What I'm praying about Vol 5.1 November 2018

Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
I've read (again) our parish profile that you all prepared for the rector search.  It helps to articulate our identity as St. Peter's Episcopal Church.  Several pages communicated that you want to focus on programs that will reach families with young children.

I sense the need to address this directly.  Episcopalians are aging (as are the Methodists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians, and others).  And there is a sense that if we don't bring-in-the-young-ins', who is going to step up and take the reins of our community when we are gone?

Where are the children?  What you need to know is this: in previous generations most church growth took place in new congregation plants and procreation.  Married couples had children and lots of them.  Families moved to the suburbs and started new congregations.  We weren't really evangelizing during the golden age of Americana in the 50s and 60s.  We were having lots of babies.  Our memories are filled with packed Sunday School rooms and youth groups in the 70s and 80s because of the Baby Boom. 

Numerical church growth happens in two ways 1) procreation and 2) invitation.  As I look out at your wonderful faces I know that many of you think about these things.  But  I feel confident in saying, "Most of our numerical growth at St. Peter's is not going to come from procreation." 

So our bless-ed alternative is "Invitation."  Whether you invite children or adults we must become inviting...not just welcoming.  That means we get to engage people outside our walls.  And it means you have to say things like, "I'd love for you to come worship with me."   "I think you would like our church family."

Like you, I feel the desire of new and young life because we all want to pass down our heritage.  We have a great heritage; we have a beautiful tradition.  Why do we struggle to share that with others?  Why do I?  Why do you struggle to share our merciful, forgiving, libertarian way of being Christian? 

Are you concerned about the sense of "judging" others? Are you concerned that someone might "reject" our church.   In either of these instances God does not give us the choice of withholding our faith from other people.  In fact Jesus tells us if someone rejects you they are not reject you, they are rejecting Jesus.  But nonetheless we are to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near.

As we approach the New Year (the New Christian Year starts in Advent.)  Let's renew our attitude toward our Faith in Jesus.  Let's be Thankful for the love we share in Christ and in our Community of St. Peter's.  Christmas is a perfect time when people are receptive to invitations to worship.

Let's have an infectious attitude toward loving the people of Brenham.  And maybe our infection will spread.

Growing Pains Vol. 4.3 October 2018

Everybody's got a plan on how to grow the church.  If we just change this, or if we just change that. If the priest were more dynamic.  If the music was a different style...  If we had more children, then their parents would come.  If we have program for the parents, then they'll bring their children.  If we use the prayer book; if we print the entire bulletin.  If we weren't so formal...

If...if...if...if...if...

It's ironic to me that the very thing that we love about our tradition seems to be the thing that folks think we need to change in order to reach new people.  The Episcopal Church and St. Peter's specifically has a beauty to offer Brenham and Washington County.  We have a great church.  People laugh, are friendly, care and pray for other members and for non-members.  You know! Church-y things.

Pause and think.  You are already here at St. Peter's.  Something about St. Peter's or the Prayer Book  or our music, or friendships...whatever it is, makes you love this community, even if it's not perfect.  There are other people out in the county that think and feel the same way as you.  The very thing that makes you love St. Peter's...is what they haven't experienced yet.

If any thing at all needs to change it's this:  Our attitude. Our attitude needs to change about our self.  St. Peter's (and the Episcopal Church for that matter) has a great tradition that brings value to the Christian Body and is God's gift to a particular type of people.  We are not mega-church, and that is just fine.  We may be the Frozen Chosen, and that is just fine too.  Why? Because even the Frozen Chosen are still Chosen.

When it comes to church, let's do what we do.  Let's just do it better.  Let's love St. Peter's like we love Jesus Christ and are thankful for his gift to us.

What does God say about growth?  If only we could figure out the new gimmick to trick people into coming to church?  No!! It is to plant seeds of joy, forgiveness, kindness.  And it is to say as St. Andrew said to St. Peter, "Come and see..."

My godly counsel to you about growing the church: make peace with what we are.  Be excited about who we are as Christians.  Love Jesus and St. Peter's more than you love your favorite sports team, the golf course, or your politics.  And when you do...then you'll see growth.

On Praying Vol 4.2 October 2018

Article 2 (2 of 2)
"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."  Matthew 6.7 KJV

Matthew's gospel tells us Jesus' response to his disciples when they ask him, "Teach us to pray as John taught his disciples."  Jesus will go on to offer the familiar words, "Our Father who art in heaven..."

