My Blog

Category: Meditation

  • Are you ready to give?

    A friend of mine, when he was a clergyman in a downtown church, was confronted one day by a street person who was seeking assistance.  My friend observed that the man was wearing only one shoe.  “I see that you’ve lost a shoe,” said my friend.  “No,” the man replied with a cheery, toothless smile, “I found one!”

    My friend said he learned a valuable lesson that day from an unexpected teacher.  Things are not always as they appear.  Sometimes we tend to notice what is not there instead of what is.  It’s a matter of perspective. Faithful stewardship requires a perspective that is focused on what is rather than what is not, on abundance rather than scarcity.  That is why St. Paul held up the generosity of the poor and persecuted Macedonians as an example to the more affluent Corinthians.  He counseled them, “…if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what one has not” (II Cor. 8:12).

    God doesn’t expect us to give out of what we don’t have, but from the resources God has provided.  God has certainly been generous with us.  Shouldn’t we in turn be generous with God?  Of course!  All we need now is the readiness to follow through on that belief.

    Many churches are asking members to make new stewardship commitments at this time of year.  Our church's Commitment Sunday is November 7.  Wherever you may be, I invite you to give prayerful consideration to the stewardship commitment you will make to God for the coming year.  Christian stewardship is not about the Church’s need to receive but about each Christian’s need to give.  When we are dealing with our need to give to God, we are probing one of the most sensitive areas of our spirituality.  Money comes between people and God more often than anything else.  That is why prayer has to precede decisions about giving.

    As you pray, first ask God to remind you how much you have received.  Next, ask God to grant you the readiness to give from that abundance.  Then, ask for a clear, honest assessment of your priorities.  After you have answers to these requests, you will find it easier to decide how much to give.

    None of us ever fulfilled our destiny or achieved anything great by focusing on what we can’t do.  Let the extent of our gifts reflect a perspective that sees an abundance of possibilities and resources. When the readiness is there, God can accomplish amazing things through us.

    Ron

  • An Epiphany From a Ginko Tree

    Ginko1The leaves on the Ginko Tree outside my study window are turning yellow.  This is not a rare or  disturbing phenomenon.  The tree is not dying.  What is happening is the predictable effect of photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar.  The word means “put together with light.”  Chlorophyll gives plants their green color and helps make photosynthesis happen.  As summer ends and autumn arrives, days become shorter and there is not enough light for photosynthesis.   So, during autumn and winter, the trees stop producing food.  They rest and live off the food they stored during the summer.  The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves and other colors are visible.

    Soon, the leaves will fall to the ground and add nutrients to the soil that will benefit the tree when spring and a new era of growth arrives. This annual process of change is necessary in order for the tree to thrive.

    Human life also involves change.  But we do not have to regard ourselves as “victims” of change.  Unlike trees, which do not have the privilege of deciding how to manage change, humans have choices.  We have options!  The greatest options involve intangibles such as attitude, inspiration, perspective, and spirit.  After all, the inner life of a child of God is different from that of a tree.  The kind of light we “put together” with the elements of our lives is a different kind of light, one we can seek in any season.  Enlightenment is the human equivalent of photosynthesis.

    We regard our Creator as changeless.  Creation, on the other hand, is made alive by change.  Of all God’s creatures, humans have the most options for managing change in purposeful ways that impact the unfolding story of creation.  When we are able to work with changes that impact our lives, they are more likely to become springboards that propel us into the next stage of growth.  Learning to live creatively with change allows us not just to survive but to thrive.

    So, in the light God gives, let us relish opportunities to explore changes that are thrust upon us and to purposefully initiate changes that will promote life and growth.  In learning from change we expand our lives and become more fully human.  By exercising our faith in God to guide and protect us through transitions, “we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life” will find rest and refreshment in God’s eternal changelessness.                               
    Ron                                
                                   

  • Follow Him, Seek Him, Love Him

    The chorus from W.H. Auden's Christmas Oratorio is on my mind today as I reflect upon my life and ministry and the people and places I have known:

    He is the Way.
    Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
    You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.

