Daily Musings

Parishioners, staff, and other guest authors write periodically in this space.

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Tagging along...

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Would I be a Phillip? Would I be a Nathanael? I think I'd be their sibling. They remind me of my family.

I can just imagine the conversation around the dinner table: I hear my youngest brother saying, "We have found..." and my next older sister saying, "Can anything good come out of ..." and my brother replying, "Come on, I'll show you." So I don't think Nathanael is cynical; perhaps he's just endured Phillip's enthusiasm too many times before.

My sister would have gone, because you just can't say no. And as a sibling, I'd have tagged along, without the obligation of my brother's request, but because, well, you never know what he might have found this time.

And tagging along has shown me a lot: nothing is ever quite as another person describes it, but that doesn't mean it should be rejected. Experience has taught me that things are almost never exactly what they initially appear, which brings up Nathanael's comment. Can anything good come out of (insert your least favorite thing here)?

To0 often, we see what we expect to see, particularly about things we think of as second-rate. I teach at a school in the East End of Henrico, and I have overheard people make disparaging comments about it, to the effect of, "Can anything good come out of...?" I know how precious my students are, and what great things are happening there. And I want to say, like Phillip, "Come and see!"

There's so much that we don't see because we don't look. And so often we won't see because we won't open our eyes to it. There's some advice that sticks with me from an entirely non-religious author (Terry Pratchett) when one character tells another how to see the truth of what something is: "Open your eyes. Now, open your eyes again.

" Wow! There's a lot out there -- come and see!

- KATHY BROCK

Re-published from "spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

The Holy Name

Heavenly Father, speak to us as you spoke to Moses. Bless us and keep us; make your countenance shine upon us and give us peace. We exalt your name in all the world. You have made us but little lower than the angels; you adorn us with glory and power. As children of God, we then also are heirs.   At Communion, let us behold what we are and let us become what we receive. And not only at the rail but at all times let that same mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus.   We are shepherds, the sons and daughters of those who abided in the fields and watched over their flocks by night. We, too, in heart and mind can go to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place. Two millenia after the birth, we, even we, behold Mary, Joseph and the child lying in a manger.   And on this day especially we worship Jesus Christ, according to his holy name.    - TODD CULBERTSON   Re-published from "spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

Merry Christmas!

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home....

A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home...

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

G. K. Chesterton
from "The House of Christmas"
　
For two thousand years, people have found abundance of life, as they recalled the story of Jesus' birth in poverty. People have felt a sense of being at home, as they remembered Mary, Joseph, and shepherds, all so far from their homes in Bethlehem.

Whoever you are and whatever your circumstances might be, wherever you are on your spiritual journey and whatever your religious background might be, we hope you feel what we sincerely believe - that when you walked through the church doors and into this place, you were home for Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Re-published from "spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

My soul glorifies the Lord

A beautiful meeting of two women related by blood and each celebrating the joyous news that they are expecting a child occurs in the first chapter of Luke's Gospel.

For Elizabeth, described as well along in years and barren, this news must have been extraordinary and maybe unbelievable. The angel Gabriel tells her that that she would bear a son named John who would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth and who would prepare the way for the Lord.

Mary, young, poor, and engaged, is visited by Gabriel and she too receives miraculous news. Mary has "found favor with God," and will give birth to the Son of God. Mary certainly is afraid and wondering how this all could be. She is well aware of her social status and the problems this could bring to her and Joseph.

How was she of such a humble background worthy for such a gift and responsibility? After learning of Elizabeth's pregnancy, this young woman exclaims, "May it be to me as you have said." Mary hurries to Elizabeth to confirm and celebrate.

When Mary arrives, Elizabeth's baby leaps in her womb and she exclaims to Mary - "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished." I suspect Mary was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that she is with a beloved friend who understands and believes in this miracle. She has received blessings from God, Gabriel and now Elizabeth.

What came next has been the subject of works of art and music throughout history. Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and others have created moving musical pieces; Sandro Botticelli and Tissot Giotto have created paintings all to illustrate Mary's Song of praise and adoration, known to us as the Magnificat.