Having grown up in a Christian world view we take for granted that we know how to pray.  We see our grandmothers or mothers do it.  If we are lucky we might see our father modeling prayer.  Of course on Sundays we see the priest standing on behalf the people praying.

Growing up, my prayer life was modeled/muddled with an uncertainty of how to speak to God.  And it generally boiled down to requests for health when I was sick, or a plea to not get caught if I had done something wrong.

As a child during worship services I remember hearing the lay reader rattle off a never ending chain of names.  If it seemed to take an eternity to read through the list of names, then it was because it took forever.  Who were these faceless people that we prayed for?

It struck me recently that having read the bible I've never come across a passage of scripture that mandates, or even suggests, that the church or individuals have a "prayer list."  In the ancient church a piece of paper would be considered a luxury.  Who could afford paper?  Who could read; who could write?  Your prayers were offered for  the names of the people that you remember.  A written list of names of faceless people is peculiar to our age.

That thought reminded me of a church I attended in high school.  The prayer list seemed to go on and on.  At some point a new priest came and began to clean things up a bit.  He asked intrusive questions such as, "Who is this person on the prayer list?"  The church had been praying the name of a sick woman for many years.  With a little bit of sleuthing he discovered she had died two years earlier.
No one bothered to take her off the list.  No one bothered to take her off the list...(sic)

Jesus' admonition that we not pray vein and repetitious prayers is a call to mindfulness in our prayers.  We don't pray simply to hear our own voices or to offer up many words because we think God will hear us.  We pray to be mindful of God in the lives of people that we name.

Don't take for granted that the way we do things is always the "right" way.  Sometimes, it's just "the-way-we've-always-done-it."  "The-way-we've-always-done-it" is not a good enough reason for the status quo.  Jesus teaches us to make prayers and supplications with mindful intention, not mindless, meaningless liturgy or lists.  When you pray, pray thoughtfully.

Blessings,
Fr. Stephen+

On Prayer Vol. 4.1 October 2018

Updating our prayer list.

This is the first of two articles I'm providing on the topic of prayer.  Article 1 deals mainly with procedures for the Church Prayer List while Article 2 address the rationale.

Article 1 On Prayer (1 of 2)

Prayer lists can be very complicated things to maintain.  It's not just about adding names and taking them off again.  Having a prayer list involves confidentiality, privacy, and mindful praying.

Recently, I sat down with Nancy Leaton and Cherry Daugbjerg to discuss our process of submitting names for the parish prayer list.  We factored in several concerns such as 1) providing information to deliver prayer shawls, 2) prayer for specific health concerns, 3) keeping the privacy of those for whom we pray, and 4) communicating the list to the congregation on a weekly basis.  I think we have found a faithful and simple solution to address all of these concerns.

Some of these items are already in place while others are simply additional.

The Church Prayer List.

1) The Church Prayer List is reset quarterly in January, April, July, and October.  Every three months we will re-add names to the list.  This is to ensure that we are mindful of the people we are praying for and not simply leaving names on the list.

2) If you would like to add a person to this list, then a) gain his or her permission b) call the church office and speak with Amy, and c)the person's name will be added to the list during the current quarter.

3) When we are able to produce prayer shawls we strive to bless the folks on this list with the gift.

4) This prayer list will be published weekly in the service bulletin so that you can prayer for one another during the week.

Sunday Prayer List

The Sunday Prayer List will include the Church Prayer List printed on the large print Prayers of the People sheet in the narthex.  The sheet is on the left hand side of the narthex on the table.  On this sheet you can write in names for prayers during Sunday worship only.  The prayers on this sheet will be offered up on the altar during the Eucharist and by Father Stephen during his morning devotional.

Thank you for helping us keep an orderly stewardship of our prayer life.  If you have any questions please contact me.

Blessings,

Fr. Stephen+

Making sacrifices Vol 3.1 September 2018

Our very faith is founded on it, our leader exemplifies it, we speak of it's importance, but... do we do it?

Sometimes I have to ask myself, "What am I sacrificing for the cause of the Good News of Jesus Christ?"

There is no place in Brenham and no place in Washington county that worships the Lord in the "beauty of holiness" the way we do right here at St. Peter’s.  

There is nothing I would rather be doing right now, than to be right here.

I love this place!

If I wasn’t a priest…you know where I’d be?  I’d be right here at St. Peter's!

So I want to tell you something…I’m not sacrificing anything to be here right now.

