My Blog

Category: From the Interim Dean

  • Shades of Purple: An Old and New Look

    We have a new, but old look at St. Andrew’s Cathedral; The Dean and Canons in purple cassocks.

    A Cassock is typically a plain black ankle length robe with long sleeves. Technically the Cassock is a clerical “garment” and not a “vestment.” It is derived from the Greco-Roman Tunic, the name of which simply means "ankle length" in Latin. Cassocks are typically worn under vestments such as the full white vestment called a Surplice.

    Both laity and clergy can wear the Cassock and it is often, but not always, tied around the waist with a Cincture, lay people that wear Cassocks are often Choristers, Lay Readers, and Vergers. For much of Church history until the 20th century the Cassock was the street wear / uniform of the clergy. These days Cassocks are almost exclusively used in a liturgical context.

    Traditionally Anglican Cassocks are double breasted, buttoning on the shoulders and waist. Roman Catholic Cassocks typically have 33 buttons directly down the middle of the garment. An Anglican variant of the Roman Cassock exists with 39 buttons (reflecting the 39 Articles of Religion).

    Bishops typically wear purple Cassocks. Cathedral Deans and Canons may wear purple cassocks also, signifying the unique relationship of the Cathedral and its clergy to the Bishop and Diocese. In some places, Cathedral clergy wear black cassocks with red piping, also indicating the relationship with the ministry of the Bishop.

    The first two or three Deans of St. Andrew’s Cathedral wore purple cassocks, as we see in photographs and portraits. The practice for clergy was discontinued, although our Choir and Vergers still wear purple. When I arrived, I spoke with Bishop Seage about this tradition, and he welcomes a return to the practice of Cathedral clergy wearing purple cassocks, as an outward and visible sign of the unique relationship of the Cathedral with the ministry of the Bishop and Diocese. I already have a purple cassock from my service at other Cathedrals. With the help of the Memorials Committee, we have provided purple cassocks for the Cathedral Canons. We will wear them on a variety of occasions, especially during Evensong, non-Eucharistic services, and when hosting events at St. Andrew’s.

    We hope this return to an older tradition will be well received and that the sight of purple cassocks will always be a reminder of the unique role this Cathedral church and its clergy have in the service of our Bishop in the Episcopal Church in Mississippi.

    We’ll see you in Church! IMG_3027

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 28

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral

  • Only God Can Make a Saint

    On Sunday, we’ll observe the Feast of All Saints. And, we’ll help God make some saints when we Baptize two children. By water and the Holy Spirit, they are going to be sanctified through Baptism. They are going to become “holy ones of the Most High” who “shall receive the kingdom.” I promise you, neither of them has volunteered to have this holy water poured over them any more than they have volunteered to be born with their skin color, born to their parents, or born into their families. Neither will they volunteer to have vaccinations, learn to wear clothes, take baths, or brush their teeth. They won’t volunteer to stay with the babysitter, go to school, come home before curfew, or fall in love. On Sunday, without their consent, we are going to pour some water over them, rub some oil on their heads, and declare that they are saints – Baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked as Christ’s own for ever. We are going to vow to do whatever it takes to help them grow to claim the new identity given to them in Baptism, to be formed as saints of God as we have been.

    Whatever else they may be called during the course of their lives, in God’s eyes they are saints – blessed, sanctified, made holy, not by their own will but by the will of God. And, by virtue of the fact that someone baptized us, so are we. We are saints of God by grace and adoption. Above every other reason, when we return here week by week to worship with other saints, we return to be reminded who we are and to give thanks – to offer Eucharist – for the divine gift of and vocation to sainthood. For we were created by God to bear a divine image, to be shaped and formed by the will of our Creator, to be filled with the fullness that only God can give.

    We become members of the Church through Baptism. The Church is a unique institution in God’s eternal purpose, where the saints live in unity with God, one another, and those who have gone before us. We sometimes speak of the Church’s message, but if you read the New Testament carefully, you will see that it is the other way around. It’s not so much that the Church has a Message as that the Message has a Church. The saints, who are the Church, are the delivery system for the Message. That is our inheritance; our gift from God.

