Advent Blue, the back story…

Some of you like stories, history, and trivia. Others of you like to cut to the chase. If you are the latter, skip to the second section of this article…

A Thousand Years of Background.

A Map of Sarum/Salisbury Enagland, c. 485 CE

After the great and slow decay of Rome, Europe fell into a time sometimes called the ‘Dark Ages’. Contemporary historians now realize that these were dark times for Europe but not necessarily for the rest of the world, so ‘Middle Ages’ is often used more frequently. Nevertheless, these were dark times for Europe. Infrastructure, learning, technology, economic security, and relative safety had collapsed. Into this collapse the Church stepped in. In particular, monasteries took over the teaching of literacy, scientific study, invention, and publication and preservation of books and manuscripts. To stem the tide of chaos, the Church worked at promoting Latin as a common language for politics, trade, learning, and religion. And the Church also campaigned to create unity in a fragmented society in a particular way: through uniformity. The idea was that if everyone worshiped, spoke, believed, and thought along the same uniform lines societal cohesion and solidarity would be restored.  

An Altar vested in Sarum Blue

By the time of the Protestant Reformation, this campaign had achieved significant regional success. For instance the churches in France/Gaul followed the Gallican Rite*.  Spain had the Mozarabic Rite* and Italy the Ambrosian Rite. In the Brittish Isles there remained a great diversity heavily influenced by various Celtic practices. However the Rite of Salisbury* , called “Sarum” in Latin from which we get the term ‘Sarum Blue’, and the Rite of York were the most popular in England. Although these rites were all in Latin and contained common elements, they still differed in various particulars.

The Roman Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation, a reaction sometimes termed the ‘Catholic’ or ‘Counter’ Reformation, was officially established in the Council of Trent. In addition to enacting moral reforms, this Council strictly called the Catholic observance into more lock-step uniformity. Among its multitude of effects was the codification the colors used for the Liturgical Year as we have them now…   except blue.

Why do we use Sarum Blue at Advent?

[Notice in this depiction where the light emanates from...] 

The use of blue at Advent has many meanings. Like purple it is a royal color reminding us that Jesus is our Lord and King. It is the color of the firmament, the darkened sky. It calls us to remember God’s Creation in the midst of darkness. It bids us look for Christ the Light from Light, who saves us and lightens our darkness. Blue is also the color of Mary, the first Christian. It recalls for us when Mary was overshadowed by God’s divinity, moving over her, dwelling within her, just as God did over the waters of the deep in Creation, just as God does in us through Baptism and God’s Holy Spirit.

Blue is also a color that reminds Anglicans/Episcopalians of our Sarum Catholic roots. Christians are called to unity, but not necessarily uniformity. We were created for both diversity and cohesiveness. Anglicans are at once distinct and also within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are part of God’s family, a family of people so filled with wondrous diversity that only the breadth of God’s loving embrace is able enfold us into Oneness.

As you peer into the deep Blue of Advent, may you recall that the Light is coming into the darkness. God longs for you, to live with you and in you and never be separated from you. God loves you. May you feel the wide and intimate embrace of God’s Love as you prepare for Christmas.

Blessings and prayers,

Fr. James+

*Note: Consequently, our liturgy is heavily influenced by the Sarum and Gallican Rites, both of which are influenced by Celtic liturgies. Protestant influences including some of Martin Luther’s reforms are also present in our liturgies. And the Spanish Mozarabic shows up in a few places, especially in the wild chant of Eucharist Prayer D, which St. Peter’s typically uses at Easter. There is, however, no direct Ambrosian/Italian influence to speak of. 

What will happen to me when I die? (Part 2)

In August, before leaving on Sabbatical, I began this three part series on death and life-after-death. This is Part 2. (Click here for Part 1.) Since then our small community has experienced three deaths in three months. The number for whom these questions has become more critical and less theoretical has increased. My intent here is not simplistic answers, but a plain directness that sometimes eludes our Anglican tradition which so highly values mystery. A few among us have broached this subject with me wondering again or perhaps for the first time the questions we are tackling here. I hope this will spark your own reflections, questions, and perhaps your own prayerful convictions. It has for me.  

