Category: Jackson, WY

When you don’t have the answers, hold on to the promises.

On Sunday morning, an avalanche took the lives of two young and vibrant members of the Jackson Hole community, Luke Lynch and Stephen Adamson. Two others, Zahan Billimoria and Brook Yeomans narrowly escaped. Their families, friends and associates, and the entire community are stunned and grief stricken. St. John’s caring clergy, staff, and communicants have reached out to the families and offered our ongoing support.

Two of Luke’s three children attend Bright Beginnings Episcopal Preschool. His wife, Kathy, participated in our mission to Cuba and shared her story with worshipers after their return. Stephen represented several of our members in legal matters and was involved in civic causes with others. He leaves behind his wife Sara and their two children. All of their lives are woven into the fabric of the Jackson Hole community in so many ways.

When something like this happens, especially to people who are in the prime of life, we are compelled to ask, “Why?” The simple answer is that there are no simple answers. Pastors and theologians have struggled for generations to answer such questions and we are never quite satisfied with our efforts.

But we do have the profound promise that in death life is changed, not ended. There is more to life beyond the grave. That conviction is not a matter of logic or scientific fact, but a matter of trust in our Savior who promised, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).

When I celebrate the Holy Eucharist in St. John’s Chapel, I lift the silver chalice and can read the inscription memorializing Robert McLeod, the son of Dr. Donald McLeod, who was killed in a snow slide in the Pass in 1946. It is a reminder that this is not the first time sliding snow has claimed the life of a beloved member of this community or visitors to it.

It won’t be the last time. It possibly could be if we played it safe from now on. But we won’t, because we can’t. The impulses to adventure, to explore, to pioneer, and to master the elements, were planted in humanity by our Creator in the beginning. The account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis tells it this way:

"God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth'" (Genesis 1:28).

I do not want to minimize the danger. But let us not forget that those uniquely human qualities and abilities that led those men up Mt. Moran are among the things that make us human and permit us to be partners with God in the ongoing process of creation. Every significant advance in human society has been accompanied by risks, natural obstacles, limitations, and failure of others who went before.

One of the contributions of the Judeo-Christian heritage is the assertion that the human creature is at the top of the order of creation and not subject to it. We don’t pray to the god of the wind, the god of the moon, or to an array of agricultural deities. Instead, we pray to the God who is above all gods, the Creator and Sovereign of the entire universe who created us for himself, loves us as the apple of his eye, and who has more in store for us when this life comes to an end, whether early or late. God gives us amazing resources with which to live this life to the fullest and to be stewards of this planet. Abundant life is God’s desire for all of us. And that is why in this life and in the life to come, our whole trust is in God alone, for he has promised to watch over us and provide for us no matter what. It is not answers so much as promises that give me a perspective on tragedies like this.

These reflections may not make it any easier. But I share them because I do believe the promises on which they are based to be true. When Episcopalians are faced with tragedies and crises, our response is prayer and action. This response is prompted by the Great Commandment, to love God and our neighbor with everything we have. So we pray for those who have died and for those who mourn, for in prayer we place our trust in God. And we surround those who mourn with our steadfast compassion and care because together God makes us stronger.

Father of all, we pray to you for those we love, but see no longer: Grant them your peace; let light perpetual shine upon them; and, in your loving wisdom and almighty power, work in them the good purpose of your perfect will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. Remember them, Lord, in your mercy; nourish them with patience; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon them; and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I’ll see you in Church!

P.S. On Tuesday, May 26, at the conclusion of the memorial service for Luke Lynch, this song was sung a soloist with everybody joining in on the chorus. I thought it kind of echoed my thoughts about answers and promises, especially these lines,

So when there's music all around you and you just can't seem to hear
When the answer's just around the bend, but it never shows up clear,
And when there's darkness right above you, it's hard to know and understand,
But there's a heart out there that loves you, and there's a promise in your hands.

Click HERE to listen to "Spirit Song" by Bill Staines.

May 21, 2015
Risk-Taking Mission and Service

You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. – John 15:16-17

A grumpy parishioner hugged the Rector after church one Sunday morning. “I'm so glad you preached an historical sermon,” she said. The Rector, shocked by this unusual praise beamed thanks. The parishioner continued, “Yes, because I am sick and tired of hearing about love all the time.”

If it seems that you’ve been hearing about love quite a bit during this Easter season, that’s because you have. You are not imagining it. Our readings, particularly those from the First Letter of John, contain some important and powerful material about God’s love for us and our love for one another.

Consider the Collect for the Sixth Sunday of Easter:

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today, I invite you to consider how love, Love Divine, makes it possible for us to be a fruitful congregation through risk-taking service and mission.

In Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Robert Schnase writes,

Mission and Service refers to the projects, efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever become part of the community of faith. Risk-taking pushes us out of our comfort zone, stretching us beyond service to people we already know, exposing us to people, situations, and needs that we would never ordinarily encounter apart from our deliberate intention to serve Christ. Congregations who practice Risk-taking Mission and Service offer endless opportunities for people to make a difference in lives of others through service projects, [involvement] opportunities, and mission initiatives.