    A colleague of mine enjoys telling of a time when a little boy was visiting his grandfather, whose church had beautiful stained glass windows like ours. The little boy asked his grandfather who the people in the windows were. His grandfather told him, “Those are saints.” And the boy exclaimed, “Oh, I get it! Saints are people that the light shines through.”

    Saints of God, you and I are people through whom God’s light shines. Throughout our lives, as our wills are transformed and we grow less resistant to God’s grace at work in us, the light of Christ shines more brilliantly through us.

    I recall a wonderful woman who often used an expression that has all but vanished from our language. She would say, “Be a saint.” “Be a saint and help me with these packages.” “Be a saint and run to the store for me.” “Be a saint and help me with the dishes.”

    Jesus call to us is to “Be a saint.” Or, even better, “Be the saint I have created you to be.” Be a saint and help me feed the hungry. Be a saint and help me raise the children to know, to love, and to follow me. Be a saint and help me heal the sick. Be a saint and help me deliver my message of God’s love. Be a saint. Be a saint. Be a saint.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 28

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

     

  • Way to Go!

     

    Several remarkable things have happened during the two months I’ve been with the People of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and I want to make some remarks about some of them.

    Electronic Mail – We use Constant Contact for our weekly e-news and any number of other communications with our members. Constant Contact provides us with metrics that help us understand how many people open emails, how many bounce, and how many emails are sent. Last week, The Epistle was emailed to 901 addresses, 368 of which actually opened the email. That’s a 42% open rate. While 100% would be better, Constant Contact tells us that 33% is a very good open rate. So, our members are above average in reading their emails. This tells me you are interested in what is happening at your church. That makes my heart glad.

    Stewardship Campaign – 224 households have pledged to give $1,054,341 next year for God’s work through St. Andrew’s Cathedral. 69 pledges are new and 94 are increases in giving. Each pledge represents a commitment to God and God’s Church to engage in faithful stewardship as a spiritual discipline. The prompt and generous response is a sign of spiritual health.

    Habitat for Humanity – On Wednesday of this week, the Staff and others from the Cathedral spent the day working on the house that four Episcopal churches are building on Greenview Street. During lunch, served by the Holy Smokers, our fearless and able leader, Thorne Butler, thanked everyone for participating and made some announcements. When he was finished, I asked him if he had full sign up sheets. He said, “Yes! In fact, we oversubscribed. There are even more people than we expected.” That’s an indication that members of the Cathedral community want to be engaged in Christ’s work in meaningful, life changing ways

    Meals on Wheels – At a meeting of the newly revitalized Pastoral Care Commission, June Stevens reported that she has forty people who are participating in this important ministry. Forty! That is another indication that the members of the Cathedral community want hands-on engagement.

    Newcomer Dinner – Thirteen people who are new to the Cathedral recently attended a lovely dinner at the home of Gayle and Holmes Adams. Several members of the vestry and staff, along with a wonderful group of hosts, were there to extend a generous and warm welcome. The newcomers left with a feeling that they have a place in this community of faith and the warm glow on the faces of all those who made the evening possible indicated that they knew they got their message across.

    Women’s Book Study – If one more person shows up for the Women’s Book Study, they may have to move to the Parish Hall. They enjoy each other’s company and the lively discussion of some significant literature.

    Men’s Ministries – I’ve tried unsuccessfully several times to start opportunities for men’s fellowship, including a Society of St. Andrew and something like the Dean’s List. I was impressed upon arrival at the Cathedral that we have both opportunities and they are thriving.

    This is a community of Christians who enjoy one another’s company, look forward to opportunities to work, pray, give, and play together, and go out of their way to include everyone.

    These are certainly not the only examples of congregational health, but I wanted to recognize them and call your attention to them in hopes of encouraging all our ministries and all our groups to keep up the good work because in so doing you are building up the Church and living in the spirit of the exhortation found in the Letter to the Hebrews, "Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24).

    The distinguished English church musician Percy Dearmer penned these stanzas that I think could be the theme song of St. Andrew’s Cathedral because they so beautifully describe the quality of common life the Holy Spirit is stirring up around here, at the Altar, at fellowship meals, in our study, caring for one another, and in service to our neighbors in need. Here is a setting by Harold Friedell sung by the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, in New York City.