Question 2: "Who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell?"  

I have an immediate reaction to this question: I cringe. I cringe because the first thing I hear is the sentiment expressed in the children's Bible song that glibly sings, "One door and only one and yet its sides are two. I'm on the inside; which side are you?"* This question about Heaven and Hell could be a meager attempt at self-assured good standing with God further bolstered by condemnation of others, a selfishness in the name of Christ. There are, however, other ways to hear this question.

Who will go to Heaven? Or rather, how do I obtain life even after death? If this is what we mean, it is a frequent and good question found in the New Testament. See Luke 10:25-37, Mark 10:17-27 / Luke 18:18-27, and Acts 16:25-34 for some great examples. Jesus' answer is very rigorous: we are to be perfect just as God is perfect (Matt. 5:48). Impossible, right? Yes. Absolutely. (see Rom. 3:23) But Jesus also says, "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God." (Lk. 18:26-27) This is why the apostles in Acts and the in the Epistles, like Romans, teach that it is believing in Jesus - meaning active trust in, submission to, and the mimicking of Jesus - that leads to salvation. In Jesus, God does for us and in us and through us what we, on our own, find impossible.

Exactly what it is that Jesus does that we can't or didn't do is a whole other discussion. It's called the Theology of Atonement. Suffice it to say, we were locked out of eternal life until we received the key, and that key is Jesus.

"What about those who don't believe in and follow Jesus? Do they go to Hell?" The catch in this question is this other question: "Who, exactly, believes and follows Jesus?" Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord,  Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21) Jesus anticipates that some are not the followers of Christ they thought themselves to be. It is God, not we ourselves, who determine what it is to 'do the will of the Father.'

A depiction for the Parable of Lazarus and 'Dives'

And what of those who have not professed to follow Christ? The Gospel of John (3:17) and II Peter (3:9) both declare that God's desire is to save, not destroy, to redeem and not to condemn. It strikes me as odd to think that God would not, at anytime, accept another's repentance. Even in Jesus parable of Lazarus and 'Dives' (Lk. 16:19-31), when Dives is in hell, Dives does not want to change his ways. He only wants to be relieved of the consequences and to see the same for his brother. The gap that he cannot cross is of Dives' own making. Dives cannot conceive of Lazarus as his neighbor, but only as a beggar and servant. Dives wants Lazarus, like an errand boy, to come and bring him water. Tortured as he is, Dives still refuses to see his reality (He is the beggar now!) and to enter the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.

On this point, I particularly like C.S. Lewis' book, The Great Divorce. In it Lewis tells the metaphorical story of a handful of Hell's denizens taking a day trip to Heaven. They are, for all intents and purposes, offered salvation and Heaven. But they refuse to let go of those imperfect and foul traits that cannot be a part of Heaven's paradise. The result is that they, by their own choice, would rather be in Hell than in Heaven.

The point is this. God will do anything and everything possible, even doing the impossible, to rescue each of us from sin, evil, and death. This we can trust by knowing God and God's character. But we don't know the ultimate results for others. And perhaps it is none of our business either. "...Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," says St. Paul (Phil. 2:12b). Let God's love, not our own worries, anxieties, or judgments, be the place where the fates of others rest. And take hope what Jesus has said, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also..." (John 10:16a).  

I commend this prayer to you...

Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to your never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come, knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

(The Book of Common Prayer, p. 831)

What will happen to me when I die? (Part 1)

The first time I was asked this question it was a relative who had lost their spouse in a tragic accident. I regret I didn’t have what I think was a good answer, in part, because this is a complex question. From a Christian perspective it is really three questions: “What happens after this life is over and I die,” “Who goes to Heaven (and who goes to Hell),” and “How can I be sure there is something after death and that I’m going to go to Heaven.” I’ve recently heard this question raised on several occasions in our congregation, and here is what I believe is a better set of answers.

Question 1: What happens after this life is over and I die?

