A Reasonable Response

So what do we do now? The culture in which we live is packing up Christmas into boxes already. Stores slash prices on Christmas nic-nacs and many turn to the YMCA now as they wonder how their clothes became so miraculously tight in the past month. We drag out the boxes and the tissue paper for re-packing so many sparkly things, or at least eye them.

But what if this is not over? What if this Christmas thing is just getting started?

I marvel at the enthusiasm of people in church to embrace Lent! They moan and groan, wear ashes and make vows to not eat this and not do that. It’s like a kind of collective slouch, in which we spend forty days dragging ourselves around with frowny faces (some painted on with no small glee) as if the most important part of the Christian story is our sin. And why not? It’s what the church has been busy manufacturing for centuries in small, dark, dank, sexually-repressed corners of monasteries and churches.

Complex liturgies for sin acknowledgment. Long prayers of “Oh, I am so, so, so, very bad.” When in fact, we’re not that important. What if God is not paying as much attention to our sins as we think? What if God is paying attention to peace and joy?

Funny that we spend 40 days in Lent but only 12 days in Christmas.

So I guess, today I wonder, after such a busy few weeks of parties and shopping, eating and opening – I wonder what difference this Christmas event might make for you and for me? In other words, when you look at this child who comes to link us to a God doing everything possible to connect to us – even though He is pathologically shy and vulnerable – hiding behind fire, pillars of smoke and within clefts of rock – what do we do with this baby, this manger and this shy God in whose relationship we are cosmically stuck?

Well, what is the point? I guess we could start there. What is the point of Christmas? What is the point of the baby, the star and the holy family?

The point is love. The point is that a God, who can craft a praying mantis with yellow skin and purple dots – a God who can make an ocean full of wildlife, a jungle, an arctic, chocolate, light, orgasms, and post-it notes is a God of creativity. A God who can make people in the diversity of India and Holland, of China and Manhattan, of Pacific Islanders and England is a God of creativity. A God who can make all we see – crab cakes, chocolate cream, Hollandaise Sauce, tallegio cheese – a God who can make the hundreds of emotions and faces which show them is a God of creativity.

A God who can be that creative deserves a creative, thoughtful response to incarnation – something rather more robust and physical, more tactile than “Wow, incarnation! Well done!”

God not only creates a beautiful world and people to enjoy it, God gets creative about how to connect to us while remaining un-knowable and un-nameable. So how shall we respond to the incarnation?

What if the “Lenten Disciplines” – which will inevitably come soon enough- were held off to their proper place in late winter, and we each consider what our Christmas disciplines are? What if our Christmas disciplines are themed around creativity and ingenuity with every bit as much fervor as we will inevitably give to coming up with self-disciplining ideas for Lent. And then, what if we lived out our creative disciplines for a few weeks so that we may honor God’s making of Himself as baby – God’s making of relationship with the world… by making something.

Take a writing class. Buy a glue gun. Make a pot in a pottery studio. Make a new recipe. Write a poem – it’s just a collection of words. You can do it. Make a Christmas ornament for next year’s tree. Make a necklace or a greeting card or new stationary or a quilt. Make a new friendship – find it, craft it, make it a new reality. Go to a craft supply store like Micheal’s and wander the isles until you find something speak to you. Or find a helpful attendant and ask for their advice – “I like this and that…what could I make?”

I guess all I am saying is that if God can create a way to connect with a people who have, for millennia, been rather uncooperative, then we can dig deep and meet that with equal creativity – equal generativity.

When I was a monk, we all took the week off after Christmas. As monks we did not generate – did not give birth, did not marry and co-create with a woman or a man. We lived in a cloistered monastery. We did not make families. So, to be able to let out the natural creativity in each of us – the natural generatively inside us by virtue of having been made in God’s image – the image of a CREATOR… we created. Each of us chose a task – something to create, and between the many monastic offices of the day and night, we huddled away and created something new. Then, at the end of the week, after Christmas we showed each other what we had made and bought Indian take-out (Because Brother Paul loved it !) It was wonderful.

What if you and I met the incarnation with a real, tangible act of creativity to honor God’s?


Charles LaFond, St. John's Cathedral, Denver

Borrowed from the EpiscopalCafe.com blog. This entry is from the Daily Sip, a ministry of St John’s Cathedral, Denver, CO.

