My Blog

Category: Episcopal Church

  • I Was Glad!

    Last Sunday, more than fifty voices filled the Choir at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. They were participants in the Mississippi Conference for Church Music and Liturgy and it was the closing service. Among the beautiful anthems they sang was Sir C. Hubert H. Parry’s setting of Psalm 122, “I Was Glad”, which was composed for the coronation of England's King Edward VII in 1902.

    That particular anthem always speaks to the deepest places of my soul. But long before I heard the music, I learned the opening verse. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

    Mr. Robert Frantis was my third grade Sunday School teacher and he asked us to memorize that verse. I will always be grateful to him for giving us that homework because that one verse formed in me a positive and passionate appreciation for the worship of God, which is a good thing to have in any case but especially if you are called to ordained ministry.

    Not many years ago, I became curious about the word glad. When I investigated the word and its origins, here’s what I found:

    Glad is an adjective. Its origins are as follows: Old English glæd “bright, shining, gleaming; joyous; pleasant, gracious” (also as a noun, “joy, gladness”), from Proto-Germanic gladaz (source also of Old Norse glaðr “smooth, bright, glad,” Danish glad “glad, joyful,” Old Saxon gladmod, in which the element means “glad,” Old Frisian gled “smooth,” Dutch glad “slippery,” German glatt "smooth"), from Proto-Indo-European root ghel- “to shine.” Apparently the notion is of being radiant with joy; the modern sense “feeling pleasure or satisfaction” is much weakened.

    My takeaway from all of that is that is the perfect description of how I feel about the opportunity to worship God – “I was radiant with joy when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” Gathering with God’s people in a sacred space set apart for divine worship truly makes my heart glad.

    Corporate worship, which is essential to the life of every Christian and the life of every Christian community, is something I always look forward to. Why is that? Perhaps it is because it is one time in my week or my day that is guaranteed not to be about me. It is about God and the other people in my life. It is an opportunity to get myself off my hands, set aside my own pursuits, and to be vulnerable before my Creator.

    In the traditional Eucharistic liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer, at the beginning of the service, the Priest recites Jesus’ summary of the law:

    Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

    That summary reminds us why we are gathered; it’s all about God and the neighbors. In worship, my thoughts, concerns, activities, and priorities are regularly restored to the default settings given by Jesus Christ himself and I am reminded once again that it is not all about me. That makes my heart glad. That causes me to be radiant with joy.

    Here’s a recording of Parry’s “I Was Glad.” It says it all.

     

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • The Dynamic Relationship Between Mission and Transition

    Here is a question I am often asked: What has been the most valuable learning experience in your work as an interim minister and why? Here's my response.

    Mission and transition are dynamically related.

    When a faith community is intentional about discerning the mission entrusted to it and committed to engagement in that mission, it is also willing to be intentional about the transitions that are necessary. The dots have to be connected.

    While considering leaving the parish I had served as rector for almost a decade, I was intrigued by the work being accomplished by colleagues who were intentional interim rectors. In conversations with them, I was encouraged to explore service to the wider Church through transitional ministry instead of as a settled rector in one parish. That discernment led to training in intentional interim ministry, during which I suddenly realized that all churches are in some sort of transition most of the time, although often unconscious of it.

    Transition training should be core seminary curriculum. Transitions between settled rectors provide a unique opportunity to explore transition – remembering where we’ve been, clarifying where we are, discerning where God is calling us, making changes that are needed, connecting with the wider church, and embracing a new era of mission with a new spiritual leader. But that is not the end of transition!

    During this epiphany, I recalled some words of Titus Presler: “Mission is not fundamentally something we do as Christians but a quality of God’s own being. It is not a program of ours but the path of God’s action in the world. The mission of the Church, therefore, derives from the mission of God, and it has meaning only in relation to what God is up to in the universe. Already engaged in mission, God simply invites us to participate in what God is doing.”

    The Church doesn’t have a mission. The mission has a Church. Everything we do as followers of Christ in community is related to and in the service of that mission. And God’s mission is constantly in transition. It became clear to me that when a church continues to function as if nothing has changed, the mission suffers. It also became clear to me that the mission suffers when changes are needed but are avoided or resisted.

    So, intentional transition work in the Church, whether between rectors or at any time, must involve discernment about mission, participation in what God is doing for the sake of the world at our doorstep. Transition work matters only in relation to mission.