Background

We understand from Jesus, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Saints, the Church, and from Holy Scripture that there is one enormous problem in our existence: we are largely, although not totally, alienated and separated from God. The whole book of Genesis tells us of humanity’s decision to choose our own selfish  desires over God’s perfect and good desires for us; the repercussions of choosing our way over God’s way, which seriously screwed up our lives and even God’s whole creation; and that God’s response was to immediately start repairing the gap in our relationship. In fact, that is the story of the whole Older Testament: our attempts to get closer to God or push God away, the consequences, and God’s consistent action to bring us back to complete wholeness. 

Ultimately it is Jesus who, by his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, bridges that divide between humanity and God (see the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). But – and this is a big caveat – God still leaves us a choice: we can choose to head our own way, away from the Source of Life, or we can choose God’s way uniquely revealed in Jesus, and be reunited with the Source of Life who is God. If we choose our own way, whatever that may be, we choose not-life, not-perfection, not-wholeness, not-health, and not-goodness. Another way of saying this is that we choose death, corruption, suffering, pain, and evil. This is not God’s punishment against us, but the result, the consequence, the earnings, the “wages” of following our own desires. It is of our own making, not God’s. (see Rom. 6:20-23 and John 3:17-18).

The Way Out

The Good News, the Gospel, is that there is another way, a way out of our predicament in this life and the next. God has made this way out in Jesus Christ. From several Bible texts (Acts 16:30-34, Romans 10:8-13, and I Peter 3:21) we know that the way out in Jesus Christ is belief in Jesus, confession, resentence, and baptism .

                Belief. “Belief in Jesus” means an active trust in Jesus, that we must hold Jesus’ teaching and example as true and right and act upon them.

                Confession is the act of speaking the truth, that we must tell the truth about Jesus, who he is and what he did, and tell the truth about our own need for Jesus, recognizing our own efforts to reunite with God are insufficient.

                Repentance is the resolution to let God change our lives by choosing to act upon God’s directions and instructions. We submit to God’s judgments, forgiveness, and restoration so that our lives become more and more holy and less and less evil.

     Baptism is the spiritual mystery given to us in a physical form that seals us to God and God to us in an everlasting covenant (unbreakable contract) of grace. It is a conversion of life – mind, heart, soul, and strength – into the identity, being and purpose God gives us.

If we choose the way of Jesus – belief, confession, repentance, and Baptism  (Acts 2:37-42)– we will not earn what we deserve, but rather be given the unending and perfect life we were first intended, but with an extra bonus: we will be considered no longer the mere Creation of God, but God’s very own adopted daughters and sons. This means we will be God’s family, not merely God’s creation. And it leads us to the other part of the Good News: eternal life with God and God’s family doesn’t have to start after we die, it can begin right now and here.

When we die…

When we die our path continues. How do I know? I don’t know. I trust.

1)      I trust Jesus died and came back from being dead and said he was going making a place for his disciples.  (John 14) Or do we think Jesus and/or the author of John were liars? (see 2 Peter 1:16-21)

2)      It isn’t that easy to destroy the substance of a thing. You can pour water out of a glass, crush the glass and dry up the puddle, but the water remains and so does the glass. They are changed, not ended.  (cf Albert Einstein and E = mc^2 )

3)      God made us with hunger and satiety. I am hungry, there is food. I am thirsty, there is water. I am lonely; there are varieties of companionship. I long for life after death; well, what do you think comes next?  (Thanks to C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity for this point!) This makes even more sense of Jesus’ teaching, “seek and you shall find, ask and it shall be given you.” (Matt. 7:7-8)

Now what we have done in this life affects what our life looks like after we die, just as our youth affects our elder years. As a general rule, if we are following Christ, God “who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6) What God has not completed in us in this life will first be completed after we die. This we can call ‘Judgement’, where God sifts through us and separates from us all those things that are wrong, evil, or unworthy of those who are the Children of Heaven. Why? For the simple reason that Heaven cannot be perfect if those who live there are imperfect.

This process of sifting and judgment has been referred to in Scripture as a “refiner’s fire,” (Zech 13:9, Mk 9:49-50) alluding to how a refiner will use fire to burn away impurities and bring out from the fire only something pure and more splendidly beautiful than what was put in. Of note in this metaphor is that the process would seem initially unpleasant, quite possibly painful, but the final product is better off than it was before. A more modern metaphor could be life-saving surgery – an unpleasant procedure, but much, much better than the alternative!

