Episcopal – Page 7 – Hear what the Spirit is saying

Wind Chimes: 15 Nov 2012

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

When you are away from the chimes, do they still sing their song? Can you remember their sound?

Extending Veterans Day

A common thread in most Veterans Day celebrations: remember, thank, and care for Vets not only on one day a year, but every day of the year. On Tuesday (11/13/12) I shared a video by Bishop Jay Magness which highlighted both the literal and figurative homelessness of too many women veterans. Today I offer a link to resources and a story of hope. ~dan

A resource especially for women veterans

In November 1994, Public Law 103-446 established the Center for Women to monitor and coordinate VA’s administration of health care and benefits services and programs for women Veterans. The Center serves as an advocate for a cultural transformation (both within VA and in the general public) in recognizing the service and contributions of women Veterans and women in the military, and in raising awareness of the responsibility to treat women Veterans with dignity and respect. The Director, Center for Women Veterans, acts as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on all matters related to policies, legislation, programs, issues, and initiatives affecting women Veterans.

From About Us on the website Center for Women Veterans

Wind Chimes: 13 Nov 2012

“… I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you gave me clothing,
I was sick and you took care of me,
I was in prison and you visited me.”

Matthew 25:35-36 NRSV

Sometimes, it seems, only one note sounds in the chimes, like a bell. What do you hear?

“Unseen” — the women who serve and have served in the military

“This year I want to salute and honor the most often unseen members of our service and veteran community: the women who serve and who have served in uniform.” With these words Bishop Jay Magness (Bishop Suffragan for Federal Ministries ) begins his Veterans Day Reflection for 2012.

On Thursday I’ll have more to share. In his statement I was shocked to hear that over 5000 women Veterans sleep where they can each night for they are homeless. The words of our President are haunting: “…let us reaffirm our promise that when our troops finish their tours of duty, they come home to an America that gives them the benefits they have earned, the care they deserve, and the fullest opportunity to keep their families strong ….” (Veterans Day Proclamation 2012)

More to the point for us who follow the Way, long ago Jesus shared a story about seeing and meeting the needs of others as we live our lives. The story has this punchline: “… I tell you, just as you did it [feed, clothe, visit, offer care] to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:31-46) ~dan

Too many women who once wore our uniform now go to sleep in our streets

In a 2011 Press Release, Labor Secretary, Hilda L. Solis informs those who will listen: “Too many women who once wore our uniform now go to sleep in our streets,” she added. “It breaks my heart to see that because many of them are sick [and] in need of help, and many are hungry. And it isn’t just them — some of them have children.” The Press Release announced a “Trauma Guide” to assist others in helping women veterans.

Also in the Press Release:

The female veteran population is estimated to grow from 1.8 million in 2010 to 2.1 million by 2036, according to Labor Department statistics, resulting in a greater likelihood that more women veterans will need physical and psychological services.
Today, service providers often treat women veterans using the same methods used for their male counterparts.
“This guide acknowledges the experiences and challenges facing women veterans,” Solis said, “and will result in better assistance and better outcomes for these deserving women.”

Online: Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers (shortened to “Trauma Guide” by helpers). Executive Summary of the Trauma Guide (a PDF file)

Church leaders say returning Vets need time, attention

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 CEB

May we be inspired to action by the clarion call of the chimes. ~dan

Photo: Department of Veterans Affairs ~dan

Wind Chimes: 12 Nov 2012

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

It is a compassionate wind stirring the chimes today. What do you hear?

Extending Veterans Day

Yesterday I shared a prayer with you. I used the prayer in worship at St. Hugh’s Episcopal Church in Idyllwild, CA. In the Presidential Proclamation for Veterans Day, 2012, we were exhorted to a daily work of remembrance and gratitude. Today I share a note from “Church Leaders” about the needs of returning Veterans. The note is a plea and an invitation for people of faith to reach out with compassion to our returning Veterans. During the rest of the week I will find and share other voices: some highlighting the needs of our returning Vets, some asking for you and me to be involved, some reporting what is being done to care for Vets returning to civilian life, and some speaking to the needs of active duty personnel. A common thread in most Veterans Day celebrations: remember, thank, and care for Vets not only on one day a year, but every day of the year. ~dan

An every day commitment

On days like this, we are called to reflect on immeasurable burdens that have been borne by so few. We pay tribute to our wounded, our missing, our fallen, and their families—men and women who have known the true costs of conflict and deserve our deepest respect, now and forever. We also remember that our commitments to those who have served are commitments we must honor not only on Veterans Day, but every day. As we do so, let us reaffirm our promise that when our troops finish their tours of duty, they come home to an America that gives them the benefits they have earned, the care they deserve, and the fullest opportunity to keep their families strong and our country moving forward.

From the Presidential Proclamation to observe Veterans Day in 2012

Church leaders say returning Vets need time, attention

Statistics are few, but Scott McChrystal, a retired Army chaplain and the military/VA representative for the Assemblies of God, doubts that more than 5 percent of churches have an ongoing ministry for returning vets. He says churches can start small, with a coffee hour or other monthly gathering for veterans.

