Vows and Grace

Q: "In a post-modern society of shifting relationships, ever-changing situations, and a general sense of subjective reality, do vows mean anything anymore? Are they simply a promise of intent knowing that intentions do not always produce the desired outcome? Should we make vows at all, knowing the likelihood that we will break them?"

A: I appreciate the Episcopal tradition's use of answering many vows with "I will with God's help." It seems to me that while we have the authority to make vows and break them, we don't have the power in and of ourselves to wholly keep them. So why make vows? In a sense, I think my vows, kept or broken, call me into further dependence on God's Grace and the awareness of that fact. And perhaps dependence, rather than perfection, is more important to God. Making God's grace the foundation of our lives leads to freely living into our vows instead of obsessing over whether we have kept or have broken our vows at any given moment.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is this: my vows pull me further into God's grace because I know I cannot keep them without God's help. It is no surprise to me or to God that I have broken and will break my vows. And yet I am still loved, still being redeemed, and still continually called to holiness. Alleluia for God's grace!

Fr. James+

The Power to Live Life Abundantly

It’s a busy season. Final exams and papers, graduations, end of the year parties, finalizing summer vacation plans, garden planting, and out outdoor projects abound. Life’s busyness is abundant. But when Christ said, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly,” I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean that he came to fill up our “to do” lists and schedules. Abundant life is something else.

In June we celebrate both the Ascension (June 2^nd) and Pentecost (June 12^th). These are two of the Seven Principle Feasts of the year. (Christmas and Easter are another two). Ascension celebrates Christ’s authority, his honor and power as ruler and governor seated “at the right hand of the Father”. In this celebration we recognize Christ’s power over our lives and over the universe. It is a celebration and acclamation that love, self-sacrifice, mercy, and justice rule – not greed, revenge, and spitefulness.

And lest you think that God has abandoned us on Earth in order to rule in Heaven, Pentecost is the celebration of God’s Holy Spirit indwelling God’s people, giving them the power to live in God’s kingdom on Earth, even in the midst of brokenness and evil.

These are beautiful days! These are days of abundance! And so when the busyness of seems to overtake us, the message of these Principle Feasts remind us that God’s abundant life is greater. Perhaps our motto should not be carpe diem, “seize the day” as we live life, but carpe regnum, “seize the Kingdom.” And thanks be to God, we can seize the Kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit within us!

Alleluia!