what I did this weekend.... Convention 2015 Reflections

First of all , let me say that it was an honor and a privilege to represent YOU as an alternate lay delegate at this year's Convention. even though I did not get to vote, the experience was a blessing and a gift and again I say thank you for this opportunity.

After the first business session I went to a meeting on the Commission for Youth, of which I am a member.  I am excited to serve our diocese in this way, and I shall update everyone of this commission's activities regularly.

I watched the election of our fourth bishop in ' real time' from the parish hall at Trinity Episcopal. The process began with a prayer, and delegates were asked to remain silent during the voting.

The election process in itself fascinated me, and I was impressed with the orderly fashion in which the election occurred. As many of you already know, the Reverend Dan Smith dropped out of the election process the day before convention met so the voting delegates were left with a slate of only three candidates. 

Canons require the winner required a majority of two-thirds in each ' house [ clergy and lay voters} to become elected. after each ballot, each candidate was phoned  with the results and asked if he wished to continue in the process.   Reverend  Ed OcConnor dropped out of the election after the second ballot, so that left  Rev. Chuck Treadwell and Rev Russell Kendrick as the choices  on the third and final ballot. Reverend Kendrick accepted his election  and will be installed as our fourth bishop this summer.

In closing, this was a wonderful, faith-affirming experience.

 Pax Christos,

Sarah Beth

Alternate Lay Delegate

St Francis of Assisi , Gulf Breeze

Fred is Dead...so now what ? Answer: Pray.

Fred Phelps is dead.


There is much going around the social media universe regarding the demise & death of the Westboro Baptist " Church"'s leader. This begs the question of how we Christ-followers should approach the death of this man best known for his hate speech and funeral protests.


I know that a lot of my very liberal friends would rather shout " FRED IS DEAD" from the highest rooftops and dance an Irish jig &  part of me really does not blame them for wanting to herald the demise of a sad, sick individual. But the Christ-follower in me wants to do what Christ himself would do if He were faced with a similar situation.


My mom always had a saying that " Two wrongs don't make a right." Most people I know agree that Mr Phelps' extreme views are wrong. Not only did his group teach hatred of LGBT persons, but he also was famous for sending groups to " protest" military funerals all over the nation.  Although I live in a very socially-conservative region, no one I know agrees with Mr Phelp's philosophy regarding our military service people and veterans.


Fred Phelp's extremism was cancerous to society. Now that he is dead, how should our Christian response mirror what Our Lord teaches us? Would he advocate picketing Mr Phelps' funeral or spread  snarky cartoons about the death of this man/ My guess is no. Rather, the Jesus Whom I've come to know & love would offer his condolences to the Phelps family.


Yes, Fred Phelps had a family.


 As distasteful as this fact is to many of us: Fred Phelps was some one's husband, father, grandfather, uncle, pastor and friend. We do NOT need to agree with the man's teachings or actions to show Christian mercy and love towards his surviving kin. he was an extremist and a bigot, but that does not mean that we should exclude his family from the loving kindness of the Church Universal.  I feel strongly that the " sins of the father" in this case, the sins of Fred Phelps} should not bring more pain to his spiritual and actual children.


 On Ash Wednesday a priest in my Diocese charged the congregation present that night to focus on the following tasks during Lent: Pray. Fast & Give Alms.  Tonight, part of my prayer and alms giving will focus on the Phelps family and their loss. No one human is an " island' amidst him or herself and this applies to bigoted extremists such as Mr Phelps.


I , along with most Americans, will NOT miss this man's hate speech and twisted doctrine. yet it is NOT a Christ-like response to celebrate his demise. None of us are perfect and we ALL wake every morning with our own list of prejudices. I know I do and I pray daily for the Holy Spirit to help me see the common humanity in those with whom I vehemently disagree.


Amen.


Lent, 2014

Smooth Sailing, Norman+

It is a sad day in my Diocese.


Last evening we learned of the sudden death of a fine priest of a sister parish . I knew Father Norman mostly from my times at our annual Diocesan Conventions. At close to 6 feet five inches, and with a wide shoulder circumference , Norm+ was a big guy. But his " larger-than-life" presence was mostly due to his kindness. He had a wonderful laugh and loved fine cigars and good scotch whiskey. He left behind in this world a wife and two adult children as well as a congregation of Christians in a small Northwest Florida town.


Norman+ suffered a massive heart attack, so his passing is very sudden. A congregation is without their beloved priest, a wife is bereft of her husband and people are without their father.


He was well-loved, as evidence of the kind thoughts posted to his personal Facebook Wall indicate.


