My Blog

Category: Discipleship

  • The Practice of Passionate Worship

    It should come as no surprise to anyone that worship attendance is declining in most mainline Churches and even in some evangelical mega churches. Given the fact that participation in corporate worship is almost universally regarded as of the utmost importance among Christians, this downward trend seems odd. What's wrong with this picture?

    Perhaps we have not been effective in teaching about the centrality of worship. Most of us who have been in ordained ministry for a while have tried all of the less direct, “kid glove” approaches and they are not working. We've tried to fix our sermons, our music, and our wardrobe to make things more “convenient,” “appealing,” and “entertaining.” We've set attendance goals, assumed much of the blame for the behavior of people given into our care, and tried numerous gimmicks to coax the faithful to worship. And still, worship in our churches continues to decline.

    So, let's try the direct approach. We have not been completely honest and we have not served the flock of Christ well by shading the truth. One of the most important and helpful things a pastor can do is tell you this:

    God wants you to adjust your life so you can be there when your Church gathers for divine worship!

    God will be pleased. It will strengthen the Church, enrich you spiritually, and help you love others. Think of this time as God’s time with you instead of your time with God. Consider it the most important appointment of the week. From the earliest of times, God has called God’s own people to join together in worship. In corporate worship, we focus our hearts not on ourselves, but on our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. When we do that, we open ourselves up to receive the grace and love that we cannot earn or find anywhere else. There is just no substitute for worship.

    How to get started - If you are still with me and have concluded that worship needs to be a greater priority in your life and the life of your household, you may be wondering how to proceed.  Here are some ideas:

    • Some may be able to simply decide to be there every Sunday unless prevented by a major physical difficulty like illness, disability, or you're snowed in.
    • Others may commit to a gradual change during the next year. For example, if you attend corporate worship once a month, try twice; if you worship twice a month, try three times; or just decide that you will worship twice as often.
    • Some may have a job or obligations to others that make Sunday morning attendance extremely difficult or impossible. At Saint John’s, we have a service on Sunday evenings at 6:00 called The Wilderness. We also have a service in Saint Martin's Chapel at 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. One of those may be an option for you. If not, let me know and we’ll discuss the possibility of starting a service at a time that does work for you. It may work for others as well.

    Most Christians could double their worship attendance and still not be there every Sunday of the year. I'm not a mathematician but I believe I'm correct in suggesting that if places of worship are typically two-thirds empty and we doubled attendance, our churches would then be two-thirds full. That would be a good thing for God, for the People of God, and for the world God loved so much that he sent his only begotten Son. It could be the beginning of another Great Awakening in the hearts and minds of Christians.

    Whatever you do to improve your participation in corporate worship will be a step in the right direction. It is time to reverse the trend and it has to start with a new commitment on the part of the believer. This is a call to worship – passionate worship.

    Therefore, I join St. Paul in extending this invitation to those born of water and the Spirit, who bear the Name of Christ: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (I Cor. 12;1-2).

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

  • Loving Our Neighbors Includes Those Who Are Refugees

    In addition to the political debate regarding President Trump’s executive order on immigration, there is also a theological debate. Some have suggested that immigration and refugee resettlement are not major biblical issues or, perhaps, not a biblical issue at all. Here is a list of examples of biblical passages regarding refugees and immigration found in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

    Today, I would like to focus just on refugees, who are perhaps the most vulnerable immigrants in this controversy. A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape persecution, war, or violence. Faced with life-threatening circumstances, refugees have no choice but to flee, leaving behind their home and community, family, and friends. As many of the scriptures I have listed show, many of our ancestors in the faith were refugees. Even Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus and fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s order to kill all the young Jewish males in the vicinity of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-18).