    Draw us in the Spirit's tether;
    For when humbly, in thy name,
    Two or three are met together,
    Thou art in the midst of them:
    Alleluya! Alleluya!
    Touch we now thy garment's hem.

    As the brethren used to gather
    In the name of Christ to sup,
    Then with thanks to God the Father
    Break the bread and bless the cup,
    Alleluya! Alleluya!
    So knit thou our friendship up.

    All our meals and all our living
    Make us sacraments of thee,
    That be caring, helping, giving,
    We may true disciples be.
    Alleluya! Alleluya!
    We will serve thee faithfully

    Words: Percy Dearmer
    Music: Harold Friedell

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 28 

     

     

     

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

     

     

  • What Are You Doing Here?

     

    "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" is a hymn with words taken from a longer poem, “The Brewing of Soma” by American Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier. A couple of lines from this wonderful hymn have been on my mind during the last couple of months as we have had news of hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and mass shootings.

    Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
    O still, small voice of calm.

    These words are inspired by a passage of Scripture, I Kings 19:11-13, in which the Prophet Elijah is struggling to hear God’s voice. God tells Elijah to go and stand before the holy mountain. When he does, there is a mighty wind, an earthquake, and a fire. But he is not able to hear the “still small voice” of God in the midst of any of those numinous, frightening, destructive events. He is only able to hear God’s voice in the silence that follows.

    Elijah is asking God, “Where are you and what are you doing?” But when the response comes from God, it is God who is asking the questions: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

    Maybe we have been trying to hear God’s voice and wondering what God is doing in the face of all these horrific events that have destroyed life and property, dashed hopes, and undermined our sense of security. “Where are you, God, and what are you doing?”

    Silence.

    But, as we see from Elijah’s experience, silence may be the environment in which we are finally able to hear – to reflect, to discern, to understand – the Divine Voice.

    And when we do hear the Voice, we may hear the same question that Elijah heard: “What are you doing here, Ron?” Here, at this point in time, in this place, in the aftermath of the wind, the earthquake, the fire, and the violence.

    God and God’s people have been responding to all of those tragedies, offering hope, healing, and relief to people whose lives have been suddenly torn apart. Episcopal Relief and Development, for example, has people in place, working with local relief agencies and authorities to take immediate steps to help. The members of St. Andrew’s Cathedral have sent contributions to Episcopal Relief and Development to provide the funding needed to carry out the work that needs doing. Some have made their contributions directly, and others have contributed through the Cathedral. Thus far, we have sent $7,370 for hurricane relief.

    Soon, it will be time to respond to calls for teams of people to go to affected areas and get physically involved. This article by ERD head Rob Radtke provides a helpful description of what is being done and what each of us can do to help in the days ahead. The Episcopal Diocese of Nevada is providing support and advocacy following the massacre in Las Vegas. And people around the world are joining their voices in prayer for the victims and for divine guidance for those who work to make do the things and make the changes that will protect God’s children.

    Thank you for what you are doing. When the time comes for a call to go, I hope we will have people with the physical strength and time to respond. In every case, may we continue to listen for God’s voice!

    Here's a beautiful recording of that hymn, sung by the Choir of Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire, England.


    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

     

  • Take Comfort in Rituals

     

    On a September Sunday morning several years ago, while we were visiting our son in Vancouver, I walked to the Anglican Cathedral for a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Along the way, I noticed an inscription etched in the glass door of a Starbucks shop. I have since realized that it is on many Starbucks doors. The inscription read, “TAKE COMFORT IN RITUALS.” It struck me that I was on my way to participate in a ritual because I do indeed take comfort in them. So, I took a photo. Take Comfort

    When I arrived at the Cathedral, there were many things that comforted me – the holy water in the stoup, the Compass Rose insignia of the Anglican Communion, people kneeling in prayerful preparation, the processional cross leading the choir, liturgical ministers, and clergy down the aisle. There were familiar hymns, the opportunity to make an offering, the exchange of the Peace, the bread and wine, the Celebrant making the sign of the cross during the absolution and the blessing, the dismissal by the Deacon. I took comfort in those rituals!

