Another Holy Week

Today we begin another Holy Week. This is the one week in the year when the most important business at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Cypress, Texas is worship and prayer. Most everything else is suspended for this one week. This is the week that year after year, I invite all of us to walk intentionally day by day with Jesus. Knowing that some of us cannot get to St. Mary's everyday for worship, we handed out wonderful beeswax candles made by the sisters of the Monastery of Saints Mary and Martha in South Carolina. Everyday, especially on the days they cannot join for worship at St. Mary's, each family is invited to stop intentionally for prayer and worship and light the candle as a connection to the candles lit at the worship occurring at St. Mary's. I'll also be posting a daily blog to give us shared food for thought in our daily Holy Week worship.

As a beginning, here is the sermon that started us off on the Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday.

I want Jesus to walk with me

I want Jesus to walk with me

All along my pilgrim journey

Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me

In my trials, Lord, walk with me


In my sorrows, Lord, walk with me


In my troubles, Lord walk with me

Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me

Don’t we all want Jesus to walk with us?

Most of us know that Jesus is always walking with us. Always. I wonder. Does Jesus want us ever to walk with him?

This is the week that Jesus is kind of busy. Jesus is busy taking on the sin of the whole world. Feeding his disciples one last time, being betrayed, being arrested. Being denied, being beaten, being ridiculed. Having nails hammered into his hands and feet. Dying.

Jesus is very busy.

Today we read the Passion Gospel (Matthew 26.17--27.16), that last less than twenty four hours of so of Jesus’ life [before his resurrection]. Today, you, the congregation, read the part of Jesus. You will be hearing the Passion narrative from Jesus’ perspective.

As you read, notice who is walking with Jesus this week.

The disciples who are all with him when he is feeding them a meal.

The disciples who are all with him when they go out singing the last song.

The disciples who fall asleep when Jesus is praying.

Judas and Peter who betray and deny.

Caiphas and the other leaders of the temple who look for loop holes of blasphemy.

Pilate and the Roman guards who mock and beat and crucify.

The crowd who is....well caught up in being a crowd.

This is who is walking with Jesus this week.

So I wonder.

Since Jesus is pretty busy this week, on our behalf, could we walk with Jesus, and surround him with those who love and adore him? Not just for the meal and the song. We already walked into Jerusalem with him today having an awfully glad time. When it was easy.

Can we, not just today when it’s easy, this whole week long keep walking with him?

Yes, it’s not convenient. Sure it takes a little extra time and effort. I don’t think Jesus is looking for convenient in his life this week. I think Jesus is taking a lot of extra time and effort on our behalf this week.

So as you listen to the Passion Gospel. As you read the words of Jesus, imagine: Who is walking with Jesus? Who would he like to be walking with him? Who is surrounding Jesus? Who could make Jesus’ week more bearable by being with him?

I have a song that I think that Jesus might sing to us if Jesus were to sing to us:

I want you, to walk with me.

I want you, to walk with me.

In my trials, please walk with me.

I want you, to walk with me.

In my betrayal, please walk with me,

In my arrest, please walk with me.

In the denying, please walk with me.

I want you to walk with me.

In my beating, please walk with me.

In my crucifixion, please walk with me.

In my aloneness, please walk with me.

I want you to walk with me.

AMEN

...and for the Diocese of Springfield

I had placed the Diocese of Springfield on St. Mary's daily corporate prayer list when it was publicly announced that I was a candidate to be a candidate back in June. When I was not selected as a candidate at the Synod in August, I removed the intercession from our community prayer list (though I continued, and continue, to pray).

Except. It seems as many times as I remove the Diocese of Springfield from a corporate prayer list, it pops up on another. At our 8 Eucharist this morning, once again, in the Prayers of the People, as we prayed for the Church, there those Illinois clergy and people were again, as our Deacon Russ prayed, ".......and for the Diocese of Springfield."

Since this week is when the three candidates will be walking about and meeting the folks in Springfield, I guess the Holy Spirit, once again, knew better than I did who St. Mary's was to lift in prayer. After all, St. Paul did write in his epistle to the Christians gathered in Rome (Chapter 8):

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Pray for Christ's body, the Church, especially for the clergy and people of the Diocese of Springfield as they take counsel together to select the bishop whom God has already chosen.

Two waitings....over!

August 3, Austin Jack Fain was born.

August 7, the Synod in the Diocese of Springfield selected three men to be candidates for the bishop election in September. The Archdeacon from Springfield and I traded votes for five ballots to see who would be the fourth candidate. The Archdeacon had more clergy votes, and I had more lay. At nearly 10 PM, the Synod decided that three candidates were good enough.

I was delighted to have been strongly supported by the laity of Springfield. My prayers continue to be with them as they seek to make their voice heard. My prayers also continue to be with Springfield that they will elect a bishop who will bring health and new life to that precious part of God's creation.

It was a very difficult process to be in. I had no voice (much less personal) contact with any person in the diocese in the the four or so months that was my time in their election. I knew them only through a very few emails and what I could discover on the website. They only knew me through the nine papers I wrote and the video that my brother so graciously made of me speaking my answers. In an incarnational Church, the important piece of person to person contact was missing.

After the fact, I have had chats with a few lay folks from Springfield. After conversation with them, I am certain that God had me in their episcopal process, once again, for God's good reason.

But the Springfield process has left me tired. Weary.

In God's graciousness, the election was followed by a trip to meet my new grandson--what better healing in the world than holding my first grandchild?

I continue to pray about where God is calling me to serve. For today, once again, God has made it clear that St. Mary's continues to be the place that God is calling me to serve. For that I am very, very grateful.

Waiting waiting waiting

Austin Jack was due last Wednesday or last Friday--the doctor gave Jacob and Lisa both dates. Whatever the case, he's still loving it inside his mom. So we're waiting.

Next Saturday, the synod in Springfield will decide which four of us continue in the process for Bishop. So I'm waiting.

Meanwhile, in three weeks, we'll celebrate 25 years of being St. Mary's, Cypress, Texas. It hit me--I've been rector for half of St. Mary's existence. Who would have ever thought?

I remember the Sunday at St. Cuthbert (where I was a member then) when a group of folks left to go help start St. Mary's. I actually have a notation somewhere in my Bible, next to whatever Scripture we were reading that day: The Departure.

Twenty five years ago! I was so sure I knew what God's will and God's way was. Strangely, God's point of view lined up pretty nicely with mine. Talk about creating God in my own image!

Twenty five years from now, God willing there will be another 25 years, what will I look back at and smile at my foolishness? Isn't God's patience wonderful?

And just like that it's July

I'd gotten behind in reading the Bible through in 90 days. I thought about actually picking the Bible up and reading, but I felt committed to listening my way through.

Then I had a long road trip--back and forth to my mother's farm for the Fourth of July. That got me through Kings and nearly through Chronicles. With my walking partner on vacation, I'm taking the Bible as my walking companion. Then I got through Ezra this morning peeling and freezing peaches. Just like that (well, not really), I'm back on track.

Listening this morning to the story of the returning Exiles and the conflict between them and those who stayed behind has given me pause. The men gathering and repenting of marrying foreign wives and leaving those wives and children is most troubling. Of course, as God provided for Hagar and Ishmael, God can provide for those abandoned wives and children. But what was God's will in this? I am reminded that I must take care interpreting the stories of the First Testament especially when I use them to discern God's take on any given contemporary issue. It seems that finding the meaning behind the meaning is critical.

Listening to these stories in consecutive order over a short period of time is shaping me, and the best preparation I can think of for whatever God has next in store for me.