    The Episcopal Church, like many other religious communities, has long been active in refugee resettlement and in working with immigrants to the United States. Episcopal Migration Ministries resettles approximately 5,000 refugees each year. Saint John’s Cathedral is the spiritual home of the 350 members of Sudanese Community Church and the majority are refugees. Denver's Lutheran Family Services (LFS) Refugee and Asylee Programs are frequent guests at this Cathedral. We are not disinterested parties and have not been for a very long time.

    Worldwide, there are more than 65 million people have been displaced by war, violence, famine, and persecution. Some critics of refugee resettlement have said that the United States already has taken in more than our share of refugees. The reality is that the United States is doing far from its fair share. Only ten nations host 76 percent of the worlds refugees. The United States is nowhere close to being on that list.

    Some have claimed that refugees don’t assimilate into our society. However, in communities across America, refugees are predominantly model citizens and have revitalized small towns, learned to speak English, hold jobs, started businesses, contributed to charities, sent their children to public school, and held elected offices.

    Another myth about refugees is at the heart of the controversy over the executive order. Namely, the assertion that the vetting process is lacking. In fact, the United States already has an extremely rigorous and thorough vetting process for allowing refugees into our country. The State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center all contribute to the process that our military leadership and national security experts from recent Democratic and Republican administrations have called “thorough and robust,” safeguarding the American people while also extending the country’s hand to the refugees in greatest need. If you want to learn more about the vetting process, see the Obama White House’s infographic here and the Department of Homeland Security’s video here.

    And, finally, what about the potential for terrorist activity by refugees? No person accepted to the United States as a refugee has been implicated in a major fatal terrorist attack since the Refugee Act of 1980 set up systematic procedures for accepting refugees into the United States, according to an analysis of terrorism immigration risks by the Cato Institute. Before 1980, three refugees had successfully carried out terrorist attacks; all three were Cuban refugees, and a total of three people were killed. Since the Cato Institute analysis was published in September 2016, a Somalian refugee injured 13 people at Ohio State University in November 2016 in an incident described as a terrorist attack. No one was killed. The Cato Institute report also says, "The chance of an American being killed in a terrorist attack committed by a refugee was 1 in 3.64 billion a year. The annual chance of being murdered by somebody other than a foreign-born terrorist was 252.9 times greater than the chance of dying in a terrorist attack committed by a foreign-born terrorist."

    As I write this reflection, I am thinking about thirty-six Vietnamese refugees my parish and I helped to resettle in Houston in 1975. They lived in our homes until we could find suitable housing for them. We helped them find jobs. We helped their children prepare for the school year. We welcomed them to the life and worship of our church. I still hear from some of them from time to time. Four generations of them now live on the West Coast, the East Coast, and the Gulf Coast. They are respected and contributing members of their communities. They are engaged in businesses and professions that have created jobs and contributed to the nation’s economy. And they are grateful for the opportunities life in the United States has provided.

    My Christian faith and community provided the necessary motivation and compassion that I needed at the time to direct my own prayers and action to respond to their plight. I learned from them that refugees are among the most vulnerable of our neighbors. I feel the same way today, forty-two years later.

    So, because our Scriptures and teachings of our faith call upon us to action on behalf of refugees, and because welcoming refugees is an important value in our national heritage, I invite you to prayer and action on their behalf.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

  • Membership is About Belonging

    At a conference in San Diego a few years ago, I was privileged to hear a talk by research professor Brené Brown. After the talk, she took questions from the audience via a moderator. One of the questions had to do with declining church membership, attendance, and giving. Her response was very interesting. She said, “I suppose the decline is a systemic problem that needs to be addressed by church leaders. However, all of my research clearly shows that the need for belonging is increasing.”

    I’ve been thinking about that response during the last few days because members of the Cathedral staff and I are working on updating our membership rolls. Auditing and verifying the rolls is one of the projects often undertaken during a transition in leadership.

    One of my colleagues mentioned reports suggesting that people – especially young adults – no longer consider church membership important. Those reports appear to stand in contrast to Brené Browns findings about belonging. I’m banking on Dr. Brown’s conclusions. And that’s why it is so important to make sure our membership rolls are up to date and accurate. These rolls document the level of interest in belonging to this community of Christians.

