Slideshow from New Orleans 2008

Andrea took photos from the Dean’s conference and combined them with post-Katrina pictures and photos of Irvin Mayfield and the Elysian trumpet and some of the music Irvin played for the deans and made a very moving slide show. 

 
Press play to begin slideshow.

If the above movie doesn’t play, click on this link.  If you want to download the movie, right click and choose “save target as . . .”.

Theosis and silence

I’ve been studying the Eastern Orthodox notion of Theosis (divinization.)  In the Eastern Orthodoxy, theosis is the principal movement in the spiritual life.  According to St. Athanasius, ”God became man so that man can become God.”   In the Incarnation we are united with the Divine nature and the Christian spiritual life is a process whereby that Divine nature is more fully realized within us.  I vaguely remember reading Athasasius in seminary but am enjoying delving more deeply in this line of thought.

A great beginning reference on theosis, if you are interested, is found here: http://kevinburt.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/hang-up-1-theosis/

An unrelated gem was found in one of the comments on this blog.  A reader, Craig Brown, wrote, “I have spent my life hunting God in words. Now I wait for Him in silence.”  While I’m still hunting God in words (and Lord knows I speak many) I have reinvigorated my practice of silent prayer since my recent encounter with my Buddhist friends.  It has been a nice homecoming. 

If any are interested, Trinity Cathedral is hosting a workshop on Centering Prayer this Saturday.

Blessings.

Sermon: Love One Another – Year A, Easter 6, 2008

For an audio file of this sermon, click HERE.

Diocesan Visioning

On April 18-19, representatives from Episcopal congregations from throughout Northern California gathered in Sacramento.  While on the surface this might have looked like any other church conference in a hotel ballroom, this one was different.  There was an energy that was palpable and contagious.  Members of small and large congregations were sharing their joys and successes and often people did not want the conversations to end.  The result was an excitement about being together and a longing to stay more closely connected.  Also there was a great deal of information shared and gathered.  This information was distilled by the Diocesan Board and Council and they have discerned three core purposes and three priorities for the Diocese.

Core Purposes:

• Worship/common prayer
• Outreach/serving the community
• Spiritual development/making disciples

Priorities

• Staying connected/communications
• Evangelism/church growth
• Youth & Young Adult ministries

While this list does not contain any surprises for me, it does help focus the work of the diocesan committees and staff.

Video of NYC Teaching – 1st Night

Video of NYC Teaching – 2nd Night

Franciscan Blessing from Bishop Robinson

Lovely!

BTW, Bishop Robinson will be visiting Sacramento and Trinity Cathedral on July 1 & 2, 2008.  He will be at a showing of the movie “For the Bible Tells Me So” at the Crest Theater on the evening of July 1.  Check Trinity’s website for updated information.  www.trinitycathedral.org

Prayer Chain

Jim Richardson emailed me this poem.  It reminded me of my paternal grandmother.   I was not raised going to church.  But my grandmother was a devout Christian living in a tiny farming town in Illinois.  When I was a child she would send me little devotional things from time to time.  And I knew she was praying for me.  I didn’t quite know what that meant, but I was significant and sustaining for me.  Here’s the poem:

 
“Prayer Chain” by Tim Nolan
 
My mother called to tell me
about an old classmate of mine who
 
was dying on the parish prayer chain—
or was very sick—or destitute—
 
or it had not worked out—the marriage—
or the kids were all on drugs—and
 
all the old mothers were praying intensely
for all the pain of their children
 
and for life—they were praying for life—
in their quiet rooms—sipping decaf coffee—
 
I bet they’ve been praying for me at times—
so I’ll find my way—so I won’t rob a bank—
 
I’ll take them—the mystical prayers of old mothers—
it matters—all this patient and purposeful love.

Path to Heaven: Speaking in NYC – some short reflections

1.  I realized only yesterday that last weekend was the first time I had spoken in any substantive way to a group outside of my own congregation or diocese.  I presented a picture of the spiritual life no different than the one I present to my congregation week in and week out.  After the talks I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came up to me and said, “If I had heard that earlier, I never would have left the church.”  Many of these folks were students of Tibetan Buddhism and Geshe Roach/Lama Christie. It was clear that they had some unfinished business with their Christian path and the talks were helpful.  It made me think of the many, many people who are struggling with an image of Christianity that they cannot abide, and how much they would be helped by hearing a more gracious gospel.

 2.  Buddhists are very nice.  They are very appreciative and respectful toward their teachers.  After the talks, many folks came up to me and gave me flowers as a thank offering.  It was lovely.  When the reception was over, I had several bunches of flowers, mostly roses.  Then I realized the Buddhist game and the position I was in.  In Buddhism, it’s all about what you can give away.  You treat everybody as you would like to be treated, and the only way to get anything is to give stuff away.  I couldn’t keep the flowers, I had to give them to others.  (Besides, what would I do with all these roses in my hotel room?)

So I had to give flowers away.  Lots of flowers.  In New York City.  At 11pm.  While wearing my priest suit.  The first night I laid flowers at people’s tables who were sitting at an outdoor cafe.  Then I distributed the rest to a group of four women who were standing together.  The second night I handed smaller bunches to folks I passed on the sidewalk.  The last flowers were handed to a women who was walking in the opposite direction in a crosswalk.  She was a little stunned and confused, but we had to keep moving in our opposite directions because we were jaywalking and traffic was coming.  When we got to our opposite sides she called to me.  I turned.  She shouted, “Thank You!”  I smiled.  It was fun being Buddhist for two nights.

3.  On the first evening, when I was describing the way we are in bondage to our sin, I told of what happens to me after I’m in a conversation with somebody and I say something stupid.  (Which happens too often.)  When I leave the conversation the tape in the back of my head begins to play, “You’re so stupid! You’re so stupid! You’re so stupid!”  I told this example to illustrate how we hold ourselves in our sin. 

At the reception afterward, a young man (a student of Geshe Roach) came up to me and said, “I was raised Roman Catholic and the same thing used to happen to me.  But then I decided to recite the Hail Mary over and over again whenever the tape began to play.  After a while the tape stopped playing.  And now the Hail Mary has become my mantra.”  How beautiful!

Path to Heaven: NYC Audio and Photos

On the first night of talks, we were asked to answer two questions:

1.  Why do we need to get to heaven?  In other words, what is the problem with our current existence.

2.  What is heaven like? We all spoke of heaven as a current reality/possibility. 

To listen to the first night’s lectures, click HERE.

On the second night, we spoke about how to get to heaven.  Or at least, how to get closer to heaven in this lifetime.  To listen to the second night’s lectures, click HERE

Here are a few photos from the event:

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