    However, I also realized a certain amount of dis-comfort. The sermon pricked my conscience at several points. The degree of inclusive language was far beyond what I am accustomed to and, although I happen to agree intellectually with their choice of words, I was startled nevertheless. I was likewise approving of, yet surprised at the dis-comfort I felt in, the multicultural diversity represented in the worshiping congregation.

    So, it was an epiphany for me to realize that there is also DISCOMFORT in rituals. That is true of just about any rituals, religious and otherwise. Even a visit to Starbucks or a morning cup of their great coffee, which are rituals for many, can be discomforting. But this leads me to another epiphany: the word comfort has more than one meaning. Our modern use of the word comfort has to do with “solace.” An earlier meaning is to “strengthen intensively.” And an even earlier meaning is “together strong.” That’s the one I like best!

    So many times I have guided people through rituals at some of the most uncomfortable moments – ministration at the time of death, funerals, prayers before surgery, sermons about the “hard sayings” of Jesus, and fall stewardship campaigns, to name a few. The desired outcome is always to help them find comfort, solace. Beyond solace, however, we hope they find the strength that comes from the rituals we do together – strength to go on, strength to face an uncertain future, strength to do the right thing. COMFORT – together strong.

    The rituals Christians experience together often make us uncomfortable in the process of making us strong. That is an important reason God calls us to gather week by week in worship. An associate of mine often used to pray, “O God, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” In one of our Eucharistic prayers, we ask God to “Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only and not for strength.” That’s what I am getting at!

    Let us indeed take comfort in rituals, religious and otherwise. But let us remember that comfort is not merely solace, as important as that may be. Comfort is also strength – the strength we gain from engaging together in the sacred rituals of our faith in the One who is the source of that strength.

    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

     

     

  • Creation Has Been Given Into Our Care

     


    During the next few weeks, we will be hearing a lot about faithful stewardship in preparation for Consecration Sunday, October 8. I thought it might be helpful at the outset to share my perspective on what I believe to be the foundation of Christian stewardship.

    Creation Has Been Given Into Our Care.

    In the very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible, we read that God created human beings in God’s own image. God blessed our species, entrusted the rest of creation into our hands, and gave us all the gifts we will need to fulfill our unique purpose.

    This ancient passage is the basis for our Christian theology of stewardship.

    • To be created in the “image” of God means to be a living witness to the Creator and to be an official representative of the Creator on planet earth.
    • To “subdue” the earth means to bring things under control and to manage them according to God’s purposes.
    • To have “dominion” means that human beings have been appointed as the rulers and protectors of all living things, serving under the ultimate sovereignty of God, their Creator.

    So, human beings have been entrusted with the vocation of stewardship, the call and commission to represent our Creator in caring for everything in the amazing universe that has been given to us to sustain all life.

    God doesn’t expect such things from other creatures nor has God equipped other creatures for such a role. Birds, for example, build essentially the same kind of nest every year. A robin builds a robin’s nest. A cardinal builds a cardinal’s nest. A hummingbird builds a hummingbird’s nest. From one generation to another, each kind of bird builds the kind of nest into which it came into this world.

    Humans, on the other hand, have the capacity to build an infinite variety of buildings for an infinite variety of purposes. We build houses, schools, hospitals, office buildings, convention centers, and churches. Every one of them can be different from the others and from those that we built a generation or a year ago.

    The vocation of stewardship is given uniquely to human beings. Therefore, it is one of the chief attributes that makes us human.

    Everything we have, whether spent, saved, or given away, is a sacred trust from God. We are stewards of all of it.

    Nothing pleases God more than for us to consciously live our lives as God envisioned. To understand ourselves as stewards of God’s bounty is the perfect way to do that. When we deliberately surrender to God a portion of our time, talent, gifts, and service, as a spiritual practice, we consecrate all the rest of our resources and declare our intention, with God’s help, to manage the rest in ways that please God. In that way, we become fully alive children of God.

    What a remarkable way to honor and glorify God.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 17

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

    SAVE THE DATE
    CONSECRATION SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
    A complimentary catered lunch for all will be served in the Parish Hall following the one 10:00 a.m. service. Since lunch will be provided, reservations are important. Please make your reservation online at standrews.ms/register.
     
     

     

  • Who Are You?