    We have sent a letter to over 700 individuals for whom we have no record of a contribution for at least twelve months. In that letter, we asked several questions inviting them to tell us how they would like to be recorded in our rolls: Have any of those 700+ people joined another church? How many of them do not want to remain on our rolls? Which ones want to be considered “active” members and which ones prefer to be “inactive” members? Does someone have a pastoral concern that needs the attention of one of our clergy? Would any of them like to simply be listed as a “Friend of the Cathedral?” Not everyone received that letter!

    I also sent out emails to our entire email list last Friday regarding this project and including the canonical description of membership in The Episcopal Church. That email was to alert the entire Cathedral community to the membership audit. Just because you received that email does not mean that there is any problem with your record.

    This process has brought to my attention that we have a significant number of active people in the Cathedral community who are counted as members although they have never officially “joined.” If you may be one of those, I would like nothing better than to assist you with the process. Here’s how it works:

    • If you have never been Baptized, we can prepare you for Baptism, then present you to the Bishop for Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant.
    • If you have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, with water and in the Name of the Trinity, in any Christian denomination, we can record your Baptism. Then, as soon as possible, we would like for you to be prepared to be Confirmed by the Bishop.
    • If you have been Baptized and Confirmed in another denomination, we can record you as a Baptized member and prepare you to be presented to the Bishop to be Received into The Episcopal Church.
    • If you have been a member of another Episcopal Church, we can write for the transfer of your membership.

    The process of belonging in any of those ways involves completing a couple of forms that provide us with information for our database and serving as your commitment to “work, pray, and give for the spread of the Kingdom of God.”

    If you are uncertain about your member status, please contact Michelle Vieria, the Assistant Cathedral Administrator, either by email or by telephone (303 577-7721). She will look up your record and let you know if there is something that needs to be done. The fact that you have taken the time to read this message is an indication of your desire to participate, belong, and support the mission of Saint John’s Cathedral. Thank you for that!

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

  • It’s 2017! Let’s get started.

    Dear ,

    Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were a blessed time and that you are ready to start 2017 with optimism and faith.

    Saint John’s Cathedral is entering the final stages of the transition that began two years ago with the election of Peter Eaton as Bishop of Southeast Florida. The Interview Committee will present two or three names for the Vestry’s final consideration this month. The Vestry will then bring the final candidates and their families to Denver for interviews and, after a period of discernment, will meet to elect one of them as your next Dean.

    In The Episcopal Church, the discernment process is a mutual one. That simply means that the candidates are looking at this Cathedral community just as the Interview Committee and Vestry are looking at them. What will they see?

    It is my sincere hope that they will see the People of God in active pursuit of the Mission of God. There are many signs of that happening. I invite you to do your part in three specific initiatives that we launched at the end of last year:

    Be One in a Thousand – Let us know how you are engaged in direct ministry with those who are living in poverty. Whether it is something you will do once, monthly, weekly, daily, or occasionally during 2017, we would like to record what you will be doing. That information will be shared with the final candidates and we will publish stories from those who are willing to share them. Use a One in a Thousand response card or go online to share how you are involved.

    Balance the Budget – I will never ask a Christian to give to a budget. Tithes and offerings are gifts to God and for God’s mission. However, a church budget is a mission plan, the intent of which is to identify the work to be done and the resources that are necessary to do that work in a specific community of Christ’s followers. After months of discernment and hard work, your clergy and lay leadership have determined that we must stop deficit spending and that the new Dean should be handed a balanced budget. We’ve cut expenses and reduced the size of the staff and are still $353,000 out of balance. Six families have joined together to offer challenge gifts that will encourage the rest of us to increase the pledges we have made or to make a pledge in order to balance this budget. All of your clergy have increased our pledges in response to this appeal. We invite you to do likewise. Use a pledge card, send an email to Canon Charles LaFond, or go online to join this effort.