“The churches can make a huge contribution and most of what needs to be done, in my opinion, can be done by reasonably educated informed lay people, not experts,” said McChrystal, whose brother Stanley was the head of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.

Read the entire article on Religion News Service (by Adelle M. Banks and dated 11/8/12)

Photo: U.S. Army photostream on Flickr ~dan

Wind Chimes: 11 Nov 2012

It is right, and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth …

Prayer beginning our Great Thanksgiving

Many of us will gather to offer “thanks and praise” to God today. All of us, as we are reminded in this video, are invited to welcome the gift of a new day with gratitude, with thanks and praise. We are further invited to share the gift as a blessing. As we give thanks today, let us especially take every opportunity to thank our Veterans for their service to us and to our country. Furthermore, let us put our words into actions throughout the year as we make sure our Veterans, our wounded Veterans in particular, are cared for by a grateful nation.

The chimes sound blessings today? What do you hear? How will you respond? ~dan

A prayer for Veterans

God of compassion,
God of dignity and strength,
Watch over the veterans of the United States
In recognition of their loyal service to our nation.
Bless them with wholeness and love.
Shelter them.
Heal their wounds,
Comfort their hearts.
Grant them peace.

God of justice and truth,
Rock of our lives,
Bless our veterans,
These men and women of courage and valor,
With a deep and abiding understanding
Of our profound gratitude.
Protect them and their families from loneliness and want.
Grant them lives of joy and bounty.
May their dedication and honor
Be remembered as a blessing
From generation to generation.

Blessed are You,
Protector and Redeemer,
Our Shield and our Stronghold.

Video: TED on WordPress

Wind Chimes: 10 Nov 2012

renew in us … the gift of joy and wonder in all your works

Adapted from the Prayer for the Newly Baptized

Slow down today. Make time to pause and look (chimes can be beautiful as they move) and listen. What do you see? What do you hear? How will you respond?

A prayer

God, great and wonderful,
who hast created the heavens,
dwelling in the light and beauty thereof,
who hast made the earth,
revealing thyself in every flower that opens;
let not mine eyes be blind to thee,
neither let mine heart be dead,
but teach me to praise thee,
even as the lark which offereth her song at daybreak.

Isidore of Seville (560-636)
in Christopher Herbert, Pocket Prayers: The Classic Collection (Kindle Edition)

Video: RANphotovideo on YouTube

Wind Chimes: 9 Nov 2012

renew in us an inquiring and discerning heart
and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works

Adapted from the Prayer for the Newly Baptized

The “nano world” is filled with visual delights; might the chimes make “nano sounds”? Is it possible for us to be attuned to such sounds? What do you hear?

The beautiful nano details of our world

“Nano: denoting a factor of 10 [to the minus 9th power or 0.000000001] (used commonly in units of measurement): nanosecond; denoting a very small item: nanoplankton.” from the New Oxford American Dictionary.

Yesterday a friend sent me this TED Talk. I invite you to excite your sense of “joy and wonder” in all of God’s works as you nourish an “inquiring and discerning heart.” ~dan

The beautiful nano details of our world a TED Talk by Gary Greenberg:

More about: Gary Greenburg
More visual delights: A Grain of Sand a gallery of Gary Greenberg

It’s official: Justin Welby to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury

“The Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Justin Welby for election as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.” Press Release from Lambeth Palace dated 9 Nov 2012

I invite your prayers for Bishop Welby as he takes on this new ministry. ~dan

A prayer for you and me

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, and have raised us to the new life of grace. Sustain us, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit and renew in us an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen

A prayer adapted from the Prayer for the Newly Baptized (BCP, p. 308) and used in General Convention 2006.

Photo: An image of grains of sand from Maui; from a TED Talk by Gary Greenberg ~dan

Wind Chimes: 8 Nov 2012

weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning

Psalm 30:5

There is a dynamism in the chimes, can you hear it? Stillness and silence giving way to movement and sound and …. What do you hear?

A brief reflection on Ruth

In the story of Ruth I find a marvelous, mysterious, messy and invigorating dynamic of scarcity and abundance, barenness and fecundity, death and life, playing-it-safe and taking-risks, self-giving and self-satisfaction, despair and hope, death and life. Read it with an eye to these dynamics, listen to the story for the truths it has to teach for living in 21st century America. Please share with me (and others) what you hear. ~dan

A report: Justin Welby to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury

“Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, has accepted the post of Archbishop of Canterbury, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.” The Telegraph article dated 7 Nov 2012

There has been no official announcement of this appointment (7am PST on 11/8/12), but follow up articles suggest The Telegraph is confident of their report. ~dan

Hope of the dawn

Hope of the dawn.
Joy of the day
Peace of the night
Renew us we pray.

Theresa Mary Grass in Pocket Prayers and shared in a Spirituality & Practice email dated 14 May 2012

Photo: Moriori on Wikimedia Commons ~dan

Wind Chimes: 6 Nov 2012

Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NRSV

I have loved you with a love that lasts forever.
And so with unfailing love,
I have drawn you to myself.

