Santa Maria, Madre de Dios

Otra vez se prepara la Iglesia para celebrar la alegre festividad de Santa Maria Virgen y, como en otras ocasiones, surgen preguntas acerca del lugar de la Bendita Virgen en la fe y espiritualidad de la Iglesia Episcopal.

Quizas la mas comun sea en cuanto a la designacion de Maria como “Madre de Dios”. Madre de Dios? Como va a ser eso? Ella es solo madre de Jesus! Dios no tiene principio ni fin! Como pues puede Maria ser madre de Dios! Hace unos años hasta me regalaron un CD con una cancioncita en cumbia que decia..” no hay una madre, Dios no ha nacido…”

Esta respuesta clasica en algunos circulos de la comunidad cristiana no es nada nuevo! En el siglo 4to de nuestra era, el presbitero Nestorio en Alejandría se oponia a que la Virgen fuera llamada Madre de Dios sino solo madre de Cristo. Su enseñanza la cual hacia una separacion entre la naturaleza humana y la naturaleza divina de Cristo fue eventualmente condenada como herejia en el concilio de Efeso en el 431. Los cristianos de su epoca respondieron, correctamente, que María es madre de Cristo, el cual es Dios encarnado, por lo tanto ella es propiamente llamada madre de Dios.

Es esta verdad de la encarnacion la que anima la espiritualidad del Anglicanismo y de la Iglesia Episcopal! Si hay una madre, Dios si ha nacido, “El Verbo se hizo carne y habito entre nosotros y vimos su Gloria…”. A Dios nadie lo vio jamas pero el hijo de María es la “imagen visible del Dios invisible…”. El mundo es diferente desde este acontecimento unico! Dios entra en la historia y forma parte de ella, comparte nuestra humanidad, El viene como dijese la liturgia Eucaristica “para vivir y morir como uno de nosotros".

Desde las paginas de la Escritura la voz de Isabel, madre de Juan el Bautista y llena del Espiritu Santo, es la primera en dar testimonio de esa verdad! Saluda a la joven Maria, ya encinta, que la visita diciendo; quien soy yo para que me visite la madre de mi Señor!

Unamos nuestra voz a la de ella, dando honor al que honor merece y reconociendo en Maria, una simple joven Galilea a aquella que fue y es madre de Dios encarnado!



Muchas bendiciones



Seraph

Learning at Church

With summer well underway and fall approaching, Christian education and catechesis always seem to come up in our parish. Are we having a fall Bible study? Do we need a longer new member’s class? How about Sunday School? Are we offering enough opportunities for people to learn their faith or drowning them in information?

There is no question that part of the church’s ministry is to offer people the opportunity to learn and deepen their faith. However it’s in the methods by which we feel this can be accomplished that we find differences, and our vision of the church comes into play.

How do we see the church and its mission to teach? Is church primarily a school where classes are offered and the faith taught systematically at all ages? Are newcomers brought into this educational system so they can be brought up to par with the doctrinal conviction of the parish? Or, is the church envisioned primarily as a family with learning and growth happening organically as people live the life of faith? There does not have to be an either or approach to this question, but we each seem to have preferences based on our own experiences.

Personally, I prefer the latter approach. Maybe it’s my reaction to endless hours of studying for exams, licensing boards, continuing clergy and medical education; its dull and forgettable! When it is not, I suspect it can contribute to our storing information divorced from its context! Information without life, not linked to emotion or experiences, apart from a setting to color its meaning, and with no relationship to real people, can be less than helpful to growing in the spiritual life. I have met very uninspiring people educated this way! Some with very a very impressive knowledge base, lots of information about Bible verses and theological concepts but oh so dry!!!! I have also encountered others, perhaps unable to cite a chapter and verse of Scripture to prove a point, but whose lives irradiated the love of God and his presence.

