Category: Lawrence

For the sake of creation, as we pray, let us so live.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatens life, property, commerce, and occupations along the Gulf Coast. It is a tragedy of phenomenal proportions and it will be years or perhaps even lifetimes before the damage is behind us.

There is plenty of blame to go around and there are plenty of people to do the blaming. Many of us, our families and friends, are directly affected by the spill. My own wife teaches the children of people who are employed by BP. Some of us are in strategic positions of leadership to influence decisions about the cleanup of this spill and the future of offshore drilling.

Whatever our opportunity to make a difference may be, Christians everywhere are concerned for the protection of living creatures and ecosystems that are affected by this disaster. As stewards of creation, all of us are called to pray about this situation. We are in need of divine guidance so that our actions will match our prayers. During the last couple of weeks, I have been led to several prayers in the Book of Common Prayer. I share them with you in hopes they will help you as they have helped me.

For fruitful seasons

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray
that your gracious providence may give and preserve to our
use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper
all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly
receiving good things from your hand, may always give you
thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For stewardship of creation

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the
needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for
your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the
account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards
of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with
you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.

For Knowledge of God’s Creation

Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with
all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and
the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we
probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know
you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your
eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Conservation of Natural Resources

Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth,
you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom
and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one
may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet
to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Harvest of Lands and Waters

O gracious Father, who openest thine hand and fillest all
things living with plenteousness: Bless the lands and waters,
and multiply the harvests of the world; let thy Spirit go
forth, that it may renew the face of the earth; show thy
loving kindness, that our land may give her increase; and
save us from selfish use of what thou givest, that men and
women everywhere may give thee thanks; through Christ
our Lord. Amen.

For the Future of the Human Race

O God our heavenly Father, you have blessed us and given us
dominion over all the earth: Increase our reverence before
the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your purposes
for the human race, and new wisdom and determination in
making provision for its future in accordance with your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And, finally, there is a very special prayer composed by my colleague and dear friend, The Rev. Lillian W. Hyde, Rector of St. George's Episcopal Church in Texas City, Texas. Several of her parishioners and many of their neighbors work at the nearby BP Refinery.

Eternal God, we pray for the protection and preservation
of the Gulf of Mexico and the lands and waters it touches.
Guide those who labor to contain the oil; strengthen those
who work to protect land and creatures; have mercy on those
whose livelihoods will suffer; forgive us for our carelessness,
and give us wisdom to be good stewards of creation, so that
generations yet to come may praise you for your bounty. Amen

For the sake of creation, as we pray, let us so live!

P.S. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church was an oceanographer before she was ordained. Here is an important message from her regarding the oil spill and our connectedness.

May 27, 2010
Ember Days

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

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

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

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

I. For those to be ordained

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

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry

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

III. For all Christians in their vocation

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

May 24, 2010
Go Red

Many churches encourage members to wear red on Pentecost, the Sunday when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. In Christian symbolism, the color red is associated with the fire of the Holy Spirit and the blood of the Holy Martyrs. A congregation dressed in red is always a sight to behold from the Altar on the Day of Pentecost.

Reminding my parishioners to wear red each year prompts me to remind women to be aware of the Go Red Campaign, which is focused on women's heart health. Cardiovascular disease is the nation's number one killer of women.

One of our church members recently had a heart attack while driving. She was unconscious and struck another vehicle. The impact caused her seatbelt to restrain her and, at the same time, restart her heart. Her life was spared.

She told her story to the Lawrence Journal World. I invite you to watch the video and then take the time to learn more. This is vitally important for all women and for all the women in your life.

May 20, 2010
Reflections on Ascension Day

I'm in a highly theological mood today as I meditate on the significance of the Ascension of our Savior Jesus Christ.

It occurs to me that the Nativity and the Ascension are bookends. The bodily ascension of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, completes what was begun in his Nativity. God became as we are so that we might become as God is. An Orthodox hymn says, "Today has God come down to earth, and man gone
up to heaven."

The Incarnation, in its fullness, is God's supreme act of deliverance, which restores us to communion with God. But more is happening here than fixing something that was broken. Humanity is also advanced to a new level. There is a new creation!

In Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, we are able to see the possibilities of human nature and the implications of personhood, lived in the image and likeness of God. We are not only saved from our sins, we are saved for that
life – eternal life, the life God lives.

Medieval theologians made a distinction between the image and likeness of God. The former referred to a natural, innate resemblance to God and the latter referred to the moral attributes that were lost in the fall. In the Incarnation, those moral attributes are realized in the first perfect human, Jesus Christ. His earthly ministry is the beginning of a new creation and we are the beneficiaries. "For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ" (I Cor. 15:22).

The saving work of the Incarnate One, including his being taken bodily into the heavenly realm, is more than a reversal of the fall and restoration of our original state of innocence. Joined to him in Baptism, we live his life as new creatures through whom God's will may be done "on earth as it is in heaven."

     Thou hast raised our human nature on the clouds to God's right hand:
        there we sit in heavenly places, there with thee in glory stand.
     Jesus reigns, adored by angels; Man with God is on the throne;
        mighty Lord, in thine ascension we by faith behold our own.

        Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1884)

P.S. You may have difficulty accepting the Ascension as an historical
event. It does sound far-fetched in light of scientific knowledge.
However, recent advances in scientific knowledge have caused us to think of
matter and energy in different terms. For example, new science tells us that our bodies are made up of the
dust and ashes of stars that burned out billions of years ago. If that is the case, the Incarnation and all the mysteries associated with it may not seem so far-fetched after all.

May 13, 2010
More on Raising the Profile of the Episcopal Church
On April 22, I published an article in which I provided several ideas for raising the profile of The Episcopal Church. I was thinking that it's not only about raising the profile, it's also about how the profile impacts people. Is it positive or negative? For what will The Episcopal Church be known on the community grapevine?

Then, on Saturday night, May 1, I decided to practice what I was preaching. I decided to launch a facebook fan page called "Unapologetically Episcopalian." It is a gathering place to celebrate the many positive ways Episcopalians in 16 nations are spreading the Gospel of Christ.

In four and one-half days, over three thousand people have subscribed. I am amazed but, to be honest, not entirely surprised by the response. During the last three years, I've had opportunities to communicate with Episcopalians of all walks of life and all kinds of places. The one theme I have heard more than any other is that people on the extreme ends of the spectrum seem to have control of the public image of The Episcopal Church and the vast, vital, moderate center has experienced difficulty in finding its "voice." Like many of them, I have dear friends and colleagues on both ends of the spectrum. Whether I agree completely with their views or not, I respect them and desire to walk with them "in love as Christ loved us."

It is not that The Episcopal Church doesn't have a public profile. We do. However, for a number of years it has been out of balance. Many Episcopalians have felt they needed to apologize for their Church because our internal conflicts and many angry voices have been the topic of the community grapevine. It seems to me that it's time for the public profile to change. It needs to change at every level, but especially at the local level where most of the day-to-day mission is being carried out.
- When people in Lawrence, Kansas think of The Episcopal Church, we'd like them to think of the Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry, the BackSnack program, and the outstanding music ministry, all of which we share generously with our neighbors.
- When people in City Island, Bronx, NY think of The Episcopal Church, will they think of the Healthy Aging Program at Grace Church?
- When people in Raliegh, NC think of the Episcopal Church, we want them to remember that St. Mark's Church there has an AIDS Care Team.
- When people in Tuscaloosa, AL think of The Episcopal Church, maybe they'll be aware of the Arts and Autism after school program they sponsor.
- When people in Kansas City, MO think of the Episcopal Church, they'll think of the St. Luke's Hospital system with 11 hospitals and a hospice program, or, maybe they'll remember that St. Paul's Church just across the state line in the Diocese of Kansas, has a remarkable ministry of feeding the hungry.
- Maybe all of those Episcopalians who have found their spiritual home in this Church will be salt, light, and leaven in their communities in ways that make a difference.
While we are attempting to work through our differences in this Church, God's mission and our ministries continue on a daily basis. The stories and experiences of ALL sorts and conditions of Episcopalians who are rolling up their sleeves and transforming lives need to find greater expression and form more of the public profile of our Church. Episcopalians who are trying to find ways to accomplish Christ's work need to hear from other Episcopalians who've discovered solutions. We need to "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep" without the angst that comes from protracted, polarizing conflict. Unapologetically Episcopalian provides a place for that to happen.