    He is the Truth.
    Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
    You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.

    He is the Life.
    Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
    And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.

    (W H Auden – 1907-1973)

    This poem is set to two different tunes in The Hymnal 1982 of The Episcopal Church.  Here's a beautiful choral setting:  The Way, The Truth, The Life   (Royal Holloway Choir, University of London, Samuel Rathbone & Rupert Gough)

    Ron




  • Who exemplifies Christ’s humility?

    Today I was reflecting on a favorite passage of scripture, Philippians 2:1-11, sometimes called the "Philippians Hymn" or the "Kenosis (meaning "emptying") Hymn."  The writer exhorts Christians to conduct themselves toward one another with humility and to have the same mind as Christ.

    Who, I wondered, have I known that exemplifies such humility as described in this passage?

    In a split second, a person and a situation came to mind.  In a way, it was a very small thing, almost imperceptible, but at the time it touched me and cemented my respect for this gracious person.

    Gay and I were being introduced to the Vestry at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston.  We had been visiting with the Dean, Walter H. Taylor, and his wife Mary.  When it was time to go into the room where the Vestry was gathered, as we started through the doorway all four of us were together.  But when we arrived in the room, Mary was not with us.  The instant I realized she had waited out in the hallway, I knew why she did it.  She wanted us to be the entire focus of the Vestry's attention.  It was a simple, but profoundly thoughtful and gracious gesture on her part.  I've never forgotten it nor have I forgotten the lesson Mary taught me.  She stepped back so that we could step up!

    Mary's gesture that evening exemplified Christian humility of the sort described in the Philippians Hymn and particularly the fourth verse, "Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others."

    Who have you known that exemplifies Christian humility?  Who in your life has stepped back so you could step up?  How has their example touched your life and taught you a lesson you needed to learn?

    It's something to think about.

    Ron Short Signature

  • A Fruitful Life

    Modern personnel practices in secular business settings emphasize the importance of performance appraisals.  Some of that spills over into our perspective on our life as followers of Jesus Christ.  There is a problem with that.

    Business and the economy are concerned with performance and productivity.  People are useful as long as they are able to contribute to the bottom line.  People are cogs in the wheels of commerce.

    Jesus was concerned about fruitfulness.  He said, "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

    I helped a family say farewell to a loved one today.  He was a renowned surgeon, husband, father, and Christian gentleman.  During those last minutes of his life, they were not concerned in the least with his performance.  They spoke of the wonderful life he lived and the stewardship of his gifts as a physician that allowed him to heal, save lives, give people another chance.  "That was why he was put here," they said.  He understood that God had made him a physician and guided his hands in God's healing work.  He lived a fruitful life.

    Every life he touched made a difference to others.  We'll never know how many.  Something The Rev. Robert H. Schuller said came to mind.  "Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed."  Fruitful people go around planting seeds.  Those seeds germinate, take root, sprout, grow, and produce fruit.  And so the process continues from generation to generation.

    Here's a question:  When you die, do you want someone to say about you, "He always had good performance appraisals," or do you want it said, "He lived a fruitful life"?

    Do what you have to do to earn a living, keep your job, and provide for your family.  Be a top performer. But don't confuse being a cog in the wheel with living a fruitful, abundant, Christian life.

    Ron

  • Confirm Thy Soul in Self Control

    As we approach this Independence Day, my thoughts are on the internal threats to our nation and the need to restore unity.  Whatever problems we face, "we the people" are much stronger than a mob of individuals pointing fingers, insisting on our own way, and fighting over ideologies.  We also know better than that and we've always been more effective in solving our problems by pulling together than by pulling apart!

    So, for those of us who believe we are called to pray for our nation – for one another – now would be a very good time!  There are many fine prayers for such an occasion, but the one that has been on my mind this week is best known as the hymn, America the Beautiful.  Every word is packed with the kind of spirit we need to restore our unity of purpose.  But the words that are ringing in my ears are these:

    America!  America! God mend thine every flaw,
    Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.

