Labor Day Meditation

Below is offered by the Rev. Sam Candler, dean of the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta. It is good food for the soul as we celebrate our lives’ work this weekend. Thank you all for laboring for God daily.

FOR LABOR DAY 2010

I live today because someone has labored. I live today because many, many, people have labored. On this Labor Day, I give thanks for them. I eat today because someone served. Someone cooked. A grocer sold me the food. Or a local farmer at a farmers market sold it to me directly. A distributor supplied food to the grocers. A laborer tilled the soil. Another farmer planted and planned. Years before that, someone else prepared and cared for the very soil. I wear clothes today that someone else sewed. Someone designed. Someone developed the store. Someone else marketed and advertised and kept the books and answered the telephones. I wake up in a house that someone planned and built. Someone financed. Someone loaned. Someone brokered. I used money that someone paid me. Someone advised the investments. Someone did the banking. Someone else arrived to repair plumbing and wiring and appliances. I drive a car that someone built. Someone marketed. Someone built the factory. I use public transportation, busses and trains, that someone else built. Someone planned. Someone else sold the bonds. Someone else drove. I live in a city that someone manages. Someone leads. Someone polices. Someone administers and protects and cleans and keeps the utilities going. Someone teaches students who will be my neighbors and future laborers with me. Someone provided all the communication devices and techniques around us. I am alive today because someone diagnosed my illness in a hospital. Someone nurses. Someone prescribes medicine and attends to medical emergencies and advises my future health. I write these words on a computer that someone researched and developed. Someone labored for the electricity that powers it. I read a book that someone wrote. I read a newspaper that someone laid out. For all our industries, someone fabricated the designs, mined the metal, built the machines, and then recycled the metal. Someone developed the commercial building that houses offices for all these laborers. Someone sold the land. My soul is inspired today because someone sang, someone else painted, someone wrote, someone kissed me. Someone preached, someone taught, someone challenged me. I live a fruitful life because many, many people have labored. I know that they did not always labor for me in particular. Maybe they labored because they needed a job. Maybe they labored because they loved someone and wanted to help them. But their labor has also helped me. All our labor, together, is what makes us a society, a culture, a civilization. I give thanks for that labor today, for each and every vocation that God has given to each and every one of us. For those without jobs, I pray for their quick relationships with a fruitful vocation. God wants each of us not just to have a job, but to have a vocation - a calling-through which we can be proud that we are serving the world. When our labor makes a positive difference in the world around us, we truly have a vocation; and vocations, working together, create a beloved community. I give thanks for those vocations this year. Thanks to each and every one of you who serve! 1 September 2010

The Genesis of JAWS

Cue the famous theme song.

Only we’re not talking about the shark movie. We’re talking about St. Nicholas’ youth group, newly dubbed “JAWS.” We’re not sure yet what JAWS stands for, but we know that we built our community around the name this weekend at Camp Mikell. Read more

They Said It Couldn’t Be Done

“They said it couldn’t be done, Christian Valley, but I preached a 10-minute sermon!”

Those were the exuberant words of Pastor Eric Seldon, who is the minister of Christian Valley Church in Cataula, who preached at both services at St. Nicholas on Sunday. While he was talking about his sermon length, I couldn’t help but think that there was much more that happened on Sunday that “they said couldn’t be done.”

I have written before about our relationship with Christian Valley and how we are seeking to create a bond of friendship between two very different congregations. One is predominantly African-American, one is predominantly Caucasian. One worships formally and traditionally, one worships with a much more contemporary spin. One has a preacher that preaches 10 to 15 minutes long, one has a preacher that preaches 30-45 minutes long.

As Pastor Eric mentioned in his sermon, in the South, Sunday mornings are the most segregated hours of the week. Yet, we have been called to take the “road less traveled” and join together on occasion to begin a process of relationship of understanding. One might worry that we’re trying to assimilate their church or that they are trying to assimilate ours. But that’s not the intention. It’s to engage fully in mission with one another. Mission, at it’s core, means engaging in relationship with one another. Christian Valley has a gift to give St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas has a gift to give Christian Valley. Despite our cultural, ecclesial, or liturgical differences, we lift those differences up and share them with one another to learn, and grow, and love one another. Who else is doing that in Harris County?

I said in both services yesterday that the Kingdom of God was indeed present. We all recited the Nicene Creed, as varied Christians throughout history have done before as a way to unite us in common worship. I looked out and saw the beauty of diversity in the faces of God’s created people! At the 8:30 service, we had 64 attendees, most of whom were Christian Valley members who came early, and then went to worship at their own 10 o’clock service. At 11:00, we had 97 people packed into the pews! It was a sight to behold!

