Author: Daniel Rondeau

I am a husband and father and an Episcopal Priest (now retired) in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.

Game-show God — A Nuns Life

“This is not what we were praying for, but this is what God sent.” After last night’s [5/23/12] In Good Faith podcast with Jane Knuth, I couldn’t get these words out of my head. … Late into the night I thought about this story and about the various reactions I’ve had when God’s response to me was unfathomable at the time. Sometimes I felt disappointed, confused, frustrated. Other times I had a good laugh, a new way to look at a situation, a deep sense of trust.

Sometime after midnight, I started to imagine God as the host of a TV game show called Jeopardy. On the show, the contestants get an answer first, and then they have to come up with the right question.  It made me smile to think that maybe God is always giving me answers, and that maybe my prayers are actually questions.

What are some of the reactions you’ve had to God’s response to your prayers? What image of God and prayer does it bring to mind for you?

Read the entire post (I recommend it) here: Game-show God — A Nuns Life by Sr. Maxine

With Sister Maine I ask you “What are some of the reactions you’ve had to God’s response to your prayers?” I have experienced disappointment, confusion, and frustration—as she has. I would add disorientation, bitterness, and despair.

Fortunately God’s “angel” (messenger) has often been timely in arriving and helping me back to trust (in God’s love, and in God’s joy), back to hope (that with God all things are possible and all things will work toward the good), and back to that Peace that passes all understanding. Waiting for the angel, doing the work, takes patience. I know.

Please leave a comment, help me to hear your story, let us together fashion our story.

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When there is no water from the faucet, because there is no faucet

Moving from study to action is one of the goals for those who participate in the Sunday Morning Forum, here, or in the classroom, or both. It works the other way, too: action needs to be informed by study. What are the needs of the world around us? What is being done? Listen…are we being called to minister here? Listen…are we being called to support the efforts of others? Listen…what is the Spirit saying?

In my listening i hear again and again the whisper of the Spirit to help others bring clean water to those who must work hard and risk much, every day, to provide water for their families. During Advent and Christmas the ministry of World Vision and charity: water were highlighted in the Advent & Christmas Calendar. As we prepare for Pentecost I put them in front of you again. These two videos are worth seeing time and again to help us remember that the need is still great and that others have already begun to address the need.

They help me to Listen so that I may hear what the Spirit is saying. They make me wonder what the need is in my own part of the world. I pray that they may serve the same purpose in you.

To “see” what the previous video illustrated graphically, I encourage you to watch “Walking in Sabina’s Shoes” from World Vision:

You decide

“Recommend books, poetry, music, movies, videos, and so on,” we tell each other on Sunday. Just last Sunday (5/20/12) Stan recommended The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. (It is available at the Rancho Mirage Public Library.) Here are 2 Book Reviews to help you decide to pick it up and read.

A book review from Spirituality & Pracitce

Marcus Borg (Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time) and John Dominic Crossan (Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography) set out to explore the last week in Jesus’ life against the backdrop of Roman imperial control. Their purpose is not to attempt a historical reconstruction of what has become known as the “Passion” or suffering of Jesus, but to probe the things Jesus was passionate about. The text they use is the Gospel of Mark, the earliest to be written, the most succinct, and the one with the most time markers for the week’s events. Read more.

A book review from Journey with Jesus

In this simple exposition written for a general audience, two leading New Testament scholars use the Gospel of Mark to explain what happened to Jesus during his final week. They use Mark because most scholars consider it the earliest of the four Gospels, the primary source for Matthew and Luke, and because when you read carefully you see that Mark details the last eight days of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Read more.

Keep the conversation going: what is your experience with this book?

Ever heard of the Five Marks of Mission? Well …

On Sunday, believing ourselves “sent into the world” by Jesus in his prayer—John 17:18—we looked at the “Five Marks of Mission” set before Episcopalians (and all Anglicans worldwide) in 1984 and again in 1990.

“The Mission of the Church is the mission of Christ.”

  • To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
  • To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
  • To respond to human need by loving service
  • To seek to transform unjust structures of society
  • To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

See: http://bit.ly/KCHAf6 (Anglican Communion)
(Bonds of Affection-1984 ACC-6 p 49,
Mission in a Broken World-1990 ACC-8 p 101)

Around the table each of us found one of the marks “hitting the mark” in our heart. For me it was the last mark “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Men and women of faith have reached differing conclusions about “how” this ought to be undertaken, or if it should be undertaken at all.