Christmas Cards

          A few decades ago, I began collecting Christmas cards. If I received a Christmas card that particularly caught my attention because its design or the message printed on it, I set the card aside for safe keeping. There were instances where I bought individual cards just because of the graphic art or message they contained. Some of the cards were humorous, some of them  pictures of beautiful pieces of arts. There were exquisite angels and animals lowing their heads around the baby Jesus. I had cards with drummer boys, royally dressed magi and shepherds guarding their sheep by night on snow covered hills.  Each year, when I got the ornaments for our tree, I would sit and look at all those cards I had collected.

           One card, given to me by the parent of one of my students, so spoke to my heart that it ended up in a five by seven photo frame on my desk. No matter where my career took me, that card went with me, always taking a place of prominence on my desk. The graphics on the card were nothing special. To be honest, I cannot even remember what picture was on the card. The card read, "He came to Earth to be like us so that we could learn to be like Him."

          I think of that card from time to time, especially when I have done or said something God clearly would have preferred I not say or do. It is at times such as those when I see I still much work to do with myself in my quest to follow Jesus.

          Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Emmanuel- God with us. Glory of God in the highest and on Earth peace, goodwill towards men.
In the spirit of that Holy birth, may each of us recommit our lives to Christ as the the little drummer boy on a Christmas card said, "My finest gifts I bring to lay before the King."

          May each of you have a blessed and very Merry Christmas!

       

#AdventWord

No, this past Sunday I wasn’t the one live-tweeting Father Brent’s sermon, but I have been managing the Cathedral’s Facebook page with the #AdventWord project this month. The Society of Saint John the Evangelist has cleverly and creatively organized an avenue for all Christians around the world to connect during this season of Advent. If you haven’t checked it out yet I highly recommend that you do!

We all know how busy this time of year can be – constant rushing and running about to get cookies baked, presents wrapped, decorations up, and parties planned. It’s difficult to find or make the time to be still and fully understand what this season of waiting means in each of our lives. That is why I’m especially enjoying this #AdventWord social media project. Each morning in my email, before I check any of the work emails or news, I go see what the Brothers have charged me to look for throughout my day. Each word is accompanied by a brief reflection to hopefully inspire you. Today’s word is #Ask. I usually write the word down and return to it regularly to see where I’ve felt God pulling on my heart. “What is God asking of me? What am I asking of God? What are others asking of God? How are we being asked to serve as a community?” That last question sticks with me most. We at Christ Church Cathedral are a strong community and I believe we are strongest when we are reaching out and lifting those around us.

Since beginning this project, I’ve heard from a few long lost friends who’ve commented on how the #AdventWord posts have gotten them thinking beyond the commercial aspects of Christmas. A few of them are not church goers, so this was a perfect occasion to bring up my church and my love for the community it serves. I encouraged them to consider seeking out a church in their own communities this Christmas. This #AdventWord project is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to share our love of our church community with those near and far.

Thank you so much in advance for participating and following along! I hope you will consider participating by signing up at adventword.org, and sharing your own photographs this Advent. Don’t forget to tag the word of the day, plus #CCCLexAdventWord and #AdventWord so that others can share in your reflections! Happy sharing and Happy Advent!

Paige Halpin

CCC Young Adult and IWC Social Media Champion

In Thanksgiving

          With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I cannot help but think how blessed my life is. I live in a nation of relative peace and freedom. I have always had a roof over my head, more than enough nutritious food on my table and plenty of money to live a comfortable life. Neither my husband nor my son have had to go off to war. I spend my days doing things I love. My health is good. Toddler Ellie and my four dogs surround me with their love and never fail to warm my heart. All in all, my life is fairly easy. I have lived, what one anonymous author calls, an enchanted life.

           I rise in the morning and am free to worship God as I choose. I live with little fear of my home being fire bombed, my family being murdered, my freedoms suddenly being snatched away. God has been generous and has indeed rained his blessings down upon me and my family.

          Such thoughts and thanksgivings always bring me round to the same succeeding  thought, why am I so blessed when others are not? Why has God given me such blessings yet seemingly turned his face from others who struggle to feed and protect their families, to live in safety and peace?  Why am I so fortunate when so many others are not?

          The answer, I think, is in the very essence of God's generosity and in our response to that generosity. Were it not for all the people who have reached out to us, loved and cared for us during our lives, none of us would be find ourselves in the positions we are. The more I ponder the ramifications of Jesus' command to us to love our neighbors even as we love ourselves, and the more soul searching I  do, the deeper becomes my understanding of how important it is that I follow that commandment even when it takes me into situations and places that are unpopular and sometimes unsafe.

