Currently I'm teaching two classes, one on Wednesday nights and one at noon on Thursdays. I enjoy teaching, especially when the class is animated, and I find it very rewarding.
My favorite method of teaching a class is to engage the members of the class with questions and discussion topics that provoke lots of interchange. When the topic is framed in a way that gets everybody involved, there's probably some learning going on.
Somewhere I read, "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I participate and I learn." In other words, the more engaged a person is in the discussion, the more they'll get out of it. There's a time when lectures by the teacher are helpful and necessary - but it's best to keep them to a minimum.
Our Wednesday class is a four-part introduction to the Psalms. Because the Psalms are so fascinating and touch such deep emotions, there's plenty to work with. Last night we did a wonderful line-by-line exploration of the twenty-third Psalm. I hope everyone else benefited from it, because I sure did!
Our Thursday class is exploring the Commandments in the Bible. Sounds like a dull topic, but using Walter Brueggemann's book The Covenanted Self brings a lot of energy and spark to the discussion.
We've been having good attendance at these classes, which is very encouraging. I sense a spirit of togetherness as we spend these hours together.
When I come home, I tell Katy, "It sure takes a lot of work to teach a class." She says, "Duh! I'm a professor, you know!"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Reclaiming the moral high ground
On his second day in office, President Obama signed executive orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and to require the use of the Army Field Manual for interrogation. I'm relieved to hear this news. These actions will help restore the image of America throughout the world and help us reclaim the moral high ground.
The fight against terrorism is a deadly fight, and one we must wage with all the skill and strength we can. But when we act in ways that are worse than the enemies we're fighting, how can we claim to be fighting for freedom and democracy?
Besides that, the usefulness of the Guantanamo Bay facility and extreme interrogation have been seriously questioned. Were these methods of dealing prisoners actually effective? There's not any evidence they work, and they may actually be counterproductive.
By holding ourselves to our highest ideals as a nation, we're more likely to prevail in the struggle against terrorism, as well as the struggle to win the hearts and minds of people across the globe.
Closing Guantanamo raises difficult issues. Where will the hardened prisoners go? That will be a prickly problem to solve. But at least we're going in the right direction.
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The fight against terrorism is a deadly fight, and one we must wage with all the skill and strength we can. But when we act in ways that are worse than the enemies we're fighting, how can we claim to be fighting for freedom and democracy?
Besides that, the usefulness of the Guantanamo Bay facility and extreme interrogation have been seriously questioned. Were these methods of dealing prisoners actually effective? There's not any evidence they work, and they may actually be counterproductive.
By holding ourselves to our highest ideals as a nation, we're more likely to prevail in the struggle against terrorism, as well as the struggle to win the hearts and minds of people across the globe.
Closing Guantanamo raises difficult issues. Where will the hardened prisoners go? That will be a prickly problem to solve. But at least we're going in the right direction.
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Thursday, January 22, 2009
Naval Submarine League
Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Naval Submarine League at the Bangor Base to hear a presentation by Roger Bacon, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.). Roger is a parishioner at St. Antony's.
This was my first time to enter the Bangor Naval Submarine Base. Another parishioner who is a retired Navy captain offered me a ride to get me through the military checkpoint at the gates of the facility.
Admiral Bacon spoke about his experience in submarine warfare during the cold war, from 1960 to 1991. Although he couldn't offer many specifics, he gave an overview of how we used intelligence to contain the Soviet submarine threat. It was a fascinating presentation by an impressive authority on the subject.
I've heard it said that submariners are a tight-knit group, and I could see that yesterday. Most of the members of the Naval Submarine League are retired submariners, and it was obvious in their conversations that they feel a close bond that comes from many years of working together in the Navy. Their careers overlapped and crossed many times as they served in many parts of the world.
They also invited the commander of the sub Louisiana to receive an award for exemplary performance. About a dozen members of his crew were there, all of them chiseled, disciplined sailors under the age of forty. It was impressive to see the retired submariners interact with the active-duty sailors, and you could almost see the exchange of respect and honor that was going on.
I was honored to be part of this event.
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Obama's inaugural speech
Today I drove to Bainbridge Island for a meeting of the Fresh Start program, and Martin Yabroff, the Rector of St. Andrew's in Tacoma, rode with me.
We started driving at 9:00 AM, and we turned on the radio just in time to hear Barack Obama give the oath of office. Then we listened intently as he gave his inaugural address. My heart soared as I listened to his voice. I thought his speech was a masterpiece, a monument of prose.
Obama spoke with lofty words as he called on the ideals of our nation. He acknowledged that we are living in a time of crisis but he called on us to achieve greatness as we have in the past.
He recalled the values that have made us what we are - "hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism."
He called for a new approach in solving our nation's problems, an approach that leaves behind the squabbling of the past. He said, "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works."