Two Parables of Judgment

Let me sum this up with two parables, neither of which are from the Bible. Both of which illustrate well my point.

The final Judgment is like two women who had terminal illness. Both went to a surgeon who promised to remove the infected parts. The first woman accepted the surgeon’s help, and trusting the surgeon, passed through the pain of surgery, recovered her health, and went on live a full and joyous life. The second person, seeing how much of her body would be removed told the surgeon that she was unwilling to part with so much of herself. She distrusted the surgeon she refused surgery. She lived in agony until one day her illness finally consumed her entire body, leaving nothing of who she once was.

Two men reached the Judgment Seat of God. Both lived lives that were neither perfectly good nor horridly evil. As they reached the dais, Jesus rose and pointed to a doorway of fire, the flames making a complete barrier to what lay beyond. The first, seeing the flames raised his fist in anger against Jesus, and swore saying, “I have done nothing to deserve Hell. You are no Just Judge. You are the Accuser, the Satan and the Father of Lies!” And he fled as far from the flames as he could, into the outer darkness. Now the second man, knowing his own imperfection and sinfulness, and trusting that Jesus was steadfast in loving-kindness, accepted what Jesus seemed to say. Though trembling with fear, he stepped through the doorway passing through the flame and came to the other side. There he discovered his imperfections had been burned away and he was left changed and whole. At his right he found Jesus who had also had passed through the flames beside him. And Jesus embraced him saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant… ” (cf Matthew 25)

Conclusion

So what happens when we die? Well, that which was begun in our earthly life is brought to its full consequence, either life with God or the attempt to live a life disconnected from the Source of Life. The latter is bound to fail, like a battery wishing remain charged without ever connecting to its charger. God desires only to take from us only what cannot be allowed into Heaven. We choose whether we are willing to part with those things God requires from us. Are we willing to give up our pride, selfishness, obsessions, addictions, arrogance, greed, grudges, anger, hatred, ego, vengefulness, self-righteousness, and shame?  God promises to help us do so, but we must willingly accept that help. And we must trust God. That trust comes easier if we have spent our lives knowing, listening, and living with God. But if we haven’t, it is still possible since all things are possible with God and God does not want to withhold eternal life from anyone (II Peter 3:9), but it may be extremely difficult. (Matthew 19:16-30).           

Sabbatical

Beginning August 1, 2013, I will begin a three month Sabbatical. If not the first, I am among the first clergy at St. Peter's to take a Sabbatical, and so this news may come as a surprise to some. So let's talk about what a Sabbatical is and is not and why I a priest takes a Sabbatical.

What is a Sabbatical?
Well, first let me say what a Sabbatical is not. A Sabbatical is NOT a vacation. During a vacation a person break from their work and labor routines in order to relax. During a Sabbatical, a person changes the nature of their work and routine for the purpose of renewal and development. The idea dates back to the Old Testament, when God called the whole Israelite people to observe a Sabbatical Year once every seven years. (Exodus 21:2-6, Exodus 23:10-11, Leviticus 25:1-7,18-22, and Deuteronomy 15:1-11,12-18) The purpose of the Biblical Sabbatical was the gift of freedom by dependence upon God for the renewal of all the people and the sustaining of their good and righteous community. 

Why do clergy get Sabbaticals? 
As the nature of society changed after World War II, so did the nature of priestly ministry. Toward the end of the century, surveys and studies began reporting that rates of burnout, divorce, depression, obesity, cholesterol, and stress, were higher among clergy than the national average. As congregations began experiencing more and more decline, more and more clergy found their own ministerial lives collapsing as well - either my dysfunction (i.e. 'conduct unbecoming') or mental and emotional fatigue (burn out). In short, the Church (clergy, laity, seminaries) would invest a decade or more of formation and thousands of dollars into a person who might then leave the ministry for good after just a few years. It was clear this was not a good situation. 