          At a time when the world seems to be filled with more hatred, lies and fear than we have ever known, it is much easier for us to feed off those three things than it is to feed off the love and goodness of God. Like a mother who cares for all her children, God loves all of her divine creation. God does not call us to be fools, but neither does God call us to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. As we prepare to gather at our tables with food piled high, let us also gather to consider how we are called to share God's generosity and love with the rest of this world. Amen.

Being You

Did you know that you are special? Did you know that you are unique? Did you know that you were made for a great purpose? Yes, YOU! You were created in God’s image and with the utmost care. He thought through ALL of you. He designed all of your personality, your desires, your talents, and your spiritual gifts. He knew you before He created the world. Psalm 139: 13-16 states, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Now, how special do you feel?

Each day He gives us an opportunity to use our gifts. He doesn’t want us to be lazy, boring, or lethargic. He wants us to be hard-working, energetic, bold, and confident in who He made us to be. He wants us to take what He has given us and use it. We were not meant to just sit there and be worthless. You have too much potential, and He expects us to use it. One of my favorite sayings is, “God gave us the firewood; all you have to do is light the fire.” He gave us what we need; we just have to embrace it and display it! 

Being you is a very extraordinary element to the world. What we each bring to the world is an amazing thing. We shouldn’t be scared to show the world how God created us. Be confident in who you are and know that there is a wonderful plan for you!

 Who I Am by Blanca

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IvlRQ30Ibg 

A Noticeable Energy

As the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival nears, at our Old Episcopal Burial Ground (OEBG), I recently met with the Living Arts and Science Center’s Gallery Director, Jeffrey Nichols, to discuss the Cathedral Youth’s altar. As we walked around the grounds of the OEBG and discussed the Cathedral’s participation in this wonderful event (as our youth will be decorating one of the gravesites, creating an altar in memory of our loved ones who have passed on to greater glory) Jeffery expressed how glad he was that the Cathedral had partnered with the Living Arts and Science Center in this community wide Latino cultural event. Jeffrey exclaimed how wonderful he thought everyone he had worked with at CCC was, how he saw and felt the excitement and joy that our staff and parishioners exuded. It was such a compliment to hear Jeffrey as he tried to express the life and light he felt from the CCC community. And, even though he stated that he wasn’t exactly sure how to put it into words, I knew exactly what he meant.

Christ Church Cathedral is alive with so much energy and excitement, and it is because of all that you put into our church community. It was obvious, when Jeffrey was talking about Christ Church, that he wasn’t talking about a building, or an organization, but about the people and the spirit who radiate the love, joy, and peace of Christ out into the world. The Holy Spirit is moving with vigor throughout our community, and it is noticeable!

As we continue to give of ourselves, our time, our energy, and our resources we continue to build up the kingdom of God, and ourselves as individuals. And, as a result, people notice. They notice when we have energy around what's happening in our church home and community. They notice when we are able to find peace in the midst of our busy lives. They notice when we exude joy despite the pains that surround our world. The Spirit is alive, well, and moving here at Christ Church Cathedral, and it is noticeable from our outreach ministries and Christian formation offerings to our beautiful choir music and moving liturgies. There is so much happening here, and it is all thanks to your support and commitment!

When Jeffrey was exclaiming what light and life he felt from the Christ Church Cathedral community, I immediately thought of all of you. I thanked him for his kind words, but who I really should be thanking is you. Thank you, for continuing to support our congregation, thank you for giving of yourselves, your time, your energy, and your resources. Thank you, for believing in the power of the Spirit and body of Christ. Our church community is alive and well, because of you, and I am so excited to see where and how the Spirit will continue to move, inspire, and uplift not only this place, but all of us!

Quiet Observation

Sometimes God’s greatest gifts are revealed through quiet observation.

On Friday, October 9^th, Christ Church hosted the annual fall festival dinner.  My wife was out of town visiting our daughter at college. My son was busy being a 17-year-old and did not need me. And the organizers of the event were having a terrible time finding wait staff for the dinner, given Keeneland, the Breeder’s Cup and all of the many fall festivities taking place in town. So, I decide the best use of my time and talents was to supplement the professional wait staff and also to help chef extraordinaire Mary Thom in the kitchen.