St. John’s has a long-standing commitment to service and mission. At points along the way, many of our endeavors have involved risks. Housing several non-profit groups, sending our missionaries to Cuba, opening Browse ‘N’ Buy, insisting on being an inclusive congregation for marginalized people, and even starting an Episcopal mission here in the first place took guts!

When people in this community hear that I am your Interim Rector, they have good things to say about the example St. John’s sets. The risk-taking mission and service in this parish are “good things God has prepared for those who love him.” When those who took these risks rolled up their sleeves and started in these ministries, they no doubt soon understood the rest of the collect; “Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire.”

Several years ago, I Baptized a child named Ava. When I was telling Ava about the meaning of Holy Baptism, I explained that the word sacrament means “sacred promise” and in our Church we understand that Baptism is something we do that is more than words to tell us about God’s promises to us. A little later in the conversation, I asked her if she understood why we don’t need to be Baptized more than once. She answered, “Because God never breaks promises.”

God never breaks promises. We must never hold back when presented with the opportunity for risk-taking service and mission, for if it flows from love for God and love for our neighbors, we have the promises of God to rely on. And, God never breaks promises.

I’ll see you in Church!

May 13, 2015
Intentional Faith Development

Around the time I entered ordained ministry in the early 1970’s, a number of articles were published concerning the state of religious education in various Christian denominations. The articles reported on several studies and surveys that showed declining attendance. The post-World War II Baby Boomers had reached adulthood and were not as committed to Christian education for themselves and their children as their parents’ generation had been.

My second appointment after seminary was on the staff of a Bishop who wanted me to get out there and address this situation before it got any worse in his jurisdiction. “I want you to help our churches turn the Sunday school around,” he said. I can’t say we actually accomplished his “turn around” objective, but we did at least find some new energy and stop the slide.

One nationally recognized authority on Christian education sounded the warning: “As goes the Sunday School, so goes the Church.” He was right. Declining participation in Christian education, especially on Sunday mornings, preceded – some would say precipitated – declines in worship attendance, membership, and giving in mainline Churches.

During the same half-century, we witnessed a dramatic rise in participation in more theologically conservative “evangelical” congregations and a concurrent increase in their level of influence in American politics and culture. These Christian movements have offered absolute answers and simple rules that comfort a generation that wasn’t well-formed in faith and suddenly found themselves adrift in a world-wide cultural change. The more conservative theological and moral principles provided a sense of security and a place to drop anchor. This generation demanded options in every aspect of life. But when it came to faith, they wanted something that is changeless.

Many of our members joined them. The Episcopal Church has been baffled by the decline and uncertain about what to do. In our attempts to respond, we have not wanted to inconvenience one another and we’ve tried less demanding offerings for faith formation. But most of our attempts at accommodation have not been faithful to the Baptismal Covenant and have failed to form people in the Christian faith. Members have drifted away or sought to shore up their feelings of theological and biblical inadequacy in other faith communities.

Now, we see a generation emerging that isn’t so comfortable with a faith that possesses all the answers, is always right, knows the absolute truth, and tells them what to think. They want space for mystery and wonder. They are less interested in what is changeless than they are in seeking that which is ageless. There is a difference!

Our Church has the theological, liturgical, sacramental, and moral heritage to respond to this generation. We need to listen to their questions and provide an environment in which it is safe to ask them. This is a unique opportunity to leave our comfort zone and join them in their spiritual quest. They are calling us to awaken from our complacency and journey with them into a new era of wonder, love, and praise.

Therefore, let us take seriously the call to Intentional Faith Development for our Church, ourselves, our children, and those who come to us seeking a living relationship with the author of peace and lover of concord, whom to know is eternal life and to serve is perfect freedom, to paraphrase The Collect for Peace. St. John’s has a somewhat small number of Christian formation options, but they are very good. Let’s build on that and try some other possibilities.

I’ll see you in Church!

May 7, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ May 3, 2015

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Listen to the Sermon for May 3, 2015

Read the Sermon for May 3, 2015

May 3, 2015
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. There is 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 attendance extremely difficult or impossible. If so, let me know and we’ll help you start 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!
April 29, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ April 26, 2015

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Listen to the Sermon for April 26, 2015

Read the Sermon for April 26, 2015

April 26, 2015
Cultivating Fruitfulness: The Practice of Hospitality
This time of transition presents an opportunity for conversations about cultivating fruitfulness in the life the parish. We’ll be referring to Robert Schnase’s book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. I hope you’ll follow along and, if you would like to read the book, it is available at Cokesbury and Amazon.com. You may also wish to explore the website. All of this is to help us to examine together how these five practices might apply to St. John’s as you look to the future with a new rector.
- Radical hospitality
- Passionate worship
- Intentional faith development
- Risk-taking mission and service
- Extravagant generosity
Most churches would describe themselves as places where hospitality, worship, formation, service, and generosity may be found. These are certainly characteristics of St. John’s. What differentiates fruitful congregations is when these characteristics become intentional practices that are so obvious that one must find adjectives that are powerful enough to describe what is going on.

