The Fourth of July: Liturgy, Patriotism, and Partisanship

William White, First Bishop of Pennsylvania

July 4^th is a Feast Day in the Episcopal Church’s calendar. That might not seem revolutionary, but it actually is (pun intended). 

During the American War of Independence, Church of England clergy in the American Colonies found themselves facing three possible actions: they could stay loyal to the Crown and risk fines, injury, or imprisonment, they could betray their oath to the King in the name of Independence, or they could stay and accept the changes while only grudgingly embracing the revolution. Many thousands chose the first and left for Canada, England, or elsewhere. Another group was “all in” with Independence. Those who did not support the revolution but stayed had to find a way to survive in the newly-independent nation and the brand-new Episcopal Church. Hard feelings were everywhere and memories were long (indeed, Pamela and I knew a priest and his wife in New York whose families were on opposite sides of the American Revolution: it was still a sore subject in the late 1980s). 

 

Early on, there was quite a lot of pressure to make July 4^th a Feast in the Episcopal Church’s Calendar. The thought was that, just as the Church of England had a holiday celebrating the accession of the monarch to the throne, the new nation needed a church feast celebrating independence. This is called patriotism. It was also gratifying for some to rub the noses of the clergy who had “lost” in their disappointment, making them say prayers, preach, and lead liturgies celebrating a cause they didn’t really support. This is called partisanship.

 

One of the key pro-revolutionary figures in the early Episcopal Church was The Rev’d Dr. William White, who became the first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. He was a friend of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. He had been chaplain to the Continental Congress. He had “cred” with the Revolutionaries. When discussion at a church convention about an Independence Day Feast was taken up, it was expected White would encourage the observance of an event he so clearly supported and for which he had risked so much. Such was not the case, however.

 

White wrote this about the attempt:

 

The members of the Convention wanting to force this observance seem to have thought themselves so established in their station of ecclesiastical legislators, that they might expect of the many clergy who had been averse of the American Revolution the adoption of this service; although, by the use of it, they must make an implied acknowledgement of their error, in an address to Almighty God….

 

White rebuked those who, in their triumph, gloated over those who had lost. Once he wrote this, the energy for the 4^th of July Feast Day in the liturgical calendar collapsed. It was not included in our calendar until over a century later, in the 1928 revision of the Book of Common Prayer.

 

Today we would say White’s judgment was wise for a number of reasons. First of all, the American Revolution had only partly lived out the ideal of the Declaration of Independence. Race slavery was incompatible with its ideals and its retention was one of the clearest signs that national failure and hypocrisy was as much the issue as independence and liberty on July 4^th. White, who would not own enslaved people (unlike our first Bishop, Samuel Seabury), also ordained African-Americans (Absalom Jones and William Levington) to ministry, and was conscious of this profound discrepancy. 

 

White also knew that when you are right you don’t have to prove it by being belligerent. Such tactics are those of a weak person or cause. His refusal to “get on the bandwagon” for the July 4^th Feast Day was a refusal to descend into the narrowly partisan, smugly self-certain aspect of faith. He held strong views and wasn’t shy about sharing them, but he remained convinced the Gospel’s force was blunted—not sharpened—by adopting mean-spirited, partisan tactics.

 

Finally, White understood that liturgy is not the place for mockery or invective. Our address to God in prayer must rise above self-serving ends or the gratification of unworthy aims. Liturgy must glorify God and increase love of neighbor—not contempt for neighbor. That remains true. The 4^th of July prayers in the BCP pray God’s grace to make our nation a truly just and equitable land, not a smugocracy of self-delusion.

 

William White’s commitment to a truly Christian approach in political life meant he was free to see the real needs present and to act with regard to them. He worked tirelessly over his long life to bring the Gospel to those in need: persons with disabilities, in prison, or women who had experienced abuse (the first such institution in the United States). When most every other white clergyman fled Philadelphia during the Yellow Fever outbreaks of the 1790s, Bishop White stayed to minister to the sick. He was a true Christian.