For me, nothing compares to the learning that happens in ones daily life and experience. We live it in our own homes! Most of us do not hold formal toilet t raining classes for toddlers, nor dinner etiquette lessons with an exam, nor pimple care for teenagers, it happens naturally in the context of family life. There, by conversation, redirection and plain interaction most of the things important to family are learned. The things we value, those that are acceptable, the things that make us laugh, those that we remember with sadness, dress codes and music appreciation, are all part of rich lessons while living in family and community!
It is the same in the life of faith, and though we may hold classes to help people get a basic understanding of what it means to be a Christian, the business of knowing and loving God and neighbor is not something one can learn in a classroom!

For Episcopalians living through the liturgy, as we go through the year, is a great aid in instruction. Our observation and interaction around Scripture, creed, prayer, and sacraments can be an experience of learning in the context of our life together as a family! No amount of book learning taught me about devotion to the Lord in Holy Communion as the experience of seeing it in the faces, outstretched hands and lives of real people with whom I share the life of faith. Likewise with so many things in our Christian walk; The baptismal covenant in the context of a baptism, a Taize service teaching the value of silence, a good Charismatic service opening our ears to speaking in tongues , a child’s first communion, a workday, prayers for healing! God and His words come alive, not just in a classroom setting but in the lives of his people, in their journey together, their joyful celebrations, challenges, sorrows, devotions and suppers, births and death.

The idea of catechesis incorporated into life this way feels so very natural to me. It may be slower, but in the end I think it will be deeper and more true to life. I also am very aware that it will be uncomfortable for some. We crave information and live in a time where it is instantly available at our fingertips. Some will want a new member’s class covering all the bases. Others will insist in a structured program of Bible study and Sunday school. Some will think there is too much already and for a few, there will be no amount of educational opportunities and offerings which will be enough! Yet for the patient seeker, who wants to not just learn about but also experience the marvel of growing in grace and the knowledge of God, every day, every Eucharist, every encounter holds a promise of growth and discovery.

May God be our teacher and the Holy Spirit always near to lead us to all truth.

Many Blessings

Seraph

Juzgar por Apariencias

" No juzgara por apariencias, ni sentenciara de oidas..."

Estas palabras del profeta Isaias refiriendose al Mesias siempre me han llamado mucho la atencion. No solo me hablan del carater del Señor Jesucristo, sino tambien me proponen un ejemplo a seguir.

El deferir juzgar rapidamente es una de las cosas mas dificiles para nosotros los seres humanos. Lo hacemos a veces automaticamente, al conocer a alguien aun verle por primera vez! Comentamos si es inteligente, si es bonita, si parece peligroso o peligrosa, si pegaria entre mis amistades o no. A veces hasta tendemos a caer en el prejuicio…..catalogamos a las personas, las pintamos a grandes brochasos…;los negros americanos, los blancos, los latinos...! La cultura popular hasta nos incita a el enjuiciar negativamente a las personas como dijera este dicho cubano..."piensa mal y acertaras…".

No solo juzgamos sino que suponemos el futuro y porvenir de las personas en base a nuestro juicio personal. Sin embargo, La Biblia esta llena de ejemplos en los cuales el juzgar por apariencias nos llevaria a equivocarnos….

Recuerde a las siguientes personas y como quedarian si las sometieramos al juicio de nuestros criterios:

Noé era un borracho, Abraham estaba muy viejo, Jacob era un mentiroso,Lea era fea,Jose fue abusado, David era mujeriego, Gedeón era miedoso, Samson tenía pelo largo,Rahab era una prostituta, Jeremías and Timoteo eran muy jóvenes, Elías era depresivo,Juan el Bautista comía langostas, Pedro era impulsivo, Juan creía que él era mejor que otros, Los discípulos se durmieron cuando oraban, Marta se preocupaba por todo, Su hermana María era haragana, María Magdalena estaba poseída por un demonio, La mujer samaritana tuvo 5 maridos, Zaqueo era muy bajito, Marcos se dio por vencido,Timoteo tenía úlcera en el estómago...

Claro esta que de esta lista seria dificil encontrar a ningun candidato para ser ejemplo en la fe, ni para ejercer ningun tipo de liderazgo en la Iglesia. De algunos dudariamos que pudieren llegar a ser personas de bien! Sin embargo, a pesar de estas limitaciones muy aparentes a nuestros ojos, Dios ve en cada uno de ellos cosas invisibles a nuestros ojos y que se escapan nuestro juicio. Si seguimos la historia de esta ilustre lista poco a poco vemos que se van revelando en ellos cualidades que quizas nunca nos hubieramos imaginado.

Dios no juzga por apariencias por que el mira el corazon, conoce a cada cual intimamente y a cada uno ofrece su amor y perdon! Dios no envio su Hijo al mundo para condenarlo, sino para que el mundo fuera salvo por El.

Que podamos ser en esto imitadores de Dios, no juzgamos por apariencias ni antes de tiempo sino que confiamos nuestras vidas y las de los demas al cuidado amoroso y juicio justo de Dios!

Bendiciones

Seraph

A Prayer for Married Couples

O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage that in it is represented the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon these your servants, that they may so love, honor, and cherish each other in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness,that their home may be a haven of blessing and peace;through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

New York Says I do To Marriage Equality

FROM: THE NEW YORK TIMES.
Lawmakers voted late Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born.

The marriage bill, whose fate was uncertain until moments before the vote, was approved 33 to 29 in a packed but hushed Senate chamber. Four members of the Republican majority joined all but one Democrat in the Senate who supported the measure after an intense and emotional campaign aimed at the handful of lawmakers wrestling with a decision that divided their friends, their constituents and sometimes their own homes.

With his position still undeclared, Senator Mark J. Grisanti, a Republican from Buffalo who had sought office promising to oppose same-sex marriage, told his colleagues he had agonized for months before concluding he had been wrong.

“I apologize for those who feel offended,” Mr. Grisanti said, adding, “I cannot deny a person, a human being, a taxpayer, a worker, the people of my district and across this state, the State of New York, and those people who make this the great state that it is the same rights that I have with my wife.

Blessings

Seraph

"Still Very White”

“…Baptist leaders also believe that attracting more minorities would help reverse the decline. About 19 percent of their churches are African-American, Hispanic, Asian American or other minority congregations. “We’ve got a long way to go for more ethnic diversity,” Rainer said. “We are still a very white denomination….”

These comments as Southern Baptist leaders reflected on numbers indicating a decline in their denomination made me smile! Of the approximately 37,000 Southern Baptist churches, home to 16,136,044 members in the US, only 19% of their churches are minority congregations...I was green with envy!

While the membership statistics of the SBC do not reflect the diversity of the US population, they certainly do so better than our own Episcopal Church! This is true, despite the mantra we hold dear; “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You", and our insistence that we are an "inclusive" church. Figures reported on the 2008 Faith Communities Today Survey showed that a mere 8.5% of Episcopal parishes were predominantly minority; 5% African American, 1.5 % Native American, 1.4% Latino, and 1.5 % Pacific Islander. There are many historical and practical reasons for this, I am sure! There are also patterns we must overcome as we approach church planting and evangelism if we are to be the more than a church for white retirees!.

Consider this from our own diocesan experience; the diocese of Florida has been in existence since 1838, which is 171 years, and in that time, has a handful of primarily African American congregations, a Hispanic congregation which came fully formed into the diocese from another denomination and a mission planted by Diocese. The Southern Baptists, by contrast have, just in the Duval county area, at least 10 Hispanic churches and several stable missions. The Baptist outreach to Latinos in Jacksonville began in 1960 when less than 0.5% of the population of the city was Hispanic. Our diocese had no Spanish language services, no missions or prayer groups active in any of its churches in 2008! That is almost 50 years later, even as the number of Latinos mushroomed in the county and region. One has to wonder how that happens!

In the three years since coming into the diocese of Florida as part of its first Latino ministry, there have been Spanish language ministries planted by Southern Baptists in at least 4 other locations in the area served by the diocese of Florida; in St Augustine, Neptune Beach, and just around the corner from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church! They use space provided by larger Anglo congregations, share pastors and lay leaders, alternate service times and are beginning to show promise! We in contrast, despite willingness among the Latino clergy and vocal support from diocesan leaders, have managed to plant one mission with hopes for more at some undefined point in the future.

Sadly, that seems to be the norm in many dioceses of the Episcopal Church! We have a distinguished history, beautiful liturgy and music,theological roomyness and despite the economic crises, no lack of funds! Yet we find ourselves static, unprepared, uncertain, and frozen even as our neighborhoods change, members age, and people of other colors and languages show up at our doors to an uncertain welcome! What is it about us Episcopalians? Even as we say our doors are open to all, we seem to make little effort to reach them and appear to be locked into inaction as opportunities for mission pass us by! We are inspired and intent on helping people of different colors and languages who live far away, even as those same people live next door to our parishes and are becoming more the face of the neighborhoods we serve.

“Still very white”…what an honest statement from a community of faith that has shown a willingness to reach the unchurched and, been pioneers in ministry to Latinos and other minorities! We definitely should take it to heart, reflect seriously on our evangelism priorities, and with prayer and concrete actions make the changes and difficult choices that make welcome and diversity more than words in our diocese and the Episcopal Church!

Blessings

seraph

Give to all that ask…Really?

I must say I am having a crisis of sorts after events in the past four weeks. I am questioning a longstanding precept in my walk of faith. It is found in the words of Jesus; "...give to all who ask...". Even as I try to follow the gospel imperative to take care of the poor, to give to those in need and to not turn away from those who ask for help, my faith is put to the test!

Consider the case of a single mother of 5, none of the dads are involved. She is on welfare and Medicaid and recovering from…..cosmetic surgery! Perhaps, the unemployed father of two children who tearfully asks, not for a handout but for a short term loan so he can get to a nearby state and a job, … as he has been doing repeatedly for about a year! The disabled “veteran” who shows up at the doorsteps of the parish office, by coincidence, on Memorial Day, with the story of being discharged from the hospital with no money, no care , no follow up, and of course was robbed and has no source of income! Or the homeless guy who curses at your car when you offer to buy him the food his sign says he will work for, instead of giving him the cash he requests! Let’s not forget about the needy couple with kids, showing up at church for benevolence after they blew their paychecks on a weekend getaway, or the nice lady in the Lexus who comes to the free clinic with the 3 u’s; unmarried, unemployed and uninsured!


It really touches your heart, but after a while you come to realize it is merely heartburn and not any kind of spiritual or laudable sensation. Did God really intend for us to believe and always respond kindly to these kinds of con?

After years of service as a priest, a volunteer at free clinics and of caring for people with limited means, it is disheartening that these types of stories are not all that rare. Sadly, I am much more likely to be a little skeptical of these narratives, and the folks telling them, than when I was a starry eyed youngster! Back then, I was certain that all people needed was love, an affirming smile and a hand to help them get through a rough time! Helping the poor, the friendless and needy is a gospel imperative, being a perpetual enabler of the irresponsible or the gullible prey of con artists …not so much!

The parish I serve is rich on generosity from people who live on very fixed incomes, some who make under minimum wage, have multiple jobs and still struggle monthly to make ends meet. Even so they give of their time, treasure and talent to serve God and help others. It hardly seems fair, godly or good stewardship to be careless with their gifts and offerings. It is with people’s faith, their precious time, their very hard earned money that we play when we extend our charity lightly to those who would take advantage of others.

Perhaps St. Paul’s admonition should be part of the spiritual directives we consult when faced with a request for aid from a less than credible source, “if anyone is unwilling to work, let them not eat…”! I once heard a conservative Baptist politician make similar Bible references and cringe at entertaining similar thoughts but, alas...I can not help but think it merits prayerful consideration!

May God give us love, patience and wise discernment as we strive to love God, neighbor and give to those who ask.

Blessings

Seraph

Believe Out Loud:

Journey to Emmaus-Easter 3

St. Luke 24: 13-25

Headed to Emmaus, the mood of the disciples could not have been more somber. They had seen their hopes and prayers, their best wishes for a restored Davidic dynasty and for an end to foreign rule of Israel dashed on a hill outside Jerusalem. The man they thought would be king, the rabbi with the healing touch and fire filled words that was welcomed in the city with shouts of Hosanna, was put to death on a wooden cross and, after three days, it seemed all was said and done. The road from Jerusalem was a road back to reality, to whatever each had left behind to follow the carpenter they called Christ. They were men disappointed by the outcome, disappointed by hope and by extension, though they may not have dared voice it, disappointed with God.