I am struggling this night with not only mourning the loss of a fine man & priest, but with the idea of Death.


Death is not " supposed" to steal good people away from this life at an early age{ Norm was close to the age of my Dad, and to me that is way too young to die}Good people are supposed to not die suddenly. Rather they are supposed to pass on quietly and without pain while sleeping at the age of 100 or more.


I know that Norm+ is in a better place...probably enjoying cigars and Scotch that are literally "out-of-this-world" with all the other saints {small s} who have gone on before him. But selfishly I will still look for him at Convention. the official clergy photo of all the collared people in this Diocese will seem incomplete.


Norman+, smooth sailing, good and faithful servant. We'll miss you.


Amen.

I prefer a Church...

Pope Francis rocks!

I found a quote from the current pope {to whom I lovingly refer as " Papa Francis" for many reasons}that spoke to my soul .My Annual Convention for my Diocese is in February, and I am going as an alternate lay delegate.

Anyhow, here is the quote:

 

Amen and amen again! Although I am pretty sure that the Pope is speaking of the Roman Catholic Church, his statement SHOULD ring true for Christians of any & all varieties.

 

No one asks me of my opinion on such lofty matters: I am after all " merely a young woman" {sic} and " everyone knows that young people have nothing to contribute" { sic}

 

Too often the institutional Church is too concerned with maintaining status quo and keeping out "those who are not like us" than actually BEING Christ's hands & feet here and now.

 

I am sad about all the hard feelings that surround certain Church issues and I am even more saddened by the fact that these issues keep people away from knowing Christ & Christ's community.

 

I dream of a Church that is more concerned with BEING Church than DEFINING Church.

 

I dream of a Church whose Holy Scriptures are not used to justify hatred towards those whose lifestyles we do not understand. As long as some one's lifestyle harms no one,  we should not justify our prejudices in the name of the Church

 

I dream of a Church that focuses more on empowering members to live out our Baptismal Covenants rather than playing politics.

 

I dream of a Church that is more concerned with doing ministry that will make a difference to the greater local area than placating  members by playing up to prejudices of people with a lot of money.

 

I am 37 and one-half years old. It is my HOPE and PRAYER that I live long enough to see some of my dreams for the Church come to fruition.

 

Amen.

 

Christmastide 2014.

 

Las Posadas: Hospitality.

Best Dude and I are hosting Las Posadas in our home this evening.

We set the figurines of the Holy Parents in a spot of honor under our small tree.

 I've been thinking about what it means to practice REAL , and RADICAL  hospitality.  How good are we Christ-followers at practicing real hospitality?

Think about it for a minute:

If a young , poor expectant couple came knocking on yours or my door seeking help, how would we react? Would we invite the young couple in for a cup of tea or coffee and ask them if they are hungry? Would we offer them a place to sleep for the night?

Or would we call the police...or " take matters into our own hands".

The sort of hospitality that Jesus asks us to practice is not about setting a nice meal for our friends from similar backgrounds, ethnicity's  or lifestyles.

What if the young couple who knocks on our "door" is of another race? What if the don't speak English at all? Or what if said couple is comprised of two men or two women? What if the couple had with them a child {or adult} with special medical needs?

" Sorry, there is no room at this inn for you. You don't look like me or my neighbors. You smell yucky. Are you even married? Your type isn't wanted here. . Go away before I call the police."

Let me be clear: I am not necessarily speaking about a literal couple knocking on the door of our literal homes. Rather I am talking about how we behave when encountered by such  strangers who, for whatever reason, put us ill-at-ease.

How would we react? How DO we react? More importantly, how does Our Lord Jesus Christ expect us to act?

Are we supposed to extend the peace of Our Lord to those with whom we share commonalities? Who is welcome to join our fellowship? Are we " Instruments of God's peace " or are we gatekeepers with a power-hungry complex? Do we find joy in trying hard to keep out those who are different from ourselves and from most of our social circles?

Scripture tells us that He ate with strangers of all types --ESPECIALLY those whom, in first-century Judea, were pretty much " untouchables".  he healed on the Sabbath. he let a Samaritan woman touch him.  He set a small child on His lap as an example to the type of faith the adults present should possess.

Jesus did not turn away strangers , or people " not like Him." If He is our Lord, shouldn't we follow His example and also welcome others?

Amen.

Convention '13

Yesterday we had our Annual meeting at Small Parish. Among other things, we elected new vestry members and delegates to Convention. Our parish gets three voting lay delegates and as many alternates to each yearly Convention. I am among the  alternate delegates.

