Take Some Time To Rest

Summer is just about here.  Graduations are popping up all over the place.  Trips are being planned.  Picnics and baseball games and festivals, and all good things which happen in Erie in the summertime are just getting started.  Summer is a time to do the things we can’t do during the winter because we can be outside.  Maybe for some summer is the time to get away because kids are off from school.  But summer is not just a time for more and more activities, it is also a time for rest. 

I can’t remember how long ago (or who even said it to me) when someone gave me the permission to find time during the day or the year to just rest and relax.  I am not the best with doing nothing because I feel “lazy” if I sit too long, but when that person gave me the permission to take some time to get away, it told me to not feel bad about taking a vacation, or if nothing else, just sitting on the porch with a good book listening to a baseball game on the radio and watching the grass grow.  To be human means to rest as well.  So if I may be so bold, I give you permission to have some restful time, and in that quiet and peace, be be more aware of your many blessings. 

I offer you two ending thoughts before you turn off the computer and take a nap.  The first one comes from the great philosopher Kermit the Frog who once said “Time’s fun when you’re having flies!”.  Meditate on that one for a bit.  And second, I found a really interesting NPR audio file (which you can listen to when you click on the below link) which affirms the importance of rest.  Happy listening.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111887591

Have a restful summer, but don’t sleep in on Sunday mornings!  I will see you here, and then you can go home and rest… or just nap during the sermon.

Peace to you,

Bill 

On the Sixth Sunday of Easter we hear from John’s Gospel the following: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”  I am particularly drawn to Jesus calling us his friends.  We may think of ourselves as saints and sinners, sheep and followers, but certainly not friends, but that is what we are. 

In light of being a friend of Jesus, I am also thinking about all of my friends, people that I grew up with, people I have worked with, my friends that I no longer see in person, and the friends in my family.  I think about how my friends influence and change my life.  One good friend of mine is Monsignor Bill Biebel from St. Peter Cathedral Church.  He is my church neighbor right across the street who has welcomed me into the faith community of Erie in so many ways.  We have travelled together on retreat, talked about life and faith, and prayed and shared meals with one another.  Monsignor Biebel will be celebrating fifty years of his ordination into the priesthood at the end of May.  I pray for him as my friend, and I ask that you pray for him as well. We give thanks to God through our prayers that he has been such a faithful witness to the Gospel by allowing others to know that they are the friends of Jesus.

Witnessing Giving

We are witnesses to the resurrection.  Although we did not see the empty tomb, touch the wounds of the resurrected Jesus, or eat fish with him, we are still witnesses.  When we gather on Sunday, we are witnesses.  When we make an offering, we are witnesses.  When we gather for a fellowship event, we are witnesses.  When we help and give to others, we are witnesses. 

I continue to be amazed at your giving and generosity in sending our kids to New Orleans this summer. You continue to give and give, and while I know it makes us feel good to do this, our giving is also a way of witnessing to the resurrection.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to hold onto your money and buy yourself something nice, or save up for some trip?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to stash your money away for some future emergency?  Sure it would make sense, but because of the resurrection we are able to think and live much differently.  Each time you give you are making a difference in someone’s life.  You may not see it immediately (or ever) but you are making a difference.

I just wanted to say thank you for the ways you are witnessing to the resurrection.  I offer this below story to provide some additional insight about the power of giving.

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.” 

“The Wise Woman’s Stone”

 Author Unknown

If you are like me it is not easy to commit to daily prayer.  Many distractions come at me.  I sometimes forget.  I don’t always know what to pray.  It is good to know that although I may forget to pray on a particular day, others do not.  Many faith communities throughout the world “pray without ceasing” through many different means and one such way is by praying the Divine Office.  I am sure most of you have watched a movie about monks in a monastery who pray at all hours of the day.  They are praying set psalms and readings, and in so doing become a part of a much bigger prayer community.  Praying in such a way commits oneself on a daily basis whether you feel like it or not, and provides words to pray if one cannot find the words.  I now pray the Divine Office through my book of Christian Prayer and also the Divine Office website.  I was really amazed at this website.  I encourage you to check it out so you may deepen your life of prayer by joining saints of all times and places. Here is the website: www.divineoffice.org

If you are like me it is not easy to commit to daily prayer.  Many distractions come at me.  I sometimes forget.  I don’t always know what to pray.  It is good to know that although I may forget to pray on a particular day, others do not.  Many faith communities throughout the world “pray without ceasing” through many different means and one such way is by praying the Divine Office. 

I am sure most of you have watched a movie about monks in a monastery who pray at all hours of the day.  They are praying set psalms and readings, and in so doing become a part of a much bigger prayer community.  Praying in such a way commits oneself on a daily basis whether you feel like it or not, and provides words to pray if one cannot find the words.  I now pray the Divine Office through my book of Christian Prayer and also the Divine Office website.  I was really amazed at this website.  I encourage you to check it out so you may deepen your life of prayer by joining saints of all times and places.

Here is the website: www.divineoffice.org

Spring Cleaning

I have had a pretty good Lent.  I did a little more reading than I usually do.  I was better at praying each morning.  I have enjoyed the Wednesday afternoon and evening Lenten offerings.  The weather has been great and it feels and smells like Easter is just around the corner. 

