When I was a teenager, I got obsessed with a soap opera. It was called General Hospital. Everyone on the show was gorgeous and they all seemed independently wealthy. Everyone had high-powered jobs, but they never seemed to work. And oh, the drama was intense! Despite their beauty and wealth, no one was ever complete. Nothing seemed to be enough. There was always one more love affair, one more lost twin to discover, one more tragedy to occur. I watched General Hospital for three months and by the end of the summer, I had my fill. The drama continued on without me.
There is a portion of the Old Testament that reminds me of a soap opera. It is called the Succession Narrative and it occurs at the end of II Samuel and well into I Kings. It begins with the story of King David, a man who had everything. David was ruler of a united Israel. He was wealthier than any of us can imagine. He had multiple wives, tons of servants and everything a man could want to eat. He clearly had enough, but somehow his appetite was not yet satiated.
David was walking on his rooftop in the late afternoon to escape the heat of the day. Because he was king, his rooftop was the highest. He could look down upon the city of Jerusalem and view his kingdom. That afternoon, he saw someone bathing. Her name was Bathsheeba and she was beautiful. And David wanted her. Despite the fact that he had everything a man could want, he felt that it was not enough. He must have HER. And so David took her into his bed. She was a married woman.
David’s sin begins to snowball, as sin often does. Bathsheeba becomes pregnant. David invites her husband home from battle and assumes that he will sleep with his wife, thus covering up David’s indiscretion. But Uriah does not lie with his wife. He is a moral man who cannot enjoy such luxury while his soldiers die in battle.
David tries to get him drunk and still Uriah does not sleep with his wife. So David instructs his general to place Uriah on the front line and then have the soldiers fall back so that he will be killed.
Lust becomes adultery which turns to lies and finally murder. And all of this occurred because David could not say when. He could not say no to his desire.
David's story reminds me of Eve in the Garden of Eden. I can just picture her reaching for the forbidden fruit. She had everything that she could ever need and yet she could not refrain from satiating her every desire. Even the Garden of Eden was not enough for her. She had to take what wasn’t offered and that was her downfall.
I believe that the root of much of our sinfulness lies in our inability to distinguish between our needs and our wants. We must be able to say no to our desires, it is a crucial part of the Christian journey. Not being able to say no to the insatiable needs of the self leads to destruction for all of us.
Everything about American culture tells us that we must have it all. Our consumer-driven economy is dependent on increasing our needs and desires. The advertisements tell us that we must have this product and we must have that product. Our desire seems to be never-ending.
There is now a pile of trash in the Pacific Ocean that is twice the size of Texas. It is hurting the ocean life, but we are still unable to keep taking what is not ours. Our consumption has not been curbed and our disposal of enormous amounts of trash continues. Eve takes that fruit over and over and over again.
Only Jesus can teach us how to say when. Only Jesus can tell us that it is enough. Listen to his voice. You have everything that you could possibly need. There is so much to be thankful for.
Try walking through Walmart and say to yourself, “I have everything that I need.” You have been given everything, everything. Let us say ENOUGH and give thanks.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Monday, June 01, 2009
Responding to Dr. Tiller's Death
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am writing to you with great sadness. As all of you know, yesterday Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in the narthex of Reformation Lutheran Church. I feel the need to write to you to explain how we as Christians and as Episcopalians are called to respond.
The greatest gift of the Episcopal Church is our ability to disagree, to think and to dialogue within the context of our faith. We are a church where you can bring your questions, your doubts, your disagreements and know that you are loved by God. I know that members of this church have many differing views on the issue of abortion. No matter what your perspective, this issue can never be resolved by violence.
When we disagree, it is an opportunity that God gives us to deepen our understanding and reach one another. Relationship is nothing without dischord, it is what makes us stronger. Resorting to violence is an act of despair. It tears at the fabric of our community. The only way to respond to such violence is to double our efforts to communicate with one another, to reach out in love and respect, to pray for one another.
Please join me in praying for Dr. Tiller’s family and loved ones, for Reformation Church and for the man who chose to murder Dr. Tiller. I will be in the sanctuary here at St. James at 7:30 pm this Wednesday night. If you wish to join me, we can say Evening Prayer and pray for this community and this city.
The Episcopal Clergy of this Convocation, along with Bishop Wolfe, have drafted a statement which should reach the paper tomorrow.
God bless you all.
In Christ’s love,
Kate+
I am writing to you with great sadness. As all of you know, yesterday Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in the narthex of Reformation Lutheran Church. I feel the need to write to you to explain how we as Christians and as Episcopalians are called to respond.
The greatest gift of the Episcopal Church is our ability to disagree, to think and to dialogue within the context of our faith. We are a church where you can bring your questions, your doubts, your disagreements and know that you are loved by God. I know that members of this church have many differing views on the issue of abortion. No matter what your perspective, this issue can never be resolved by violence.
When we disagree, it is an opportunity that God gives us to deepen our understanding and reach one another. Relationship is nothing without dischord, it is what makes us stronger. Resorting to violence is an act of despair. It tears at the fabric of our community. The only way to respond to such violence is to double our efforts to communicate with one another, to reach out in love and respect, to pray for one another.
Please join me in praying for Dr. Tiller’s family and loved ones, for Reformation Church and for the man who chose to murder Dr. Tiller. I will be in the sanctuary here at St. James at 7:30 pm this Wednesday night. If you wish to join me, we can say Evening Prayer and pray for this community and this city.
The Episcopal Clergy of this Convocation, along with Bishop Wolfe, have drafted a statement which should reach the paper tomorrow.
God bless you all.
In Christ’s love,
Kate+
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Naming the Holy Spirit
I am grateful that I have to wear a black shirt and a collar every day to work because I have absolutely no style at all. If I had to put together an outfit every day, it would be a nightmare for me.
My husaband and I have a running joke. If I step out of the closet and ask him, "Does this work?" The answer is always, "NO." In fact, these days JD won't even look up from what he is doing. If I step out of the closet and ask him if an outfit works, he will say no without even looking up.
In all the years that I have been a priest, about once a month or so, someone will ask to speak with me in private. They will tell me about a miracle that occurred to them. One woman told how she saw a strange man across a crowded room some seventy years ago and she heard a voice say, "That is your husband." And they did marry and stayed married for over sixty years. Another woman was widowed in her thirties with two small children. She stopped at a traffic light one day, feeling completely lost and overwhelmed, and a presence of peace came over her, a peace like nothing she had ever felt before.
People tell me these incredible stories that they don't dare mention to anyone else and then they ask me the same question,
"Was that God?"
And my answer is always, "YES!"
In fact, I don't even need to hear their stories anymore. The answer is always YES.
The season of the Holy Spirit is approaching. Pentecost. It is a season of great mystery, of wild miracles and people who speak in tongues. But we have become shy when it comes to speaking of the Holy Spirit. We worry that people will think we are mentally unstable or somehow medieval. We are afraid to name God's activity among us for fear of being judged by others.
In Peter's day, it was not embarrassing to name God's presence. It was considered an honor to be visited by God. So Peter spoke openly about his visions and his faith in Jesus. He loved to speak of the Holy Spirit.
A friend of mine lost her grandson when he was just 15 years old. He loved to play golf. His name was Chris. Every year, on the day of his death, his family plays a round of golf. It is their way of celebrating his life.
This year, it was pouring down rain when the grandmother and her son (the boy's father) found themselves trying to play golf. They both felt like fools. They could hardly see the ball. Chris' dad teed up and promptly hit the ball into a pond. So they went over to the pond, already sopping wet, to fish out the ball.
Chris' dad managed to salvage the ball from the pond, but he just stood there looking at it. His mom came over to see what was wrong. Without a word, he handed her the ball. There, written in someone's handwriting was his name, Chris.
Name it-The Holy Spirit. It is God's activity among us. It is the idea that just pops into your head from nowhere. It is the math problem that you couldn't solve that just seems to resolve itself in your mind in your sleep. It is running into just the person you needed to see. It is the smile on the face of your loved ones. Name it!
Don't be afraid to name it. You are not crazy. You are just Christian.
My husaband and I have a running joke. If I step out of the closet and ask him, "Does this work?" The answer is always, "NO." In fact, these days JD won't even look up from what he is doing. If I step out of the closet and ask him if an outfit works, he will say no without even looking up.
In all the years that I have been a priest, about once a month or so, someone will ask to speak with me in private. They will tell me about a miracle that occurred to them. One woman told how she saw a strange man across a crowded room some seventy years ago and she heard a voice say, "That is your husband." And they did marry and stayed married for over sixty years. Another woman was widowed in her thirties with two small children. She stopped at a traffic light one day, feeling completely lost and overwhelmed, and a presence of peace came over her, a peace like nothing she had ever felt before.
People tell me these incredible stories that they don't dare mention to anyone else and then they ask me the same question,
"Was that God?"
And my answer is always, "YES!"
In fact, I don't even need to hear their stories anymore. The answer is always YES.
The season of the Holy Spirit is approaching. Pentecost. It is a season of great mystery, of wild miracles and people who speak in tongues. But we have become shy when it comes to speaking of the Holy Spirit. We worry that people will think we are mentally unstable or somehow medieval. We are afraid to name God's activity among us for fear of being judged by others.
In Peter's day, it was not embarrassing to name God's presence. It was considered an honor to be visited by God. So Peter spoke openly about his visions and his faith in Jesus. He loved to speak of the Holy Spirit.
A friend of mine lost her grandson when he was just 15 years old. He loved to play golf. His name was Chris. Every year, on the day of his death, his family plays a round of golf. It is their way of celebrating his life.
This year, it was pouring down rain when the grandmother and her son (the boy's father) found themselves trying to play golf. They both felt like fools. They could hardly see the ball. Chris' dad teed up and promptly hit the ball into a pond. So they went over to the pond, already sopping wet, to fish out the ball.
Chris' dad managed to salvage the ball from the pond, but he just stood there looking at it. His mom came over to see what was wrong. Without a word, he handed her the ball. There, written in someone's handwriting was his name, Chris.
Name it-The Holy Spirit. It is God's activity among us. It is the idea that just pops into your head from nowhere. It is the math problem that you couldn't solve that just seems to resolve itself in your mind in your sleep. It is running into just the person you needed to see. It is the smile on the face of your loved ones. Name it!
Don't be afraid to name it. You are not crazy. You are just Christian.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Pruning
Every branch that bears fruit, I will prune back...
The Gospel of John
This past Saturday, the clouds parted for a few hours and I began to plant some flowers. I have this tiny garden in our front lawn, under the shade of a tree. There is a statue of St. Francis and I like to surround him with flowers each spring. A friend of our, Felix, who is 8, helped me plant.
Unfortunately, the flat of flowers sat there for one week before I had the time to plant them. The flowers had grown tall and spindly. In order to keep them healthy, I had to prune them, cutting off the flowers and planting the green stems. Felix was perplexed.
"Luke's mom," he said. "Why are you cutting off all the pretty stuff?"
I had to explain to Felix about the pruning process. "I have to cut these flowers off so that the plants will be healthy and eventually make more flowers," I said.
That's what Jesus does sometimes. He prunes us. He prunes back those branches that bear fruit. His followers who love him and who are genuinely are trying to follow him--he prunes us back. And we never really understand why.
A lady in our parish had to move into assisted living this week. The process nearly did her in. She refused to leave, went on a hunger strike, beggged and cried. But our deacon finally convinced her. It was time for her to be pruned back. She had to get rid of many of her belongings in order to prepare her soul for God. It was so hard for her to say goodbye to so many keepsakes and memories, but she did it in the end. And now she is enjoying herself in her new space.