I am not suggesting that our issues and the convictions of our members are not important. They are important. What I am suggesting is that the rest of the world is watching closely to see how we treat one another as we work through those differences. Jesus told his disciples that our love for one another, not our differences, is what will let everyone know that we are his disciples.

So, I thought it would be a helpful thing to let the spotlight be on the love of Christ at work among us.

Click the Pic to connect with the Unapologetically Episcopalian facebook page. I invite you to take part!
May 6, 2010
Do you have a corporate relationship with God?

Theologian Michael Battle recently lectured at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Mission, Kansas. He spoke to us of growing up in a culture where he often heard the question, "Do you have personal relationship with Jesus Christ?" In reflecting on that question, he said that an equally important a even more biblically significant question is, "Do you have a corporate relationship with Jesus Christ?"

In our post-Modern age when we are beginning to shed some of the enlightenment emphasis on the individual, this is a "word in due season."

I was reminded of the importance of our corporate relationship with Jesus Christ last Sunday when Bishop Wolfe spoke to the vestry about his concern over the decline in worship attendance in the Diocese of Kansas and across the Church. His concerns resonate with my own! Let me share five reasons why.

• The first three Commandments tell us to love and obey God and to bring others to know him; to put nothing in the place of God; and to show God respect in thought, word, and deed.

• Jesus' summary of the Law tells us to Love God with all our heart, mind, and soul.

• Together, we have entered into and repeatedly reaffirmed our covenant relationship with God in Christ. The Baptismal promises we make for ourselves and on behalf of our children involve the promise to "continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers."

• Our Catechism teaches us that "The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God."

• Christianity is meant to be shared. It is a corporate faith and corporate worship is our duty, our joy, and our opportunity to know God in the company of God's covenant people. When we gather for worship we are formed spiritually into Christ's body, nourished with God's grace in Word and Sacrament, and sent back into the world in God's mission "to represent Christ and his Church" and to "bear witness to him wherever we may be." There are many ways to know, love, and serve God. Worship is the first of these ways and, in God's administrative policy, it is not optional. It is who we are and how we live.

So, let us heed the exhortation of the Letter to the Hebrews: "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." – Hebrews 10:24-25.

I'll see you in Church!

April 29, 2010
Rush to Judgment

We all use judgment every day as we make and enact decisions, form and express opinions, determine and embrace truth. Judgment is a process as well as the actions we take on the basis of the outcome of that process.

Here's the Webster's definition of judgment:

The process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing; an opinion or estimate so formed; the capacity for judging; DISCERNMENT; the exercise of this capacity; a proposition stating something believed or asserted.

Most of us make reasonably good judgments most of the time. Problems arise when our judgments are faulty, wrong, or premature. It's the premature ones that are on my mind today.

When we reach a judgment with too little discernment or investigation, we speak or act out on the basis of ignorance. The position we have formed is not correctly oriented toward reality or is lacking in factual basis. A rush to judgment is often referred to as prejudice, especially when it involves an individual or group of individuals. It is harmful to relationships when opinions toward other people are formed and expressed in ways that discredit, disrespect, or demean them. Something similar happens when our premature judgment has to do with a policy or viewpoint. And, when prejudice involves both policies and the people who espouse or enact them, the consequences can be serious.

In a recent television series, a character made a statement that goes something like this: "Eternal ignorance is a result of failure to investigate." I asked my Facebook network if anyone knew the origin of the statement, because it sounded like a quotation to me. One of my friends shared a quotation from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance – that principle is contempt prior to investigation."

The concept expressed in that statement has become a part of the A.A. way of life. It is often attributed to Herbert Spencer, although others believe it is derived from the writings of 18th Century British theologian William Paley.

Someone I once knew described prejudice as "a blend of arrogance and ignorance." When I asked him to expand on that for me, he said, "it's when you are proud of what you don't know."

We owe it to our neighbors, whom we are called to love, to avoid rushing to judgment and to resist the primitive human inclination toward prejudice. Prejudging others is behavior that is contrary to the vow we have taken in the Baptismal Covenant:

Q: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

A: I will, with God's help.

