Hello from the Vicar 4/23/2011

Hi, all!

I wrote this Easter blessing for you:

On this day, may Easter light break in on you;

brighten your soul and make your face shine.

May the risen Christ make an appearance in your kitchen

or when walking out the door of your house

or at the touch of someone's hand.

May you see the love of God in every flower,

your child's heart filled with wonder.

May God's hidden beauty burst into your eyesight.

May you be raised! 

Your empty tombs left behind!

May your silences shout for joy!

May every face hold a mystery for you,

and every human being the miracle of the living Christ.

May you leap at the chance for a new start,

and may you be surprised by your own resurrection.

I'm writing this especially aware of the resurrection of Eunice Brodde, our dear friend who died this week, and I'm thinking of her alive with God, free of her wracked body, dancing for joy. Her niece Jamie has asked that we remember her in a memorial service on the afternoon of Sunday, May 15, at Clearbrook Care Center. I'll let you know when the time is set.

I'm also remembering Mary Warner, who died in January, and her artistic soul, now free to enjoy the beauty of heaven.

Happy Easter!

Bill

Hello from the Vicar 04/16/2011

Hi, all!

It’s here. Holy Week. The holiest time of the year. It’s called “Holy Week” because these are the high holy days of the Christian year. The days we walk with Christ through his suffering, death and resurrection. Palm Sunday. Maundy Thursday. Good Friday. Easter Sunday.

I have mixed feelings about Holy Week. On the one hand, it’s uncomfortable. Hearing the passion story on Palm Sunday starts me thinking what it was like for Jesus. When we observe Jesus’ last supper with his disciples on Maundy Thursday, I sense the tension in that room. On Good Friday I imagine the nails going through Jesus hands, and I cringe. Holy Saturday is the grief of the disciples.

But something attracts me to Holy Week as well. After all, this is the heart of the Christian faith. This is what gives the Christian message its deep credibility: Jesus’ love for you and me is poured out on the cross. All the rest of the year, when I receive holy communion, I’m reminded of the events of holy week, and I feel Jesus’ deep love for me. This is important stuff.

This morning (Saturday – I’m a little behind) we had an energetic work party with lots of folks washing, cleaning, trimming, weeding, and making palm crosses. My thanks to Ken Stephens and Loretta McGinley for making this a success.

We have a new name on the list of members of the Armed Forces. Recently a visitor named Petey worshiped with us for two weeks. She said she truly enjoyed her time with us and asked us to pray for her son Russell Vial, who’s in the Navy and is leaving for Iraq as an individual augmentee.

This afternoon I stopped by Clearbrook to see Eunice Brodde. Eunice is recovering from a broken arm and rib and now she’s got pneumonia. I got to meet her twin sister and well as several great-nieces and nephews who had come to visit. Please keep Eunice in your prayers.

Also, please remember Linda Robuck and her mother Kay. Linda and her daughter Kristen drove to central California this week to be with Kay who is near death. In this difficult time, we remember Linda’s family and ask God to give them comfort and strength.

See you tomorrow at church (wait till you see the fantastic palm fans behind the altar!).

Bill

Jesus' Entry Into Jerusalem

On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem seated on a donkey, to fulfill the prophecy that the king would come on a donkey. This sketch is a copy of an 1860 print by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld.

The Valley of Dry Bones

Hello from the Vicar 04/08/2011

Hi, all!

I spent the first part of this week at the annual clergy conference at Alderbrook Resort on Hood Canal near Belfair. You may be wondering, "What do clergy do at a three-day conference?"

Well, we spent a day with our bishop, Greg, discussing the nature of ordination and doing some diocesan business. Then we had a day and a half retreat with Eugene Sutton, the bishop of Maryland. Bishop Sutton emphasized to us the importance of being grounded in an authentic spirituality before we can do the work of a priest or a deacon. 

Your ministry is what you do, he said, and your role is the position you are called to, but your vocation is your deep calling from God that resides in your soul. Keep in touch with your soul, he said.

What I really enjoyed was catching up with my clergy colleagues and making new friends. There are some amazingly talented and diverse clergy in our diocese, and it's wonderful to be with them. I had the privilege of singing in the choir under the direction of Jim Friedrich, a gifted musician and liturgist. I learned a lot.

I arrived back home to deal with a broken furnace at church. Last Sunday we had to keep our coats on in church because it was so cold, but I think we've got the furnace repaired. At least, it was working when I stopped by today.

I'm glad to report that Allison Edmonds started her new job as church secretary this week. She's had an avalanche of information to deal with, but she's a quick learner and I have no doubt she'll master it quickly. Her office hours are 10-1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 10-2 on Thursdays. Stop by and say hello!

We're drawing closer to Holy Week and our observance of the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. It's a profound and holy time and I hope it will deepen and strengthen your faith. On to Jerusalem!

Bill 

He worshiped Jesus

This is the sketch of the day for tomorrow's Gospel lesson about the man born blind. Jesus made mud with his saliva, rubbed it on the man's eyes and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. When he did, he received his sight. Later, when he saw Jesus and discovered it was he who had healed him, he worshiped him.

Hello from the Vicar 04-01-2011

Hi, all!

Will it ever stop raining? It seems like it's been raining forever. I don't remember it being this wet in previous years, and I see that we're well above the average rainfall. When will spring come?

When I get in a funk about all the rain, I remind myself that, after all, this is Puget Sound, and it rains here. The beautiful green forests depend on lots of rain, and so do the salmon streams and the aquifers under the ground. This is just nature's way of keeping the balance.

I'm grateful to live in such a beautiful place. The smell of salt air, the tall stands of fir trees, the ever-changing seascapes all around us, the profusion of green things, the snowy mountains  -- we're surrounded by staggering beauty. God's creation is a web of life with such amazing diversity and complexity. So when I take a walk in the rain, I remember that this is God's gift to us, and the rain doesn't bother me.

I've enjoyed seeing some new faces at St. Antony's recently, and it seems like there's a good spirit about our parish gatherings. I hope you'll introduce yourself to newcomers and make them feel welcome. It's what we're really good at!

I was glad to hear that Heather George's daughter, Kathryn, found work at Bainbridge Jewelry. Kathryn wants to get into sales and marketing and this is a great opportunity. And recently Mary Zabinski was hired at the Kitsap Visitor and Convention Bureau, a great place for her skills to be showcased. Last week we said goodbye to Michael Deboer, who was transferred by the Navy toHawaii. Michael and his wife Sally will finally be stationed together.

The Gospel story for Sunday is the story of Jesus healing the man born blind, and what it means to have sight. I hope we'll see each other - really see each other - on Sunday for Holy Eucharist.

Bill 

The man born blind

Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes. John 9:6