where I am accepted for who I am and offered opportunities to extend love to others. That's family. And that's good. Not perfect. But VERY good.
Faithfully one of the family,
Janet+
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Singing for Joy
Dear Friends in Christ -
The Spirit of God was so present with us this morning in our worship - as we sang, as we heard God's Word, as we heard a brief report from two of our members who just returned from working in Haiti, as we celebrated the ministry of our Sunday School teachers and the leaders in our youth groups. At the close of the service, we sang "Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord; open the eyes of our hearts. I want to see you; I want to see you." And indeed we did!
For me, the seeing of our Lord didn't stop there. I made the rounds and attended several parish related-events, culminating in a Mass Choir concert put on by the American Guild of Organists at Sacred Heart University's new chapel. It was powerful to hear members of 13 choirs from around the Bridgeport area join together in song. Heaven on earth for music lovers!
The amazing thing was that the choirs had less than two hours of rehearsal time together. It was clear that they made music so well together not because they all trained in the same style, not because any one or small group of them were such amazing singers on their own, but because they opened their hearts to listen to one another and opened their lips to offer their own unique contribution to the mix.
I sat there thinking, "Wow! If only all the groups I participate in throughout the community operated this way - with open hearts to listen and open lips to offer whatever good is inside . . ." Often, when I'm in situations where there is contention or division, someone says, "This wouldn't have gotten so out of hand if only someone would have listened." And, often, someone says, "I wish people would stop spouting opinions and simply offer to help."
Today I end the day praying that all of us will be led by the example of these choirs which made such beautiful music together . . . to open our hearts to listen and open our lips in beauty, encouragement, truth and peace. In this way, in whatever we do, we sing for joy.
Blessings,
Janet+
The Spirit of God was so present with us this morning in our worship - as we sang, as we heard God's Word, as we heard a brief report from two of our members who just returned from working in Haiti, as we celebrated the ministry of our Sunday School teachers and the leaders in our youth groups. At the close of the service, we sang "Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord; open the eyes of our hearts. I want to see you; I want to see you." And indeed we did!
For me, the seeing of our Lord didn't stop there. I made the rounds and attended several parish related-events, culminating in a Mass Choir concert put on by the American Guild of Organists at Sacred Heart University's new chapel. It was powerful to hear members of 13 choirs from around the Bridgeport area join together in song. Heaven on earth for music lovers!
The amazing thing was that the choirs had less than two hours of rehearsal time together. It was clear that they made music so well together not because they all trained in the same style, not because any one or small group of them were such amazing singers on their own, but because they opened their hearts to listen to one another and opened their lips to offer their own unique contribution to the mix.
I sat there thinking, "Wow! If only all the groups I participate in throughout the community operated this way - with open hearts to listen and open lips to offer whatever good is inside . . ." Often, when I'm in situations where there is contention or division, someone says, "This wouldn't have gotten so out of hand if only someone would have listened." And, often, someone says, "I wish people would stop spouting opinions and simply offer to help."
Today I end the day praying that all of us will be led by the example of these choirs which made such beautiful music together . . . to open our hearts to listen and open our lips in beauty, encouragement, truth and peace. In this way, in whatever we do, we sing for joy.
Blessings,
Janet+
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Parish ministry
Dear Friends in Christ -
One of my clergy colleagues here in Connecticut, the Rev. Julia Gatta, just published a book entitled "The Nearness of God: Parish Ministry as Spiritual Practice." She wrote the book for fellow clergy, but in reading a review about the book, I realized again that it's not just me who "ministers" here. It's all of us. We do this ministry together.
Because we share in the ministry at St. Paul's and in the ministry that flows out beyond our doors, I thought you might share my appreciate for a things Gatta has to day. Her words ring true with our experience, I think:
++ "The goal of parish ministry is directing people toward God . . . to further the lifelong process of conversion." -- Gatta
Gatta's words remind me to do two things: 1. take the long view, and 2. remember that, in everything we do, our goal is always to get people face to face, toe to toe with God
++ Parish ministry takes time . . . "we never really come to the end of it."
These words bring a wry smile to my lips . . . Gatta's right. There's always more to do: more people to see, more prayers to say. The empty in-box I covet would actually be a sign that it's time to close the doors. So I'm rejoicing in full inboxes and parking problems.
++ I'm also rejoicing in the Spirit present week by week as we worship together. It's just what Gatta describes: "a sense of quiet anticipation, a notable stillness and attentiveness." I LOVE the process of preparing to be with you and receiving what God has for us as week by week. I'm always sad for those who aren't there, because they're missing out!
Parish ministry - reaching out together as the people of God - is what we do. And in our faithfulness, God comes near to us again and again and again.