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
For the Mighty One has done great things for me--
Holy is his name.
Luke 1: 47-49

This humble maiden provides a compelling example of submitting to God's will - of surrendering one's self to become a living vessel of God's love. And out of that surrender comes a beautiful song of thanksgiving, gratitude, praise and joy. Her song goes on to describe God's work on earth and indeed predict how Jesus will minister - a ministry of mercy, compassion, "lifting up the humble and feeding the hungry."

And so as we approach Christ's birth, may we each create our own Magnificat - our song of gratitude and celebration for the precious gift of Jesus dwells in each of us.

- CAROL W. DICKINSON

Re-published from "spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

The joy of patient waiting

I have been trying to find a good translation for the German word Vorfreude. It describes well the feeling of Advent. Vorfreude is much like anticipation but maybe not entirely. Literally translated, it means "pre-joy."

It is the joy I experience when I know that something joyous is around the corner -- like a vacation, or a birthday, or the visit of a dear friend.

In my experience, patient waiting is pretty counter-cultural. Whatever it may be, we either want it now, or if that cannot happen, then we will at least not enjoy the time until it happens. So often, we tend to be focused on instant gratification of all needs (and wants). Other times, we focus so much on getting somewhere else that we forget where we are now.

During the coming months, my husband Matt and I will be trying to learn how to wait. We want to live into the Vorfreude of expecting a child. Because Vorfreude is different. Vorfreude happens in the here and now, even though we are waiting for something in the future.

Advent is enjoying to wait for something wonderful. Advent is Vorfreude.

The very nature of our Christian life is that of Advent. As children of God, we enjoy living our lives in the light of Christ here and now. At the same time, we are full of joyous expectation and looking to the day when God will complete what God has begun in Jesus, when there will be no more tears. The ultimate Advent.

I pray that especially during this dark season of the year, you and I will take time and make space to experience the Vorfreude of the season of Advent, of God bringing God's light into the world.

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! And until then, let us live with Vorfreude in the light of Christ.

- KATHARINA JOHNSON

Re-published from"spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

A modest proposal for Thanksgiving

By Ken McCarthy

Thanksgiving is, hands down, my favorite holiday.

It doesn’t compel frantic gift giving (like the commercialized version of Christmas).

It doesn’t promote excessive alcohol consumption and forced gaiety (like New Year’s Day).

In fact Thanksgiving is so laid back, it doesn’t even require that folks exchange cards.

Instead, Thanksgiving celebrates the basics: food, family, and friends and the deep fun that accompanies taking the time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

As icing on the cake, Thanksgiving encourages us – in its characteristically quiet and understated way – to take note of the things in our lives that are positive.

— Gratitude is power

Continue at http://kenmccarthy.com/nb/a-modest-proposal-for-thanskgiving

Welcoming the Wilderness

The wilderness is a familiar Biblical place. The Hebrew people wander in the wilderness for 40 years on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land. And immediately after his baptism, Jesus is driven into the wilderness where during 40 days he will define his ministry and wrestle with his identity and purpose.

Wilderness times are frightening but also helpful. In the wilderness, there are no signs or directions, no notches on trees to point the way. Wilderness times are tedious and often scary. It's where people like us get confused, frustrated, lost, and even die.

Once you're in the wilderness there is no easy way out. Wilderness times are the years, or days, of being tempted, tried, refined by the fire and the cold, by hunger and thirst, by fear, anger and despair.

But just as we get lost in the wilderness, it is also where we find ourselves. It's where some of us die, but where others get reborn. In wilderness times we travel light. Even if we're heavy with wealth and possessions, they are not as important as they once were.

In the wilderness, we are more than ever on our own, living the questions that are more important than holding on to our tired old answers.

Advent's call to us is to let go...to let go of that protective armor we've spent years fixing and tinkering with. To "prepare the way of the Lord" is to meet John the Baptist in our own wilderness, and stay long enough to hear him out...till we see who we truly are.

Yes, it's a vulnerable place, but if you do not go there, you will never hear the Good News down in your bones, and your faith and your life will remain impoverished.