    This insight guides my leadership so that after our interim time together, consciousness of the dynamic relationship between ongoing mission and ongoing transition will continue. Churches that are engaged in mission are healthier, happier, and more attractive to those who are seeking what Christ offers through them. In such places, transition evokes transformation.

    I would like to leave a legacy of healthy, mission-focused, transformative congregations in my service to the wider Church.

    O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.              

    (The Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Proper 10)

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

  • The Sacrament of Failure

    Several years ago, when I was jogging along the Seawall in Galveston one morning, I noticed that someone had written the following message with chalk in large letters:

    The Race Goes Not Always to The Swift. . .But to Those Who Keep On Running.

    Encouragement! Someone put those words there to encourage people who were running the race. Don’t give up! Keep on keeping on! There is value in the running of the race. There is victory in completing it.

    When Jesus sent the twelve apostles out on their mission, he let them know that not everyone would welcome them. “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11).

    Encouragement! Jesus gave them those words to encourage them to continue in their mission even when they were not welcomed. A friend of mine once called this “the sacrament of failure.” Jesus gave his apostles permission to fail and an outward sign that would help them leave that failure behind and continue in their mission.

    The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews also knew there is value in running the race to its completion. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

    Encouragement! Both Jesus and the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews intended their words to encourage Christ’s followers to keep on keeping on, because they knew there would be plenty of times when being Christian would be difficult.

    Faith Derickson echoes these words from Hebrews:

    Keep us faithful always to You
    Whatever the path we trod
    That we might run with patience, Lord,
    The race that is set before us.

    And through it all may we praise Your Name,
    For it is only by Your power,
    That we can run with patience, Lord,
    The race that is set before us.

    A missionary people need encouragement to persevere in the work of Christ. He’s in it with us. Every age and mission outpost has its challenges. If we will continue to faithfully put one foot in front of the other, Jesus will provide what is needed to endure and to transcend the challenges. When we fail trying, he will keep us from settling into that failure and help us move on toward completion.

    As my wife, Gay, often reminds me, “Life is not about falling down. . .it’s about getting up and trying again.” Let us always encourage one another to continue in the life and work of Christ.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

    P.S. I did a little online research and found the quote in a number of places with an anonymous attribution. However, I believe it may be a paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 9:11 “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilful; but time and chance happen to them all.”

     

     

  • The Seeds You Sow

    Our Cathedral kids and counselors will soon be enjoying an amazing week at Camp Bratton Green, the camp for the Diocese of Mississippi in Canton. While there, they will sing a grace before meals that is often called “The Johnny Appleseed Grace” made popular by a Walt Disney film. It goes like this:

    Oh, the Lord is good to me,
    and so I thank the Lord,
    for giving me the things I need,
    the sun and the rain and the appleseed.
    The Lord is good to me.

    In fact, those are the words of the first stanza of a hymn from the Swedenborgian Church (The New Church) of which John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, was a missionary.

    Johnny Appleseed was not just a Disney Character, he was a real person. I have visited his grave in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The inscription on his headstone reads, “He lived for others.” This humble nurseryman went around sowing seeds, planting nurseries and orchards, and preaching. He sowed a lot of seed in his lifetime. His life had meaning and hope because he relied on the principle that “Anybody can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed.” 

    A lot of seeds will be planted in the souls of the campers at Camp Bratton Green this summer. I suspect some seeds will also be planted in the souls of their counselors. This video for the upcoming Campaign for Camp Bratton Green and Gray Center tells about how such seeds have been planted in the souls of thousands through the years and expresses the hope that there will be thousands more in the future. The campaign is appropriately called “The Seeds You Sow.”

    Through our support of the campaign we will help sow seeds in the souls of children, youth, and adults. Let us contribute and let us pray for the souls past, present, and future campers, counselors, and visitors to Camp Bratton Green and Gray Center, where the seeds of faith, hope, and love take root and grow. Those seeds grow in souls and bear world-changing fruit.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • Give pride of place to one another in esteem!

    A verse of scripture has been on my mind all week and I can’t stop thinking about it. When that happens, I assume that it may be a prompting of the Holy Spirit that is important for my life and ministry.