    Invite a Friend – The fact that you are taking the time to read this message indicates that Saint John’s Cathedral meets important spiritual needs for you and your household. Why not share it with others? Seventy-five percent of those who visit a church for the first time do so at the invitation of someone they know – a friend, colleague, neighbor, or family member. People are more receptive to an invitation to a church in January, mostly because it is a new year. So, make a list of people in your life who may not have a spiritual home. Then, invite them to start the new year with us at Saint John’s Cathedral. Pick them up, meet them in the Welcome Center, take them out for a meal afterwards. It doesn’t have to be a worship service; it can be a concert, a fellowship event, or an educational opportunity. Just invite a friend!

    Your participation in these three initiatives will strengthen our life together and help demonstrate how this Cathedral community is making the best use of this time of transition.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue 

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

     

  • What Does My Pledge Mean?

     

    For the past eight weeks, we have been engaged in a campaign to teach about stewardship. A key element in that campaign has been an appeal for members of the Cathedral community to make a pledge of financial support for 2017. Why?

    First of all, a pledge of faithful stewardship of our money is a practice we recommend as one of the spiritual disciplines of our lives. According to the biblical story, human beings are created in the image of God and called by God to be stewards, managers of everything God gives us to sustain and enrich life on planet Earth. Along with that vocation, God has given human beings gifts and abilities that no other creature posses. A pledge of financial support is a tangible profession of our belief that our Creator has called and equipped us to be stewards of God’s bounty. Outward, tangible signs of our beliefs are woven into the fabric of the community of faith: Holy Baptism, Holy Eucharist, works of mercy, standing or kneeling for prayer, going to church, and reading the Bible are some of the other outward and tangible signs of our spiritual life.

    In addition, our pledge is more about the giver’s need to give than about the Church’s need to receive. Certainly, as we grow in generosity toward God, the work of the Church benefits as a result of our giving. There are many worthy non-profit organizations. Christians are encouraged to get involved in those organizations and to support them financially. But the Church is not just another non-profit; the Church is of God and is God’s primary instrument for carrying out God’s work in the world. So, we give to God through God’s Church and we make that gift the first priority in all our charitable giving.

    Also, our pledge is a reminder that everything we have, whether saved, spent, or given away is a sacred trust from God. When we make contributions to fulfill our pledge, we are mindful that we are stewards over what remains. It causes us to be more intentional about how we use our resources and helps us have a healthy relationship with our possessions so that we don’t rely on them more than we rely on God.

    And, our Cathedral community, like the entire Church, is a covenant community. The God we worship has welcomed us into a covenant and calls us to live in covenant with one another. So, when I make any kind of pledge, promise, vow, in the context of my faith community, it is a tangible expression of my desire to participate in and be accountable to my sisters and brothers in Christ. All people are welcome to be consumers of the ministries of the Church. But the ministries of the Church are carried out by those who consider themselves members. The members are the delivery system. Our Vestry, Staff, and Finance Committee develop a mission plan each year. Our pledges give them a reliable estimate of the amount of funding available to carry out that plan. Therefore we have to be committed to one another in Christ’s mission. A pledge of financial support is one of the ways we are expected to demonstrate that commitment. Our pledge says to God and to God's covenant people, “You can count on me!”

    Some have expressed concern that there are those who are waiting until the new Dean arrives before making a pledge. In truth, very few people are doing that. Most of our members at Saint John's Cathedral understand that faithful stewardship is about giving to God for the mission of God's Church, not giving to the Dean. And they understand that a pledge is not a bargaining tool for getting their way or a means of expressing satisfaction or dissatisfaction. In fact, if our people respond as generously as I believe they will, those who are discerning a call to be the new Dean will be impressed by this sign of spiritual vitality and maturity.