For another the fourth mark “To seek to transform unjust structures of society” raised the question of discerning a God-given mission amidst the current political environment in America where men and women of faith who have reached different conclusions about what is an “unjust structure” of society tend to vilify and even demonize each other publicly.

It was a lively discussion. It raised more questions than it answered. It led us to pray for each other.

  • Which of the “marks” speaks most vividly to you?
  • What questions are raised in your heart as you begin to expand the summary statement of that mark?
  • How do you see these marks flowing from your Baptismal Covenant (with God and other Episcopalians)?
  • Or, do you see these marks flowing from the Baptismal Covenant at all?
  • How do you discern God’s call to you? Who or what are your guides in discernment?

Please offer a question or comment, let’s continue the conversation.

What about Bible reading and “Newspaper” reading?

On Sunday (5/20/12) our discussion wandered into the area of reading the Bible and reading the newspaper (well, to be 21st century, reading or watching the news on the internet). I recalled, and others nodded their heads, that Karl Barth, a great theologian and teacher, commented on that dynamic.

Here is what Barth is reported to have said:

“[Barth] recalls that 40 years ago he advised young theologians ‘to take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.’” Time, May 31, 1963

The Time article goes on to give us more of Barth’s thoughts on journalists and their place in the world: “Newspapers, he says, are so important that ‘I always pray for the sick, the poor, journalists, authorities of the state and the church – in that order. Journalists form public opinion. They hold terribly important positions. Nevertheless, a theologian should never be formed by the world around him – either East or West. He should make his vocation to show both East and West that they can live without a clash. Where the peace of God is proclaimed, there is peace on earth is implicit. Have we forgotten the Christmas message?’” —Center for Barth Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary Accessed 3 May 2011

In invite you to share as we continue this conversation:

  • Do you  “read both” (Bible and “newspaper”)?
  • In what ways do you “interpret” the news “from your Bible”?
  • How would you rephrase Barth’s advice for the 21st century?

…so I have sent YOU into the world

On Sunday, May 20th, we heard, “[Father] as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” The speaker in each instance, of course, is Jesus. He is speaking to those who gather around him—in every age—to hear what he is saying. He is speaking to us. Today, WE are the ones sent into the world.

We prayed for each other and for all who listen for the Spirit this past Sunday: “We pray for the gifts of ministry.” Today I offer another prayer: A Litany of Women for the Church by Sister Joan Chittister, a Benedictine Nun living in Pennsylvania.

How are you responding to the Spirit as you go into the world as one sent by Jesus? How do you choose your way forward as one who is sent? I invite you to continue the conversation in the Comments section that follows.

We pray for the gifts of ministry

On Sunday May 6th we heard “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” Last Sunday, May 13th, we heard “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last….” And today, May 20th, we hear, “[Father] as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” The speaker in each instance, of course, is Jesus. He is speaking to those who gather around him—in every age—to hear what he is saying. He is speaking to us.

As the Sunday Morning Forum gathers (9am PDT) at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, CA this Sunday morning we will wonder aloud with each other what this means in 21st century America, in our lives, and in our common life. We will also pray for each other. Having heard something about who and whose we are and knowing that we are sent into the world to “bear fruit that will last” we pray for each other:

O God, we pray for the gifts of ministry. Inspire our minds with a vision of your kingdom in this time and place. Hear us, O Christ.

Touch our eyes, that we may see your glory in all creation. Hear us, O Christ.

Touch our ears, that we may hear from every mouth the hunger for hope and stories of refreshment. Hear us, O Christ.

Touch our lips, that we may tell in every tongue and dialect the wonderful works of God. Hear us, O Christ.

Touch our hearts, that we may discern the mission to which you call us. Hear us, O Christ.

Touch our feet, that we may take your Good News into our neighborhoods, communities, and all parts of the world. Hear us, O Christ.

Touch our hands, that we may each accomplish the work you give us to do. Hear us, O Christ.

Strengthen and encourage all who minister in your name in lonely, dangerous and unresponsive places. Hear us, O Christ.

Open the hearts and hands of many to support your Church in this and every place. Hear us, O Christ.

O God, we praise you for the depth of your love for the world revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. We thank you for choosing and sending us to reveal by our word and example your steadfast love: making some apostles, some  prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers to equip your people for the building up of the Body of Christ. Bless us in our words and works that your Name may be glorified, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany: The Book of Occasional Services, 2003, excerpted, p. 246, Collect, p. 237 adapted

I welcome you to join us (who have more questions than answers and who have love to share). Consider becoming part of the Forum. Have questions but can’t attend? I encourage you to leave your questions here and I’ll answer as best I can. ~dan rondeau

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church …

The Martyrs of the Sudan

… so said Tertullian in the 3rd century CE. Martyrdom isn’t relegated to days long ago and places far away. As a community we remember those who, even now, witness to the faith with their very lives.