Faithfully together with you in God,
Janet+
One of my clergy colleagues here in Connecticut, the Rev. Julia Gatta, just published a book entitled "The Nearness of God: Parish Ministry as Spiritual Practice." She wrote the book for fellow clergy, but in reading a review about the book, I realized again that it's not just me who "ministers" here. It's all of us. We do this ministry together.
Because we share in the ministry at St. Paul's and in the ministry that flows out beyond our doors, I thought you might share my appreciate for a things Gatta has to day. Her words ring true with our experience, I think:
++ "The goal of parish ministry is directing people toward God . . . to further the lifelong process of conversion." -- Gatta
Gatta's words remind me to do two things: 1. take the long view, and 2. remember that, in everything we do, our goal is always to get people face to face, toe to toe with God
++ Parish ministry takes time . . . "we never really come to the end of it."
These words bring a wry smile to my lips . . . Gatta's right. There's always more to do: more people to see, more prayers to say. The empty in-box I covet would actually be a sign that it's time to close the doors. So I'm rejoicing in full inboxes and parking problems.
++ I'm also rejoicing in the Spirit present week by week as we worship together. It's just what Gatta describes: "a sense of quiet anticipation, a notable stillness and attentiveness." I LOVE the process of preparing to be with you and receiving what God has for us as week by week. I'm always sad for those who aren't there, because they're missing out!
Parish ministry - reaching out together as the people of God - is what we do. And in our faithfulness, God comes near to us again and again and again.
Faithfully together with you in God,
Janet+
Friday, June 4, 2010
Are you writing in the margins?
Dear Friends in Christ -
A friend-of-a-friend-of-mine just got back from a "wellness workshop." The leader of the group talked about the idea of "margin" in our lives. The leader defined margins as "the space between our load and our limits." Overload is where we find ourselves when we don't have enough margin.
How do you know if you're on overload? Well, if you feel fatigued, hurried, anxious, suffocated, forgetful, and/or frazzled, you're probably running on overload.
There is an alternative to overload, and it feels like this: secure, calm, energetic, curious, engaged, full of breath. This way of living has margins . . . enough space for the unexpected and a little room to spare.
Most of us live on overload. Our culture values "pushing the limits," "taking it to the max." When we greet one another, we talk about how busy we are. I'm starting to wonder: is that a good thing?
With a more than full-time job, a husband and kids, creative passions and other commitments, I'm sure I'll always be busy. But now I'm going for something deeper, something more satisfying for me and for those around me. I'm going for happy. And I'm pretty sure that that's going to require less writing in the margins.
Next time we greet one another, how 'bout exchanging stories of when we last had a little white space?
Faithfully,
Janet+
A friend-of-a-friend-of-mine just got back from a "wellness workshop." The leader of the group talked about the idea of "margin" in our lives. The leader defined margins as "the space between our load and our limits." Overload is where we find ourselves when we don't have enough margin.
How do you know if you're on overload? Well, if you feel fatigued, hurried, anxious, suffocated, forgetful, and/or frazzled, you're probably running on overload.
There is an alternative to overload, and it feels like this: secure, calm, energetic, curious, engaged, full of breath. This way of living has margins . . . enough space for the unexpected and a little room to spare.
Most of us live on overload. Our culture values "pushing the limits," "taking it to the max." When we greet one another, we talk about how busy we are. I'm starting to wonder: is that a good thing?
With a more than full-time job, a husband and kids, creative passions and other commitments, I'm sure I'll always be busy. But now I'm going for something deeper, something more satisfying for me and for those around me. I'm going for happy. And I'm pretty sure that that's going to require less writing in the margins.
Next time we greet one another, how 'bout exchanging stories of when we last had a little white space?
Faithfully,
Janet+
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Things learned while walking . . .
1. My gait has its own rhythm and pattern, and I can tell pretty quickly if I'm in the grove. (And if I'm not, there's a particular spot on the right side of my right knee that lets me know!)
2. I enjoy walking with other people, but I walk more slowly when I "multi-task" by walking and talking at the same time.
3. Getting this "walk around Shelton" accomplished is important to me, but it's not more important than stopping to greet the gardeners working near the Scinto office towers or helping people who stop me to ask for directions.
4. We live in a place with lots of "texture;" there are no perfectly flat places or perfectly straight lines in this whole town!
5. (And perhaps most important!) I'm making decisions differently than I used to. I used to be more guarded about things. I used to avoid pushing my boat into unknown waters. When I felt called to this walking adventure, I told everyone about it before I knew whether I could walk all 31 miles (and I'm still not totally sure!). Certainty is worth a lot, but the grace of togetherness is priceless!
Faithfully yours . . . step by step . . .
Janet+
2. I enjoy walking with other people, but I walk more slowly when I "multi-task" by walking and talking at the same time.
3. Getting this "walk around Shelton" accomplished is important to me, but it's not more important than stopping to greet the gardeners working near the Scinto office towers or helping people who stop me to ask for directions.