Overcoming the tendency to rush to judgment has to be intentional. Jesus offered some sound wisdom on the matter:

"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye', while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye." – Matthew 7:1-5

Stephen Covey puts it this way in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."

It is a simple principle. Yet our own experience and observation tells us it is difficult to apply. That's why our answer is, "I will, with God's help." If we could accomplish it on our own, we wouldn't need God. Prejudice is an offense against God because it is harmful to others and stems from a disregard for God's influence in our lives. As such, it is practical atheism – we say we believe in God, but he just doesn't have much to do with how we live our lives.

Why is this on my mind today? There are probably several reasons, but the main reason is a man who recently told me the story of how he embraced the Christian faith under the influence of Christian missionaries in his African village. When he came to America to attend a university, he encountered racial prejudice. He was so shocked that he believed the missionaries had lied to him and he rejected his faith. I had the privilege of presenting him to the bishop for Confirmation last Sunday.

While the story has a happy ending, I have to wonder how many others have been so hurt by prejudice – any kind of prejudice – that they have rejected Christianity and will never return.

So, let us pray today for the humility to look beneath the surface of our own limited perceptions in our search for truth and that all people – not just those who govern – may be led to "wise decisions and right actions for the welfare and peace of the world."

April 29, 2010
Raising the Profile of the Church

Recently, I was asked how I would go about raising the profile of the Episcopal Church. It was a brief conversation and there was much I could have said that the time and context did not permit. There is much that can and should be said about the topic and I am certain much of it will apply to other churches just as well as the Episcopal Church. For starters…

Focus on the Mission. ~ This will require overcoming the tendency to dwell too much on internal issues. Differences over race, war, human sexuality, and the language of worship have consumed enormous amounts of time and spiritual energy for the last half-century. When those outside our Church think of us, what do you suppose comes to mind. If they are honest, they might tell us things that reflect an inward focus and a preoccupation with differences. What if, instead, they were to tell us about where they have seen us reaching out to others with the love of Christ? I encourage my congregation to turn facing the doors of the church at the end of the service. When the Deacon gives the dismissal near the Baptismal Font and the doors that lead out into the world, we are reminded of the Great Commission to "Go into all the world…" We came here today to be fed in Word and Sacrament so that we would be equipped and nourished to return to the good works God "has prepared for us to walk in." Those red doors we are so proud of open outward!

Stop apologizing, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. ~ Who wants to come to a Church whose members talk about how we don't have much Bible study, don't all look and think alike, or don't have many children or youth. We have much to offer! Our Church is grounded in a tradition that embraces diversity, exults in artistic expression, loves beautiful liturgy and music, encourages people to think and wonder, and regularly asks God to "make us faithful stewards of thy bounty." I once got so tired of hearing people apologize for being Episcopalians that I considered a campaign with bumper stickers and buttons that read "Unapologetically Episcopalian." Remember the Johnny Mercer song?

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

Learn to live with change. ~ Here's how some people think of us. Q: How many Episcopalians does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Four. One to change the bulb and three to sit around talking about how much we liked the old one. We are a Church that has high anxiety about and strong resistance to change. That is difficult to reconcile with a faith whose founder's core message was metanoeite! – repent! Turn your life around! Change! Inability to change interferes with life in the kingdom of God. We also live in an era of rapid change. Organizations and individuals who lack agility and are slow to change are left behind. The needs and opportunities around us change daily and if our response does not change we will fail in our mission.

Tell the story. ~ Don't be shy about it! It is the greatest story ever told and it must find expression in your life and mine "wherever we may be." We had a Discovery Class last weekend to prepare several people for the Laying on of Hands when the Bishop comes to visit. One man was raised in Nigeria near the border with Cameroon. When he came to America, he gave up on Christianity because the he felt that the missionaries had lied to him by not telling him about racism in this country. When he came to Lawrence, he felt called back to Christianity but was not able to find a community of faith that was right for him. So, one day, he was thinking about his friend, Garth. He said, "I want a faith like Garth's. So, I asked Garth where he went to Church and he told me about Trinity Episcopal Church. I've been coming here ever since and now I want to belong." How did Garth tell the story? He lived it! Perhaps his approach is an illustration of St. Francis' admonition, "Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

Be redundant. ~ In carrying out the mission and telling the story, we have to be redundant. That's not so hard to do when you realize the media available to us. Social networking, electronic newsletters, interactive blogs and websites, video recording, public appearances, interviews with broadcast and print media, and innovative use of our physical locations are but a few ways to spread the word. Some congregations with active environmental stewardship teams put the church emblem on reusable shopping bags with a message such as "Caring for God's Creation." We have to be more assertive about getting the message across. Jesus promised that we would do even greater works than he did. When we think of the abundance of resources at our disposal to do his work and deliver his redemptive and life giving message, we can see the truth of his promise.