As a result a number of institutions and denominations, including the Episcopal Church, began investing heavily in studies, training, and practices that bolstered clergy health. A more robust discernment process for those seeking to become clergy was put into place. Internships during seminary became a norm. Bishops and seminaries began programmatic emphases on self-care and clergy care providing or requiring spiritual direction, regular retreats, preemptive therapy or counseling, and education in psychological theories about personality types and group behavior. And Sabbaticals were added to the list. 

Thus, in the Diocese of Olympia, all clergy and diocesan staff employment agreements have a mandated stipulation for a Sabbatical of three to six months. The current agreement between St. Peter's and it's Rector is dated 2008 and stipulates one to three months. So I've split the difference and will be on Sabbatical for three months. 

What does that mean for the parish and for the Rector? 
During my Sabbatical we will have a supply priest or priests who will celebrate the liturgy. Provisions will also be made for pastoral care. Classes and programs such as Bible Study, Coffee Connections, and Theology Pub will be turned over to lay leadership. The Vestry will meet as usual, with the Sr Warden and two Jr. co-Wardens taking the lead in business administration, congregational leadership, and financial oversight. The Rector will be essentially unavailable, and I don't mean this in a rude way. Again, the purpose is so that with renewed energy and focus, the parish will experience their Rector as MORE available upon his return.

What will the Rector be doing on Sabbatical?

Someone has described the Sabbatical as "having the freedom and time to chase your passion." That's what I will be doing. My subject will be the experience of community in the Church. I will be looking at several different experiences of vital community (i.e. living, worshiping, working, and ministering together) in the Church. Among some of these expressions are the Emerging Church, monastic communities, the Anabaptist tradition (e.g. Mennonites), and taking some breaks from community for reading and retreat. I long for a balanced life of family, work, community, worship, study, and mission that I believe Jesus describes as the Kingdom of Heaven. I see the blueprints for that Kingdom life in the Old Testament, for instance where it talks about Sabbatical for the People of God, in Jesus' teachings, and in the Benedictine spirituality (i.e. balance in all things) that is an undercurrent in our Book of Common Prayer. I'm going on a journey in search of that vision of life in the Church. And I promise, when I get back, I'll let you know what I've found. 

In Christ,
Fr. James+   

          
     

Is Religion Always About War and Conflict?

Cartoon by Don Addis

I met a man on the street today. He was a little confused, to say the least, but he posed a very good question. He said, and I paraphrase, "When it comes to religion I'm a 'virgin'; I don't know anything. Tell me, why are religions always fighting?"

What a wonderful question! Indeed, it seems that all too often people of one religion or another are spouting platitudes and shaking angry fists, if not accomplishing some greater violence. Is religion truly about hate and anger?

When hearing generalizations about religion I often turn to science. Probably not, however, in the
way you might be thinking just now. And here is what I mean. If we applied the same logic but substituted 'science' for 'religion,' would the argument still hold? In this case, why are the constituents of scientific advancement or scientists always fighting? Is science really about hate and anger?

Obviously, science isn't about hate or anger, but about discovery and learning what was unknown. Often scientific discovery happens through debate. And sometimes those debates are very heated when one has invested so much into an idea or theory which is being challenged. In some cases, science has indeed been used for the sake of war, the making of weapons, and great atrocities in human history. But I would wager most of us reading this blog on our computers would say that science is not to blame or bad, but rather to purpose it is used.

And so goes my argument for religion. Certainly many despots, villains, and warmongers have used religion to forward their terrible designs. And yet, religion has also been a source of all kinds of saints, holy ones, sages, prophets, and seers who are remarkable forces for good.

The comparison between evil villains and goodly saints will lead us to all sorts of other questions.  "Is good as powerful as evil?" "Are faith and religion the same thing?" "Where does spirituality fit in this conversation?" But these are questions for another post. Suffice it to say, science used for evil does not make science evil. Nor is religion evil for having likewise been abused.

St. James, the brother of Christ Jesus, says in Holy Scripture, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (James 1:27) And I think this a wise place to begin.

Lent: Moving Further into the Reality of God

It may seem an odd thing, but every year I enjoy Lent just a bit more. At first glance it seems to be a season all about sin, confession, penitence, repentance, and penance. It can feel like we're all about finding out how bad we are and how sorry we ought to be. They're is room for that, but that dreary vision of Lent has very little Gospel, very little Good News, at all. Let's go a bit deeper.

Jesus said in John 3:17 that "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." The message of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ isn't "You're terrible!" The message is, "It doesn't have to be this way. YOU don't have to be stuck anymore." Or as Jesus said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Matt. 10:7).

Sometimes we Christians miss the eternal perspective. We think, for instance, that the Salvation of Christ is something that happens after we die and once we reach Heaven. Or we think that the Salvation of Christ is about reforming our society in the here and now. When Christ saws, "The Kingdom of God is at hand" it means all of these! Salvation is about my own life here and now and the hope of Heaven after I die. Salvation is about a just, peaceful, and loving society here and now, and about Christ's coming again to straighten out all humankind. It is me and everyone. It is now and in the future.


In Advent we make room in our lives and communities for person of Jesus Christ. In Lent we make room in our lives and communities for what Christ is doing, namely altering our reality by overshadowing it with God's reality. In Advent Christ moves into our neighborhood (John 1:14, The Message). In Lent, God begins to move us into God's neighborhood. And then in Easter, we celebrate (in the present) the eternity of living in that neighborhood!

I think we can easily miss the Good News of this. We might be underestimating the power of God's reality now. Instead we buy into the world's reality. Our consumer society judges life based on what you produce (your career and income level) and what you consume (lifestyle). God's reality is based on who you are (intrinsic value) and how God is working in your for the benefit of you and others (mission and ministry). In a materialistic society, what we own or can buy is prized. In God's reality the gifts of God has given us and gives through us are most prized. In an imperfect world we become perfectionists or pessimists. In God's reality, we become a people of redemption and hope - all things can and will be fixed!


The good things of the Kingdom of God are unatainable in this life, because at Baptism, "this life" begins our eternal life. When Jesus says, "The Kingdom of God is among you," in Luke 17:20 (emphasis mine), Christ is saying stop looking elsewhere! It's right here, now, with you, and with those gathered around Christ.

This Lent I hope and pray both you and I find the joy of moving a bit further into God's neighborhood, of buying into God's reality, and giving up that old life that is so unbecoming of the Children of Heaven.

"The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the Gospel."  (Mark 1:14-15)

A Reflection for Thursday, Lent 1, Year C

A depiction of 'Christian' fromm John Bunyan's Pligrim's Progress

"Strengthen us, O Lord, 

by your grace, 

that in your might we may overcome all spiritual enemies, 

and with pure hearts serve you; 

through Jesus Christ our Lord, 

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 

one God, 

for ever and ever. 

Amen." 

The collect above is proscribed for the Thursday of Lent 1 by the Episcopal Church's book, Holy Women, Holy Men (p. 39). 

For reflection: In the ancient martial classic, The Art of War, Sun Tzu said "Know your enemy" (Ch. 3, last sentence). What spiritual enemies are opposing your life in Christ? How about the spiritual enemies your Christian community or Church faces? Name them. How may we face those enemies with God's grace and might, yet maintain a 'pure heart' in service to God? 

Read, reflect on, and pray Psalm 35. 

Being Right and But Getting it Wrong

I've come across a number of posts and a few conversations recently regarding theology or liturgy or Biblical interpretation that really boil down to, "You've got it wrong" and summarily anathematizes the accused. Perhaps you've seen it on the web: Which Bible translation, liturgy book, worship style, or type of song is *really* okay to use. Who is *really* a priest or pastor. Which sacraments offered by whom are *really* valid. Who is *really* a Christian. Or who is *really* Catholic or Orthodox or Apostolic or Saved or Spirit Filled.

(Examples: here, here, and here for instance.)

I recognize the need for discerning what is good and right, for lifting up what is Holy, and for searching out He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. These are positive things. They build up others in love and truth. Many of the discussions I mention have nothing to offer as contributions, but rather only serve to tear one another apart. Remember, the Spirit, through St. Paul says to the Galatians (5:14-21, NRSV) and to us:

"For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment,

‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 

If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."    (emphasis is mine)

Have we lost faith in God's grace? Tell me, what errors or sins is God unable to cover? And which one of us is perfect? And if we believe we are perfect, is it not Christ in us that has made us so, and this by grace and not of our own doing so that we cannot boast? Have we attained all that God has wanted for us in an instant, or has God been patient with each of us, calling repeatedly, and forgiving incessantly as we were changed, over time, more and more into the likeness of Christ?