4. We live in a place with lots of "texture;" there are no perfectly flat places or perfectly straight lines in this whole town!
5. (And perhaps most important!) I'm making decisions differently than I used to. I used to be more guarded about things. I used to avoid pushing my boat into unknown waters. When I felt called to this walking adventure, I told everyone about it before I knew whether I could walk all 31 miles (and I'm still not totally sure!). Certainty is worth a lot, but the grace of togetherness is priceless!
Faithfully yours . . . step by step . . .
Janet+
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Walking along
Dear Friends in Christ -
Some of you have been asking me how the walking is going . . . thank you!
The short answer is that I walked ** 10 MILES ** on Monday the 24th, and I felt darn proud of myself! I've never walked that far in my life!
I was sort of surprised that I could do it. But then, on the other hand, I guess I wasn't THAT surprised. I've been working up to it. I hesitate to use the word "training" because that implies a more regimentation than I can take credit for. But then again, when I started this process a month ago, I hadn't walked more than two miles in years, so my gradual increase in distance week by week has brought me to this point.
It's amazing what a little (even imperfect!) faithfulness can do!
Faithfully,
Janet+
Some of you have been asking me how the walking is going . . . thank you!
The short answer is that I walked ** 10 MILES ** on Monday the 24th, and I felt darn proud of myself! I've never walked that far in my life!
I was sort of surprised that I could do it. But then, on the other hand, I guess I wasn't THAT surprised. I've been working up to it. I hesitate to use the word "training" because that implies a more regimentation than I can take credit for. But then again, when I started this process a month ago, I hadn't walked more than two miles in years, so my gradual increase in distance week by week has brought me to this point.
It's amazing what a little (even imperfect!) faithfulness can do!
Faithfully,
Janet+
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Dalai Lama and the Season of Pentecost
Dear Friends in Christ -
A few months back, my husband invited me to go with him to a series of lectures by the Dalai Lama. Though I studied Buddhism in my World Religions course in college and have known a few Buddhists over the years, Buddhism is clearly outside the realm of my expertise. But I was intrigued. And I definitely was interested in getting some time with my husband, so I signed on.
Ed and I spent May 20-23 trekking each day to Radio City Music Hall to listen . . . and to learn. I was greatly comforted to hear the Dalai Lama start out the first lecture by saying that it wasn't his intent to convince any of the thousands of people present - mostly Christians and secular humanists - to become Buddhist. He said that what he most wanted us to know was how much he respected each of us as human beings and how much he wanted to encourage us to do the practices (meditation, study, etc.) that would take us farther along our paths of faith.
By the end of the second day, I felt so convinced by the Dalai Lama that the practice of study would take me deeper in my faith and closer to God that I couldn't wait to get home to reach for my Bible. I read passages from the Bible on my iphone on the train on the way home.
We Christians are now living in the days following Pentecost; it's "ordinary time." "Green season" we call it, though it's really not a season like Advent or Epiphany or Easter. This is a time for getting back to the basics.
Sometimes I feel like God's voice to us (to me!) is a broken record: pray, read your Bible, give, keep the commandments. Why is the message the same old thing? Well, I guess when I/we are actually doing all this then we stand a good chance of getting a new message. Until then, we should expect that God to be consistent and persistent - because He loves us, and because this IS the Way.
Faithfully,
Janet+
A few months back, my husband invited me to go with him to a series of lectures by the Dalai Lama. Though I studied Buddhism in my World Religions course in college and have known a few Buddhists over the years, Buddhism is clearly outside the realm of my expertise. But I was intrigued. And I definitely was interested in getting some time with my husband, so I signed on.
Ed and I spent May 20-23 trekking each day to Radio City Music Hall to listen . . . and to learn. I was greatly comforted to hear the Dalai Lama start out the first lecture by saying that it wasn't his intent to convince any of the thousands of people present - mostly Christians and secular humanists - to become Buddhist. He said that what he most wanted us to know was how much he respected each of us as human beings and how much he wanted to encourage us to do the practices (meditation, study, etc.) that would take us farther along our paths of faith.
By the end of the second day, I felt so convinced by the Dalai Lama that the practice of study would take me deeper in my faith and closer to God that I couldn't wait to get home to reach for my Bible. I read passages from the Bible on my iphone on the train on the way home.
We Christians are now living in the days following Pentecost; it's "ordinary time." "Green season" we call it, though it's really not a season like Advent or Epiphany or Easter. This is a time for getting back to the basics.
Sometimes I feel like God's voice to us (to me!) is a broken record: pray, read your Bible, give, keep the commandments. Why is the message the same old thing? Well, I guess when I/we are actually doing all this then we stand a good chance of getting a new message. Until then, we should expect that God to be consistent and persistent - because He loves us, and because this IS the Way.
Faithfully,
Janet+
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