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Tag: Ronald D. Pogue

  • 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

  • The Most Resilient of the Resilient

    In September of 2008, Galveston Island was inundated by Hurricane Ike.  Two and one-half feet of salt water (infused with who knows what else) covered our lot.

    The following spring, I was amazed at the resiliency of the trees, shrubs, grass, and other plants in our gardens.  I posted photographs on this blog of the blooming things as evidence.

    Then, last winter, we had a hard freeze in Galveston.  We had a hard freeze in Lawrence too, where I have been working.  The freeze in Galveston was not kind to the tropical and semi-tropical plants.  When I was in Galveston two months ago, I felt heartsick over the damage the freeze had done to our gardens.

    3017 and duranta Today, Gay and I pulled into the driveway in Galveston and were greeted by a happy sight.  Several of our  hibiscus plants, which had been cut back, have new growth from around the roots.  And, a duranta is blooming its heart out, as if it is the cheerleader for all the other plants.

    I'm amazed at the extent of resiliency of the plants in our gardens.  To paraphrase Jesus, if this is possible with the plant world, who knows what might be possible with human beings, with whom God has a very special relationship?

    When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
       the moon
    and the stars that you have established;

    what are
    human beings that you are mindful of them,
       mortals
    that you care for them?
    Yet you
    have made them a little lower than God,
       and
    crowned them with glory and honour.

    You have
    given them dominion over the works of your hands. 

                                                                        -Psalm 8:3-6a

    Human beings are the most resilient of the resilient!  Maybe you'd like to be a hibiscus or a duranta.  I'll take my chances as a human being any day.

    Ron

  • Exemplary Customer Service

    Last week, a Southwest Airlines representative provided me with exceptional customer service.  I wrote a letter to Mr. Gary Kelly, the airline's CEO, to let him know what a great job one of his employees is doing and to suggest that the employee be commended for his service.  I've attached the letter and am posting it on my blog because I think it is an example for all of us to remember when we are trying to serve others.

    Please read the
    Letter and share the story with others.

    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

  • 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!

    RDP Short Sig

     

    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.


  • 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.

  • 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.

    Unapologetically button 1

    Click the Pic to connect with the Unapologetically Episcopalian facebook page.  I invite you to take part!

    Ron

  • 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!

    RDP Short Sig

  • 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."

    Ron