Convention is one of my favorite parts of Church life. Each February, I see many of my friends from around the Diocese at these yearly gatherings. This years' Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of the central Gulf Coast is in Pensacola. Since I am an alternate, unless there is a real need for me to step in and vote in place of one of our regular delegates, I can attend Convention and totally enjoy the experience.

Yay, Church!

In this house.....

I found today's quote on  Pinterest{ I am a confessed Pinterest addict]

Anyhow, without further ado, here is the quote for today:

"In this house,
all must be friends,
all must be loved,
all must be held dear,
all must be helped."
              ~St Teresa of Avila.

I wish that my brother & sister Christ-followers would heed the advice of this little nun.

The Church that Jesus founded is not a Church of exclusion. It was , and still IS a Church of INCLUSION. Scripture is full of stories with Our Lord Jesus went out of His way to help those who were different than Him and His followers.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, DC and the famous "I have a Dream" speech by Dr Martin Luther King , Junior.

We have come a long way in our quest for civil rights for everyone in the 50 years since Dr King spoke at the March on Washington.

Even in 21st Century America and even in the Church Universal, I see a lot of divisions.

Racism, although more hidden and not " politically-correct" is still alive & well in some parts of this great nation. Thankfully, I see the next generation as much more accepting of racial diversity than our for bearers.

Women in business still earn less per capita than their equally-qualified male counterparts.

Hetero-centricity still runs rampant. My heart aches for my GLBT Christian sisters & brothers who are denied basic civil rights. Young GLBT persons struggle with the " coming out " process , often fearing severe repercussion from family members. The school of thought that GLBT persons can be " cured" of their " condition  via reparative therapy is still held as truth among some circles.

Humanity is wonderful in its diversity.  Despite the kicking & screaming fits of the WASP, society is becoming more tolerant of diversity.

Let us keep on fighting the good fight  and marching towards shalom.

Amen.

Re-Creation

I'm leaving for my two-week vacation. My flight out of Pensacola is scheduled to leave at 11:05 A.M.. After a three-hour layover in Atlanta{ and providing that nothing goes wrong with my connecting flight to Pittsburgh} I'll arrive in Pittsburgh at 5:42 EST.

I NEED this break. While I' will miss Best Dude & Big Dog terribly when I am away, I know that I'll be home to the Gulf Coast .

Friends up North tell me that it is hot & humid there , too. However, I feel a need to escape the Deep South at least once per year . I need to remember my roots in order to rest & re-create .

there will be hiking, swimming, eating & late-night talks with friends.

On Sunday I am worshipping at the church where I was baptized.

I'll spend July 4 NOT WORKING at the Lake for once.

I'll see a friend  in person for the first time in 16 years.

Hopefully Grandma Anne will take me to Sunday Mass in Butler & I will enjoy Sunday supper at her house with kin.

It is already looking up to be a great time of Re-Creation for me.

Palm/Passion Sunday 2013

Yesterday was Palm/Passion Sunday . Per the request of the newsletter editor at Small Parish, I took a few photos of the altar area & Liturgy of the Palms at the 8 a.m. Mass.

Here is the cross that adorns the East Wall of the church. As you can see, there is a RED draping over the cross. Red is the liturgical color of, among other things, Christ's Passion on the Cross.

This is the processional cross that is carried into and out of the nave at every Mass. During Lent, It is draped in a purple cloth & this week, it is also draped in the red of Christ's Passion.

The altar at Small Parish on Palm/Passion Sunday. I love the juxtaposition between the palms & the blood-red cloth on the cross above the altar.

May you all have a blessed Holy Week.

White Smoke

At the Vatican, white smoke came from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel.

The Bishop Of Rome has a new leader. He is an Argentinian with roots in Europe, speaks four languages and authored several books.

My form of Catholicism is not of the Romish variety, but I do love our Roman Catholic sisters & brothers. I am happy that such a seemingly humble servant of God has been elected to the papacy.

As an American Anglican, I appreciate what my Presiding Bishop said regarding the election of the new " "Papa"

++ Katharine Jefferts-Schori said :

"The Episcopal Church will pray for the new Bishop of Rome, Francis I, and for the possibility of constructive dialogue between our Churches."

Amen, Bishop Katharine. I could not have said my feelings regarding the election of the new Bishop of Rome myself. From what I've read about the new Pope, I am very hopeful.

May God bless the Pope and may the one holy catholic Church work towards reconciliation & becoming more like our LORD, Jesus Christ.

Gloria en excelsis Deo!

Amen.