     


    Who are you? That’s a question that frequently pops into our minds. For those of us who are members of the Church, it pops into our     minds before, during, and after worship and at other gatherings.

    Of course, who you are is more than your name, but your name is a starting point. Once I know your name, I begin to associate other aspects of your identity with it – what you look like, what you do, where you live, to whom you are related, and many other characteristics that make you YOU. The unique, one-of-a-kind, never before, never again YOU. When I hear your name, I recall lots of information about you and my relationship with you. Names are little bridges we cross over in relationships one with another.

    The Prophet Isaiah recorded God’s word to God’s own specific, chosen people:

    “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
       I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1a)

    Expectant parents take pains to select the names of their children. Before we are born, we have a name. Throughout our lives, those names will be recognized and recorded by others.

    At our Baptism, our name is called, signifying that God knows us. In fact, the liturgy used to direct the Priest to say to the parents and sponsors, “Name this child.”

    As we mature, we learn that having our name attached to something can be something very good or something very bad.

    The other evening on the news, veteran journalist and native Houstonian Dan Rather was being interviewed about the devastation caused in his hometown by Hurricane Harvey. As he spoke of Houston’s Mayor and Police Chief, he made sure to refer to them as “Mayor Turner” and “Chief Acevedo” because he knows that names are important.

    When we say we know our neighbors, we mean that, among other things, we know their names.

    When we send a letter, a sympathy note, or a thank you note, we address the recipient by name.

    Names are important!

    So, in order to foster community and build relationships at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, we need to take care to learn one another’s names. This is important at all times but will be especially important when you welcome newcomers and when your new Dean arrives.

    To that end, I am asking that we wear name tags when we are together at the Cathedral, whether for worship, study, fellowship, or service. If you have a permanent name tag and can remember to wear it, that’s great. But, if you are like me, those permanent name tags are often in the jacket I didn’t wear to church.

    So, we’re going to provide plain paper name tags and bold sharpie pens at the entrance to each gathering place so you will always have a name tag.

    Who are you? If you’ll wear a name tag, it won’t be long before I know the answer to that question and so will others.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 17

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

  • Together in the Journey of Transition

    Gay and I are grateful for the extraordinary ways in which we are being enfolded in the embrace of the St. Andrew’s Cathedral community! The generous welcome and hospitality you have extended is helping us to get acquainted with the parish and get started in the work of transition. I am so impressed with my clergy colleagues and the entire staff. In my meetings with them and several ministry groups during my first week, I have seen a deep commitment and strong desire to serve Christ through this community of disciples. We are looking forward to our first Sunday with you on August 27!

    Permit me to mention several things that will be central to the fruitfulness of this season of transition.

    Momentum in Mission ~ As I meet with key leaders and ministry groups, I am finding a healthy and vibrant momentum in your pursuit of Christ's mission. We will look for ways to encourage that forward movement. In some cases, that will mean doing exactly what you are already doing. In other cases, we will be looking at next steps, which will involve expansion or refocus. In still other instances, we will be looking at new initiatives.

    Search Process ~ The process of searching for and calling a new spiritual leader is a process of mutual discernment. While St. Andrew's is searching for a new Dean, Priests across the Church will be just as deliberate about studying what is happening in the life of the Cathedral community. In the past few years, this process has changed in positive and important ways throughout The Episcopal Church. Each Bishop Diocesan, directs a process tailored to the diocese and congregation. Our parish leadership will work closely with the diocesan transition officer, Canon Paul Stephens, as the process unfolds. In the early stages of the process, members of the parish will be asked to provide information that will allow development of a contemporary and accurate profile of the parish. At each stage of the process, the parish will be provided with as much information as possible.

    Focus Areas of Transition ~ You will hear frequent references to “Focus Areas of Transition.” They are:

    Heritage: Understanding and celebrating the history of this congregation and its relationship to previous clergy, the community, and the diocese.

    Mission: Discovering the congregation’s unique identity, what it is called by God to be and to do, in accordance with and apart from previous clergy leadership.

    Leadership: Encouraging and facilitating naturally evolving shifts in leadership roles which occur in times of transition and allowing new leaders to come to the forefront in creative and constructive ways.

