My Blog

Author: Fr. Ron Pogue

  • The Rock From Which You Were Hewn

    Isaiah 51:1-6

    Thus says the Lord:
    "Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
        you that seek the LORD.
    Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
        and to the quarry from which you were dug."

    Granite_mountain_texas_2
    Toward the end of our summer vacation, we spent three days at a friend's vacation home on Lake L.B.J. in the Texas Hill Country between Llano and Marble Falls.  Just outside Marble Falls is the largest granite quarry in the United States, situated in a gigantic 866 foot granite dome that covers 180 acres.  The state historical marker, pictured here, tells part of the story of why this particular quarry should be considered very significant to every true Texan:


    This mountain, like all granite formations, was once melted rock, similar to lava. As the molten rock cooled thousands of feet below the earth's surface, it hardend into large crystals of quartz, feldspar, and several dark-colored minerals.

    Whenever strength, durability and beauty of finish are required, granite is a favored building stone.Texas_capital_5

    The mountain was part of a grant made to Texas colonist William Slaughter. The site became famous commercially when a dispute arose in the 1880s over the type of stone to be used in the Capitol in Austin.
    The issue was settled in 1885 when Governor John Ireland resisted demands to use non-native limestone.

    Following this decision, a special track was built to haul the granite to the rail line in Burnet. The stone was generously donated to the state by quarry owners G.W. Lacy, N.I. Norton, and W.H. Westfall.
    Galveston_granite_groin_3
    Today, granite from the quarry here is shipped to all parts
    of Texas, the U.S. and foreign countries for use in monuments, shafts, jetties, and buildings. It has been used in the Galveston Sea Wall and in new state office buildings near the Capitol in Austin. (1979)     


    This beautiful granite has been used in markers for the gravesGeorge_childress_grave_marker_3
    of Texas heroes, such as the one for George Campbell
    Childress, co-author of the Texas Declaration of Independence, located in the Trinity Episcopal Cemetery in Galveston, and even for the markers in our Columbarium at the Church. 

    This
    particular granite is very distinctive.  Once you've made the connection with the quarry near Marble Falls, you will recognize it when you see it.

    So, when we see these stones at work, we might wonder from whence they were hewn.  Now we know.  There is an epiphany in them.

    100_1921_5
    And what about us?  What is the source of rock-solid faith in God that makes a sound foundation for our lives?  The Prophet Isaiah says that when we pursue righteousness, we should remember Abraham, whose trust in God was considered righteousness.      St. Peter, whom Jesus called "Rock," referred to Jesus and his followers as "living stones."  This means that we are not our own source!  Our life and our goodness are not our own doing.  Our trust in God is not even possible without God's help.  The foundation of our faith has its origins in the quarry God has provided.

  • 93 Years of New Life

    Velmas_93rd_birthday_002_2
    Last Saturday, Gay, Matthew, and I were invited to help celebrate the 93rd birthday of our dear friend and Trinity Church member Velma Bradshaw Leavell at her home in Galveston.  Velma put on her party hat for the small gathering of her family (4 generations) and close friends,which included her wonderful miniature wonder horse Cisco.  Cisco was invited inside "as a member of the family," Velma said, and he really enjoyed the cake, which he removed from several plates.Velmas_93rd_birthday_006_2

    We don't often have the opportunity to help celebrate 93 years of life.  When you encounter someone who has lived so long, you naturally want to gain some wisdom from them.  In Velma's case, I think life has always been understood as NEW life and a gift from God.  In fact, I've decided to erase my old mental image of the face of God and replace it with Velma's face.  If God has to have a face, I suspect Velma's would be just about the best kind of face to convey love, acceptance, generosity, kindness, and every other divine attribute one would expect to see.

    Happy Birthday, Velma!  What an epiphany of God's gracious love you are.  May you enjoy many more happy, healthy years of NEW life!

  • Epiphany From Windmills

    Nwt080608_025Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to the wind:  “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

    There is plenty of wind in Texas and it has been there all along.  Now, giant windmills like the ones I photographed during vacation, strategically placed across the plains convert wind power into electricity.  There is an epiphany in those windmills.

    The Holy Spirit, like the wind, has been at work from the dawn of time.  When we intentionally make ourselves receptive to the movement of the Spirit, our lives are transformed and we become instruments that convert the Spirit’s energy into physical manifestations such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  St. Paul lists those nine manifestations as “fruit of the Spirit” in his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23).

    Tony Jones, national coordinator of Emergent Village, writes, “Indeed, the same Spirit who invested Jesus with his power is the Spirit who descended on the apostles on Pentecost and is now working in the world…The human task is to cooperate with God in what God is already doing” (The New Christians, p.202).

    As those giant windmills are turned by the Texas winds, may our lives be turned by the wind of the Holy Spirit who is already at work in the world.  God alone knows the good that will result.

  • Christianity is a Relationship

    While on vacation, one of the churches we visited is one where they have worked very conscientiously to make the language of their liturgy gender-inclusive.  One of the consistent challenges to such efforts is how to make “kingdom of God” gender-neutral.

    In this particular congregation, they substitute “kin-dom” for “kingdom.”  It is an approach I haven’t encountered before.  While the jury is still out, it does help us think of the kingdom of God in a slightly different way.  Usually, we think mainly in terms of God’s reign in our lives.  Kin-dom causes us to focus more on the relational dimension of life in God.

    When we are brought into God’s realm and made citizens of it in Baptism, we are related or “kin” to everyone else in that extended family, past, present, and future, just as we are “kin” to God who is the Source of life, Ground of Being, and eternal Head of the family.  We are “one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world."  There is a familial relationship and a familial responsibility that goes with it.

    Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the kingdom of God “The Beloved Community.”  In so doing, he too emphasized the relational nature of life in God.  God’s steadfast love and faithfulness binds us to God and to one another with ties that are stronger even than the ties that bind us to our human families.  As we are beloved of God, we live in love with one another.

    How are we doing?  Does our kinship with one another reflect our kinship with God?  When strangers come among us, can they sense a quality and a character that is divine in origin?  Do our kinfolk know how much we care, how generous our commitment is, and how completely they can count on us?  Can you think of some signs of God’s life that can be seen in the kinship we share?

    We probably will not adopt “kin-dom” of God in our liturgical gatherings.  However, I am grateful to have encountered the term along the way.  Soon, we will celebrate Rally Day, a kind of annual God’s family reunion at the end of the summer vacation season.  As we prepare for that reunion, let us take some time to reflect upon how we are kin to one another, to those who have gone before us, and to those who will come after us.  And let each one of us make a renewed commitment to full participation in the life and mission to which God calls this particular branch of the family tree!

  • Remote Weather Forecasting

    In Galveston, we are blessed to have the finest weather forecasting service in the world to alert us when storms are approaching. Not every community is fortunate. Many communities are too small or too remote. The people of Gardner, Colorado don't let those things stand in their way. They have a system that works for them.  It may be as accurate as some more sophistocated weather forecasts.

    As in all areas of life, it is a good thing to focus less on what you don't have and more on what you do have.  The folks in Gardner have lots of rocks.  They've pressed one of them into service as a "weather rock."

    Created on and sent from my iPhone.

  • Gratitude

    On June 12, my wife Gay had surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to remove a tumor (low-grade condrosarcoma) from the second rib on the right side of her sternum.  The surgery was successful.  Healthcare professionals, friends, colleagues, bishops, parishioners, and former parishioners all were at her side and mine before, during, and after the surgery.  Prayers, food, flowers, visits, and love abounded in the healing process.

    Gay_pogue_71508_001_adj
    Tuesday, July 15, Dr. Stephen Swisher, Gay's surgeon examined her and released her!  The tumor is gone, the margins are clear, there is no additional treatment, and her next follow up is six months away.  Our car was packed so we could leave directly for three weeks of vacation and visits to family and out of town friends.  As we travel, our hearts are glad and filled with gratitude for the team of people and the host of angels God provided to heal her and support me so I could help her.

    Gay_pogue_71508_011_adj
    Gay walked out of the hospital after her appointment on Tuesday with a special spring in her step and an beautiful outer glow from the light within.  She invites you to visit her site, http://gaypogue.typepad.com/ for her viewpoint on all of this.

    Ron+

  • iGot Mi iPhone!

    Okay.  I don't make a habit of arriving early to sit in a line to get anything.  However, on Friday morning, July 11, Gay and I arrived at Galveston's AT&T store at 5:30 a.m. to get in line to purchase our iPhones.  Friday was the release day for the new iPhone 3G.  We let our son, who is no longer on our payroll, try out the original version (now obsolete) for a year before we took the leap.  He is a true iPhone iBeliver!

    Iphone_day_3
    When we arrived, we were 5th and 6th in line.  We brought our folding chairs, some great coffee, the morning newspapers, and other assorted items to occupy us during our wait.  The doors opened at 8:00 a.m.  We purchased our phones.  By afternoon, we were up and running.

    As my vestry will confirm, communication and accessibility are important to me and I use my mobile phone and laptop computer extensively.  This little tool represents a sort of quantum leap in those arenas.  Wherever I may be, I can be in touch as needed and facilitate communication among others.

    We are all learning how to live with these devices – and how to live without them!  It's my prayer that the good will outweigh the bad as we find new and better ways to share information, strengthen the bonds of friendship, build up the Church, and do our part to advance the reign of Jesus Christ.  After all, he commanded us to love one another and commissioned us to share good news.  His first task when he launched his public ministry was to call together a community to do that work.  The region in which he traveled was quite small, really.  And yet, he sent the community of his followers "into all the world." 

    Who knows what may be possible for his 21st Century followers throughout the world if we make faithful applications of the amazing communications technology that is available to us?  He promised that we would do even greater works than he did!  And maybe my little iPhone will help make that possible.    Ron+

    Iphonenotebook_3
          

  • Independence Day Reflections on Christian Liberty

    Liberty.  It’s a word we hear a lot around the Fourth of July every year.  Many of us recall studies in American History or in Philosophy that attempted to deepen our appreciation for the value associated with the word, particularly in relation to the revolt against British rule and the founding of the United States of America.

    The Liberty Bell is so called because of the inscription it bears from the 25th chapter of the Book of Leviticus: “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof.”

    Patrick Henry (1736-1799), one of the most influential advocates of the American Revolution, is probably best known for his “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” speech.

    Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence.  That sculpture, The Statue of Liberty, was not dedicated until 1886.  She stands today as a lasting symbol of the friendship established between French people and the American people at the time of the American Revolution.  The pursuit of liberty is at the heart of that friendship.

    These are but a few of the many reminders of the significance of liberty that come to mind as we celebrate our nation’s birth.  I wonder if liberty means as much to the American people today as it did on that first Fourth of July.  We still enjoy liberty, but perhaps we are not as conscious of it as people who have been deprived of it.  Maybe we take it for granted. 

    Nineteenth century abolitionist Wendell Phillips cautioned, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."  This would be a good day to heed his words, examine ourselves, and seek a renewed appreciation for liberty and a renewed commitment to value liberty enough to use it wisely.

    Liberty, in the philosophical or political sense, can be viewed both as the freedom to act and as the absence of coercion.  In both cases, an individual is responsible for how he or she exercises that liberty.  People of faith – any faith – will look to the teachings of their faith for guidance in the decisions liberty permits them to make.  What should I do with the freedom I have to exercise my will and from coercion to act against my will?  How does my relationship with God influence the way I express the liberty that has been made possible for me and my neighbor?

    The founders of our nation differed in some significant ways in their religious views.  However, there seems to have been a common conviction that liberty was a basic and inalienable human right endowed by the Creator.  Indeed, the theme of liberty is woven throughout the scriptures that are sacred to Christians.  The theme is so prominent that one would have to be blind to miss it in even a casual reading of either testament.

    I’ll just conclude with a short summary of how liberty is treated in the New Testament with the hope that it will prompt others to do their own exploration and take it to heart so that the liberty we have in Christ will help us better exercise the liberty we have as Americans.

    The biblical theme of liberty has to do with freedom from any form of slavery or oppression.  Spiritually, the power which enslaves is sin (John 8:34) and liberty is deliverance from sin and for a right relationship with God and our neighbor.  So, we are liberated for a divine purpose!

    With liberation from the enslavement of sin comes holiness of life, the desire and capability to do what is right and good.  It comes as the free gift of God’s grace declared in Baptism.  In Romans and Galatians, we read about the liberty that is the possession of God's children (e.g. Romans 8:21 KJV and Galatians 2:4).  In 2 Corinthians, St. Paul associates liberty with the presence of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17).  In the Epistle of James, we read about "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25).  The Gospel of John says that the instrument through which this liberty is imparted is "the truth" (John 8:32).  And Christians are warned not to abuse their liberty in Christ (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16).

    As followers of Jesus Christ and citizens of his kingdom, we are in possession of a spiritual liberty that no earthly authority can take away from us.  May our citizenship in that realm guide the exercise of our liberty we also enjoy as citizens of “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

    Let us pray:

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the
    earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace:
    Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the
    strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in
    accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our
    Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
    God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

                                                                           The Book of Common Prayer, 1979

  • “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” – Is it true?

    Episwelsign
    Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple– truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. (Matthew 10:40-42)"

    When I read these words of Jesus this week, the first thing that popped into my mind was the familiar signs used for decades by the Episcopal Church.  The signs are intended to convey the impression that a newcomer to a congregation of the Episcopal Church will experience a warm welcome when they join us for worship.

    Some have recently suggested that this approach is flawed.  First, it is a very passive approach.  Maybe the signs should say “The Episcopal Church INVITES You!” and then we reinforce that by actually extending a personal invitation to worship with us or join us for study, prayer, fellowship, or service.  Second, it may be false advertising.  Strangers in our midst may come and go without experiencing an honest to goodness welcome.  Someone may speak to them but there may not be an invitation to stay for fellowship nor any introductions.  Third, those signs are often out of the way, hard to read, a little bit rusty, and, possibly, that’s the way we like them.