This week, we are exploring the practice of Radical Hospitality. Don't let the word 'radical' scare you. The Latin source of the word “radical” means “up from the root.” To use it in this context is to suggest something that is deeply rooted in our lives. Radical hospitality is actually an idea conceptualized by the Benedictine monks in the 5th century and is one of the central tenants of the Rule of St. Benedict. Radical hospitality is rooted in faith and deep personal convictions.

How “radical” is the hospitality at St. John’s? If someone who visits us on a Sunday tries to describe their experience of our hospitality to someone on the following morning, might they describe it as “radical?” Robert Schnase describes radical hospitality this way:

"The words radical and hospitality are not usually together in one phrase. To advance the church, perhaps they should be. Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. It describes a genuine love for others who are not yet a part of the faith community, an outward focus, a reaching out to those not yet known, a love that motivates church members to openness and adaptability, a willingness to change behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of newcomers" (Five Practices, pp.11-12).

Here are some questions a congregation might ask about its practice of hospitality:
- Are newcomers invited to coffee hour or a meal following worship?
- Do members speak to newcomers during coffee hour, or huddle with people they know?
- Do newcomers receive notes and phone calls after a visit?
- Do members seek out people whom they do not know during The Peace, coffee hour, events?
- Are those who are new to the parish invited to serve in ministry groups, guilds, committees?
- Do committees practice regular rotation of leaders and members?
- What kind of welcome is communicated by inside and outside signage and media?
I hope you will read the book, foster conversations with fellow parishioners, and be open to the possibilities we will be exploring in the coming weeks. And ask Christ to reveal to us some new, possibly terrifying, discoveries that will lead to a renewal of mission.

I'll see you in Church!
April 23, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ April 19, 2015

The Third Sunday of Easter

Listen to the Sermon for April 19, 2015

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April 19, 2015
The Episcopal Church: The Original Discovery Channel

An inclusive and authentic community of faith ought to stand by us and encourage us through all the stages and struggles of faith. I am reminded of this every year on the Second Sunday of Easter when we always read the account of the experience of St. Thomas the Apostle with the Risen Christ (John 20:19-31). This incident shows us that even the most empirical evidence is incomplete without the evidence from personal experience. One role of a faith community is to be a safe place where we can explore and seek understanding of all our experiences, especially those that puzzle and confound us. While the biblical revelation is primary in our faith journey, we believe tradition, reason, and experience are necessary lenses through which we discover the way forward together.

What are the five senses without experience? A scientist must rely on experience of the evidences that are seen, heard, tasted, touched, or smelled in conducting an experiment. How is the experience of the presence, the love, and the power of the living Christ in a person’s life any less real? No experiment is complete or valid, no philosophical argument is authentic, apart from the existential fact of human experience. After all, the words experience, experiment, and expert all have their origin in the Latin word experimentum, from experiri, which means to “test” or “try.”

One of my seminary professors used to say, “One can neither confirm nor deny in the armchair what has been established in the laboratory of the human soul.” Without experiential evidence, faith cannot survive and the doubts that live on the edge of our lives will consume us.

I’m grateful to be in a Church that recognizes that doubt plays a role in the quest for truth. Honest doubt is the forbearer of discovery! A questing spirit is normal and necessary in the development of a growing person. Thomas expressed his doubts in the security of the community of those whom Jesus had called along with him. He could have chosen other friends. Instead, he chose to remain among the friends of Jesus.

Never did one of them say, “Thomas, you’re through here. Out you go. You can’t stay in our midst because you are a heretic, a skeptic, and an unbeliever.” The disciples stood by Thomas in his struggle to believe.

Fundamentalism has gained a stronghold in our culture and, I suspect, driven more people away from faith than it has attracted. Our Church offers a healthy alternative. My friend Bill Cherry described The Episcopal Church this way: “Here's the deal about being an Episcopalian. You get to tinker with what you're taught until you get a personal encompassing belief that you're comfortable with. Meanwhile, your Church doesn't scream at you that what you've just done is the work of the devil. Consequently, you love being an Episcopalian and can't imagine being anything else. I'm one of those.” Me too!

If you have doubts about the Resurrection, about your relationship with God, about life eternal, take heart! You are not the first and you will not be the last. You’ve come to the right Church. All are welcome here in the company of others who have been lovingly guided through doubt to faith. It’s the original Discovery Channel.

I’ll see you in Church!

P.S. Join us for a Discovery Weekend, either May 8-10 or June 12-14.

April 15, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ April 5, 2015

Easter Day

Listen to the Sermon April 5, 2015

Read the Sermon for April 5, 2015

April 5, 2015