Does this not happen in each of our lives? A prayer not answered as we thought, a project that comes to no fruition, the relationship on which we had placed our hopes falters, the new job so full of promise turns out to be a source of stress and despair. Our faith filled prayers and struggle not leading us to the outcome we had envisioned takes a toll on our convictions. Disappointment and perhaps a bit of shock when, despite the prayers, well intentions, love and great faith do not lead to the healing of a loved one, or perhaps as we face the loss of a parent or close friend. We can relate to the disciples in route to Emmaus, sooner or later we all seem to find ourselves in a similar journey.

It is a source of great comfort that Jesus himself came near them, and tough they did not recognize him the journey was changed by his presence. The commiserating over the sad events becomes a conversation about the happenings and they transform from people mourning for Jesus, mourning for lost hope, to people engaged with Jesus; walking and talking with Him. Even as they discussed the Scriptures familiar to them, their hearts burned within and new insights became apparent which they had not considered before. I have to believe that Jesus, that God does this in our very lives, even as we come to difficult times in our journey of faith. When we feel that we are disappointed with God, or that he is disappointed with us, when our hopes seem feeble and our faith less than a mustard seed, Christ still comes near. When we have trouble understanding or believing, God does not abandon us, but even as in this journey to Emmaus, though he was not recognized he comes near!

There are times, much as it was with these disciples that our eyes are veiled and our ears seem to be closed to the love and presence of God in our lives and in the world. Sometimes it is difficult to see past a problem we are having, past a temptation, a blessing or a test. We focus on it almost to the exclusion of all else. More often than not we are caught in mental models which affect the way we perceive reality and the world around us. “

In the words of Peter Senge: “Mental models are deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior”. Perhaps, the disciples were unable to see past the limitations imposed by such and could not recognize the Christ, nor find in the Scriptures they knew the insight to give them hope and renewed faith. We too are limited by our own mental models which color our perception of what is, how things should be, how and why we believe and do the things we do as Christians, as Episcopalians. We would entrap God within our own limitations as if such a thing were even possible or feasible. Fortunately Christ comes to our aid! In his life, parables, ministry, and miracles, he constantly challenged the mental models, the limitations people imposed upon themselves, others, and on the love and mercy of God.

For people who thought they knew all about the sacred, Jesus reframes for them what is allowed on the Sabbath, what kind of prayer is acceptable to God, the Holy One of Israel he called daddy, he included women and outcasts in his inner circle insisting he came to seek the lost. When it came to explaining what the proper place for worship was he told a Samaritan woman it had nothing to do with places but with worship in Spirit and truth. Here on the road to Emmaus he challenges the mental models of the disciples and opens for them the scriptures, so they could see beyond their naïve, parochial triumphalism over Rome , to find the suffering savior, betrayed , crucified but then coming to His Glory. His very presence challenged the limitations imposed by the reality of human death….by the power of God He is risen!!!!

The journey leads the disciples to a table where, as Jesus blesses and breaks bread his atonished travel companions recognize him even as he disappears from their view. For the early Christians this story was often seen as a metaphor for the Eucharist, Jesus opens the Scriptures and blessed the bread! Word and sacrament intimately united in the journey of the Christian. I can think of no greater place to challenge our mental models than at the table of the Lord. Weekly we come looking beyond the physical elements of bread and wine towards a reality they communicate, the body and blood of Christ. Weekly we see across the altar people from all races and persuasions and walks of life eat of the same bread, drink of the cup and, despite their diversity, somehow members of one body, part of the same family, children of God.!

I love this story, it begins with people on a sad journey of disappointment and loss of faith. These are transformed into people walking and talking, engaged with Jesus, people whose hearts are once again warmed with hope, people whose understanding is opened, their eyes recognize Jesus and they become heralds of good news! May it be so in our own lives!

Blessings

Seraph