    In order to face one another and to work effectively with those with whom we differ, we need the humility to admit that none of us has yet achieved the perfection we seek.  Whether or not we ever actually achieve it, we'll come closer if we pursue it in the company of our fellow Americans.  Let us humbly ask God to mend our flaws.

    We also need divine help in gaining self-control so that our impulses and anxieties will not drive us apart.  Many of our problems are truly frightening.  No wonder we are so anxious and so prone to knee jerk reactions.  We can't listen to one another or really seek understanding in that condition.  Let us ask God to calm us down.

    And, we need to respect the boundaries that make it possible to live and work together.  Some of those boundaries must be imposed from without, but the most important ones must be established within us. Jesus taught us that all the Law is summed up in one commandment, "love your neighbor as yourself."  When that law is at work, we are most inclined to do the right thing in relation to our brothers and sisters at home and abroad.  So, let us ask God to write that law in our hearts so that we all might be truly free.

    It will come as no surprise to some of you that I am a longtime Judy Collins fan.  In 1993, she and the Harlem Boys Choir led a host of people on the National Mall in singing America the Beautiful.  It is one of the most moving performances of this prayer/hymn I know.  Maybe you'll enjoy watching the video and singing along.

    Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

    RDP Short Sig

  • Hunger never takes a vacation.

    We're having a special emphasis on relieving hunger at our church this Sunday.  We're calling it "Loaves and Fishes Sunday."  Leaders of our Trinity Interfaith Food Pantry will provide inspirational talks at both services and educational materials at the receptions that follow in the Parish Hall.

    The idea for this summertime emphasis comes from St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Granby, Colorado, where my family and I have worshiped from time to time.  They realized that donations of food and funds to fight hunger drop during the summer months while people are on vacation.  Yet hunger never takes a vacation!  Therefore, this is an important time of year to ask people to be mindful of our Lord's call to feed the hungry.

    Our three-year Revised Common Lectionary includes the story of the Loaves and Fishes as told by Matthew in Year A and as told by John in Year B.  However, for some reason, Luke's version (Luke 9:10-17) is skipped in Year C.  So, in order to set this up as an annual emphasis, I petitioned the Bishop of Kansas to allow us to use the story of the Loaves and Fishes from the Gospel of Luke instead of the Gospel reading appointed in the lectionary for this Sunday.

    The story of the Loaves and Fishes is the only miracle story that is recounted in all four of the Gospels and it carries a powerful message.  Here's the gist of it:

    •  The disciples come to Jesus with a problem – the people need food.
    •  Jesus told them, "You give them something to eat."
    •  The disciples protest that there isn't enough food.
    •  Jesus told them to "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."
    •  Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, blessed and broke them, then gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
    •  All ate and were filled.
    •  There were twelve baskets of leftovers.

    The lesson: When we place what seems not enough in the hands of Jesus, he transforms scarcity into abundance to fulfill his mission.

    We place our contribution and our commitment into the hands of Christ.  He adds his blessing and returns them to our hands, multiplied, so we can carry out his mission.  Recognition of our inadequacy is the first step, but never the last.  That recognition reminds us that God's work is always humanly impossible and prompts us to trust him to add everything needed to make us adequate to the task. Without him we can do nothing!

    So, on Loaves and Fishes Sunday, we are aware of the immensity of the problem of hunger in the world, in our nation, and in our community.  It is overwhelming to realize that in 3.8 million U.S. households, (3.5 percent of all U.S. households) one or more household members were hungry at least some time during the year because they could not afford enough food.  We feel inadequate to even make a dent in the problem, Jesus.  And yet he says, "You give them something to eat."  So we bring what we have – food from our pantries, funds from our pockets, the work of our hands – and give it to him.  He will take it, break it, bless it, and give it back to us to share, with the promise that because it is his work that is being done, there will be more than enough.

    Let's try it and see what happens.

    Ron

  • Managing Polarities

    On Monday, I participated in a workshop on "Polarity Management" led by Pastor Roy
    Managing Ploarities Cover Oswald, co-author with Pastor Barry Johnson of Managing Polarities in Congregations: Eight Keys for Thriving Faith
    Communities    . In Monday's workshop, we explored the principles found in the book.