    If you have made your pledge of faithful stewardship, thank you! I hope this reflection strengthens your resolve. If you have not made a pledge, please do so very soon and join us in growing in generosity in the coming year. If you have never made a pledge, please give it prayerful consideration. You may find, as so many of us have found, that the discipline can have a transforming effect in your spiritual journey.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John's Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

     

  • Our Legacy of Faithful Stewardship

     

    When studying a congregation, there are several aspects of the life of the congregation that are symptomatic of the spiritual health of the community and its members: hospitality, worship attendance, faith development, outreach to others, and stewardship. Those who are discerning a call to become the next spiritual leader of a congregation are especially interested in examining these practices in light of their own priestly gifts and vocational emphases. What will the candidates find when they look at us?

    During the short time I have been with you, we have been exploring these practices and other areas of congregational health in a variety of settings and one thing has emerged as urgent. Saint John’s Cathedral is now at a crossroads when Christian stewardship must have our full attention. In many ways, how God's people relate to their possessions and how they express their generosity toward God touches every other aspect of personal spirituality and the common life of the congregation. When we practice the spiritual discipline of stewardship we become more generous. Generosity changes both the giver and the Church.

    This is nothing new. St. Paul addressed this relationship with the members of the Corinthian Church: “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:10-12). Jesus said it this way, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt. 6:33).

    I have been in conversation with leaders and staff regarding the pattern of giving in the Cathedral community. What I have learned convinces me that this is the perfect time for a transformation in the culture of giving at Saint John’s Cathedral.

    The essence of the change that is needed is for parishioners to be less focused on the church's need to receive and more focused on the giver's need to give. It is possible that many members have not taken full responsibility for their own personal stewardship because the parish leans too heavily on the generous endowments of past benefactors.

    Emphasizing the church's need to receive is a fund raising strategy. In contrast, emphasizing the giver's need to give fosters Christian stewardship. One is based on need; the other is based on God's bountiful generosity toward us. One is consumer-oriented, the other is God-oriented. One anticipates receiving something in return; the other is our response to something already received. Certainly, fund raising is necessary from time to time when an extraordinary need or opportunity arises. But in the Church, faithful stewardship of God’s bounty must be the foundation.

    Your Vestry and Stewardship Commission have provided you with sound explanations and compelling reasons for the congregation's need to receive your contributions. They have offered you statistical information, budgets, audit reports, and comparisons of average levels of giving with other area congregations and with congregations of The Episcopal Church. Everybody knows it takes money to operate this Cathedral and you will continue to receive such reports.

    These reports are useful indicators of spiritual health and they provide assurances about the fiscal management of resources. But they are not an adequate basis for Christian stewardship, have provided very little motivation for greater generosity, and certainly should never be an excuse for a Christian to withhold what belongs to God.

    We give to God because of God’s central place in the stories of our lives. We give to God because God first gives to us. We give to God because we believe that all that we have, whether spent, saved, or given away is a sacred trust from God. We give to God because of our consciousness that we are the only creatures that are created in God's image and entrusted with the divine vocation to be stewards of everything God has provided. Giving to God is our birthright, privilege, and legacy!

    Today's generation of worshipers at Saint John's Cathedral have inherited a legacy of generosity and stewardship from those who came before us. But I wonder if we have lost touch with the vision of being a leading parish of The Episcopal Church in our time? Is it possible that this legacy has somehow become a stumbling block instead of a steppingstone? Are we leaning on the endowment to balance our annual budget instead of allowing it to inspire us to new and more generous levels of stewardship?

    A common question that is asked by candidates for the role of leadership in endowed congregations is, “How heavily do you depend upon your endowment to balance the budget for the ongoing mission of the parish?” The correct answer is, “ZERO.” At the present time the answer at Saint John's Cathedral would have to be, “Forty percent,” and that's too much.

    Now, during this period of transition, this Cathedral community has the opportunity to take the step that will change the answer! The spiritual readiness is here. The resources are here. All that is needed is for the willingness to be stirred up.