    The verse is from St. Paul’s exhortation on Christian behavior found in the twelfth chapter of the Letter to the Romans. It is verse ten and the translation that keeps coming to mind is from the New English Bible. It reads, “Give pride of place to one another in esteem” (Romans 12:10b NEB). Most other translations use honour instead of esteem, but those are not the translations that keep popping up in my mind.

    Our English word esteem is derived from the same Latin root (aestimāre) as estimate and means “to assign value.” If I were to try my hand at a Ron’s English Version of this particular verse, I would write it like this: “Put others ahead of yourself to demonstrate how much you value them.”

    The late Scottish Biblical Scholar, William Barclay, offered the following insight in his commentary on this passage: “More than half the trouble that arises in Churches concerns rights and privileges and prestige. Someone has not been given his or her place; someone has been neglected or unthanked. The mark of the [true Christian] has always been humility” (William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, Westminster, Philadelphia, 1975, p.164).

    General Conventions, Episcopal and National Elections, Committee Meetings, as well as day-to-day life in churches of all sizes and locations afford many opportunities to practice being mindful that humbly loving one another as Christ loved us is a prime directive. The world at our doorstep is watching to see how we behave toward one another!

    In the Baptismal Covenant, we vow with God's help to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “respect the dignity of every human being.”

    Do I look for the image of God in every person at every turn? Do I work at treating others as I would treat God? When I disagree with a fellow Christian, how will I tailor my response in a way that demonstrates esteem for that person, in spite of differences? When I prefer one candidate over another in an election, will my comments about the other candidate be tempered by my awareness that I am speaking about one who is the apple of God’s eye? When someone does something that bothers me, do I speak about the person or to that person? Am I more concerned with being valued by others than I am about putting others ahead of myself to show how much I value them? Am I more concerned about what I am getting than what I am giving?

    If every Christian works at showing esteem for others, there will surely be enough esteem to go around, and then some. There must be a way for us to run our meetings, our elections, and our churches that puts others first and values them as those who are “Christ’s own for ever.” My reflection on all of this has helped me realize that I need to try harder. Let's see what happens if we all try harder, trusting that God will multiply our efforts.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • Strategies for Summertime Spirituality

     

    Memorial Day signals opening of swimming pools, buzz cuts for boys, weekday outings to museums and zoos, homemade ice cream, watermelon season, an upswing in agricultural enterprises, and the beginning of summer vacations. We also start the summer slump in churches across America, with a decline in attendance and anxious messages from church treasurers about cash flow because offerings go down when the people are not there.

    On several occasions, I have tried to counteract the summer slump. Call me a die hard, but I’m going to try again. Any success at all is better than none when it comes to reminding God’s Holy People what our relationship with the world is supposed to be.

    St. Paul put it this way, “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” (Romans 12:2). Jesus called his followers to be light and salt and leaven in the world (Matthew 5 and 13). Light, salt, and leaven are agents of transformation – light dispels darkness, salt adds flavor, and leaven causes the dough to rise. When the agents of transformation are present, things are no longer the same. Through our prayers and our lifestyle, we are God’s change agents.

    With that in mind, I have a few suggestions for how to enjoy summertime while still fulfilling our sacred purpose.

    Maintain the spiritual discipline of worship. If you are home on Sunday morning, your presence in worship with your community of faith helps keep the emphasis on God, both for you and for your fellow worshipers. HERE is St. Andrew's Cathedral's Summer Sunday Morning Schedule. When you are there, you are making a statement – a witness – that God’s reign in your life is not suspended just because it is summertime. Vacationers may be visiting our church while you are out of town. You may also use the time in worship to contemplate the different things you are doing/seeing/experiencing during the summer.

    Find a church in which to worship while traveling.  While you are in a different place, you may discover new friends, new ideas, and elements of diversity you have not known before. Maybe you can bring something back that will enrich the life of your own community of faith. The churches you visit will have an opportunity to extend their hospitality to you and hear about the church you love back home. If you have children or youth who will be traveling with you, ask them to get on the internet and find a church where your family can worship “wherever you may be.” Check The Episcopal Church Asset Map.

    Don’t send your pledge on vacation. The operational costs of your church continue even when you are not there. In warmer locations, such as Jackson, the costs increase significantly because of the need for air conditioning and watering. There is no legitimate reason why church leaders should have to experience anxiety over cash shortfalls in the summer (or anytime of year for that matter). Make it a matter of faithful stewardship to bring or send your contribution before you leave on vacation. Or, if you forget, you may still mail a check or use online banking to get your gift to the altar while you are away.