He remembered the sacrifice of those who have served our country. "As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages."
I thought his words were inspired and inspiring. Quite an amazing speech for a man whose father might have been refused service at a restaurant in that same city 60 years earlier. I heard no words of bitterness or anger or cynicism from Barack.
And he used the "G" word - God. He concluded with the classic benediction: "God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."
I'm hopeful. I'm very hopeful.
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We started driving at 9:00 AM, and we turned on the radio just in time to hear Barack Obama give the oath of office. Then we listened intently as he gave his inaugural address. My heart soared as I listened to his voice. I thought his speech was a masterpiece, a monument of prose.
Obama spoke with lofty words as he called on the ideals of our nation. He acknowledged that we are living in a time of crisis but he called on us to achieve greatness as we have in the past.
He recalled the values that have made us what we are - "hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism."
He called for a new approach in solving our nation's problems, an approach that leaves behind the squabbling of the past. He said, "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works."
He remembered the sacrifice of those who have served our country. "As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages."
I thought his words were inspired and inspiring. Quite an amazing speech for a man whose father might have been refused service at a restaurant in that same city 60 years earlier. I heard no words of bitterness or anger or cynicism from Barack.
And he used the "G" word - God. He concluded with the classic benediction: "God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."
I'm hopeful. I'm very hopeful.
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Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Feast Day of St. Antony of Egypt
Today, January 17, is the feast day of our patron saint, Antony of Egypt.I found this painting by Zurbaran at http://dailyoffice.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/11709-st-antony-of-egypt/ and thought I'd share it.
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Friday, January 16, 2009
Pastoral care
In our congregation, we have a number of people who are in some manner experiencing health problems. Some are recovering from surgery or medical problems, and some are dealing with the afflictions that come with advancing years.
As the vicar, I try to keep in touch with everyone in difficulty. I enjoy visiting parishioners in the hospital or at home. But I'm also aware that we have a very active network of pastoral care within our church family. Recently I brought communion to an elderly member recovering from surgery, and when I arrived, I found one of our church members had brought supper and was spending the afternoon with her! More than once I've visited a parishioner in the hospital and found another church member also visiting.
I'm impressed with the level of care and concern we have for each other. We naturally reach out to each other and provide support and care. Obviously we've adopted a high level of awareness and concern for providing pastoral care to each other. What a beautiful thing for a church to do!
As always, there's the possibility that we've missed someone. I hope that whenever a person is in need of pastoral care, someone in the church will hear about it and let our pastoral care network know so that we can respond appropriately.
Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." At St. Antony's, we do that!
As the vicar, I try to keep in touch with everyone in difficulty. I enjoy visiting parishioners in the hospital or at home. But I'm also aware that we have a very active network of pastoral care within our church family. Recently I brought communion to an elderly member recovering from surgery, and when I arrived, I found one of our church members had brought supper and was spending the afternoon with her! More than once I've visited a parishioner in the hospital and found another church member also visiting.
I'm impressed with the level of care and concern we have for each other. We naturally reach out to each other and provide support and care. Obviously we've adopted a high level of awareness and concern for providing pastoral care to each other. What a beautiful thing for a church to do!
As always, there's the possibility that we've missed someone. I hope that whenever a person is in need of pastoral care, someone in the church will hear about it and let our pastoral care network know so that we can respond appropriately.
Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." At St. Antony's, we do that!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Antony, our patron saint
This Sunday we'll celebrate the feast day of Antony of Egypt, the saint for whom our church is named. From what I understand, we've never really made a big deal of our saint's day, but I'd like to raise our consciousness level about Antony.
Many Episcopal churches are named after saints, and many churches celebrate the feast day of their namesake as a way of celebrating their parish life and history. I hope that we might work in that direction in years to come.
When I've asked why we are named after Antony of Egypt, no one seems to know. "It seemed like a good name." Apparently the name was chosen from a list and submitted to the bishop. The bishop approved the choice, but he wrote back specifically saying that the spelling of the name is Antony, not Anthony. Antony is in our calendar of saints, but not Anthony.
Antony lived at the time when Christianity ceased being a persecuted minority religion and was embraced by Emperor Constantine in 312 AD as the religion of the Roman Empire. Antony and others felt that being a Christian ought to involve some struggle and sacrifice, so he sold everything he owned and went into the desert as a hermit.
He lived a solitary life and fasted and prayed. The story is that he experienced many temptations, and the devil himself tested Antony. After many years, he emerged from the desert a saintly man, sought by many for his healing power and his wisdom.
Others wanted to join him in his quest for spiritual purity, and he eventually became the abbot of the first monastery of monks who gathered around him.
I wonder what characteristics of Antony are also characteristics of our parish. We're not a monastery, and we don't live a severe life like Antony, and yet there may be some things about him for us to emulate: his life of contemplative prayer, his purity, his willingness to follow the call of God, his resolve not to be conformed to his culture. Because Antony was a North African, we have a model for diversity and variety.