The promise of Advent is that love will cast out our fear, and that love will indeed conquer our despair. We have the sure hope that someday we will be found in our wilderness, and be rescued by the one whose birth we soon will celebrate.

- THOMAS R. SMITH

Re-published from "spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

We must not serve capitalism – we must make it serve us

"There can be little doubt that capitalism is a productive way to order economic life. But we need to remember, as the [Occupy Wall Street] protestors have reminded us, that that is all that it is -- an economic system based on the entirely reasonable propositions that capital has value, and that supply and demand are the most efficient way to set prices. Capitalism is of no help at all in determining what is morally good -- that is something that must instead be determined by the community's wider values."

- Mark S. Sisk, Bishop of New York, November 15, 2011

[Episcopal News Service] On Friday, Oct. 21, I visited Zuccotti Park, the site -- at least until last night -- of the Occupy Wall Street protest. Whatever happens next in Lower Manhattan (and as I write, on the morning of Nov. 15, things are moving fast, with the outcome unclear), there can be no doubt that this protest has struck a chord, and given birth to a movement that appears, in spite of everything, to be gaining momentum. For some, this chord seems to have sounded like a long awaited trumpet call to action; for others -- who have not been shy to express their disdain -- it is decidedly discordant.

Continue reading at Episcopal News Service.

The Winds of Change

As long-time boaters, we tend to think of things in nautical terms. Just as many of you, we were devastated by the news of our beloved Gary's illness and the challenges he will face.

Soon afterward, we were again completely thrown off keel with the news of our dear David's call to another parish. We asked ourselves, what's going on here? What is God up to?

Everything was going so well, and now we were feeling completely lost. It was as if our boat was far out to sea and then suddenly lost power. All of our family is on deck and the boat is endlessly drifting at the mercy of the wind and the tide. What shall we do now? What does God want of us?

What does God want of us?

After we wallowed in self-pity for a while, we began to ponder that question more deeply. Our family is all on deck, our St. Stephen's family, and now we have the opportunity to pull together as a family does in times of trial and change.

We will rally around the head of our family, Gary. We will keep up with the chores and ensure that things keep running smoothly until he is back to full steam.

We will rejoice with our brother David as he begins his new and exciting journey. We send him out armed with the love of his family, his St. Stephen's family, and know that he will share it with our extended family.

And, we will extend our arms wide to welcome new family members as they arrive with the same joy a family feels at the birth of a new child.

What does God want of us?

We believe that God wants us to all pick up an oar and, in unison, continue to row. We will row through the wind and the tide of change until we reach the shore that God has planned for us. And we will do it as a family does--together.

- EARL AND SANDY RONEY

Re-published from "spirit", St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

Blessed and a blessing

What does it mean to be blessed?

So often we hear folks say, "I feel so blessed." They might say this in thanksgiving for healing, a well-mannered child, a new job, good friends, or any of life's positive moments. It is good that we recognize these as blessings and not something we deserve or have earned.

However, it seems to me that whatever the blessing and no matter how superficially or deeply we recognize it as a blessing, we seem to stop with, "Thank you, Lord." In the Bible, though, blessing carries with it much more. In the Bible the spoken or unspoken expectation of God is that the one who receives a blessing should pass that blessing on.

In the modern vernacular, we are to "pay it forward." In Genesis 12, one of the first instances of God bestowing a blessing, God says to Abram, "... I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing....and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

This is not God telling Abram that just because he exists he will be a blessing. Rather this is God's expectation of Abram. His job, should he accept it, is to receive God's blessing and then pass that blessing on to others through his life, his faith, and his love of God.

When we receive a blessing it does not end with us; we are called by God to pass that blessing on to others-to pay it forward, to share it, to pass it on. However we express it, God's blessing comes with a responsibility not to hold tightly to it or passively bask in it.

We are most certainly to give thanks for our blessings, but we also are to pass them on. "May you be blessed and a blessing."

- GENE LeCOUTEUR

Re-published from "spirit", St Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA