As most of you know from my writings, I am not one to adhere to closely to the Liturgical Calendar for referencing my submissions. If I did, we would know that today- November 24, 2013- is the last Sunday of the year.  The following Sunday begins Advent-  the joyous expectation and anticipation of the coming of the Christ child and the new year to follow.  This Sunday is also referred sometimes as, the Sunday of Christ the King.  When we can be called to reflect on the past year and what differences and changes can be made in the upcoming year.

Always a procrastinator, I wait until the last-minute to do things. This is comically reflected in my always selecting the last Sunday of the month to write my submission to our Father General.  This was even more true this time around, when personal issues on the home front distracted me. Minor as they are (were), they always seem at the moment to be pressing and overwhelming.  Though I was a police sergeant for nearly thirty years and well-drilled to handle anything, when something unexpected happens at home- I too, can become a “drama queen”.

Needless to say, there comes a moment in all the unexpected when I must pause. I begin to take stock of myself in the situation and question myself in others. In hurried moments like this, I find myself wondering if I have taken the time to be a good priest? A good Christian? Especially now, as I have undertaken a temporary full-time assignment at my “per diem retired” job.  There seems to be so much going on. So many errands to run and things to catch up on. My time seems all to suddenly, limited.  Things that need to be done, or at least things I thought were important, begin to back up. Returning to my police roots, I prioritize or at least, try too.

In all of these presumedly pressing personal matters, I now add my clerical obligations into the mix.  Mass to pray, letters to write, visitations to make, a wedding to work on, a meeting to schedule, and the humble honor of to providing  a soul with his Last Sacramental Rites.  Hereto, I question myself- did I pray enough? Was I meditative and reflective?  Was scripture read?  In short- in the fast pace of my life, did I give to God- the Creator of my life, “his time”?

Then the Spirit spoke to me, in the liturgical calendar I seldom, if ever refer, to. For listed as a consideration for today, the last Sunday of the Liturgical year- was my most favorite Biblical line ever- “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)  I smile to myself. How well my Lord knows me. Reassures me. Embraces me. Forgives me.

For no matter how complicated our lives or how hectic the world seems to be, there is always- always, the silent wonder of the world and the presence and reassurance that our Lord is with us. A beautiful sunset or the soft glow of sunrise. The sound and sight of Canadian geese as they begin their winter journey south. The wind as it dances amongst the blaze of autumn leaves that applaud in rustling. The thunder of the waves upon a beach, now empty of its summer throng. The laugh of a seagull. The laugh of a child. The sight of the puppy that makes the child laugh or the sight of my loved one who makes me happy.

There are many- many, daily things- everday things, where God reminds us. God is present. In the beauty, wonder and majesty of His creation. In the music of life and nature that draws us from our distractions back to God. God is present. In the company and love of family and friends. We should become like Job, finding God not in the spectacular but in the simple.  God is present. In the smile of a stranger. In the tone of Taps at a solider’s funeral or in the refrain of a church bell above the traffic. God is present. In the hymn raised up in loud adoration or in the hushed whispers between lovers. In the bark of an excited dog at the sight of its owner or in the mournful cry of a hawk as it circles overhead. God is present. In the babbling of a brook or the song of a bird. In the tranquil drumbeat of a steady rain. In the beauty of a winter’s night snowfall where it seems the stars themselves are falling from the sky. In all these things- and in everything, God is present.

So when we find ourselves overwhelmed- overworked, we need to pause. When we question whether we have prayed or been good Christians, we need to pause. When life and the world just seem to have got the better of us, we need to pause. God is present. Not distant or unforgotten, but here now with us- always. We should be mindful. God is present.  To remember this,  we should do as God suggests-  “Be still, and know that I am God.”

“For in Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)  Surprisingly, also a scriptural reading from our liturgical lectionary for today. Two in one of my writings. The Spirit is indeed at work.  But of course!  God is present!  A joyous and blessed Advent season to you all!

Usually I tend to write my material “free style” for the most part.  I read scripture, meditate and pray, then wait until I feel the Holy Spirit has moved me to compose.  Though clerical, I do not often refer to the structure of the Lectionary.  But as is the mystery and beauty of the Holy Spirit, God will provide. God will find a way, and make a way.  So when I was feeling recently uninspired, God did in fact move me through the Lectionary.