    Get involved in ministries you don’t normally have time for. If summertime affords you a little extra free time or a slower pace, use some of that time to serve Christ and the Church. Summertime may open up some new possibilities for you in the ministries of the Cathedral or one of our community partners and blessings will flow into our lives.

    Remember us when you are away! We’d love to know what you are experiencing in the places where you are traveling. Social media is a great way to share your experiences and discoveries with us. Cut out and take Flat Andy along and include him in some photos, then post them to @standrewsjxn so we can see.

    Whatever you do, think God! Be intentional about your spiritual journey. Begin and end your days with prayer, so that, in all the cares and occupations of our life, we may not forget God, but remember that we are ever walking in God’s sight. Look for signs of God’s hand at work in the world around you. Habits that affect the rest of your life can be formed during a three-month period. Don’t let a hiatus become a habit!

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • Deep Breathing Exercises

    Approximately sixteen times every minute we human beings do something we all take for granted…we breathe. About sixteen times every minute we inhale and exhale air, and we usually do it without a second thought. The process started at birth and will continue until we draw our last breath. Breathing was a deep mystery to the ancients, before we learned about the biological process. And, like all mysteries, breathing has been an integral part of the religions of the Tibetans, the Indians, the Chinese, and the Japanese. It was a feature of the cults of the Egyptians. We see it also in the Bible. The ancient Hebrews used the word wind, the breath, in context with soul. In the Biblical account of creation, we read that, “God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul.” In the NT, the Greek word pneuma is used in speaking of the human soul. Our word, spirit, is from the Latin verb spirare, which means “to breathe.”

    Jesus gave a breath of fresh air to his disciples. On the first Easter Day, he came into the place where the disciples were, breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” It was this same breath of fresh air the disciples received on the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection. This Holy Breath in turn came out of the apostles that day as they witnessed and preached so that those around them heard in their own languages. On this Day of Pentecost, I’m here to tell you we dare not take this spiritual breathing for granted because the quality of our breathing affects the quality of our lives – our health, moods, energy, creativity. Likewise, our spiritual lives are dependent upon the breath of God supplying the invisible virtues that are necessary for spiritual health, moods, energy, and creativity. How can we be more receptive to the breath of God?

    First, we can seek inspiration. Most of my life, I have associated inspiration with enlightenment. In a sense, this association is correct. But, in another sense, inspiration refers to something else. When Rhabanus Marurus wrote the Veni Creator Spiritus in the 8th century, he had this “something else” in mind. In this hymn, which has become one of the beloved canticles of the Christian liturgy, we sing “Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire, and lighten with celestial fire.” Inspiration and illumination are segregated in his thought as two essential aspects of the work of the Spirit.

    To inspire is to breathe in. If you want to be more receptive to the Breath of God, take a deep breath. The result will be new life. The psalmist celebrated inspiration: “When you take away their breath, they die…but when you give them breath, they are created, you give new life to the earth…” Corrie Ten Boom spoke of inspiration this way: “I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.”

    And, if you want the Holy Spirit in your life, try conspiracy. The late theologian John Courtney Murray effectively used the word conspiracy in its root sense. The word literally means to breathe together. That’s what Pentecost was – a conspiracy, not in the sense of a sinister gathering for dark purposes, but as a consensus for good, a breaking down of barriers, a breathing together. Have you ever sat with someone else and tried to breathe together? I recall sitting with a group of about 15 people around the bed of my father during the final hour of his life. He was struggling for breath so hard that the bed shook. After the longest time of silence, one man put his hand to his chest and said, “we’re all trying to breathe for him.” In a real sense, we were.

    We frequently breathe in unison when we are singing or reciting a creed or prayer, together. Whenever we join together in the conspiracy of Christian fellowship, worship, and service, the Holy Spirit has a chance to move among us, uniting our hearts and minds in a consensus. And, the breathing that is usually so silent, begins to sound like the rush of a mighty wind. When we open ourselves to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are also drawn to one another.