    As we travel this summer, or anytime for that matter, I wonder if we can learn from the places we visit what it feels like to be truly welcomed.  What expressions of hospitality represent a “cup of cold water” to us?  Where do we feel truly included and valued by those to whom we are strangers?  Can we learn anything from those experiences that will help us be a more inviting and welcoming congregation?

    I recommend that you try this experiment whenever you are a stranger and sojourner and I invite you to share your experience and your suggestions with us upon your return.  It could result in an epiphany!

    In the meantime, when you see someone you don’t recognize before, during, or after a worship service at your church,  consider it God’s prompting for you to greet them, invite them to stay for fellowship, pour them a cup of cold water (or coffee, or lemonade), and introduce them to some of your friends.  If you want to be really welcoming, perhaps you might invite them to join you for Sunday brunch or tell them about the small group you belong to and ask them to attend with you.  That would be the beginning of a real welcome!

  • Reflections on Matthew 10:34-39

    "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."  The Prince of Peace, Jesus, said that, according to St.  Matthew.  As if that weren't enough, he went on to say, "For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household."  What kind of family values are these?

    Maybe the next two sentences provide the explanation: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."  Living in a relationship with Jesus, being his follower, continuing his message and his work, is not going to be easy.  It will cause people to reject you and then you'll have to make some difficult, perhaps painful, choices.

    I once knew a woman named Julie.  Julie was born in China and reared in a very strict Chinese family.  When she became an adult, Julie heard the Gospel and the call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Her family was not pleased.  In fact, they told her that she could no longer be a member of the family if she remained a Christian.  Julie faced a very painful choice.  Not to be a member of a family would make her a nobody.  She would have no place to live, no name, and no respect.  It would be as if she were dead – like losing her life.

    Julie left her family and left China.  She lost that life.  She came to the United States where she found a family among fellow Christians.  She found life.

    For Julie, the words of Jesus made perfect sense.  Few of us will ever have to pay such a price, but nevertheless we should pay attention to the disclaimer Jesus put right there on the package for all to read:  "Beware!  Following Jesus can be hazardous!"

    Then what's the payoff?  Why would anybody risk everything to follow Jesus?  What's in it for me?  Jesus called it "eternal life," "the kingdom of God," "the kingdom of heaven," "abundant life."  I sometimes call it "life beyond ego."

    The ego derives identity, worth, meaning, and power from surroundings.  Family, social ties, possessions, ideologies, approval, and many other outward reinforcements give life to the ego.  But the ego is not the true person.  Take away those ego-inflating things and the ego panics.

    The true human being finds identity, worth, meaning, and power in relationship to God.  That "life beyond ego" in turn informs and assigns meaning to everything else.  It is as if we begin to look at creation through the eyes of the Creator and discover a new realm of wonder, love, and praise.  It is a realm of life that is not dependent upon approval of family, social status, political influence, the number of possessions, or anything other than God.

    Our God-given identity, declared in Baptism, is the one thing that nobody can ever take away from us.  But we are passive recipients of that identity, aren't we?  We are told that Baptism is a gift, not earned or deserved.  The inestimable price of that identity has been paid by Jesus Christ.

    Yet, it is one thing to know that and another thing to live like we actually believe it.  That's where Jesus' disclaimer comes in.  The world around us, filled with ego-inflating values and things, won't understand and may withdraw its approval if we act like we believe true life, abundant life, eternal life, is not dependent upon it.  "Those who find their life (ego) will lose it, and those who lose their life (ego) for my sake will find it (eternal life)."

    Remember the rich man who came to Jesus asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life?  Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, you lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then, come, follow me. (Mk. 10:21-22)"

    The man was shocked when he heard what Jesus said.  He went away grieving because, the text says, "he had many possessions."

    But, even though Jesus' words grieved the rich man, the text also says that Jesus said what he did out of love.   He loved him enough to tell him the truth!  He told him that while he was rich in the world's terms and in terms of the ego, he lacked treasure in heaven.  The way to get his ego out of the way of eternal life was to be liberated from those things that inflated his ego.  The man was not truly free.  He was possessed by his possessions.  Jesus wanted to liberate him for a life that is not limited by possessions.

    So, out of love for us, Jesus tells us the truth.  He warns us that following him and living the life he promises will cost us in terms of whatever gives our ego its sense of identity and security.  I wonder what would happen if a dozen or so of us actually lived like we believe him.  Let's throw caution to the wind and find out!