Today, the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, one of the designated readings was a scriptural verse I use time and time again- “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” [Psalm 91:11]   This is a verse I use in every letter I write to the Department and family of a fallen police officer.  It is a verse which is posted on my ministry website, and a verse which hung inside my uniform locker when I was a police officer.

In an unpredictable world, most especially in unpredictable occupations- there is a time when faith must be surrendered blindly to God.  That is not to say to follow God blindly and indiscriminately, but rather as suggested by scripture; “For we live by faith, not by sight.” [ 2 Corinthians 5:7]  The point being- let go and let God.   God is after all, the architect- the Creator. Ultimately God will provide, God will protect and God will bring justice.

So many times, particularly in times of violence and grief, we feel lost. Angry with God. Questioning God. How could God let this happen? Why does God not intervene? Why do the good suffer so, and evil people seem to prosper and ‘get away with it?’  These questions become acute and painful when, as a police officer and now as a priest; they are asked by the parents of a child killed by a drunk driver, the family of violent crime victim, a solider lost in combat- or more difficult to answer, the ones who look for answers following the death of a beloved family member from prolonged or sudden illness.  Where was God in there illness and pain?  Where is God in their suffering?

God is where he has always been for us- held to a cross.  We cannot make sense of our suffering through our pain.  When Christ himself hung on the cross, no one could see the good in that suffering.  His followers felt crushed, betrayed and even angry with God.  Jesus himself questions God from the cross saying, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” [Mark 15:34] and even feeling more alone and isolated, whispers- “It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” [John 19:30]

Yet what one could consider the worst tragedy possible- the death of the Son of God, becomes- by the power of God, the most glorious event in history.  Through Christ’s suffering, passion and death- “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:16]  That what we perceive as loss, death and tragedy- dare I say, even evil- can become a catalyst for goodness and salvation.  We respond to such sufferings as humans. Where is the justice, the fairness- the good?  As is said, sometimes we have to hit rock bottom- so that we can understand that God is the rock.

It is so very important here to remember, as on the cross- God knows our suffering and pain.  God did not create it. God does not delight in it.  I get angry when I hear people or clergy say- God needed a little laughter in heaven at the death of a child,  another soul to join the saints when a loved one is lost or worse (making my blood boil) it is part of God’s plan. God’s plan does not include drunk drivers, war or torturous illness and affliction.  God cries and suffers with us.  “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11:28]

It is God’s love for us- that gave us free will.  God could have made the world perfect without our errors in judgement, but then how true would our love for God- for each other be?  We would be following blindly, as previously stated, and not following by faith.  Famous theologian C.S. Lewis wrote: “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks to us in our conscience but shouts to get our attention in our pains.”   We become like Job, questioning God. Demanding a perfect world without suffering, while most of us sit idly by. But God let Job suffer only to the point, where Job could find and see God in his pain.

In the book, The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel;  Dr. Peter Kreeft, Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Boston College poses this question to the author: “Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine, suffering and injustice to continue when he could so something about it.  I am afraid though, God might ask me the same question.”

Most merciful God, we are not forsaken. You call to us from the cross- do not be afraid my children, I love you. Come to me. I do not run or hide from you, for I am held fast to the cross. God is there in His mercy and His compassion. In our suffering and pain, He embraces us. He lifts us up. He refreshes and He renews. He begs us to receive His mercy and to accept freely His gift and promise of eternal life.  Let us, let go and let God.

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasure of compassion is inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to you holy will- which is love and mercy itself.  Amen.

Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. Romans 13:10b

Today I want to talk about Love, The Love of Our Father,
The meaning of What true love actually is seems to be something which many have lost over the years. I see an increasingly disturbing trend toward the message people tend to give out these days: that God hates this or God hates that. This is far from the actual reality. We seem to have lost sight of the fact that “these three things remain; faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these by far is love!!!.”

Love has also been recast in our Hollywood-centered world. Too often love is equated with sex, or at very least, lust. Love is shown as a touchy-feely type of emotion. But in reality, love is far greater, far deeper, than a simple emotion. Love is a way of being. When you are in love, love permeates all of your existence. You cannot do anything without love.

And just because the emotional tingle of love is gone does not mean that love itself is dead. I know married couples who are visibly in love with each other that would tell you that the emotional tingle left years ago. But you could not cut these people apart. They have discovered true love. Love that endures. Love that is patient. Love that is kind. Love that is trusting and hopeful.