    That is the reason our Stewardship Commission is inviting us to increase our pledges by at least one percent of our household income. If every member will take this step as a matter of spiritual growth, it will make a remarkable difference in your life and also allow the Cathedral of The Episcopal Church in Colorado to reclaim the vision of leadership entrusted to this generation. Gay and I have accepted that invitation and made our increased pledge. So have others. Won’t you join us?

    A great lay leader of another generation said,

    The only way to have is to give,
    The only way to keep is to share,
    And the only thing worth finding is opportunity.

    I recognize that some people find that talk in Church about possessions makes them feel uncomfortable. I understand that. But I hope that you will pray for the grace to live with that discomfort long enough to find in this challenge a priceless opportunity for spiritual growth, both for you and for the Church you love.

    “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16).

    Click HERE to make your pledge today.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John's Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

     

  • Claim the High Calling…

    To have a vocation is to be called by God to do something. Some vocations are rather specific, such as a call to Holy Orders, a call to teach the Christian faith, a call to work for peace and justice from a religious perspective. All believers share a call to serve God and our neighbors as stewards of what God has provided to sustain and enrich creation. Each time we renew the Baptismal Covenant we promise to live by the implications of our Baptism.

    In the biblical stories of creation, the vocation of stewardship is given to human beings alone. I think it is fair to say that the vocation of stewardship is one of the things that makes us human. No other creature is given such responsibility nor the ability to exercise such responsibility. Along with the call to be faithful stewards of God's creation, human beings possess the ability to act with purpose, to create, to communicate in complex ways through many languages, and to live in a conscious relationship with the Creator. Because the story of our faith says this vocation was given to humans by the Creator "in the beginning," I sometimes say that stewardship is in our DNA.

    Last Sunday, I was reminded twice of the call to faithful stewardship.

    At the principal service, our retiring hymn was "Come, Labor On." It's a hymn that stresses divine call and human response. The first part of one stanza got my attention; "Come, labor on. Claim the high calling angels cannot share." Not even the Holy Angels are expected to do what humans are called to do. To each order of creation is given certain roles that are not given to other orders of creation. Among the roles human beings are given is the vocation to serve God as stewards of creation. That responsibility does not belong to angels or any other creature. As beautiful, mysterious, powerful, and wondrous angels are, their vocation is different from that of humanity.

    Later in the day, the Cathedral was full of the creatures with which we share the planet earth – dogs, cats, fish, snakes, ferrets, and other pets – that their human protectors had brought for our annual blessing of the animals. People have a special relationship with their pets. Pets bring a lot of joy to our lives. But as wonderful as these creatures are, they do not share the calling entrusted to their protectors. The Creator did not call them to do the things humans are called to do and they are not endowed with the same abilities and responsibilities as humans.

    All this is to say that our annual emphasis on stewardship, which happens in many Christian churches in the fall of the year, is more than a fund raising campaign. It is an opportunity to celebrate God's call to be faithful stewards of God's bounty. It is an opportunity to take a closer look at our relationship with our possessions, our neighbors, and our planet. It is an opportunity to see how we can grow in generosity. It is an opportunity to invite God to use us more and more as instruments who move the world toward the vision God has for it. It is an opportunity to address our need to give as a central aspect of our humanity. It is an opportunity to celebrate the life God gives us through a new covenant to give to God in gratitude for what God has given us and to share our life and treasure with God's people.

    Over half of the teachings and proclamations of Jesus have to do with possessions. I believe that is because he realized how easy it is for us to be possessed by our possessions. I believe he also understood that possessions are those things that are most likely to come between us and God, us and our neighbors, us and creation, and even to come between our selves and the selves we are meant to be, our spiritual identity. And, I believe Jesus wanted all people to be liberated from whatever enslaves us. The story of Jesus' encounter with the rich man who came to him seeking eternal life is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Jesus told the man that the only thing he needed to do was to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. Mark's version of the story is slightly different. Mark's version of the story reads, "Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21). Jesus said what he did out of love. He knew the man was enslaved by his wealth and true liberty for him would not be possible until he ceased relying on his stuff more than he relied on God. He was inviting the man to be a faithful steward of God's bounty, to become fully human.