So with our wonderful professional wait staff, Rob, Christi and Juanita, I helped serve water and tea, helped people arrange their food at their tables, and even helped serve the Roast Beast (aka beef tenderloin). About an hour into the evening, there was a lull for the wait staff, so I was just leaning by the kitchen door, taking in the festivities. Beautifully decorated tables that the hosts and hostesses had designed with great thought and with the desire to entertain their table guests. The room was abuzz with talk and laughter.  People moving from one table to another to greet old friends and new acquaintances and admire the table decorations and costumes of the guests.  A perfect evening with the perfect people of Christ Church. I began to see how lucky I was, how lucky all of us are, that we simply enjoy coming together with each other in the company of God’s love at Christ Church.

This would have been enough for me.  But at almost the same time, and each separately, Rob, Christi and Juanita came up to me to ask me questions about Christ Church and to provide their thoughts.  Is this really a church? Do you always have this much fun together? How often do you do this? My church isn’t like this. These people really enjoy each other. This is an amazing event – did these people really pick their own theme and decorate their own tables?  My eyes welled up with tears and my chest puffed up with pride as I listened. What a unique opportunity I was provided to hear the reflections of three total strangers to Christ Church, three individuals employed to serve the members of Christ Church. Unsolicited, unedited, honest, raw.

So, when you take a few minutes to think about your many blessings, be sure to include the blessing of being part of the Christ Church family.

Thanks be to God.

Marc Mathews

How Do I Love Thee, Lord

"How do I love thee, Lord. Let me count the ways. I love to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach... I shall but love thee better after death." Those words came silently me this morning as my morning prayers arose to God. As I have thought over those words, written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I realize how true they are in respect to my love for God. My reasons for my love for God are without number. My gifts from God are without number as well for as I live my life, I discover new gifts, new strengths, new courage God has provided me.

I was raised hearing the words to a hymn found in the Hebrew Union Prayerbook, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all the soul and with all thy might. These words which I command thee shall be upon thy heart: Be holy unto your God. I am the Lord your God." Those words, completed by Jesus' direction that I am to love my neighbors as I love myself, are the standard for how I strive to live my life. How I go about that is what defines me.

I love Christ's Church. I love Christ Church. I have grown, I have flourished within these holy walls. I have been lifted by beautiful music. I have been nurtured by the love of parishioners and fed with God’s word through sermons. I have been with joy through the amazement of children as they learn about Christ through Godly Play. I have witnessed the restoration of the beautiful leaded windows in the room where our choristers practice.

I am filled with gratitude for all these gifts. How can I repay them?  How can I insure their continuance? I give, of course, of my time and my talents. Without them, I would not have received gifts I so love. As I consider all I have gathered and received, it is time for me to consider what I will contribute to help insure the healthy continuance of Godly Play, beautiful music, the maintenance of stately cathedral and so many other things that make us the body of Christ known as Christ Church Cathedral. My harvest has been plentiful this year, while people outside our beautiful cathedral home have been not as fortunate as I.  

During a recent visit with Bishop Hahn, I expressed my concern that my efforts to address a situation I find intolerable would be only a drop in the bucket. The Bishop reminded me that with many drops, a bucket becomes overflowing and that without my contributions, the bucket would never overflow. I hope you will join me in this season of stewardship to bring the Cathedral’s “bucket” to overflowing.

Thanks be to God!

The Reverend Paula Ot

Generosity in Place

    Our generous creator just keeps on giving and transforming lives.  Christ Church Cathedral is a major hub for this divine outpouring.  From the moment that I walked through our doors about 34 years ago, I was showered with a grace that I had done nothing to receive.  I just showed up!  The beauty itself spoke as well as the people and the teaching that I received.

     Our nave and sanctuary are rich with the mystery that has been housed here for close to 200 years.  Because of the generosity of God in this space, we have been changed.  Being the receiver of so much, we cannot keep it inside - it must flow into the world to change all.  Some of the most familiar changes due to our generosity are; Christ Church Apartments, Good Samaritan Hospital, The Community Kitchen, The Cupboard, Habitat houses and so much more.

     Then there are the classes beginning with God's Children Sing for infants and Godly Play and extending to classes and opportunities for inner growth and transformation for adults.  God's call to grow and learn never ends.  It is a constant here.

     As a very young child I was given offering envelopes.  At the age of 7, I learned and enjoyed how to give the church 10% of all the money that I received.  At that time, I had a very small allowance and every now and then I was paid for a job accomplished.  I learned of amazing things that would happen with this money in order to make the world a better place.  It was exciting.

     It is my prayer that as a body, we at CCC can capture that excitement and give generously from our financial assets.  It is a necessary thing to keep this holy place going in order to transform lives and thus the world.

     Remember: :"Thy kingdom come, they will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven."  That means right here in Lexington, Kentucky.

May it be so.