That is the kind of love Saint Paul was talking about It is not touchy feely. It is solid and substantial. Saint Paul says to the Romans that “love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.”
(Romans 13:10b)

It is that kind of substantial love that we should show to those around us daily. It is the love of Christ. It is a love that will endure beyond this age and beyond our own existence. It is a love that can change lives; one life at a time.

How can we show people that kind of love? Open the door for a perfect stranger. Offer to help someone with that heavy box or grocery bag. Be willing to listen to that person who just needs to talk. Just be there to love someone with your presence.

That is true love. That is the love of Our Father..

I must confess, I became somewhat concerned earlier this summer when I learned our Church was considering a name change.  In my pursuit of God, I have experienced change and often saw it as the foreboding of something else to come. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

There are mainstream denominations, the churches we see daily on our drives about town and then there are those that tend to be more obscure.  As with most things we do not understand, we tend to be skeptical and cautious of them.  To provide an example, driving to my sister’s home in rural Pennsylvania I register no emotion at all when I pass a Presbyterian church or Lutheran.  But I do look with wonder when I pass an Amish buggy, clopping along slowly on the shoulder of the road.  Inquisitive, I have come to somewhat understand Amish beliefs and traditions. My sister even graduated a Mennonite university for her Masters in Nursing degree.  I will admit however, being absolutely confused when I learned of another sect within the Amish known as Hutterites.  This is all very bewildering.

Then I reflected on my own situation. Baptized Methodist, my spiritual journey took me from Roman Catholic to Anglican to Evangelical Anglican to Anglican Catholic to Reformed Catholic to Old Catholic. At each pause along the way friends looked at me perplexed as I sought to explain the difference in my latest transformation.  Now at long last, confident that my spiritual journey to God is at an end, I found myself selfishly anxious that I would need to do some explaining yet again; especially to closest friends and family who are all Roman Catholic.  Recalling the basic history and foundation of Old Catholics, Roman Catholics usually see us as a break away child who will one day return to their senses, and “the church”.  Though even the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church as addressed at the Second Vatican Council states; “Those who believe in Christ and have been baptized are put in certain, though somewhat imperfect, communion with the Church.” (Catechism 838)

As I pondered consideration of how changing the name of my church would actually affect me, several concepts danced about my thoughts.  In hindsight, which is always “twenty-twenty”, perhaps they even danced to music that God was playing to help me come to terms.

The first music to overwhelm me was George Gershwin’s 1937 hit song by Fred Astaire, “Lets Call the Whole Thing Off”. You know… toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe, poe-TAY-toe, poe-TAH-toe, EEE-ther, EYE-ther… lets call the whole thing off! Then as if this wasn’t strange enough, here comes William Shakespeare quoting to me, “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.”

Names and labels, I thought- whats in a name. We have first names and last names. Some of us even have middle names, and then there are those of us who explain to some friends what our “confirmation names” are. This all seemed childish to me, though still disconcerting. Why, did my Church have to change it’s name?  I prayed to understand and to prevent that other shoe from dropping.  Then God seemed to whisper an answer, put the composers’ and classics away and refer to Scripture for my answer.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her… “you are to call him Jesus” (Luke 1:31) “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)  Most importantly we are told by Peter in Acts, that disciples and followers of Christ came to be known as Christians. (Acts 11:26)

Bottom line then, wasn’t this the answer I was looking for all along? I am a follower of Christ, I am a Christian. Old Catholic, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran- even Amish, we are Christians. Together we follow Christ, and in God’s house “there are many rooms” (John 14:2) “but no one comes to the Father, but through [Christ] (John 14:6).

Jesus Christ himself seemed to understand this, and prayed: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through this message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world my believe that you have sent me. I have given them glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one- I in them and you in me- so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:21-23)

“Gracious Father, you sent you Son Jesus Christ to proclaim to all the Good News of your Kingdom, and through him you have inspired individuals to sow the seeds of your Church, guide us as we continue this work. Show to us the next field that is to be planted, and give to us the gifts to accomplish your will. Help us to understand the longings of the heart and the sufferings of your children. Enable us to feed them and refresh them. Give to us Gracious Father, your Church- your blessing and your grace, that Thy will be done. Amen.” (BOS 224)