Purple cloth

 I've always loved the wooden image of the Cross that hangs above the altar on the eastern wall of m church's sanctuary.
During Lent,the cross is draped with a purple cloth, reminding us that Lent is when we are supposed to remember Our Lord's journey towards Calvary.  I am reminded b this image that Christ's death, burial & eventual resurrection occurred to save ME { and all who chose to believe in Him] from  eternal separation from our Creator.

Amen.

A Photography Gig!

I am excited.

I will be attending the 43rd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast this Thursday -Saturday.

This year the events will be hel at the beach in Panama City, Florida.

I am not a voting lay delegate this year, I will be involved with all the Convention-related activities as a PHOTOGRAPHER! Yup, not only do I get to  see my friends from around the Diocese, but this is an opportunity for me to show my budding skills as a photographer.

St Pauls' Episcopal Church, Selma, AL

On Sunday Best Dude & I woke very early in order to drive to Selma, Alabama to visit two of our favorite people{ who just happen to both be priests at St Pauls' Episcopal Church} Anyway, we arrived in plenty of time for the 10:30 Mass. Naturally, I took along my Nikon & got some great photos of the church & its stained-glass interior.

It was a lovely, albeit foggy drive north to Selma.We left home at 5:30 A.M. & saw the sun rise over a foggy sky. As we drove north, and then west, I saw many small elevations in the grade of the land. As a mountaineer, sometimes I miss life at a higher elevation, so riding along on a two-lane country road brought back many fine memories of rural life.  Most of the woodland critters who live in the Alabama woos were in hiding{ this IS hunting season  after all!} but we did notice a flock of birds-of-prey roosting on a power line.

Here is a photo of the gorgeous stained-glass window near the ceiling in the nave above the front door of the church.

 This is a view of the nave of St Paul's , Selma.

                 There is a side chapel located off to the left of the main seating area of the nave.

There is an original Tiffany stained-glass window upstairs in the Fellowship Hall. I could not capture the detail o this work with my " budget" software, but the scene depicted in the glass is "The Wedding at Cana"

I love the Gothic architecture of the St Pauls' Selma church building.

Blackwater River State Park

Every summer, my congregation spends a day on the Blackwater River in northern Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Here are scenes from last summer's trip on canoes and inner tubes. My congregation looks forward to our annual " Canoeucharist" every year and my Best Dude  and I enjoy hiking on these lands.

Apparently , there is a motion in the Florida House to secure drilling rights on these precious state-owned park lands. As a citizen of Santa Rosa County, I oppose this motion.  No amount of oil or natural gas is worth destroying this precious habitat.

at the beach , but from the hills..life's " tapestry"

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." ~ From the television show The Wonder Years

"The past is not a package that one can just lay away." Emily Dickinson.

I'm planning to try my hardest to get back up North for Gram Cable's funeral.  The date hasn't been set yet, but I looked up her obituary online & it said that the service will be at the Presbyterian church where she was a member.{ and the very congregation that baptized me}

I'm a proud Anglo-Catholic Episcopalian & know for certain that this is where & how I am supposed to worship for the rest of my life on Earth.  Since I'd received most of my formal Christian education from the Presbyterians when growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I still hold much affection for the congregation who accepted me as a child of God years before I asked for baptism. They are a part of me & I a part of them.

There were many reasons why I felt called to leave the Presbyterian Church{USA} at the time I did--but NONE of those reasons  had to do with any of the fine people in Ohio who helped me grow in my "Walk with God". They are part of the " fabric" that is the "tapestry" of my life's story. 

It is not fair to hold grudges ...and although I acknowledge that I left the coastal Presbyterian church under less-than-ideal circumstances , I am grateful for the Presbyterian Church atop the hill that was vital to my development as a Christian.  My parents were & are unchurched , so the adults at Hill Top took time to make sure that I knew I belonged there.  Sunday School to Vacation Bible School to choir---I was there. Most of the families who went to this church wit me knew of my parents & some of my Dad's best friends in Ohio were guys with whom he'd played basketball three evenings per week. As a teen { and a very shy, awkward teen} I developed my first crush on a classmate who I thought was the cutest, funniest, most adorable boy ever! { of course I never told said boy of my crush---as I totally lacked confidence}

I'm blessed to be a part of the Episcopal Church, but at the same time I know I must honor my Presbyterian sisters & brothers-in Christ who still care enough about me to send me a newsletter via snail mail every month. My issues that led me away from that denomination  do not apply when I think about the good people at the small church atop a hill in rural Ohio.

Amen.