    Finally, for the breathing process to be complete, it has to be respiration. Breathing in is only half of the process. Breathing out is also necessary. We need to pay attention to what we are breathing out because just a second earlier, it was what we were breathing in. If we breathe in hate, it will probably be hate when we breathe it out. If we breathe in peace (as Jesus disciples did) it will probably be peace when we breathe it out.

    If we are constantly putting ourselves in a place where we can breathe in the Breath of God together, it will not be long before we will be breathing out the Breath of God in the world around us. Magnifying Christ and proclaiming the good News of what God has done, offering hope in the face of despair, peace in the face of hatred, comfort in the face of pain and suffering, and the eternal God in the face of the uncertainties of human existence. Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote, “He lives most life whoever breathes most air.” Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Let us make a new resolve to join with one another in the greatest deep breathing exercise ever known – to receive the Holy Spirit, let our lives bear the Spirit’s fruit, dream dreams, see visions, and experience the mighty works of God first-hand by becoming one of them!

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • A Call to Prayer for All People

     


    Next week on May 9, we celebrate the 81st anniversary of the dedication of the Richard Howard Green Memorial Chimes in the West Tower of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. There are eleven bells in this set, the largest weighing 1,685 pounds and the smallest weighing 125 pounds. They were cast by the Old Meneely Bell Foundry of Watervliet, New York in 1936 specifically for our Cathedral. The bells were installed in 1937.

    An inscription is cast on the Great Bell. It reads, “To the Glory of God / And for call to prayer for all people / The Gift of / Richard Howard Green, Junior Warden / Entered into Rest October 1, 1936.”

    Mr. Green was a long and loyal member and vestryman of St. Andrew's. He made provision for the installation of the bells and was active in selecting them. Death robbed him of the joy of hearing them with earthly ears. However the Trustees took responsibility for the installation of the bells and had them named the Richard Howard Green Memorial Chimes.

    These bells are a part of the historic richness of Downtown Jackson, Mississippi. They chime the hour and play a tune several times a day as well as on special occasions.

    Beginning this Sunday, we will resume the custom of beginning worship services in the Cathedral by ringing one of these bells. Following the Prelude, when you hear the bell, it signals that it is time to stand for the singing of the Processional Hymn.

    I’ll see you in Church! St. Andrew's Bells

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • What I Like Most About The Episcopal Church

    Eight years ago, I launched a Facebook page called "Unapologetically Episcopalian." My motivation was to provide a safe place where people could share good things about The Episcopal Church during a time when our Church was experiencing quite a bit of conflict. As of today, almost 61,000 people have "liked" this page and shared their love of this Church. Our covenant of conduct there is simple. It comes from St. Paul's letter to the Church at Philippi. "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Phil. 4:8).

    Recently, when I was discussing Unapologetically Episcopalian with someone, I was asked what aspects of the Episcopal Church I value and find life-giving and what about it calls me deeper into my relationship with God. I'd like to share my answer with you.

    EpiscopallogoThe Episcopal Church fosters communities of followers of Jesus Christ where “all sorts and conditions of people” are welcome and no one is an outcast. Those communities encourage each person to be transformed by openness to the wonder and mystery of God’s hand at work in the universe in which we live. Our corporate worship and sacramental life give us sustenance for the spiritual journey and for service to the world.  By promoting the dynamic relationship of scripture, tradition, and reason, the Episcopal Church provides a broad “middle way” that allows diversity, resists dogmatic certainty, and encourages thoughtful conversation about what God is calling us to be and do. Our oneness and our mission are not grounded in uniformity of belief, but in gathering for a feast at the invitation of the One who is the Way, Truth, and Life we seek.

    Because of our roots in The Church of England, The Episcopal Church is also an Anglican Church. As Anglicans, our descent from the Early Church is as direct as that of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. At the same time, we share a common heritage with Reformed churches. There are many desirable aspects of this “middle way” and three of them are especially important in my own journey to find and be found by God.

    The Book of Common Prayer – The Book of Common Prayer is unique to our Anglican heritage and central to our structure and practice. The Book of Common Prayer provides a framework for our common life by providing central instructions in the Christian faith, requirements for our liturgical and sacramental life, and guidance for living as Anglican Christians. Certainly, we have canons that govern many aspects of our corporate life. But our unity is grounded not in polity but in common prayer. The Church forms and shapes us individually as Christians and the prayer book provides the necessary cohesiveness that preserves corporate faith and order.