Consider that some of the hardship you endure is really a pruning back. Suffering is not the enemy. Often, it makes us grow. We may never fully understand what God is trying to do with us, not in this life, but we can use our suffering as a way of learning and become stronger.
My flowers are doing well. Some new buds have come out, tiny ones that will take awhile to bloom. They are coming.
The Gospel of John
This past Saturday, the clouds parted for a few hours and I began to plant some flowers. I have this tiny garden in our front lawn, under the shade of a tree. There is a statue of St. Francis and I like to surround him with flowers each spring. A friend of our, Felix, who is 8, helped me plant.
Unfortunately, the flat of flowers sat there for one week before I had the time to plant them. The flowers had grown tall and spindly. In order to keep them healthy, I had to prune them, cutting off the flowers and planting the green stems. Felix was perplexed.
"Luke's mom," he said. "Why are you cutting off all the pretty stuff?"
I had to explain to Felix about the pruning process. "I have to cut these flowers off so that the plants will be healthy and eventually make more flowers," I said.
That's what Jesus does sometimes. He prunes us. He prunes back those branches that bear fruit. His followers who love him and who are genuinely are trying to follow him--he prunes us back. And we never really understand why.
A lady in our parish had to move into assisted living this week. The process nearly did her in. She refused to leave, went on a hunger strike, beggged and cried. But our deacon finally convinced her. It was time for her to be pruned back. She had to get rid of many of her belongings in order to prepare her soul for God. It was so hard for her to say goodbye to so many keepsakes and memories, but she did it in the end. And now she is enjoying herself in her new space.
Consider that some of the hardship you endure is really a pruning back. Suffering is not the enemy. Often, it makes us grow. We may never fully understand what God is trying to do with us, not in this life, but we can use our suffering as a way of learning and become stronger.
My flowers are doing well. Some new buds have come out, tiny ones that will take awhile to bloom. They are coming.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Ten Commandments
Two years ago, I took my family to the Grand Canyon. It was breathtaking, but I couldn't take it in because I had Max and Max was two.
Bringing a todder to the edge of a steep cliff was one of the most frightening things I have ever done. All I could do was imagine Max toddling over the edge. As I result, I could not enjoy the view. I was just too terrified.
If only they had a place for parents and little kids, I thought. They would have a huge chain-link fence, strong and durable. The kids could play freely, protected from the monstrous heights by that wonderful, sturdy, impenitrable fence. If only that fence existed, I could enjoy the view!
When God gave us the Ten Commandments, God was really giving us a fence. God was giving us the boundaries that we must respect if we were to be safe, happy and free. You cannot have a healthy civilization if you kill one another, or steal or commit adultery. These laws were the strong, sturdy rods of the fence. These laws would keep the Israelites safe from their own darker nature, safe from mayhem and chaos, safe from violence and revenge.
It is strange to think of laws as freeing, but they are. If we are not safe from one another, then we are not free.
Bringing a todder to the edge of a steep cliff was one of the most frightening things I have ever done. All I could do was imagine Max toddling over the edge. As I result, I could not enjoy the view. I was just too terrified.
If only they had a place for parents and little kids, I thought. They would have a huge chain-link fence, strong and durable. The kids could play freely, protected from the monstrous heights by that wonderful, sturdy, impenitrable fence. If only that fence existed, I could enjoy the view!
When God gave us the Ten Commandments, God was really giving us a fence. God was giving us the boundaries that we must respect if we were to be safe, happy and free. You cannot have a healthy civilization if you kill one another, or steal or commit adultery. These laws were the strong, sturdy rods of the fence. These laws would keep the Israelites safe from their own darker nature, safe from mayhem and chaos, safe from violence and revenge.
It is strange to think of laws as freeing, but they are. If we are not safe from one another, then we are not free.
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