Quote . . .On May 16, 1983, a small number of Episcopal and Roman Catholic clerical and lay leaders declared they “would not abandon God as they knew him.” Possibly over two million persons, most of them Christians, were then killed in a two-decade civil war, until a Comprehensive Peace Treaty was signed in January 2005. During those years, four million southern Christians may have been internally displaced, and another million forced into exile in Africa and elsewhere. Yet despite the total destruction of churches, schools, and other institutions, Sudanese Christianity, which includes four million members of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan, has both solidified as a faith community, and gradually expanded at home and among refugees, providing steadfast hope in often-desperate setting.

—from the blog post on Holy Women, Holy Men

The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) is currently revising the “old” Lesser Feasts and Fasts calendar of the Episcopal Church. The commemoration of the Martyrs of the Sudan is “new.”  This work of revision (and more) of the SCLM will be discussed in the General Convention in Indianapolis, IN this summer.

The Collect for this Commemoration

O God, steadfast in the midst of persecution, by your providence the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: As the martyrs of the Sudan refused to abandon Christ even in the face of torture and death, and so by their sacrifice brought forth a plentiful harvest, may we, too, be steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Image: Holy Women, Holy Men

What have you learned by “seeing” the Gospel?

Several weeks ago Hovak talked about the Good Shepherd (Tiffany) Window that fascinated him growing up. Grace Episcopal Church in Port Orange, FL has maintained the window over the years. We are awaiting some pictures of the 2 Tiffany Windows in their original church. As if our conversation was overheard this article appeared recently in the Episcopal News Service:

[Diocese of Southern Ohio] Four rare Tiffany stained glass windows have a new home: the Cincinnati Art Museum will unveil them this month as part of a new and permanent exhibit.The windows, badly in need of repair and conservation, were removed in 2010 from the former St. Michaels & All Angels church in urban Cincinnati and sold to the art museum. Proceeds supported the founding of a community ministry that is now housed at the Avondale facility. Gabriel’s Place seeks to encourage community-based enterprise. The urban center operates a community garden and kitchen, as well as a hoop house that provides fish and fresh produce for local businesses and residents.

via New life, light for Tiffany windows.

Read the whole article to find “Poor Man’s Bible.” Again, to reinforce what we have said, and part of the reason for our posts in the Art & Music category we read:

“While colored glass dates to ancient times, stained glass as a form of art and storytelling became prominent in the Middle Ages. A largely illiterate population could learn about the stories of the Bible from the illustrations in the stained glass windows. Some have called these windows the “Poor Man’s Bible,” because they, along with carvings, paintings and mosaics, could translate the narratives of the Bible to a population that couldn’t read.”

Again, your are invited to read the whole article, including this instructional piece: New life, light for Tiffany windows.

Your comments are always welcome. Have you ever seen a Tiffany Window up-close? Do you have a sculpture, carving, painting, or mosaic that has sustained or inspired your faith? Please share.

Ready for a word order meditation?

The words are familiar: “The Lord is my shepherd ….” I have recited this Psalm many times with the dying, with the bereaved, with those struggling to find the strength to move on, or the strength to face a fear-filled future.

I have been with agitated men and women of a certain age, robbed of mental acuity by illness or injury, and watched calm wash over them and through them, watched peace come to them as I recited the words of Psalm 23.

But, change the word order and you will have the heart of our conversation in the Sunday Morning Forum as it gathers at 9:00 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012.

The Lord is my shepherd … . Ah, peace, strength, and …

IS the Lord my shepherd …? Ah. Wait. What? How dare you suggest …

In the readings appointed for Sunday we hear:

The Lord is my Shepherd … (Psalm 23:1)

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us … (1 John 3:16)

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep….” (John 10:11)

Look through the ups and downs of your life.

  • In what ways have these words of scripture been true for you?
  • When have these words been part of your prayers?
  • Are you ready to risk sharing a bit of your history with the group.
  • IS the Lord your shepherd?
  • What has this come to mean for you?
  • Have you always been secure in this knowledge?
  • Have you ever been secure in this knowledge?

Telling our stories of encounter with the Risen Lord, the Good Shepherd, is a fulfillment of our Baptismal Covenant to “proclaim by word … the Good News of God in Christ.”

I invite you to leave a comment, even a story, here. Let your words open the mystery and meaning of speaking this way about God and our relationship with God.