We're wandering in the Wilderness May 2020 2.0

Here is what I perceive.  The bars are opening and the churches remain shut.  In this time of reopening it's easy for me to identify and name this absurd disparity between bars vs. churches.  It's especially troubling in our time of spiritual need. What makes this more difficult for me is that in Texas we have been given more freedom by civic authorities than have been given in other totalitarian states.  It is our own ecclesiastical authorities that are guiding us to wait. Understand, it's not just the Episcopal Church.  I've spoken with pastor of a local AME Church whose bishop is also directing them to be patient.  And searching websites I can see other local denominations are being cautious as well.

What are we to think of this?  In the book of Exodus, after the Israelites and Moses fled Egypt and were saved by God through the Red Sea there was a long period (40 years) of exile in wandering.  At times Moses separates himself from the people to pray and later to receive the commandments from God.  Do you remember what the people did? 

They circumvented Moses and pleaded with Aaron the priest to make a new god for them. He made the golden calf and they made offerings to the idol.  When all was said and done they worshiped the graven image of a god that had done nothing for them.  God became angry and frustrated with his people because they were impatient and couldn't wait.

Many of you are feeling more than antsy to get back together.  Do you know, I feel the same way. It’s important that you understand that this is not a competition to see which church gets together quicker.  Please know that your leadership has worked really thoughtfully to put together and submit our plan to the bishop.  And we await the response.

But, have you stopped to think that maybe: Just as the time in the wilderness for the Israelites, God is doing something to and for us.  Just as our bishop is in prayer and guidance to help us form the best plan we can; God is working a change in you and me.

If Sunday worship is your only outlet for Christian life, I want to tell you there is more to it.  If you're not praying for others, reading a scripture daily or just being kind and patient in the name of God...you need to know there is more to the Christian Life than only Sunday mornings.

We’re in this wilderness together. What is God asking you to learn about him? How are our Sunday religious practices shaping you more into the image of Jesus?  God is doing something for us.  Wait patiently upon him.  It won't be longer than 40 years.

Blessings,

Fr. Stephen+

Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus forever 

We are together! May 2020

My mind keeps going back to the first century.  In the history of the Primitive Church (the first three centuries A.D.) that is the church without all of our institutional garb.  It is a church without vestments, without buildings.  It is a church without youth groups and choirs (because everyone sung who could sing).  It was a church without Sunday School.  Imagine! So many of the things that make church for us...didn't exist in the first century. The primitive church didn't even have pipe organs and some believe it only had voices as instruments.

But what do we share in common.  First, Jesus is Lord.  They prayed together and for one another when they were absent.  They sang songs in house churches.  They shared the Eucharist, Holy Communion, the Bread and the Wine.  They shared the stories of the life of Jesus.  They emulated his life.

Each gathering, in each city was a church.  They shared the oral telling of the life of Jesus.   The four gospels (in different decades) take at least 30-60 years after Jesus' resurrection to be written down in the forms that we have them today.

The epistles (letters) from the various apostles were actually written down first as a supplement to the oral stories of the life of Jesus.  And epistles existed regionally in places like Achaia and Asia Minor, and in cities like Ephesus, Philippi, and Rome.  To the primitive church scripture was what we call the Old Testament.  The New Testament was spread out over the Mediterranean world.  It wouldn't be until the Council of Nicaea in the 300s A.D. that we see a unified list of the Old and New Testaments.  The Spirit guided their understanding to compile and canonize (codify) what we call the Holy Scriptures.

How did they do it?  How did they stay connected in a time when the height of technology was parchment and pen?  How did they stay connected, when they weren't able to gather during random and regional persecutions?

I can articulate now what I know intuitively.  Truly, in a metaphysical way (spiritual way), through prayer we are united to one another because we are united to Christ. I pray for you; you pray for me, and we are together.  I'm glad we're together right now.  I'll also be glad when we are together in body underneath the roof of God's house.  God bless you all.

Fr. Stephen+