Author: Fr. Ron Pogue

Episcopal Church PSA’s Helps Fight AIDS

Since the early ‘80s, I have been concerned about the response of the religious community to HIV/AIDS, in terms of caring for those whose lives are affected, advocacy for medical research, and preventative efforts. I helped establish the Interfaith AIDS Coalition and Omega House, a hospice for indigent, terminally ill persons with AIDS, both in Houston. In one parish, I recruited people to serve on AIDS care teams. In another, I organized support groups for persons with AIDS, their friends, and families. For three years I was privileged to chair the AIDS Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

I do not believe HIV/AIDS is God’s punishment any more than I believe blindness was God’s punishment for the man whose sight Jesus restored as reported in the Gospel of John. But I do believe the ongoing reality of this disease throughout the world presents an opportunity for the manifestation of God’s glory through our response.

These three public service announcements, produced by a group of teens from Galveston’s St. Vincent’s Episcopal House, are a fresh example of one way the Church can heighten public awareness of the importance of the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

March 15, 2008
159th Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas

The 159th Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas was held in Galveston last weekend, February 15-16, at the Moody Gardens Convention Center. The Episcopal Community of Galveston worked together in a marvelous way as hosts. His Eminence, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston-Houston was the Preacher for the Opening Eucharist and preached a powerful sermon that reminded followers of Jesus that we are called and sent into the world to do something in his Name. The Rt. Reverend Don A. Wimberly, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, presided over the service as well as the diocesan business meeting the following day.

It was truly a wonderful event for the 1,000 lay and clergy delegates who attended. The careful planning and joyful service of the folks from St. Augustine, Grace, and Trinity Episcopal Churches in Galveston, assisted by others from the Galveston Convocation, made this an event to remember for the diocese!

Thanks be to God for a peaceful meeting of Episcopalians.

Thanks be to God for those who gave of their time, prayers, and talents to make it possible.

Thanks be to God for Bishop Wimberly, Bishop High, and Bishop Harrison, and the diocesan staff for their devotion!

Episcopal Diocese of Texas

February 22, 2008
Episcopalians are Alive and Well in Galveston

Galveston Island's Episcopal Church Community welcomes you!

February 1, 2008
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You to Galveston Island!

The Episcopal Church is alive and well on Galveston Island, near Texas. And, the Episcopal Community of Galveston is preparing to welcome fellow Episcopalians from the Diocese of Texas to their 159th Council, February 15 & 16, 2008 at the Moody Gardens Convention Center.

This impressive video by Matthew Stanford and the kids of St. Vincent’s Episcopal House in Galveston celebrates the life of the Episcopal Church on this small island that has a big role in the history of Texas and of the diocese. Thanks to Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts for a grant to make this video possible!

149 years ago, the diocese met on this island to elect the first Bishop of Texas, The Right Reverend Alexander Gregg of Cheraw, South Carolina. After Bishop Gregg was consecrated, he and his family moved to Texas, arriving in Galveston. His first acts as Bishop of Texas, on Sunday, December 11, 1859, were on this island. The Altar of St. Augustine’s Church, which will be used at the opening worship service of this year’s Council, is the Altar at which Bishop Gregg celebrated his first Eucharist in Texas. The pulpit of Trinity Church, which will be moved to the site of the service on Friday night, is a memorial to Bishop Gregg.

The witness of the Episcopal Church on Galveston Island for the reign of Christ continues today through the ministries of three congregations and two diocesan missions. The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!

January 9, 2008
Gumbo Epiphany

There’s an epiphany in making gumbo! God, like a chef preparing a wonderful batch of gumbo, following a wonderful recipe, takes exactly the right ingredients, in exactly the right proportions, stirs it for exactly the right amount of time, never stepping away, and finally blends all things together into a harmonious, delicious whole.

A Recipe For One Batch of Great Gumbo to Serve 6-8 Hungry People

1. The Day Before – Prepare the Stock:

Into a large stew pot, pour five cups of broth – chicken and/or fish
Add approximately one cup each of onions (white and green), bell peppers, and celery
Add at least 10 oz of okra (essential if you want to call it “gumbo”)
Bring the stock to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook it slowly at least 30 minutes.
Cover the pot and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
You will remove the stock from the refrigerator the next day.
And add approximately 2 lb. of fish, shrimp, crab (or chicken and andouille sausage) as the stock is reheating.

2. The Second Day – Prepare the Roux:

Into a cast iron skillet
Pour one-half cup of oil
When the oil is hot, add one-half cup of white flour
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, controlling the heat, and NEVER STEP AWAY, until the roux is dark brown

3. Blend the Stock and the Roux:

When it is time for the roux to stop cooking, ladle stock into the skillet and stir.
Combine the roux with the stock in the stew pot and stir.
Add seasoning, such as salt, pepper, Tony Chacheri’s Cajun Seasoning, or Tabasco to taste.

Serve in bowls with rice, saltine crackers, and/or French bread.

January 2, 2008
Chrismon Tree at Galveston’s Trinity Church

Welcome to Galveston's Trinity Episcopal Church! As you can see, the church is adorned with Poinsettia plants and garalands in preparation for the celebration of our Savior's birth. The number and arrangement of Poinsettias and garlands varies from year to year. But one thing that never changes is our Chrismon Tree. About thirty years ago, a sewing group of women from this parish made all the ornaments. Each year since, a beautiful fir or spruce tree is selected and the ornaments are carefully placed on it. But these ornaments are very special because each one represents a biblical or theological theme. The ornaments are called "Chrismons" meaning "Monograms of Christ." Most Chrismons are white with gold decorations of beads, glitter, and ribbon.

This link will take you to a site with descriptions of many Chrismons.

Our Chrismon Tree will remain in place throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas until the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6.

Thank you for visiting us. This is our prayer for you at this time: May Christ, who by his Incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with his joy and peace. May the coming year be full of epiphanies as you continue on your spiritual journey. And may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and those whom you love, now and always. Amen.

December 24, 2007
December Ember Days

In the Episcopal Church, we observe Ember Days four times a year primarily by offering prayers for the ministry. Those who are preparing for Holy Orders in this Church customarily write "Ember Day Letters" to their bishops.

The name for the observance may come from the Anglo-Saxon ymb-ren – a circuit or revolution; something that recurs. Or, it may come from the German quatember, a corruption of the Latin quatuor tempora – "Four Times."

The observances are always on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the weeks following St. Lucy's Day (December 13), The First Sunday in Lent, Pentecost, and Holy Cross Day (September 14). These times are almost equidistant in the circuit of the year. Prior to Christianity, they appear to have originally been times of prayer and fasting originally related to the agricultural cycle. Some believed that the weather on each of the three days predicted the weather in each of the following three months. Excellent articles about Ember Days may be found on Episcopal Cafe and Wikipedia.

In any event, we are invited to pray at this time for those to be ordained, for the choice of fit persons for the ministry, and for all christians in their vocation. The prayers which follow are from The Book of Common Prayer and are especially appropriate for use on Ember Days.

I. For those to be ordained

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, in your divine providence you have appointed various orders in your Church: Give your grace, we humbly pray, to all who are [now] called to any office and ministry for your people; and so fill them with the truth of your doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before you, to the glory of your great Name and for the benefit of your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry

O God, you led your holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that your Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of your kingdom; through him who is the Shpeherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

III. For all Christians in their vocation

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

December 19, 2007
Advent Letter From Jesus

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that there are those who are taking my name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born during this time of year, but that it was decided to celebrate my birthday on what was already a time of pagan festival for the winter solstice. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime, I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth, then love me, and love your neighbors.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting my birth, then put a small nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all my followers did that, there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square, because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember me anytime you see any tree. Decorating a grape vine would be more appropriate. In fact I spoke about that in one of my teachings.

If you want to celebrate my birth, in a way that honors me, then here is my wish list:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home, or to anyone else who is sick, alone or hungry, while you are able to be celebrating in fine fashion.

2. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family, because of the constant pressure they face. Then follow through. It will be nice hearing from you again.

3. Or pick someone who has hurt you in the past and forgive them.

4. Instead of complaining about what a retailer calls the holiday, be patient with the understaffed and overworked employees there. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you Merry Christmas, you can wish them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day, they would stay closed and let their employees spend the day at home with their families, or even attend church.

5. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine. Make it obvious that your faith in me has made a tremendous difference in your life.

Don’t forget: I am God and can take care of myself, with or without the endorsement of your local government. Just love me and do what I have told you to. I can take care of all the rest. Check out the above list and get to work. I will help you, but the ball is now in your court.

Merry Christmas.

Love, Jesus

December 10, 2007
Meet Oliver Black

Galveston’s Trinity Episcopal Church is full of exceptionally gifted people who consider their faith to be central to their daily life and work. Oliver Black (pictured here) is one of those people.

   Galveston is home to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). UTMB is a leader in the research and treatment of infectious diseases. With the construction of the new Galveston National Laboratory, scientists have a wonderful tool for studying diseases. However the scientists have not been able to actually see and treat the patients who have these diseases without expensive trips to rural locations in exotic locales where the diseases sometimes run rampant. Bringing patients with Ebola or some other exotic disease to Galveston is pretty much out of the question.

   Now, however, UTMB is sending out telemedicine technology developed at UTMB, with a small team to these remote locations. The technology is being set up to connect back to UTMB to allow scientists and doctors here to see and talk with patients and physicians in these remote locations. Specialized medical equipment allows the physicians to listen to the heart, look in ears, nose, throat, etc of the patients in these remote locations.

   Oliver Black plays a significant role in the design of the equipment being installed and is among those traveling to these locations to ensure a successful installation. He left on Sunday, December 2, for Sierra Leone on the second of a series of deployments. He visited Croatia last month. Future locations include China, Peru, and other countries. With lots of vaccinations and your prayers, Oliver should make it there and back with no problems.

   Jesus promised that his followers would bring healing. Oliver Black is engaged in doing that by using his God-given skills to provide the technology that is necessary for the medical team to reach patients thousands of miles from Galveston. The apostles would be amazed at how one of Jesus’ disciples in the twenty-first century is fulfilling the promise of Jesus!



   How's that for a glimpse of God at work in our world?

December 3, 2007
Upward Bound

Last week I participated in a continuing education event in Santa Fe, New Mexico sponsored by the Episcopal Church Building Fund entitled “Upward Bound” and led by The Reverend Charles N. Fulton III, Ms. Mary May, and Ms. Sally D. O’Brian. Our instructors were fantastic. It was a watershed week for me and an outstanding group of colleagues from around the country as we explored skills for congregational leadership.

On Wednesday afternoon, we had some free time. Several of us ventured out to Bandelier National Monument, a forty-five minute drive from Santa Fe. There we explored the ruins of native American cliff dwellers and reflected on what their life must have been like. The Anasazi people, ancestors of modern Pueblo people, built thriving communities there about 600 years ago. Several thousand Ancestral Pueblo dwellings are found among the pink mesas and sheer-walled canyons. The sites in Frijoles Canyon near the Visitor Center were inhabited from the 1100s into the mid-1500s.

This community, like those that existed in places such as Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, had an orderly life, storage facilities for the fruits of their agriculture, trade with others as far away as Mexico and Central America, and places for corporate worship. We are not certain how their civilization ended or why. But it did. The conditions that were necessary for its continuation changed and the people were not able to remain in this location.

It made my colleagues and me wonder about the future of our own communities, cultures, and civilization. As we seek to provide strategic leadership for the future, we seek wisdom and understanding from the past.

Just because things change does not mean everything has to disappear into the mists of history. Our Creator has equipped us with memory, reason, and skill so that we can make strategic and timely adjustments as things change. It is a part of God’s unfolding plan for creation and we get to play a major role in that plan. Creation continues and human beings have the opportunity to be co-creators with God in the process that ultimately leads to the fulfillment of all things. What a remarkable and awesome privilege!

The Anasazi cliff dwellers mysteriously disappeared. Yet, today we continue to appreciate the life they lived and the contribution they made to human history. There are elements of their life that are timeless aspects of every successful human community, such as their ability to cooperate in pursuit of a common objective, systems of communication and commerce, planning for the future, sharing and mutual support in both good and difficult times, and worship of a supreme being. Each generation leaves its own unique mark. As we work together in the building of our community, let us hope that someday others will look back upon our era and our values with a similar appreciation.

Colleagues from Upward Bound

November 23, 2007