Here's a video about "The Missional Church" that may help tie these thoughts together as we consider how to raise the profile of the Church.

One thing is for sure: no one of us can do it alone! The first thing Jesus did was to form a community and the last thing he did before his Ascension was to commission that community to continue his work in the world by involving others in it.

April 22, 2010
Now The Green Blade Rises

Three weeks ago, the Lawn of Trinity Church in Lawrence, Kansas, where I'm serving as Interim, was covered with snow. Then, during Easter Week, the snow was gone and the grass is amazingly green. I'm reminded one of my favorite Easter hymns, Now the Green Blade Rises. Take a moment to read these wonderful words of new life, hope, and springtime:

Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many years has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

In the grave they laid Him, Love Whom we had slain,
Thinking that He’d never wake to life again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

Up He sprang at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain;
Up from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

When our hearts are saddened, grieving or in pain,
By Your touch You call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

We all know those seasons of life when things seem frozen, lifeless, hopeless, or entirely unfair. Easter is God's word of hope that life and love will triumph over all that. In the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find that news most perfectly expressed.

May the Great Fifty Days of Easter be filled with reminders of that good news. And, beyond that, may we all be Easter People throughout the year, bringing that message of hope to others.

Enjoy this video of the Midland Lutheran College Choir singing Now the Green Blade Rises.

April 8, 2010
Dearly Anointed Ones

For many centuries, Easter was the principal date for Baptisms. The season of Lent was the time of preparation for baptismal candidates and a time for the faithful who are already baptized to remember their own formation as followers of the Risen Christ.

Following the the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water and in the name of the Holy Trinity, the Bishop or Priest places a hand on the person's head and makes the sign of the cross with Chrism, a fragrant oil that has been blessed by the Bishop as Apostle and chief missionary of a diocese. During this action, the following words are said: "N., you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever." And the people respond, "Amen."

We usually have plenty to say about the significance of water in Holy Baptism, but we seldom mention the significance of Chrism. Our English word Chrism is derived from the Greek word χρίσμα, meaning ointment or anointment. The same Greek word is the root for "Christ" and means "anointed one" – Jesus is the Anointed One.

The Episcopal Church liturgy for consecration of this oil provides a brief but helpful explanation. However, since the consecration of Chrism is reserved to the Bishop, the liturgy usually happens only once a year at a time when few people are present to witness it. Yesterday, at Grace Cathedral in Topeka, Bishop Wolfe presided over a service that included consecration of Chrism. We heard the Bishop give this introduction:

Dear Friends in Christ: In the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the creation; and, throughout history, God, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, he empowered his people to serve him. As a sign of that gift, the priests and kings of Israel were anointed with oil; and our Lord Jesus was himself anointed with the Holy Spirit at his Baptism as the Christ, God's own Messiah. At Baptism, Christians are likewise anointed by that same Spirit to empower them for God's service. Let us now set apart this oil to be the sign of that anointing.

The Bishop then placed a hand on the vessel of oil and prayed

Eternal Father, whose blessed Son was anointed by the
Holy Spirit to be the Savior and servant of all, we pray you to
consecrate this oil, that those who are sealed with it may
share in the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ; who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

So, in Holy Baptism our sins are washed away. We are included in God's covenant, joined with the Risen Christ, and given the seal (guarantee) of the Holy Spirit, who will continue to work in us. When we rise from the waters of Bapitsm, we receive an outward anointing that assures us of our inward anointing. This act establishes our true identity. We are royalty, the adopted sons and daughters of the Sovereign of the Universe! We are "marked as Christ's own for ever."

Living into that identity is an opportunity for daily epiphanies, dearly anointed ones.

April 1, 2010