 

The Church today is faced with a major decision: to follow the logic of partisanship and retreat into the shadows of the “culture war,” taking pot-shots and allowing the Cross of Christ to be merely a tool used by humans for political advantage, or to confront the cruelty, injustice, and selfishness of our society with the words and power of the risen Christ.

 

Some want the Church to be apolitical, by which they mean uninvolved. Others want the Church to ally itself with one or another political party, by which they mean subordinated. Neither represents Christ’s way of challenging the powers of this world while remaining firmly anchored in the love of God. Christ was involved, and so must we be. But his involvement always means loving God and loving neighbor as ourselves—not descending in a race to the bottom of disrespect and partisanship.

 

There are few easy answers in the matter of Church and political life. I look to the example set by Bishop White as a better way to live in response to the challenges of faith and politics: we practice the Gospel by taking personal risks and making personal sacrifices for the safety of others and a more just world. We link our worship to our actions, becoming more Christ-like as we live. We become more truly “revolutionary” this way rather than more partisan and mean-spirited. When we gather on Sunday, July 4^th, we will pray for our country, give thanks, and—like Bishop White—labor on that it might become the kind of nation it has long proclaimed: a land “with freedom and justice for all.”

 

Brandon+

 

The Collect for Independence Day:

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Remembering our Citizenship

A Word from the Rector...

I've been through quite a few elections now as a parish priest--both secular and ecclesiastical--and through them all, certain things stay constant. One is the tenderness following a vote. In our way of doing things, some must win and some must lose. Being on the losing side can be very painful, especially if we believe only that side possesses the truth. Another is the tendency for those who "won" to forget the Golden Rule and act with swagger and certitude. 

My advice to all is to remember a verse from sacred scripture (Philippians 3:20, to be exact): But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

St. Paul's words here remind us that our deepest identity is found in our membership in Christ's body, and through this body, in God's Kingdom of Love. That citizenship is secure and enduring.

While we work to proclaim God's kingdom here, and labor to fulfill our commission as ministers of His mercy and justice, we must not allow ourselves--however gradually or imperceptibly--to substitute an earthly counterfeit for our heavenly citizenship. Our earthly citizenship is passing, frequently incomplete, and involves us in much sin and tumult; our heavenly citizenship is the source of our hope, our peace, and our triumph.

No matter which "side" we found ourselves on Election Day, our real allegiance should be to Christ, whose perfect will and peace is only imperfectly known in the things of human governance. As we go forward from this week, let us bear this in mind with regard to our neighbor and (especially) with regard to our fellow parishioners, together with whom we have won over the forces of death and division through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Brandon+

A Prayer for the Election

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges:  Guide the people of the United States in the completion of this election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A Prayer for those who Influence Public Opinion

Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Looking to the Cross

"What Our Lord Saw from the Cross" by James Tissot

The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (Numbers 21:7-9) 

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14)

 

Holy Cross Day is, along with Good Friday, one of the two great occasions in the Church year when we focus on the cross. The character of Holy Cross Day is distinguished from Good Friday by its sense of triumph and joy. It also has a practical quality: it asks the question “where do I look for salvation?” in matters great and small.

 

The scripture readings from Morning Prayer today point out the cross’s significance to believers by recalling the connection Jesus drew between himself and the story, recorded in the Old Testament book of Numbers, of the brazen serpent God instructed Moses to make when the people were dying from snakebite. This image of death, when raised up on a pole, would provide an antidote--if they would but cast their eyes upon it.

 

During their nighttime conference, our Lord reminded Nicodemus of this old and mysterious story. Jesus connected the serpent on a pole to his own impending crucifixion (“lifting up”), and forecast the reality for all who would follow him: We must look to the crucified Christ for salvation, for triumph over sin, death, and the power of darkness. This is the only path to eternal life. All others are false and point only to death.

 

Right now, as always, the world disagrees with this message. It says we must look not to the cross but to our screens for salvation. It demands focus on hatred, division, and bitterness rather than on God’s love in Christ. The world’s love of arrogance and violence is exalted in each news cycle, while for Christian disciples it is the humility and peace of Christ which sets the standard for our behavior. This shows in interesting, often small ways.

 

In recent years, with the advent of social media, it has become common for people to put down entire swathes of humans as “sheeple.” This portmanteau word made from sheep and people is never meant as a compliment. It is always a verbal sneer, usually written by folks who might be called “professional sneerers” – the sort of people who mocked Christ at the foot of the cross. I find it interesting when people who call themselves Christians employ this term: Christ himself was called the Lamb of God, and we are to be his sheep. For us, being a sheep is actually a compliment: we are one of the Lord’s flock, and we look to the Good Shepherd for life, guidance, and peace. It is that "looking" we are thinking about today.

 

To look at Christ upon the cross means not to look down, but up—up from the earth and its ceaseless round of demeaning and demonizing others—to focus on the One who loves all people as they are, without precondition. This is eternal life. Do we get this from looking at our phone or our computer? Are our comments, postings, and positions worthy of the Lord? Are we becoming more like Christ, or more like the mockers at his crucifixion?

 

This motion—of looking up to Christ and seeing in him the source of love needed for us to serve, care for, and honor (not judge or demean) our neighbor—is the motion of true Christian humility for the “sheeple” God loves and for whom Christ died. Once we learn this movement, we will question our own smug self-assurance, and will become revolted by the toxic, embittered words and actions we may formerly have engaged in, let pass, or shamefully enjoyed.

 

Holy Cross Day is a good time to see just where I am looking for salvation: to ideology, or perhaps to some unassailable position from which I may look down on others? If I look to anything other than Christ lifted up on the cross, I am simply an idolater, “and the truth is not in me.” But, if I turn to Christ in humble repentance and love, I am being healed from the serpent’s bite, and can journey on in God’s love and strength, so that I may see Christ in my neighbor and do the reconciling work of the Gospel in justice, truth, and mercy.

 

The Collect for the Feast of the Holy Cross

 

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Faith under Fire

Surely one does not turn against the needy,when in disaster they cry for help. Did I not weep for those whose day was hard?  Was not my soul grieved for the poor? I go about in sunless gloom; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help…My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep. (From Job, Chapter 30)

Beloved in the Lord:

 

We are all passing through a time of trials, the latest being the destructive fires spreading across our state, and especially in our own county. The reading from the Book of Job this morning spoke to the sense of loss and anxiety surrounding us right now—who will ever forget the “sunless gloom” of these last few days? Holy Scripture teaches us to make an offering of our heart to God, including our anxiety and sorrows. It also teaches us to reach out in compassion and care for those in need even as we sorrow, and I commend the practice of donation to local relief agencies, as well as in-kind gifts and the simple act of making a phone call or offering to help a neighbor while we pray for the end of these fires and for rain to return to our area.

 

Today’s reading from Acts, chapter 14, provides another way of being faithful and encouraged during these hard times. After St. Paul and his companions survived many trials on their mission (including being left for dead after a stoning), they returned to Antioch, relating their experience to the church there. In utter frankness, St. Luke remarks: “There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’” We need to hear this.

 

Following Jesus includes moments of great joy and comfort, but it also includes seasons of great trial with moment-by-moment reliance on God. Our daily recommitment to the Lord is not a quaint custom: it is a vital renewal in the sources of our faith and our ability to live and share the Gospel in hope. These are exceptional, yet not unexpected, days—as it is written: “it is through many persecutions [and struggles] that we must enter the kingdom of God.” The manna we receive through prayer, scripture, and staying in contact with each other is essential, perhaps now more than ever. Like St. Paul, we will eventually arrive back home from our difficult journey, and what a story we will have to tell! We look forward to that day, even as we journey through this smoky, difficult season. Keep the faith, and lean on God and each other, reaching out in loving service and constant prayer.

 

In Christ,

 

Brandon+

 

A Prayer for Rain:

O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all those who seek thy kingdom and its righteousness all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat thee, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to thy honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Litany in Response to Natural Disaster

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, Have mercy upon us. O God the Son, redeemer of the world, Have mercy upon us. O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful, Have mercy upon us. O Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, One God Have mercy upon us. Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, neither reward us according to our sins. Spare us, good Lord, spare your people, whom you have redeemed by your cross and passion, and by your mercy preserve us forever. Spare us, good Lord. From all natural disasters, from hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards and floods, Good Lord, deliver us. From all disease and sickness, from famine and violence, Good Lord, deliver us. In all times of sorrow, in all times of joy; in the hour of death and at the day of judgment, Good Lord, deliver us. Hear our prayers, O Christ our God, O Christ, hear us. For the + repose of the souls of those who have died in this disaster, that your holy angels may welcome them into Paradise, O Christ, hear us. Console all who grieve: those whose loved ones have died, whose families are torn; whose homes have been destroyed, whose possessions have been ruined, who are now unemployed. O Christ, hear us. Heal those who suffer from injury and illness, emotional and spiritual distress. Give them hope and encouragement to meet the days ahead. O Christ, hear us. Give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty. O Christ, hear us. Give rest to the weary and peace to the restless. O Christ, hear us. Give strength to the governments and emergency services of affected regions and all others in authority and leadership; grant them wisdom and power to act in accordance with your will. O Christ, hear us. Bless the clergy and people in areas of danger and destruction who strive to do your service in the midst of their own grief and pain. Give them fortitude to serve as you would serve. O Christ, hear us. Grant your people grace to witness to your word, to open their hearts in love, and to give generously from their abundance, that they may bring forth the fruits of your Spirit. O Christ, hear us. Forgive us Lord, for all negligence and hardheartedness, for an over-reliance on technology and a lack of preparedness that result in bitterness and strife, in injury and death. O Christ, hear us. In the midst of loss, grant us eyes that see, ears that hear and hands that work so that we may discern how you would have us respond. O Christ, hear us. We give you thanks, Lord God for all agencies and individuals who assist in relief efforts; continue in them the good work you have begun, through them your presence is made known. We thank you O, Lord V. You are our refuge and strength R. Our very present help in trouble V. In you Lord is our hope R. And we shall never hope in vain Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever. (Eph. 3:20,21) Let us pray. O merciful Father, you have taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve your children: Look with pity upon the sorrows of your people, especially the people of East Marion County and all fire-afflicted places, for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their souls with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Disciple's Calendar: Major Feasts in August

Beloved in the Lord:

 

I write to you from the coolness of my home’s basement on a warm day, thinking about the coming weeks. August is typically a rather quiet month…yet, this year has been anything but typical! Amid all our concerns, what does this month teach us about how to be faithful?

 

The major Holy Days in August are the Transfiguration of our Lord (8/6), St. Mary’s Day (8/15), and St. Bartholomew’s Day (8/24). Each of these tells us something about our faith and how to practice it. 

 

The Transfiguration celebrates Christ’s light-filled presence on the Holy Mountain as recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The story connects Christ’s divinity—made manifest in this mysterious encounter—with his mission to bring humanity out of the darkness of sin and strife into the light of God’s presence. It bids us ask the question: Whose “light” do I shine into the world? Is it Christ Jesus and the Gospel light of love, or is it something quite different, the “light of this world,” with all of its limitations and ulterior motives? One leads to the Kingdom of God; the other leads to division, hatred, and death. This is a question to be asked at each day’s start.

 

St. Mary’s Day celebrates the traditional date of the Blessed Virgin’s “falling asleep” or death (early Christians, with their deep awareness of death’s irrelevance after being reborn in Christ, often referred to it as more like falling asleep than anything else). Each year on this day, we hear again the words of Mary’s Song (from Luke, chapter 1:46-55)—words which challenge all complacency or easy deal-making with the powers of this world (or any ideology, for that matter). It will be a good day to ask if we are, like St. Mary, “God-bearers” into the world, or more like “place-fillers.” There’s a big difference, and the Gospel has no need for the latter. When we say Mary’s Song at Evening Prayer each day, we may think about this.

 

St. Bartholomew is one of those apostles about whom scripture tells us nothing much beside his name. Even that is a bit sketchy in his case, as St. John never mentions "Bartholomew" in his Gospel account, speaking of “Nathaniel” instead (the Church has always treated these two names as referring to the same person, based on then-contemporary naming practices). In any case, his feast day reminds us we don’t have to be world-famous or even known to others in order to be counted as pivotal to the story of salvation. Indeed, some of the greatest and most holy people probably never know they have been anything other than “just trying” to be faithful. What is important is that we are sent by Christ, bearing and practicing his message. This is a good day to recommit to a simple life of basic holiness, not getting caught up in all the debates and details.

 

Three holy days, three touch-points with authentic, revolutionary, and very “homely” Christianity. By God’s grace, let’s observe these feasts on their appointed dates—and live their teaching each day.

 

In Christ,

 

Brandon+

Holy Week: Not Tourists but Pilgrims

When the church is readied for the Great Vigil
of Easter, do we participate as tourists, or pilgrims?

  

We are often quick to treat those coming to our churches as tourists—as consumers to whom we will offer a set of services designed to make their journey easier, more fun, and less complicated. Somehow, we seem to think, if we just lower the bar enough and make it accessible enough, they will stay. Yet this discounts the power of the journey, the richness of self-offering. Those coming through our doors are not necessarily looking for an easy faith—their lives are not easy and they need a faith demanding and complex enough to actually call them into newness of being. (from “Yearning,” by Robert Hendrickson, p. 8)

Holy Week and Easter are, without doubt, at the center of our lives as Christians and in the life of this parish. What can seem to an outsider as only a lot of work for an annual festivity is, for us, participating in the mystery of salvation, the source of meaning. Without the Triduum, the Vigil, the Agape Feast, we would be left with the “lowered bar” with its correspondingly diminished journey and sense of self-offering Fr. Hendrickson describes in the above quote. For us, the Christian life is not tourism built on convenience, but a sacred pilgrimage founded on the personal experience of Christ’s death and resurrection, alive and working in and through us as individuals and as a community.

There is immense pressure to make the Church just another consumable, another ideology amongst many. The idea of “lowering the bar” is commonplace when we turn the Church into just another business, social-service provider, or club. In our age, confusing inclusiveness with trivialization is perhaps the norm. But when we hear the words of Christ from the Cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” we cannot respond by "lowering the bar:" it is rather up to us to follow in Jesus’s footsteps, in his strength and doing his will, carrying our own cross in often difficult and demanding lives.

It is often said that Christianity is something caught, not taught. I find this very true. Only when the Gospel has become our experience of Truth, our experience of Life is it really the Source of our existence, not merely an extraneous consumer item or ideology. Similarly, spiritual tourism is a dead end, a dry river, an empty daydream. We cannot tour our way to Christ, always taking the position of a spectator or observer: we must dive in to waters of faith as true participants, and there be held by Christ who is Life.

What we are all about to experience in the sacred Triduum is an invitation to pilgrimage deeper into the mystery of God and the mystery of our life and that of our brothers and sisters—indeed, the very Creation itself. This is our self-offering of will and presence, and it is essential. It is the “narrow door” through which we must pass in order to receive the gift that only comes when we forsake the trivialized life of the mere consumer or tourist.

I pray that none of us will choose to ignore this invitation, and that we will extend an invitation to all around us who hunger for authentic, transformative encounter with Christ. All of us crave this newness of being (we were made for it, after all), and it will be offered freely and with great power in the liturgies of Holy Week. Rather than “lowering the bar” and hiding out in the “tourist spots” of faith, let us journey together with Christ from death to eternal life!

Lift High the Cross

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim

till all the world adore his sacred Name.

For the secular world, September means “back to school” and a return to routines often devoid of deep satisfaction or purpose. For Anglican Christians, each September 14 means we commemorate the Holy Cross of Christ. This Feast reminds us that the Cross of Christ is joyful, glorious, and life-giving.

Each newborn soldier of the Crucified

bears on the brow the seal of him who died.

Whenever we come to Holy Cross Day, I start hum the tune to the hymn “Lift High the Cross.” It reminds me that the Cross of Christ is to be borne everywhere in the Christian’s life: nothing, not even death itself, is “immune” to its presence and power. It is a strong hymn, but not a overbearing one. Its words are a call to action…but action of a very particular sort. We are being urged in these words to “lift high the cross” in every aspect of life. With God, there is no “private” or “public” life. There is only the risen life in Christ—and that life frees us to live as fully as possible.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,

the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

So, here are some thoughts on “lifting high the cross” in the course of daily life as we may our pilgrim way to God:

Lift High the Cross in Worship: When the processional cross passes by, we bow to it as a sign of veneration for what God has done for us in Christ. Our worship of God is not some sort of repetitive sleep-walking exercise but a conscious sharing in the will and energies of the Trinity.

• Prepare for Sunday by examining your conscience before God.
• Come to worship expecting God to speak to you.
• Open up your whole self to God in worship, holding nothing back.
• Recognize Christ present in all those gathered for worship
• Refuse to keep your worship of God locked up in the church building.

Lift High the Cross at Home: Remember—a Christian’s home is a form of church

• Honor Christ by honoring those around you with respect and compassion, not bitterness or a sniping tongue.
• Forgive others as you desire them to forgive you.
• Apologize.
• Talk with others, don’t isolate yourself via television, computers, or other technology where we become vulnerable to evil images and messages.
• Pray to God at the start and end of each day.
• Keep the memory of God alive through the day by calling upon him for aid in matters great and small.

Lift High the Cross at Work: Don’t check your faith at the workplace door.

• Ask God’s blessing when beginning any work.
• Pray for people—especially those who irritate you—don’t condemn them.
• See the Christ in co-workers, bosses, vendors, &c.
• Do your work not for human beings, but for God.
• Live a vocation from God, not just a career for money you cannot take with you.
• Let God transform what is seemingly pointless into opportunities to live and share the Gospel…with words, if you must.

Lift High the Cross in your Neighborhood: Christ came into—and acted with resolve and compassion in—the re-life “neighborhood” of Israel

• Become an active part of your own or the St. Timothy’s neighborhood.
• Consider participating in events offered at the parish with Hoover School.
• Pray for people and circumstances you know need strength, healing, and protection.
• Learn to see your life experience as a gift for the benefit of others, not hording it to yourself. Take time to get to know people as individuals, breaking out of the isolating and “cocooning” habit of our time.
• Be aware of injustice in your neighborhood and prayerfully seek ways to bring the Cross of Christ into the midst of it.

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,

as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee.

This year at St. Timothy’s we are thinking a great deal about pilgrimage as we prepare to send another Journey to Adulthood group off on their pilgrimage. In a sense, all Christian life is a conscious pilgrimage of taking up our own cross and following Christ Jesus—something we express in each procession in the Liturgy, led by the Cross. Taking up our cross is not punishment for the Christian: it is a privilege. Following on the pilgrimage with Christ leads to ever-greater peace, holiness of life, joy, contentment, and delight in the will of God the Father. It is this joy that allows us to lift high the cross in whatever way and whatever place is required.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim

till all the world adore his sacred Name.

May it be a September of renewed pilgrimage and joy in the Christian life for us all!

In Christ,

Brandon+