    A polarity is a pair of interdependent yet seemingly oppositional truths. When a conflict occurs around a polarity, Oswald and Johnson write, "both sides will be right, and they will need each other to experience the whole truth."  While problems can be solved and conflicts can be resolved, polarities are indestructible and must be managed.  These are important distinctions for Church leaders to make at every level, congregation, judicatory, denomination, and ecumenical.

    Oswald and Johnson devote a chapter to each of the following polarities:

    (1) Staying rooted in the faith's heritage while fostering creativity in faith life;

    (2) Nurturing mission while maintaining a healthy institution;

    (3) Creating a stable congregation but one that is able to embrace change;

    (4) Supporting clergy leadership while encouraging lay participation;

    (5) Responding to members' needs while simultaneously caring for others;

    (6) Manifesting God's unconditional love while challenging people to grow and to serve;

    (7) Making it easy to become a member while ensuring that membership has meaning;

    (8) Helping members fulfill their callings while ensuring that all tasks of congregational life and ministry are accomplished.

    The workshop, like the book, showed the positive and negative aspects of each pole, how to recognize when imbalance is occurring between them, and how to address and correct the imbalance.

    For those not currently experiencing conflict, polarity management can be a good prevention tool. For those in the midst of conflict around a polarity, it would help people recognize the legitimacy of both sides and create a more cooperative context for the ongoing dialogue and activity around the polarizing issue.

    Maybe if followers of Jesus Christ become better at managing the polarities within their communities, they can more effectively address polarities in the culture.

    Ron

  • When it really matters, we discipline ourselves.

    When something really matters, we discipline ourselves to take care of it.

    • In relationships that matter, we make time for others, stay in touch, remember birthdays, give gifts.
    • In work that matters, we arrive on time, do our best, take pride in the product or service, maintain loyalty.
    • In regard to the environment, we conserve natural resources, refrain from polluting, use recycled materials.
    • In regard to family, we show up for meals, we contribute, we encourage each other, we protect, we provide, we help each other grow physically, spiritually, and intellectually.
    • In athletic competition, we wear team logos and apparel, attend games, tune in for broadcasts, cheer without restraint, and, if we're on the team, we show up for practice, train, and do our part for the team.
    • In regard to our health, we maintain an exercise routine, get plenty of rest, avoid foods and other substances that are harmful, have regular checkups.

    Why are we willing to discipline ourselves?  Because these things matter and we are human beings.  Humans have this amazing ability to take care of what's important.  Christians call it "stewardship."  We believe we were given this ability by our Creator in the very beginning.

    It is often easy to discipline ourselves.  But sometimes it is difficult.  When we experience the difficulty, it is an opportunity to fully engage the gift of stewardship that other creatures do not have.  Other creatures are limited mostly by instinct and conditioning.  Humans are not.  Humans have the ability to create something new, to act with purpose, to agree or disagree, to decide how to respond, to have complex two-way communication with each other and with the Creator.  To be "only human" is to be the crowning glory of God's creation!  To be "only human" is to be a member of the only race that has the vocation and privilege of stewardship.

    I recently officiated at the funeral of a gentleman from our church.  He was a top-flight accountant, churchman, family man, and community leader throughout his long life.  On the way home from the cemetery, his family shared a photocopy of a card they found in his wallet.  The card contained this prayer:

    O Heavenly Father, who by Thy Son Jesus Christ hast taught us that all our possessions are a trust from Thee: Help me to be a faithful steward of my time, my talents, and my wealth, and gladly consecrate to Thy service all that Thou hast given me; and may I have grace to give myself to Thee.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    By this prayer, this man disciplined himself to be not just a steward, but a faithful one.

    Let us take inventory of all that has been entrusted to us, especially those things that matter most.  Then, let us ask God to help us be disciplined in how generously and faithfully we take care of this sacred trust.

    Ron

  • 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)


    Ron




    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.