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Many Episcopal churches are named after saints, and many churches celebrate the feast day of their namesake as a way of celebrating their parish life and history. I hope that we might work in that direction in years to come.
When I've asked why we are named after Antony of Egypt, no one seems to know. "It seemed like a good name." Apparently the name was chosen from a list and submitted to the bishop. The bishop approved the choice, but he wrote back specifically saying that the spelling of the name is Antony, not Anthony. Antony is in our calendar of saints, but not Anthony.
Antony lived at the time when Christianity ceased being a persecuted minority religion and was embraced by Emperor Constantine in 312 AD as the religion of the Roman Empire. Antony and others felt that being a Christian ought to involve some struggle and sacrifice, so he sold everything he owned and went into the desert as a hermit.
He lived a solitary life and fasted and prayed. The story is that he experienced many temptations, and the devil himself tested Antony. After many years, he emerged from the desert a saintly man, sought by many for his healing power and his wisdom.
Others wanted to join him in his quest for spiritual purity, and he eventually became the abbot of the first monastery of monks who gathered around him.
I wonder what characteristics of Antony are also characteristics of our parish. We're not a monastery, and we don't live a severe life like Antony, and yet there may be some things about him for us to emulate: his life of contemplative prayer, his purity, his willingness to follow the call of God, his resolve not to be conformed to his culture. Because Antony was a North African, we have a model for diversity and variety.
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Vicar is - IN
After nearly two weeks of not posting on this blog, I'm back. I guess I was pretty burned out after Christmas and needed a break. Sometimes it's good to give a routine a rest so that you can return refreshed.
I read somewhere that 90% of all blogs last no more than a few weeks. It takes a lot of discipline and focus to keep a blog going. I suppose any lasting endeavor takes a lot of effort and perseverance. Blogging is the same.
Any one blog post may not get any comments or reactions at all, so it's hard to guess whether anyone is reading it or whether it makes a difference at all. So there's a certain amount of blind faith needed to keep a blog going.
I write this blog as a kind of personal discipline to write something everyday and to keep myself focused on the life of the church and on the scriptures for the upcoming Sundays. I hope that when my parishioners, friends, or visitors read this blog, they'll be inspired to see something in a new way or be encouraged in their faith journey.
Thanks for reading!
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I read somewhere that 90% of all blogs last no more than a few weeks. It takes a lot of discipline and focus to keep a blog going. I suppose any lasting endeavor takes a lot of effort and perseverance. Blogging is the same.
Any one blog post may not get any comments or reactions at all, so it's hard to guess whether anyone is reading it or whether it makes a difference at all. So there's a certain amount of blind faith needed to keep a blog going.
I write this blog as a kind of personal discipline to write something everyday and to keep myself focused on the life of the church and on the scriptures for the upcoming Sundays. I hope that when my parishioners, friends, or visitors read this blog, they'll be inspired to see something in a new way or be encouraged in their faith journey.
Thanks for reading!
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Thursday, January 1, 2009
Holy Name Day - or - New Year's Day
Today is Holy Name Day - or as some know it - New Year's Day.
It's called Holy Name Day because it's the eighth day of Christmas, and in Jesus' time, the eighth day after birth of a boy was the day for his circumcision and the giving of his name.
"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb." (Luke 2:15-21)
For a Christian, the name of Jesus is a special and sacred name. "How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!" (Hymnal 644)
The very meaning of name Jesus is, "God saves", and for us to say the name Jesus is to call upon the one who saves us. What a beautiful name to have on our lips!
Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." (John 16:23) So there's something very special about praying with Jesus' name. Occasionally I will pray the repetitive "Jesus Prayer": "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner." Or, to abbreviate the prayer, "Jesus, mercy."
Sometimes I think we don't say the name Jesus enough. When we say someone's name, it means we know them very well. How often do we put the name of Jesus on our lips? Maybe if we used his name more often, we would know him better.
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It's called Holy Name Day because it's the eighth day of Christmas, and in Jesus' time, the eighth day after birth of a boy was the day for his circumcision and the giving of his name.
"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb." (Luke 2:15-21)
For a Christian, the name of Jesus is a special and sacred name. "How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear!" (Hymnal 644)
The very meaning of name Jesus is, "God saves", and for us to say the name Jesus is to call upon the one who saves us. What a beautiful name to have on our lips!
Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." (John 16:23) So there's something very special about praying with Jesus' name. Occasionally I will pray the repetitive "Jesus Prayer": "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner." Or, to abbreviate the prayer, "Jesus, mercy."
Sometimes I think we don't say the name Jesus enough. When we say someone's name, it means we know them very well. How often do we put the name of Jesus on our lips? Maybe if we used his name more often, we would know him better.
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