From looking at some of our arguments with each other, it seems we believe God to be the underdog! We act as though we, not God, had better sort things out, because God can't or won't or doesn't know what he is really doing around here. Do we *really* think that the Almighty needs us to defend him? Christ could have chosen to say "you are the gladiators and centurions of Truth," but he didn't. He used the image a city on a hill and lamp on a lamp stand (Matt. 5:14-15). 

Instead, let us be the likeness of Christ to one another. Let us not condemn since Christ came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). Let us live in love, as Christ loved us (Eph. 5:2). Let God's grace be the truth and the righteousness we proclaim to one another and not bind each other in a new Law.  

How to Find Time for God

It's ironic. We frequently find that we have little time in our lives for the One who created and gave us our time. But there it is, sad and true. Many of us want to take some time out for God, but somehow we never quite get there. Is there any help for us, beyond guilt-ridden consciences? Absolutely.

A Story. When I was a seminarian, I sat before a group of lay persons and we discussed God's calling on my life. My bishop had told all the seminarians that we were now "under orders", meaning that several things were no longer optional, including daily Morning and Evening Prayer. I confessed to my group that I just couldn't do it. There was no time. The expectations were too high, too unreasonable given all the other things I was expected to do. I've never forgotten what the Sr. Warden said to me, in part because it ticked me off. He said, "If it's important to you, you'll do it."

Well! Imagine the nerve! He was implying that making time for God was just not as important to me as other things! And he was right. Oh, I thought prayer and worship and spirituality were important, but I hadn't made them as important as other things in my life. There is a reason why God linked sacrifice with forming a bond and connection with the Divine. We may not be offering sheep and bulls anymore, but finding time with God today still requires a sacrifice. We must lay our schedules, priorities, desires, needs, and wants on the altar.

"Why would we do that!?" For the same reason we do it with other relationships. We often sacrifice for our families, friends, careers, habits, and needs. We do it because it brings us pleasure or we receive or hope to receive something greater than what we sacrificed. For instance, I make time for my wife and family because they are more important than many other things and our relationships will outlast my career or whatever else threatens to get in the way. In the end, my priorities are determined by my perspective.

"So how about some concrete steps?" Sure. Here are some suggestions, but be aware that like all relationships, your relationship with God is dynamic. There's no simple and guaranteed method. Most of it boils down to just figuring out what works for you. And that is part of the challenge and  part of the adventure. Below are four concrete steps to help you and God figure it out together.

1) Develop your perspective. Write down why you think God wants to spend time with you and why you would want to spend time with God. What are the benefits? Why do you want this to be important? Can you connect a positive relationship with God to the benefit of other priorities? An example on my benefits list is, "I will be a better dad if I nurture my relationship with God." Rehearse the this list by posting it and reading it frequently throughout your week. Pray about it, tell God who you are and who you want to be.

2) Start small. Consistency is more important than length or content at first. Think of it as God wanting to check in with you every day, even if its just the length of a text message with less than 160 characters. A verse and a small prayer is sufficient to start. With consistent practice, you will begin to find that "short" is not long enough.

3) Remove barriers. As you encounter barriers, write them down. Then make it your goal to remove items from the list or otherwise diminish their effectiveness. For instance, next to "I keep forgetting" put "Make appointment times for God in my schedule." Don't forget to pray about them, too. "God, when I forget you, don't forget me. Call me back to you."

4) Talk about it. Our spiritual lives are personal, but not private. We are not called to hide our relationship with God, but to share with others God's activity in our lives (see Psalm 40:11). In doing so we find we aren't alone in our struggles or in experiencing God's miraculous activity. So ask what others do and what they've experienced. Ask for prayer and offer to pray for others.

Let's check in with God and let's check in with each other. It's all just part of being the Family of God.