I’m not sacrificing sleeping in, I’m not sacrificing my Sunday morning.

I’m not sacrificing by coming to church.

Because this. is. what. I. want. to. be. doing!

So if Jesus says to me… "Stephen you have to pick up your cross and follow me… you have to lose your life for my sake and for the sake of the good news," and Sunday isn’t a sacrifice…

then I’ve got to find some place to sacrifice. 

I've got to offer something to God that will cost me.  I’ve got to find some other place to give to the Kingdom of God… I have to step out of my comfort zone and bring the Joy of God to other people around.

What I’m saying is, if we think worshiping on Sunday is all it takes…we haven’t sacrificed for the gospel.  Reflect on your day, every day. I ask myself, "Have I been generous with my time or resources to help those who need help?"

If any of us thinks he is finished growing in Christ…we should think again.

Great Expectations Vol. 2.1 August 2018

I finally read it: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.  Well, technically, I didn't read it.  After restarting the book 4 or 5 times over the last 12 years, I received a free credit on audio books; I downloaded the Victorian age classic and listened while I read.  *Spoiler Alert* It does not end the way you expected.

Dickens leads you on in the story of hopes and dreams for a young boy named Pip.  I hoped and expected Pip the Pauper to fall in love with the girl, Pip to rise above his station, and to be endowed with money.  And, I thought, Miss Havisham would orchestrate the whole thing.  Well, Dickens misled me. He bait and switched me, and he surprised me along the way.

That got me thinking about expectations.

Expectations can be a good thing.   Expectations could mean we are hopeful for the future like when we expect the birth of baby or graduation of a senior.  Both events come with lots of emotions of gain and loss, but they are overwhelmingly positive milestones.

Expectations can also be a dangerous thing.  When you expect to win, but you lose.  When you expect someone to act in a certain way, but they fall short of your expectations.

From a priest's perspective some of the most difficult expectations are those that are unspoken or assumed.  When you want or expect something from your priest that is unknown, unspoken, or (forbid it) unreasonable, it leads to misunderstanding, hurt feelings, and worst of all, anger.  But this is true of all of our relationships.

God gives us a method for dealing with these things.  It's called communication.  He communicates with us through prayer, scripture reading, and through graceful acts for one another.  God models for us how to navigate our expectations of life with the reality of life.  When I don't get what I want, he helps me make peace with it.

What do we expect?  Let's keep it simple.  I try to align my expectations with God's commandment.

Love God with your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

If you're living this way, then you're living a faithful Christian life. 

If you’re living this way, then you can expect God’s peace.

SFW+

New Beginnings Vol. 1.1 July 2018

Have I already told you how great it is to be in Brenham? Thank you to everyone that has dropped by in the office to say hello.  You’ve all made my welcome to Brenham and St. Peter’s feel like home, and I’m very privileged to be here with you.  I’d like to share with you all our family plan for the next few days so you are aware of the craziness in our household.

I’m writing this on Tuesday July 24^th.  I have been camping out at St. Peter’s House across the street until Thursday; Kate and Mary Kathryn are in Clear Lake, Texas with her parents.  They are expecting to come up for our house closing on Thursday July 26^th.  After the closing Kate, Matthew (18) and Mary Kathryn (16) will be heading to Wimberly, Texas to celebrate Kate’s father’s 70^th birthday. 

We won’t see Matthew very much in Brenham as he is working summer sessions at Camp Allen.  And very soon he starts the fall semester at Rice.  I will remain here in Brenham while the family goes to Wimberly so that on Friday July 27^th I can tell the movers which rooms to put the boxes in the new house.

Now!  None of this sounds very spiritual, does it? Well the faithful part is that Kate is allowing me to tell the movers where to put things in the house.  Sometimes faithfulness comes from places you don’t expect.  In the middle of the craziness of moving we have to find some place that is stable and sure.  That’s why for the last several days I have been praying Morning Prayer and Compline in our beautiful chapel.  Prayer helps keep me stable when everything else is up in the air.

You should see my office right now, talk about crazy.  Books and files on the floor and knick-knacks haven’t found a home on a shelf yet.  Lord help me bring order to this chaos.  Better still, Lord help me rest in you while the chaos swirls around me. 

I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you.  I’ve gotten to sit down briefly with each of our staff members and they are wonderful. I am so thankful that God has brought us together, and I am so glad to be at St. Peter’s!

I've got to go, I'll check with Amy Schramm to make sure this article is long enough.

Blessings,
Fr. Stephen +