At home, we have been doing some early Spring cleaning which includes painting.  The basement will be a big project on the horizon.  Many of you may know that before moving to Erie my family and I moved every two to three years so we had little time to accumulate things, but now we have been in the house for five years so the basement is getting a bit messy.

Our lives are hectic and we have so many options, so we need time to refocus and do some Spring cleaning.  One part of my life I am trying to refocus on is knowing how and where to spend my time, and where and how much to give to organizations or people in need.  You may have the same struggles as well… because there is only so much of YOU to go around! So what I am hoping to do in the short term is find one or two local focuses and one or two global focuses for my giving.  I am going to continue to read my devotional book every morning before I turn on my computer or answer phone messages.  Worship each Sunday (well of course that’s my job!). And finally to trust that I can never do enough, but believe that my small faithful and imperfect actions are pleasing to God. 

I leave you the below link to access a prayer that has been very important to me, and I hope to you as well.  The prayer is called The Serenity Prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr.  It is a great prayer for the spring cleaning of the soul.

http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html

Another interesting and thought provoking episode from Lutheran Satire.  This episode addresses how to transform and not to transform a congregation.

Peace to you,

Bill

If you didn’t know it already, St. Patrick’s Day is this Saturday.  Living in Erie, St. Patrick’s Day is significant for two reasons.  First, it is a day for a big party and second, it is the day that most begin to believe spring is just around the corner.  St. Patrick’s Day, though for us in the Church is much more significant.  St. Patrick was a real person, and not because he liked to party, but because he liked to serve.  Resources abound about St. Patrick, but I found a simple and meaningful explanation on the website Catholic Online.  I hope reading about his life gives us a deeper appreciation for St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick Feastday: March 17 Patron of Ireland 387 - 461 St. Patrick ofIrelandis one of the world’s most popular saints. Apostle ofIreland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick,Ireland, 17 March, 461. Along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, the secular world shares our love of these saints. This is also a day when everyone’s Irish. There are many legends and stories of St. Patrick, but this is his story. Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britain in charge of the colonies. As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken toIrelandas a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him. During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same.” “I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.” Patrick’s captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back toBritain, where he reunited with his family. He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more.” He began his studies for the priesthood, and later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel toIreland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick. Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick’s message. Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461. He died at Saul, where he had built the first church. Why a shamrock? Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and has been associated with him and the Irish since that time. In His Footsteps: Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission.

If you didn’t know it already, St. Patrick’s Day is this Saturday.  Living in Erie, St. Patrick’s Day is significant for two reasons.  First, it is a day for a big party and second, it is the day that most begin to believe spring is just around the corner. 

St. Patrick’s Day, though for us in the Church is much more significant.  St. Patrick was a real person, and not because he liked to party, but because he liked to serve.  Resources abound about St. Patrick, but I found a simple and meaningful explanation on the website Catholic Online.  I hope reading about his life gives us a deeper appreciation for St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick

Feastday: March 17

Patron of Ireland

387 - 461

St. Patrick ofIrelandis one of the world’s most popular saints.

Apostle ofIreland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick,Ireland, 17 March, 461.

Along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, the secular world shares our love of these saints. This is also a day when everyone’s Irish.

There are many legends and stories of St. Patrick, but this is his story.

Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britain in charge of the colonies.

As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken toIrelandas a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote

“The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same.” “I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”

Patrick’s captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back toBritain, where he reunited with his family.

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more.”

He began his studies for the priesthood, and later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel toIreland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick’s message.

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.

Why a shamrock?

Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.

In His Footsteps:

Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission.

You can see the pictures of our church building.  Our church is a beautiful structure and it is very well cared for by so many hands.  We are fortunate to be stewards of such a space.  Yet, as we watch on the news certain areas experiences tornados or flooding, businesses, homes and churches are severely damaged or completely ruined.  It is painful to watch. 

Many of you will realize that we have experienced our share of funerals recently.  The death of a loved one is so difficult and life changing.  Yet, as I watch so many of you gather around the family who is grieving and care for them in so many ways, I give thanks for this caring, because that to me is the church, not a building, but deep and caring relationships.  Nothing can take that from us… no storms or disasters or anything can pull our bonds apart.  We will always be the church when we are together.

I thank you for being faithful to the call of service and love of neighbor. 

Peace be with you,

Bill

Here is part two of the video series from Lutheran Satire.  Again, it’s important to have a sense of humor and place our worship in a much larger context.  This video reminds us how our worship life is deeply embedded in Scripture. 

Peace to you,

Bill

Peace = Wholeness

During our worship service on Sunday morning we say to one another “peace be with you”.  Peace is not just the absence of conflict, but a way of living more fully.  When we say peace to one another we are wishing that person a life of wholeness and wellness.  Sometimes we have things missing in our lives which prevent us from living in peace, and so I am providing a link to a website which can help evaluate where you may need to make some adjustments.  (To move to the website just click on the title “Peace = Wholeness”.) I hope you have noticed the work of our Health Care Ministry Team members who are getting us to walk to Emmaus during Lent.  Physical exercise is just one part of wholeness.

Peace be with you,

Bill