Deacon Terrance Blue from Christian Valley led the Inspirational Choir in two songs at the two services, Souled Out and God Is. At the 11:00 service, everyone was on their feet clapping, dancing, and singing. If you wonder what eternity might be like, it might look a bit like that.

The number of e-mails and comments about our services have been overwhelmingly positive. As one St. Nicholas member said, “I thought to myself, this is the way the world can put aside bigotry and hatred…I have always been proud to be Episcopalian, but this morning went beyond mere pride to show me the way the world could ‘live as one.’”

I am supremely thankful to Pastor Eric, Garvin Gourie, and the rest of Christian Valley who made the day possible. I am overwhelmingly proud of the people of St. Nicholas, who welcomed new friends with open arms. Pastor Eric said how warm everyone felt there with us.

So it was a step in the right direction. I have never been more sure of that. I don’t know what God has in store for St. Nicholas & Christian Valley, but if it’s anything like yesterday’s worship, then the Kingdom of God is truly at hand.

My only disappointment in the day was that we didn’t get any pictures! Our regular photographer, Lynn Hall, was in bed with the flu, bless her heart, and I forgot to get someone else to take pictures! So even though the day wasn’t captured on camera, it certainly was graphed into the hearts and minds of all who were present.

They said it couldn’t be done…

What Should I Draw?

I did not draw this. Really.

Lobsterfest is looming large over me. I’m really excited about the event, I really am, but due to Sue Halmrast twisting my arm, I agreed to donate a couple of pieces of original artwork to the silent auction. What was I thinking?

For those of you who may not know, I am somewhat of a cartoonist, and a deep lover of sequential art, not just comic books, but any art that tells a sequential story. I think the marriage between words and pictures is fascinating, and I’ve been a fan of such art, particularly comics, since I was a boy. I can remember copying Garfield comic strips by Jim Davis when I was younger, and learning just how to get those eyes right.

My high school years were when I was at my artistic peak. I spent most of my time in the art room, with my teacher Ms. Haroldson, whom I loved to pester as much as learn from. In my senior year, I received the Art Award on Honors Night, which is my only claim to fame from high school. I still have a lot of that work.

When I went to Berry, I had every intention of being an art major. However, my advisor and professor was too…well…artsy for my taste, and I didn’t think that I was going to make it in that program. So I switched to my other love, religion, and studied that instead. But I did my fair share of drawing in college. For two years, I was the editorial cartoonist for the Campus Carrier, which taught me how to draw on a deadline. There were nights where I was burning major midnight oil trying to get one of those single-panelled terrors in on time. Luckily, my editor was also a dear friend and Episcopalian, so she cut me some slack. Read more

When We Remembered Zion

Today in my prayers, Psalm 137 popped up:

By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion. 
On the willows there
we hung up our harps. 
For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’

Of course, this Psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity, when things were not looking so good for the Israelites. But this week, the name “Zion” has a special meaning for me. Read more

Take Up Your Stick & Follow Me

Today, I completed my third (or is it fourth?) journey on the Pine Mountain Trail. The trail furthest east, in Meriweather County, is off of Highway 85/alt. 27 at the WJSP Tower near Warm Springs. This is one of my favorite trails, as it has a number of waterfalls and lots of rocks to crawl on. The pinnacle of my trek today was the Cascade Falls, which pours into a very cold pool, which is always good to dip your feet into on a blazing hot day.

But I came across something really neat as I approached the trail today. At the trail head, leaning against the stone markers that stand guard, were a collection of walking sticks. Obviously, these were left by fellow hikers, who know darn well that you’re better off with a stick in your hand on this trail. Not only for hiking up some steep hills and shimmying up rocks, but also for protection, lest you come across a rattlesnake, which has been known to happen on this trail.

What an act of hospitality! It gives you that sense of camaraderie with hikers that have come before you, and when you leave a stick for the next person, it connects you with those who will come after you. In leaving a walking stick at the trailhead, you not only make the journey easier for folks, but you also help them learn from the dangers you have come across in your journey. Read more

Thank God For Camelbaks!

It’s been a while since I posted about my weekly hikes. With the exception of vacation last week, I have been diligent in my weekly discipline. I still am amazed at the beauty of our Pine Mountain Trail and how much fun it is to hike on it, while at the same time, serving as my de facto labyrinth path on which I pray regularly.

Today I went on the 3 1/2 mile trek around the East End Loop, which starts at the Rocky Point parking lot and includes the White Candle and Beaver Pond Trails. It’s a great hike with a great overlook called “Odie’s Overlook.” This was after an early morning in Columbus at TAP, which I’m doing all week. Today we learned about prayer in the Hindu religion, how to make challah from the Jewish tradition, and banged on drums, as we focus on being “People of Peace.” Even on the first day, you can see the children laughing and playing, creating new relationships and learning about the cultures and traditions of one another. Read more

Difference Between Us & Baptists

A friend of mine shared this with me yesterday. It was pretty timely considering I was just talking to some Baptist friends last night about the Episcopal Church and who we are and what we believe. So the next time your Baptist friends ask you what’s the difference between us and Baptists, maybe this cartoon will help.

You can find more lighthearted cartoons at Reverendfun.com.

Can I Get An Amen?

This past Sunday, I experienced something I had never done before: preaching at a non-Episcopal church.

You may think this is extremely strange, and I freely admit, it is out of the norm. I was invited by the people of Christian Valley Church in Cataula to preach at their 11:00am service. Christian Valley is a church that is Baptist at it’s roots, and has recently dropped “Baptist” in order to be more inclusive to people in their area.

So how did I end up there?

A number of months ago, a member of Christian Valley, Garvin Gourie was at a wedding and met Vicky Partin, the missioner from Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministries (CVEM). During their conversation, Garvin expressed interest in wanting to “team up” with a congregation in Harris County that was not traditionally African-American. Vicky mentioned St. Nicholas and our desire to grow, connect, and be open to all. So Garvin called me and we began to talk. Over many months, Garvin and his pastor, the Rev. Eric Seldon, Graham Horne, and I met to discuss ways we might bring our very different congregations together. Not only are we attempting to bridge cultural divides, but also denominational ones!

First, we all decided to try and engage in an outreach project together. We talked to Katherine Johnson and Connie Blackmon, who are champions for the Ferst Foundation literacy program, charged with helping children receive free books in order to increase literacy in our county. We hope to join with Christian Valley in spreading the word about this program. This is a project that we are still working on and hope to do together in the near future.

Next, Pastor Eric invited me to preach at Christian Valley. I hope to invite him to do the same at St. Nicholas soon.

Now I’ve preached in African-American Episcopal churches and I’ve attended services at Baptist and non-denonminational churches, but I have never preached anywhere other than an Episcopal church! So I was more than a bit nervous, being in front of a crowd that was unfamiliar and not used to hearing from an white, Episcopal priest. Doing new things is extremely uncomfortable.

The service was drenched in music. From old-timey Gospel hymns to contemporary and soulful praise music, we clapped and danced to the beat of God’s rhythm. As my 5-year-old Tai said, “We jammed out in that church!”

After praying prayers and hearing Scripture (which we do a lot in our service!), I was invited to the pulpit. Garvin visited St. Nicholas a while back and noticed that my sermons were only 15 minutes long, as opposed to a longer one in his church. So I had quite a feat before me in not only holding their attention, but drawing it out for at least 30 minutes!

I talked about how God takes our scarcity and grows it into abundance, drawing from the story of the widow in 1 Kings 17 and the widow from the Gospel of Mark who puts in two tiny coins. I related it to our hope in a better world, where there are no separations nor divisions. I got plenty of Amens!

I was so thankful to look out in the congregation and see the faces of the Butzons, the Johnsons, Graham, and my sweet family in the back row. Talk about support!

After the service, I was embraced with hugs and handshakes. Whether I did a good job or not, I could never tell because I was so welcomed by their community. I’ve only been in one warmer church, and that is St. Nicholas.

So where will this lead us? I’m sure there are folks in our congregation and the surrounding community that are uncomfortable that we’re stepping into unknown territory like this. We’re not seeking to combine our congregations, but rather share the gifts of community that God has given both of us. St. Nicholas has something unique and wonderful to share with Christian Valley and vice versa. Is it uncomfortable? Definitely. Is it exciting? Absolutely.

One more funny story: At Christian Valley, we also had communion, which was celebrated much differently than we do at St. Nicholas. A tray is passed around and everyone gets a piece of bread and a tiny cup of grape juice. My 3-year-old Bronwyn exclaimed after the service, “I loved that wine!”

I wonder what they’ll say when they taste our wine.

Small Churches Are Awesome!

On Facebook, I belong to a “group” called “People Who Are Rather Fond of the Episcopal Church.” The priest who created the group, Chris Yaw, posts articles and reflections every once in a while, giving all of us reasons to love our Church. The one below was posted last week and is particularly one of the many reasons I love St. Nicholas. While we hope to grow our church and the Kingdom of God, it’s important to remember what makes small churches so wonderful. Read more

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