    Connections: Assisting the congregation in discovering how they can bless one another, the larger community, and their present and future clergy. Continuing relationships with the diocese, so that each may support the mission and work of the Church.

    Future: Building commitment to the leadership of the new Dean in order to move into the future with openness to new possibilities.

    These five tasks are the work of the congregation and are ongoing, not sequential, in nature. They represent the key ways in which the parish takes an honest look at itself. As we make decisions, we will ask lots of questions and have lots of conversations.

    My Priorities ~ In addition to the usual duties of a Dean, I will facilitate the five focus areas. I will also devote particular energies to several areas of parish life that the Vestry and I will identify together as opportunities for special attention of the parish and focus of my vocational experience and gifts. We will emphasize the call for every member to be engaged in some way in the mission of the Cathedral and developing the stewardship, community, and organization that are so vital to the fruitfulness of that mission.

    Congregational Health ~ As we journey together during this transition, we will be mindful of the overall health of the congregation and its missionary activity. Five of the most important elements of congregational health are good communication, trust, mutual accountability, service to others, and healthy interpersonal behaviors.

    In all things, we want to prepare every aspect of the life and ministry of the Cathedral community to receive your new Dean and ensure that your ministry together is positive and fruitful in every possible way.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    Arms of StAC two toneThe Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

  • Hearts Full of Gratitude

     

    Dear Cathedral Friends,

    Gay and I have hearts full of gratitude for our time with the people of Saint John’s Cathedral. Our farewell included so many expressions of love, a beautiful framed photo taken during the celebration of the Eucharist, the gift of a donkey, cart, and plow for a woman farmer in our name thorough Episcopal Relief & Development’s “Gifts for Life” catalog, books on the Cathedral’s history, cakes, hugs, cards, dinners, and a year of memories that will last a lifetime.

    As I was standing before the Altar at the end of the service yesterday, I was flanked by our Wardens, Amy Davis and Tom Keyse. In that moment, I became mindful of how they have stood beside me, walked beside me, and led beside me the entire time. Our Vestry, our devoted staff, clergy colleagues, the Canon Theologian, Bishop O'Neill and his staff, all of those involved in the ministry of worship, our Eucharistic Visitors, the leaders of our commissions, committees, guilds, and ministry teams have rolled up their sleeves and engaged in the work of transition and the work of ministry. We have accomplished so much together!

    We are confident that you will welcome your new Dean, Richard Lawson, and his family, Katherine, Adaline, and Evans, with the same strong, generous, open arms that welcomed us. We are also confident that your ministry together will result in transformed lives and much thanksgiving to God.

    After a few weeks time off at our Arlington, Texas home, we will head to Jackson, Mississippi, where I will begin my appointment as Interim Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Let us hold one another in prayers in this time of new beginnings!

    After July 16, my Cathedral contact information will be discontinued.

    • Our permanent address is 4101 West Green Oaks Blvd., #305-520, Arlington, Texas 76016.
    • My permanent email address is ron@e-piphanies.com.
    • My permanent mobile phone number is 832-576-9019

    We will see you again!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

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

  • Strategies for Summertime Spirituality

     

    Summertime 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.

    Our culture has declared how things are supposed to work between Memorial Day and Labor Day and that’s that. The Church tends to conform to the culture. Whatever happens during the rest of the year, in the summer, we are both in and of the world.

    On several occasions, I have tried to counteract the summer slump and had little success. 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 in town 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. 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 your 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. What about those mountain majesties where you hiked? What might God have had in mind when creating the orangutan you saw when you took the children to the zoo? What kind of divine purpose is being worked out in the harvesting of hay, which kept you working from sunrise to sunset yesterday?

    Find a church in which to worship while traveling. In addition to maintaining the discipline of worship 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.

    Don’t send your pledge on vacation. The operational costs of your church continue even when you are not there. In warmer locations, 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. Maybe there’s a need for Sunday School leaders, workers for a home repair ministry, or someone to do some maintenance around the church. Is there a mission trip, retreat, summertime conference, or bible study you would otherwise decline due to the busyness of your life? Does your summer schedule allow you to attend a weekday service that you can’t attend at other times of the year? God would like to spend more time with us and have more of our attention. Summertime may open up some possibilities for that to happen and blessings will flow into our lives.

    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 Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

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