    And that is the invitation that is annually extended to each follower of Jesus during the fall stewardship emphasis. That is why I look forward to this time of year. Every year, I hear from people who took the next step in pursuit of "the high calling angels cannot share." I hope you will be one of them this year!

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

  • Follow the example of the bees…

     

    Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. We pause to remember and give thanks for those whose labor contributes to the quality of our common life. So many of the products we enjoy in this country are presented to us in final form in markets, stores, and showrooms that it is easy to take granted those who produced them. It is also easy to forget how our own work impacts the lives of others.

    Our Book of Common Prayer provides us with fitting words of gratitude and intercession to God on this day:

    Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    We can also apply the petition, "…not for self alone, but for the common good" to our Cathedral community. During this time of transition, everyone is called to work for the common good so that the mission of the Cathedral remains strong and vibrant. The ongoing life and work of any community of faith is not about who's in charge; it's about remaining faithful and steadfast in the work to which God is calling us. When I think of an image of work “for the common good,” I think of bees. I have been observing the bees that live on the Cathedral campus. Every one of them buzzes about doing its part on behalf of the hive. Bees2

    Throughout history, bees have served as a reminder to humans of how important it is for humans to work for the common good. Bees are helpful not only to their own kind, they are helpful to humans and other creatures that depend upon food that requires pollination. For example, did you know that one in every three bites you eat and 70% of America's food sources are pollinated by bees? That is one reason we should be concerned about and seeking solutions to the worldwide decline in the bee population.

    The bee and the beehive have often been used in Christian art and architecture as metaphors for the Church and its members. St. John Chrysostom wrote: “The bee is more honored than other animals, not because it labors, but because it labors for others” (12th Homily). The honey produced by the bee is agreeable to the palate and symbolic of spiritual sweetness and religious eloquence. For this reason, the beehive is emblematic of St. Ambrose and of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, two Doctors whom the Church calls mellifluus and mellificuus, that is, with an eloquence as suave and sweet as honey.

    Honeybee Democracy is a book written by Thomas D. Seeley, a professor of biology at Cornell University. He has devoted his career to the study of these amazing creatures and the way they work together for the common good. In the prologue, the author writes, “The story of how honeybees make a democratic decision based on a face-to-face, consensus-seeking assembly is certainly important to behavioral biologists interested in how social animals make group decisions.”

    The more we contemplate the energetic work, cooperative nature, and fruitfulness of bees, the better we understand why others have seen in them an example of how Christians might work, pray, and give in unity. We can follow the example of the bees!

    There is a place for healthy competition in the secular environments where so many people work. There is even a place for a little friendly competition within Christian communities. In attempting to inspire the Corinthian Christians to greater generosity, St. Paul introduces a little competition when he tells them how generous the poor Macedonians when they insisted on sending aid to the Church in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:1-7).

    Perhaps we are doing the same thing when we compare the giving patterns of this Cathedral community with the giving patterns of the wider Church and other congregations nearby. It doesn't take a mathematician to recognize in these comparisons that there is room for improvement and lots of it.

    But the key to a more generous spirit, I think, is not to be found in comparing ourselves with others or competing with them. God is not calling us to be some other church. Nor is God calling us to aspire to the average contribution level of Episcopalians across the country. (I would be a poor priest indeed if all I did was try to inspire the people of this parish to be average!) The key is to hear the call of God to each of us to be the generous creatures we were designed to be and to all of us to work together more energetically so that we can share God's bounty with others. When we do that, people are uplifted, transformed, and healed, and God is glorified.

