Too much God?

Hi, all!

As a priest in the church, I use the word "God" a lot. I pray in the name of God, preach about God, and bring God up in conversations. I'm expected to talk about God, and I love to talk about God. God this, God that, God all over the place. God, God, God.

But sometimes I wonder if I don't use the word too much. Sometimes it seems like we in the church treat God as a commodity we're trying to package and promote, and maybe even sell. We use the word "God" so much it becomes commonplace and dull. Maybe we overuse the word "God."

After all, isn't God sacred and holy and mysterious? And shouldn't we be more careful in using the holy name? Orthodox Jews are careful to avoid saying God's name because it's too holy, and some people spell it G-d, just so they keep a sense of mystery and awe around the name of God.

One of the things I love about the Eucharist is that it keeps an aura of mystery around God. We chant, pray, break bread, keep silence. We enter the mystery that has no name except the name God told Moses: "I am who I am." 

That's what draws me to the Eucharist. That's what makes our Episcopal worship alive and pulsing with meaning, at least for me. I wonder if you feel the same. I hope so.

See you in G-d's house!

Bill  

The Vicar's Hello 6-16-2011 "Summertime"

Hi, all!

After a long, cold spring season that seemed to last forever, summer has finally come. School is out (mostly), gardens are planted, and people are making plans for summer vacations. I think I hear a collective sigh of relief.

Summer is a sabbath season for many of us. We slow our activities down, find time to spend with family and friends, do outside things, and generally adopt a slower pace of life. I think that's healthy. Even in a difficult economy, most of us can find simple pleasures close to home that nourish us. It's a chance for us to re-connect with God in new ways.

Many of us will be travelling during the summer, taking vacations, visiting family, and generally relaxing. If you're near an Episcopal Church on a Sunday, I hope you'll stop in and worship. Bring back a bulletin so we can see how they worship!

While you're away, we'll keep the rhythm of the church going with Morning Prayer and Eucharist, and when you return, we'll be here for you. The life of the church goes on, and there are always open arms waiting for you at St. Antony's.

In parish news, Bill, Melanie, and Chelsea Reeder are in Fort Benning, Georgia for Chad's graduation from Airborne School. Congratulations!

See you Sunday around the Lord's Table!

Bill  

Dream, dream, dream

I'm a dreamer. 

I guess I always have been. As a child I sat in my school desk and dreamed of great adventures in faraway places. In ninth grade I dreamed in Mr. McLain's Civics class while looking out the window at the squirrels in the treetops. I find it easy to just take off on a daydream of how things might be, could be, should be.

All this dreaming gets me in trouble, of course. How many times have I been yanked back to so-called reality by someone demanding a response from me? And daydreams can get in the way of getting things done, so I have to remember to set my daydreams aside sometimes.

But there's a good side to daydreams, too. How would we have poets and poetry if we didn't have dreamers? How would we have visionary leaders if they didn't dream a little? Think what a dull world it would be if someone didn't dream up new things for us to think about and create.

I find that my relationship with God requires a little daydreaming now and then. "Thy kingdom come", for instance, really gets my imagination going. What does it mean, anyway? And what about prayer? Isn't prayer daydreaming with God, letting your mind freewheel while listening for something from God?

One of the prayers in the Prayer Book asks God to "fill our imaginations" (p. 832). I love thinking how God might fill our imaginations with all kinds of new dreams and new ideas. In the lesson from Actsthis Sunday, it says that old men shall dream dreams. I like that.

I admit that too much daydreaming gets in the way. But I think God calls us to do at least a little daydreaming every day.

Hello from the Vicar 6/3/2011

Our children and young people at St. Antony's were inspirational last Sunday as they led us in worship at the 10:00 Eucharist! Our young ones served as ushers and greeters, read the lessons and the prayers, and served at the altar. What wonderful young people we have!

When I hear the lessons read by a young person, they sound completely new. The freshness of a child's voice awakens something in me. And having our children around the altar, immersed in the words, music, and action of the Eucharist, makes it come alive in a special way.

I'm sure that our children learned a lot from their participation in the Eucharist. They learned that they're full participants, full members in the church, and they have a special place in God's house. It was wonderful to see their faces during the Eucharistic prayer because they were so attentive as they watched the actions at the altar. 

I'm thankful for our young people and for all who teach and care for them, especially Melanie Reeder, who leads our Sunday School, and Charles Smith, Kathy Little, and Mary and Roger Zabinski. We treasure our children!

See you Sunday as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist!

Hello from the Vicar 5/26/2011

This week I'm on vacation, visiting my family in Colorado. I attended the high school graduation of Ben, my brother's son, in Broomfield, and David, my sister's son, in Boulder. Then I drove to southeast Colorado to spend a few days with my mother, and to visit my younger sister who lives nearby.

It feels good to be immersed in my family and catch up on everyone's lives since my last trip. I'm surrounded by the love of my family. I did a few chores around the house for my mother, who is 91 and lives in her own home, and spent some quality time with her.

Every day I've taken long walks and I can feel my body relaxing and getting more healthy as I live more simply. I'm reminded how Jesus took time to get away from the press of demands on him, and he reconnected with himself and with God. 

As we move into summer, I hope you'll have some time to renew yourself with simplicity, quiet, and the love of family and friends. I know it works for me!

I'm looking forward to gathering with you on Sunday as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist with our children and young people leading us in worship.