Jeremiah 31:3 CEB

No matter who “wins” today, God’s faithful presence and love will neither be diminished nor enhanced; it will be the same at the end of the day as it is right now. Cast your vote and then rest in God’s love today—and tomorrow and always. ~dan

Cacophonous might best describe the sounds in the chimes today. What do you hear?

Vote in love

Dearly Beloved,

Grace and Peace to you.

My prayer is that you will vote
in love, not in fear,

that those who govern
will act in love, not fear,

and that you will make every choice,
large or small,
every day, all your life,
not in fear, but in love,

for this alone can heal the world,

and I believe it shall.

Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

A post by Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes on his blog Unfolding Light

A prayer for today

Let nothing disturb you;
let nothing dismay you.
All things pass;
God never changes.
Patience attains all that it strives for.
They who have God find they lack nothing:
God alone suffices.

An oft quoted prayer (and favorite prayer of mine) from Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). Thank you Christin Coffee Rondeau for reminding me/us of this prayer on Election Day.

Image: Rice County, MN Election Information Page ~dan

Wind Chimes: 3 Nov 2012

Ruth said [to Naomi], “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”

Ruth 1:16-17 NRSV

The next two Sundays offer readings from the Book of Ruth. One commentator sets us on a deeper understanding of one of the treasures found in the Book: “Near the end of the book, the Bethlehemite women will articulate to Naomi what has been evident all along, that Ruth’s love is worth more than seven sons. Grace is walking right beside Naomi, unseen, yet refusing to leave her.” Let’s explore “being present.” ~dan

Persistent, pleasant, reminding us of the graces we receive through no effort of our own, the chimes sound. What do you hear?

Being Present

Being present in the spiritual life always has a double meaning. There’s present, as in here, in attendance. And there’s present, as in now, a moment of time. What is the spiritual practice of being present? Being here now.

The world’s religions all recommend living in the moment with full awareness. Zen Buddhism especially is known for its emphasis on “nowness.” Hindu, Taoist, Jewish, Moslem, Christian, and other teachers urge us to make the most of every day as an opportunity that will not come to us again.

Also under the rubric of being present is the traditional spiritual exercise called practicing the presence of God. This means recognizing that God is here now moving through our everyday activities, no matter how trivial they might seem.

“Being Present” a spiritual practice on Spirituality & Practice

Nature: ever present

“The last debate of the presidential season belongs to Mother Nature. Uninvited, unmentioned throughout the political debates on this most important of election seasons, Mother Nature, incarnated by Guabancex, Caribbean deity of weather systems, invites herself.” Read more on Indian Country Today Media Network

This understanding of Nature and the Creator is remarkably like the discovery of Job (see God’s ‘speech’ in Job 38 and Job’s response in Job 42). ~dan

Give to the Hurricane Sandy Response Fund
administered by Episcopal Relief and Development

One great thing about growing old

One great thing about growing old is that nothing is going to lead to anything. Everything is of the moment.

Joseph Campbell in A Joseph Campbell Companion edited by Diane Osbon and quoted on Spirituality & Practice (Quotations for the Spiritual Practice of Being Present)

Commentary by Patricia Tull A.B. Rhodes Professor Emerita of Old Testament Louisville Presbyterian Seminary (Jeffersonville, IN) on WorkingPreacher.org

Photo: By Jkadavoor (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons ~dan

Wind Chimes: 2 Nov 2012

Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about people who have died so that you won’t mourn like others who don’t have any hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose, so we also believe that God will bring with him those who have died in Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 CEB

We continue to remember those ‘saints’ known mostly to us and to our families on this day. Though gone from this earth, who is it that continues to shape you because of their love? ~dan

The loveliness of the sounds from the chimes catches our attention today. What do you hear?

Commemoration of All Faithful Departed (Nov 2)

In the New Testament, the word “saints” is used to describe the entire membership of the Christian community, and in the Collect for All Saints’ Day the word “elect” is used in a similar sense. From very early times, however, the word “saint” came to be applied primarily to persons of heroic sanctity, whose deeds were recalled with gratitude by later generations.

Beginning in the tenth century, it became customary to set aside another day—as a sort of extension of All Saints—on which the Church remembered that vast body of the faithful who, though no less members of the company of the redeemed, are unknown in the wider fellowship of the Church. It was also a day for particular remembrance of family members and friends.

Though the observance of the day was abolished at the Reformation because of abuses connected with Masses for the dead, a renewed understanding of its meaning has led to a widespread acceptance of this commemoration among Anglicans, and to its inclusion as an optional observance in the calendar of the Episcopal Church.

Holy Women, Holy Men introduction for the “Commemoration of All Faithful Departed,”

Bishop Mathes encourages our helpful response in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

“As we continue to absorb the news about Hurricane Sandy, I ask your prayers for all impacted by this powerful storm. We are the one body of Christ, which means we all suffer when one suffers. Let us reach out to those who have lost electricity, homes, businesses and loved ones. And let no one face the storm alone.” Read his statement

Give to the Hurricane Sandy Response Fund
administered by Episcopal Relief and Development

The Collect for the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed

O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Holy Women, Holy Men, p. 665

Photo: The cemetery at Mission Santa Ysabel in San Diego County (CA) on Google Maps. ~dan

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