    St. Paul went on to tell the Corinthians, “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:11, 12).

    Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, is our greatest example of generosity. St. Paul referred to him as God's “indescribable gift.” Jesus’ method was to form a community and teach them by word and example. You and I are the descendants of that first community and now the message of Jesus and its meaning for our world today is entrusted to us.

    Where are the places in the life of Saint John’s Cathedral in which you can work more energetically, pray more fervently, and give more generously for the spread of the God's reign on earth? Please pray about that.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

  • The Foundation for Christian Mission

     

    The other name for the Episcopal Church is “The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.”  As members of this Church, we're taught that each of us is a missionary. What is the foundation, the basis for our work as missionaries? I don’t mean to be overly simplistic, but I believe the Christian mission has its basis in the Great Gift, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission:

    •  The Great Gift (John 3:16-17) ~ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

    God’s greatest gift of Love surpasses all I possess, given not for condemnation but for redemption. The Gift of the Son of God to reconcile us to God and to others inspires, empowers, and motivates us in the work of reconciliation God has entrusted to us.

    •  The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) ~ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

    Jesus' summary of the law is the guide for our words and actions. Everything else depends on these two commandments, like a door depends on its hinges. Demonstration of love for God and love for our neighbors are the highest values of the Christian’s life.

    •  The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) ~ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

    Jesus gave this commission to the Church. He intends for us to be united in God's mission. What happens when we gather for worship, study, and fellowship is to prepare us to GO back into the world to be and to make disciples for the sake of the world. We are blessed not just to feel good about ourselves, but so that we may be a blessing to others.

    How are we doing, Jesus?

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

  • Inasmuch

    Senior Warden Tom Keyse and I spent a couple of hours today with The Rev'd Lynne Butler, CEO and Executive Director of  Metro Caring, Denver's leading frontline hunger prevention organization. I was heartened by everything I saw. This is the kind of place that offers real hope to our neighbors in need.

    Just a few of the programs I learned about are: Metro Caring_Logo_color

    • Healthful Foods Access
    • Nutrition and Gardening Education
    • Seeds for Success Job Training
    • Self Sufficiency Counseling
    • Financial Literacy Education
    • Identification Document Assistance
    • Metro Caring Market
    • Legislative Action
    • Benefits Enrollment Assistance

    Saint John’s Cathedral has members who serve on the board or volunteer in one or more programs. I saw some of those members who were exercising faithful stewardship of their time by sitting with guests of Metro Caring, engaging in conversation, listening, and demonstrating genuine care. It was as if I were witnessing a living tableau of the scene described in the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew:

    When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Mt. 25:31-36)

    During lunch after our tour, Lynne told us that one out of four children in this state faces hunger. She also told me that a person enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in Colorado receives $126 per month in food stamps. That’s far less than I would have imagined. She then told me about a challenge that was given to Denver religious leaders in June. Each of us is asked to personally contribute $126 to Metro Caring and then to ask 126 more people to contribute the same amount. If even one of us did that, it would raise $16,000. The funds raised in this campaign will be used by Metro Caring to fight hunger in the following ways:

    • Reduce local food waste to ensure all have enough
    • End food deserts by going mobile
    • End hunger at its root through Seeds for Success, Metro Caring’s signature employment training program for food-industry jobs.

    In several ways, it is an awkward time to be doing this because of the start up of fall stewardship campaigns among my friends around the country. However, inasmuch as I am so impressed with the good work being done through Metro Caring, I’m going to make my contribution. If you are moved to do likewise with a gift over and above what you plan to give to your faith community, please do so. This is a personal suggestion and not a Cathedral campaign. Contributions can be made online or by mailing a check to:

    Metro Caring
    P.O. Box 300459
    Denver, CO 80203

    Everything I saw today convinces me that Metro Caring will exercise faithful stewardship over our gifts, hope will be restored, and lives will be transformed.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue 

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John's Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado