Episcopal Church | dual personalities

December 4, 2017

“Yea, amen! let all adore thee”*

by chuckofish

Well, I bought our wreath from the Boy Scouts, our two trees from the Optimists and daughter #1 and I put up the outside Christmas lights. Mission(s) accomplished!

Quelle busy weekend, but, in fact, very fun. We babysat the wee babes on Friday night and managed to wrestle them into their pajamas and bed. On Saturday, daughter #1 and I went to our church Christmas bazaar and cookie sale where I got a few used books and rescued a treasure or two.

Then we went to the birthday party for the wee babes who were, it turned out, not in the mood for a big noisy party. They both suffered major melt-downs from the get-go. C’est la vie.

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They are both teething ferociously and life is hard right now. Well, on to Christmas and more photo ops.

We came home and watched Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and drank wine and had a chip-fest. Perfect. We even watched one of the special features and found out, among other fun facts, that Edmund Gwenn really filled in as Santa at the 1946 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, including addressing the crowd following the parade. That is pretty cool.

Church on Sunday was Advent I and we sang some good Advent hymns.

Turn up the volume and listen to this wonderful rendition of a great Charles Wesley hymn!

And the super moon was really awesome!

Happy Advent!

*Hymn #57

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November 30, 2017

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower: Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power*

by chuckofish

It is the last day in November and I have been meaning to mention this tidbit of flyover Episcopal church history all month…Four years before St. Louis was chartered as a city in 1823, Christ Church was organized by 26 people who assembled for a service in a building that previously had been a dance hall and a courtroom. That worship service on Oct. 24, 1819 was the first for an Episcopal-Anglican congregation west of the Mississippi River.

On November 1, 1819 a charter was circulated by Col. Thomas F. Riddick for the first Episcopal church west of the Mississippi. Almost 50 signatures were obtained for the document, including those of some of the city’s most prominent citizens–Gen. William Clark, Thomas Hart Benton, Alexander McNair, Frederick Dent, John O’Fallon, James Clemens, Jr., and William Carr Lane, who in 1823 would be elected first mayor of St. Louis.

Nearly 50 years and two church buildings later, the growing congregation constructed a permanent church at their present location. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 1994. Christ Church Cathedral is now headquarters of the Missouri diocese of the Episcopal Church and ranks among the finest English Gothic structures in the nation.

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I was sorry to miss this special service and the “Chat N’ Chew” (!) in the Nave with Esley Hamilton, historian and preservationist, as guest speaker that followed. That was a busy weekend and I couldn’t pull it off.

Of course, there was nary a mention of this milestone in our local paper. 150 years! Oh well, I suppose they think no one cares about the history of a small (and shrinking) denomination like ours. And they are too busy feeding us headlines about Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose, et al.

Well, I certainly hope I am around in two years to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Episcopalians in this city!

*Be Thou My Vision, hymn #488

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November 14, 2017

“Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.”*

by chuckofish

Today the Episcopal Church celebrates the feast day of Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729 – February 25, 1796) who was the first American Episcopal bishop and the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A.

In the years leading up to the American Revolution, Seabury earned a reputation as a staunch defender of the Church of England. During his participation in the founding of King’s College (Columbia University) his four Loyalist pamphlets from “A.W. Farmer” (or Letters from a Westchester Farmer) incurred the rage of American patriots.

Despite his anti-Revolutionary sentiments, Seabury became increasingly concerned that the Colonies needed a bishop. His adversaries, especially the Congregationalists, regarded such a move as a further encroachment of the Church of England, and thus the English Crown, upon the American Colonies. But Anglicans supportive of the American Revolution–George Washington among them–could no longer comfortably worship and take communion in a church officially tied with King George III. Thus, the Episcopal Church came into existence.

Seabury sailed for England in 1783 for his consecration, because even though the Episcopal Church was formally separate from the Church of England, it was still spiritually and theologically aligned. Another awkward situation, to say the least. So awkward, in fact, that the Anglican Church refused to consecrate Seabury. So Seabury turned to the Scottish Church, which granted his request. Bishop Seabury then returned to America to bolster and expand the Episcopal Church in the newly recognized United States of America.

You may recall that there used to be a seminary named in Seabury’s honor–Seabury-Western Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. However, it ceased operations as a residential seminary granting the Master of Divinity degree in May 2010, and in January 2012 it moved from Evanston to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America headquarters. In 2013, it joined with Bexley Hall and became part of the Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation.

There are now ten accredited seminaries of the shrinking Episcopal Church. One can’t help but wonder what old Samuel Seabury would think of his turmoil-torn Church these days.

Eternal God, you blessed your servant Samuel Seabury with the gift of perseverance to renew the Anglican inheritance in North America: Grant that, joined together in unity with our bishops and nourished by your holy Sacraments, we may proclaim the Gospel of redemption with apostolic zeal; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

As for this, no comment.

*Isaac Watts, O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.

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November 13, 2017

Pray, and praise thee without ceasing*

by chuckofish

In church on Sunday I got to read I Thessalonians 4:13-18 wherein Paul attempts to prepare the Thessalonians for the return of Jesus when they will be reunited with all those who have died in Christ: For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Good stuff.

The weekend was a busy one and a fun one! We did all the things on our to-do list, plus more things, like grocery shopping, laundry and vacuuming! But we never connected with the wee babes. Their parents are busy too. Oh well, c’est la vie.

Another busy work week looms with another event at the end on Friday. Onward and upward.

*Hymn 657, Charles Wesley

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October 24, 2017

You go, Girl!

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of Sarah Josepha Buell Hale (October 24, 1788 – April 30, 1879) who was an American writer and an influential editor.

Hale wrote many novels and poems, publishing nearly fifty volumes by the end of her life, but she is probably best known as the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Hale also famously campaigned for seventeen years for the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday and for the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument.

That’s Colonel William Prescott in front of the monument.

Hale also founded the Seaman’s Aid Society in 1833 to assist the surviving families of Boston sailors who died at sea.

She is recognized on the Episcopal liturgical calendar with a lesser feast day on April 30.

Gracious God, we bless thy Name for the vision and witness of Sarah Hale, whose advocacy for the ministry of women helped to support the deaconess movement. Make us grateful for thy many blessings, that we may come closer to Christ in our own families; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We must also note that it is the birthday as well of one of our favorite writers, Brenda Ueland (October 24, 1891 – March 5, 1985), about whom we have written many times.

“Now before going to a party, I just tell myself to listen with affection to anyone who talks to me, to be in their shoes when they talk, to try to know them without my mind pressing against theirs, or arguing, or changing the subject. No. My attitude is: ‘Tell me more.’ This person is showing me his soul. It is a little dry and meager and full of grinding talk just now, but presently he will begin to think, not just automatically to talk. He will show his true self. Then he will be wonderfully alive.’ …Creative listeners are those who want you to be recklessly yourself, even at your very worst, even vituperative, bad-tempered. They are laughing and just delighted with any manifestation of yourself, bad or good. For true listeners know that if you are bad-tempered it does not mean that you are always so. They don’t love you just when you are nice; they love all of you.”

–Brenda Ueland, Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Join me in a toast to both ladies, won’t you?

And this struck me as mildly amusing:

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September 18, 2017

“If we live, we live to the Lord”*

by chuckofish

Well, we got our act together on Saturday morning and daughter #3 came over loaded down with gear and the wee babes. We walked the few blocks to the Greentree Parade and set up our camp chairs along the perimeter in our favorite spot for 20 years.

IMG_1502.JPG.jpeg The active little bud actually sat on my lap for an hour and a half watching the parade. I refused to share. Lottie slept in the stroller

IMG_1503.JPG 2.jpeg and then sat on a quilt with her mommy until the OM finally grew impatient and secured her on his lap.

IMG_1533.JPG.jpeg She was okay with that. A schmoozing RC priest on the sidelines asked if the OM was her great-grandfather. Zut alors! How to win friends, right?

At church on Sunday, the scripture lessons were all about forgiveness. Our “Rector Emeritus” gave the sermon and it was rather weak I thought. He never mentioned the great first lesson from Genesis, which tells the story of the wonderful Joseph forgiving his terrible brothers, and only touched on the gospel (Matthew 18:21-35–“seventy-seven times”!) Ministers never want to touch the end of this story with a ten-foot pole and it is frequently left out altogether.

“…Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother and sister from your heart.

Yikes, forgiveness is a hard thing! But Jesus makes it clear that it is important and necessary and not optional.

Our rector reminded us to read and then pray the Prayer for the Oppressed (#36 in Prayers and Thanksgivings, BCP) this week in view of the protests that are going on in our flyover city.

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Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I intend to do this. I was glad that he pointed to the Book of Common Prayer as a resource in times of trouble.

After church I bought a copy of the the Rector Emeritus’s new book–My Life Under the Big Top, Reflections of a Comic, Clown and Priest. I’ll add it to my stack of books at home.

Meanwhile I am reading Call the Midwife, which has been kicking around at home since I brought it home from the giveaway basket at work. It is really good! It is the memoir of a young English women who moves into a convent (Anglican nuns) and trains to become a midwife in post-war London’s East End slums. I am learning a lot.

The boy was unable to attend the parade with us because he was working in his store. But we got a bonus visit from the boy and his wee family on Sunday night. It was good to see our hard-working son and feed him tacos! (Check out my instagram for a video of the bud’s latest talent discovery.)

Have a good week!

*Romans 14:8

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September 1, 2017

A tisket, a tasket

by chuckofish

Daughter #1 is coming home for the long weekend, and for a moment last night I thought, “Oh, another trip to the airport!” And then I thought, “No! She’s driving home!” Yippee!

Earlier in the week daughter #2 got the online file of the pictures of her wedding from her photographer. She is plowing through them. What a job! It all seems like a long time ago, you know?

Screen Shot 2017-08-31 at 9.09.01 AM.png The wee babes were so much smaller!

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Two months later, little Lottiebelle seems so grown up!

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But will her daddy ever catch up on his sleep? Maybe he’ll get a chance this weekend! Of course, he’ll be chasing this little guy around…

In other news, today the Episcopal church remembers David Pendleton Oakerhater (also known as O-kuh-ha-tuh and Making Medicine), who was a Deacon and Missionary, on their calendar of lesser feasts and fasts. Oakerhater was an honored Cheyenne warrior who fought in the Indian Wars of the late nineteenth century.

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While a prisoner of war in St. Augustine, Florida, he was converted to Christ. After being released, he was baptized, taking the name David Pendleton in honor of his sponsors Sen. and Mrs. George Pendleton, and studied for holy orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York.

(Side note: Senator Pendleton was the one who pushed a bill through Congress to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania.) In 1881 Oakerhater was ordained deacon and returned to his tribe in the Indian Territory, accompanied by his mentor, the Rev. John Wicks. Oakerhater addressed his former comrades-in-arms, “…You remember when I led you out to war I went first and what I told you was true. Now, I have been away to the East and I have learned about another captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is my Leader. He goes first, and all He tells me is true. I come back to my people to tell you to go with me now on this new road, into a war that makes peace…”

Wicks retired in 1884 because of ill health, but Oakerhater continued, winning hundreds to Christ. His people called him “God”s Warrior” and “Peace Chief.” He established the Whirlwind School near Fay, Oklahoma, a landmark in the education of the Cheyenne. For nearly half a century David Pendleton Oakerhater was a tower of strength and a symbol of the new faith to his Native American brethren. He died in 1931.

O God of unsearchable wisdom and mercy, you chose a captive warrior, David Oakerhater, to be your servant, and sent him to be a missionary to his own people, and to execute the office of deacon among them: Liberate us, who commemorate him today, from bondage to self, and empower us for service to you and to the neighbors you have given us; through Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

You can read portions of the BCP in Cheyenne here.

Have a great long weekend!

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June 26, 2017

“Trouble with you is The trouble with me”*

by chuckofish

I spent the weekend cleaning my house so it will be spic and span for all the people who will be arriving this week for the nuptials on Saturday.

The OM and I did make it down to Forest Park on Saturday morning…

to go to the new exhibit at the Art Museum before it opens to the general public.

It was pretty special, and I enjoyed our cultural outing.

We stopped at First Watch on the way home and I enjoyed my avocado toast. Then we headed home and back to gussying up the homestead.

The weather, of course, was absolutely perfect this weekend. God knows (literally) what next weekend will be like. C’est la vie.

I went to church because I was filling in for a friend as the intercessor. They have switched over to Enriching Our Worship, the modern “supplement” to the BCP, for the summer. “The liturgy is intended to expand the language, images and metaphors used in worship in a more contemporary and gender inclusive way.” Just shoot me. I guess I will be taking the rest of the summer off. I’m sure no one will miss me or my rolling eyes.

We watched Long Strange Trip (2017), the Amazon documentary about the Grateful Dead.

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I like the Grateful Dead as much as the next person my age, and Jerry Garcia was a fellow Episcopalian after all, but I was frankly shocked to find out the extent of his drug addiction and the longterm use of psychedelic drugs by the band. As usual, I am not cool enough to understand the Dead. I wasn’t in high school and nothing has changed.

Anyway, I can’t really recommend the documentary. The OM watched the whole four hours (!) but I baled and went back to Absaroka County and reading about Walt Longmire, who, as we know, is more my cup of tea.

And this little guy can now turn over from his back to his tummy. Brilliant.

Enjoy your Monday. Nate and Susie arrive today!

*Casey Jones, Robert C. Hunter, Jerome J. Garcia

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June 2, 2017

A landslide in the mind

by chuckofish

“Perhaps there can be too much making of cups of tea, I thought, as I watched Miss Statham filling the heavy teapot. Did we really need a cup of tea? I even said as much to Miss Statham and she looked at me with a hurt, almost angry look, ‘Do we need tea? she echoed. ‘But Miss Lathbury…’ She sounded puzzled and distressed and I began to realise that my question had struck at something deep and fundamental. It was the kind of question that starts a landslide in the mind. I mumbled something about making a joke and that of course one needed tea always, at every hour of the day or night.”

–Barbara Pym, Excellent Women

Happy birthday to Barbara Pym, the English novelist, born in 1913. I am re-reading A Glass of Blessings and enjoying it very much. Just the thing to calm the mind after a short but stressful week at work. (At least until the next Walt Longmire mystery arrives in the mail.) I recommend her to you.

And this is funny.

Have a good weekend.

What have you got planned? Sunday is The Day of Pentecost:

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(The first painting is The Red Table (1919) by Leon de Smet (1881-1966); the second is by Mary Cassatt, Lady at the Tea Table (1883-85).)

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May 12, 2017

Marked as Christ’s own for ever

by chuckofish

It’s been a busy, busy week what with lots of stress at work, our first foray into babysitting the wee babes (just the OM and moi), and daughter #1’s arrival on Wednesday night. Daughter #2 and Nate arrive tonight.

All are arriving for the baptism of the wee babes on Saturday where we will each renew our own baptismal covenant:

Question: Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God? Answer: I renounce them.

Question: Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God? Answer: I renounce them.

Question: Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God? Answer: I renounce them.

Question: Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? Answer: I do.

Question: Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? Answer: I do.

Question: Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord? Answer: I do.

(Incidentally, it is Mother’s Day on Sunday–bonus!)

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