    Our approach to reading and interpreting the Holy Bible – Avoiding biblical literalism and affirming the necessity of looking at scripture through the lenses of reason and tradition are hallmarks of our Anglican heritage. We read and interpret the Bible for ourselves, but within the context of a gracious and redemptive community where our interpretations are tested and refined using this approach. This helps us avoid not only error but also the narrow judgmentalism and pharisaism that has driven many away from life in Christ. Our approach to scripture helps us explore both ancient truth and God’s unfolding self-disclosure in our own place and time.

    The possibility of following a spiritual path within an organized church – I find myself in company with many souls in this emerging era who are seeking to be a part of a diverse, inclusive, authentic community of believers with whom they can approach spiritual concerns, wrestle with doubt, live with mystery, and cope with ambiguity. People are not looking so much for answers as for other souls with whom they can explore their own stories at the intersection with the story of humanity and with the ancient story of faith in God. The openness of the Episcopal Church to questions, fresh revelations, and ancient teachings is inviting to me and will be inviting to the emerging generation of people on their spiritual journeys.

    It's not a perfect Church. But it has a lot to commend it for anyone seeking an open minded, inclusive, non-dogmatic approach to being a Follower of Jesus Christ.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

  • The Paschal Candle

    At the beginning of the Great Vigil of Easter a “new fire” is ignited and blessed with this prayer: SAC Paschal Candle 2018

    O God, through your Son you have bestowed upon your people the brightness of your light: Sanctify this new fire, and grant that in this Paschal feast we may so burn with heavenly desires, that with pure minds we may attain to the festival of everlasting light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    The Paschal candle is the first candle to be lighted from this sacred fire. The flame of the Paschal candle symbolizes the eternal presence of Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the Light of the World in the midst of his people, the Light which darkness has never overcome.

    The Paschal candle is sometimes referred to as the “Easter candle” or the “Christ candle.” The term “Paschal” comes from the Hebrew word Pesach, meaning Passover, and relates to the Paschal mystery of salvation. The tall white candle may also remind us of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites in their Exodus from slavery in Egypt.

    The minister may trace symbols on the Paschal Candle. These symbols may include the cross, five grains of incense embedded in five red or gold wax nails, the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, and the number of the current year. The five nails are symbolic of the five “glorious wounds” on Christ’s crucified body. The Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, remind us that Christ is the beginning and the end of creation. The number of the year represents the “today” in “Christ, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

    The worshiping assembly then processes into the dark church led by the Paschal candle. The candle is raised three times during the procession, accompanied by the chant “The light of Christ” to which the congregation responds “Thanks be to God.” Following the procession, a prayer known as the Exultet is chanted, traditionally by a deacon, but it may be chanted by a priest, a cantor, or a choir. The Exultet concludes with a blessing of the candle:

    Holy Father, accept our evening sacrifice, the offering of this candle in your honor. May it shine continually to drive away all darkness. May Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting, find it ever burning – he who gives his light to all creation, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

    It is customary for the Paschal candle to be placed in the center aisle and burn at all services during the Great Fifty Days of Easter as well as at Baptisms and funerals. It reminds us that the Risen Christ was with his disciples for forty days before his Ascension. It also signifies presence of the Risen Christ and his call to the Baptized to bear his light in the world. Sometimes, on Easter, the candle stand is adorned with flowers, as our Cathedral Flower Guild has so beautifully adorned ours.

    During these fifty days and whenever we see the Paschal candle burning, let it remind us of the words of Jesus:

    “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 15).

    Enjoy this hymn from our Hymnal 1982, sung by the Choir of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California. May your Easter life be flooded with light and may you reflect that light wherever you may be.

    I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

    I want to walk as a child of the light;
    I want to follow Jesus.
    God set the stars to give light to the world;
    The star of my life is Jesus.

    Refrain

        In him there is no darkness at all;
        The night and the day are both alike.
        The Lamb is the light of the city of God;
        Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

    I want to see the brightness of God;
    I want to look at Jesus.
    Clear Sun of righteousness, shine on my path,
    And show me the way to the Father.

    Refrain

    I’m looking for the coming of Christ;
    I want to be with Jesus.
    When we have run with patience the race,
    We shall know the joy of Jesus.

    Refrain

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi