2008_01 lent

TheAnglican Digest

TM

LENT A.D. 2008

2 THE ANGLICAN DIGEST

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As Lent Begins

The healthiest people I knownever look back. They shut doorsand close chapters to their past.They forget, or at least ignore, pre-vious errors in judgment, wrongdecisions and missed opportuni-ties. They resist memories whichtend to paralyze present action.The phrase “if only” doesn’tappear in their minds nor does itroll from their lips.

Preoccupation with past attain-ments is avoided. These peopleseldom become victimized bycomplacency, vain confidence, andpretentious displays of self-suffi-ciency. They recognize and accepttheir weaknesses with apologiesand assertively compensate withknown strengths. The healthiestpeople I know let go of the past.

The healthiest people I knowlook resolutely to the future. Theysee life as an adventure. It’s theclassroom where learning occurs,not a prison where a life sentenceis served. They concentrate onpresent realities, but are alert tothe teeming possibilities beforethem. Their direction is toward setgoals. They move forward with adriving passion, powered by theideal. Their eyes are on the course,but their attention is on the pres-ent steps. They do take time to

smell the flowers along the way.The healthiest people I know takehold of the “yet to be.”

The healthiest people I know,know God. By spending timewith him, their busiest days arebetter managed. His counsel isregularly sought. He is a guide;He is a companion. Healthy peo-ple are happy people becausethey balance their work and playwith spiritual contemplation.They would agree with Archbish-op Bloom who described Chris-tian obedience in this way: “AChristian should be like a sheep-dog. When the shepherd wantshim to do something, he liesdown at his feet, looks intentlyinto the shepherd’s eyes, and lis-tens without budging until he hasunderstood the mind of his mas-ter. Then he jumps to his feet andruns to do it. At no moment doesthe dog stop wagging its tail.”

The healthiest people I know“forget what lies behind, andpress toward what lies ahead”and do so as companions withGod. Healthy people are not hardto find. They are here. They arethere. As Lent begins, why not beone?

— The Rev. Laurens A. Hall,St. John the Divine,

Houston, Texas

LENT A.D. 2008 3

A Rule for Lent

Lent got its name because thedays are getting longer inNorthern Europe. And as thedays become longer, at least inNorthern climates, we Christiansare invited to lengthen, deepen,and broaden our engagementwith God.

Isaiah denounced the obser-vances of the Jewish year,“Sabbath and new moon and fes-tival.” Yet people in every culturehave found it helpful to have spe-cial days and times. These daysand times invite us to celebrate,to remember, to re-energize andre-focus. Isaiah’s problem wasthat for too many in Judah thecycle of religious observances hadbecome disconnected from therest of life. Rulers could sacrificeto the God of Israel and forget totrust in God in their foreignaffairs. Businessmen could wor-ship in the temple and thengouge the poor. Comfortablewomen could adorn themselvesfor the Sabbath and leave thewidow and orphan in misery.Only when such wrongs are cor-rected, said the prophet, wouldtheir worship be acceptable.

The days of Lent are our annu-al invitation to connect our faithwith our behavior. We are citi-

zens, neighbors, and members offamilies. In each of our roles wefind opportunities and responsi-bilities. Our God wants to jour-ney with us through them. Godhas provided Scriptures, the wis-dom of Christian tradition, andthe Holy Spirit to guide us. Weare promised forgiveness whenwe fall. We are nurtured by thesacraments.

God’s business is saving theworld through Jesus Christ. Ourbusiness is to take the roles Godgives us. And in every part weplay we are called to be lovers.You and I get to be channels ofGod’s love. Our Lenten disci-plines of worship, study, and self-denial are provided to help us bebetter lovers.

Most of us cannot do every-thing we would like to do in Lent.Each of us can still make Lent aholy season, a season of renewalas we move toward the celebra-tion of God’s victory over sin anddeath in the death and resurrec-tion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, make a rule, your own planfor a holy Lent. Keep it as well asyou can. And connect your faithand God’s love to everything elseyou do.

— The Rev. James T. Boston,St. Luke’s, Grants Pass, Oregon


A Short Historyof Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Dayheralds the beginning of fastingin Lent. On this day (so the histo-rians say), there were feasts ofpancakes to use up the suppliesof fat, butter and eggs ... foodsthat were forbidden during aus-tere Lent.

Pancakes are the traditionaltreat of the Jewish Hanukkah fes-tival. They are fried in oil to com-memorate the oil found by theMaccabeans when they recap-tured Jerusalem from theSyrians, two thousand years ago.The one day’s supply of oil forthe temple lamps burned mirac-ulously for one week. And, tradi-tion says, the wives of the sol-diers hurriedly cooked pancakesbehind the lines for their warringhusbands.

In England, there are severalcelebrations on this day, butperhaps best known is thePancake Day Race at Olney inBuckinghamshire which hasbeen held since 1445. Onlywomen wearing a dress, anapron, and a hat or scarf, maytake part in the race. Each con-testant must toss a cooking pan-

cake three times during the race.The first to complete the winding375 meter course and arrive atthe church, serve her pancake tothe vicar and be kissed by him, isthe winner.

In various parts of France, thereare different customs. InProvence, if you hold a coin inyour left hand while you toss apancake, you’ll be rich. And inBrie, the first pancake (which isnever very good anyway) isalways given to the hen that laidthe eggs that made the pancake.And it’s always regarded as badluck to let a pancake fall on thefloor while tossing it.

At Westminster School inLondon, a verger from the Abbeyleads a procession of eager boysinto the playground of the schoolfor the Annual Pancake Grease.The school cook, who must besomething of an athlete to man-age it, tosses a huge pancakeover a five-meter high bar, andthe boys frantically scramble fora piece. The scholar whoemerges from the scrum with thelargest piece receives a cashbonus from the Dean. The cookalso gets a reward.

— via St. James,Kent, Washington

LENT A.D. 2008 5

Soul Maintenance

One thing we need is reliabletransportation that will get uswhere we need to be withoutworry. Recently my car exhibitedwhat appeared to be a majorleak. My husband was leavingtown for ten days, and, fearingthat I might become victim toan unscrupulous mechanic whilehe was gone, his instructionswere: “Don’t do anything aboutthe car until I return!” Thismeant that I had to carry contain-ers of oil and coolant in the trunkof the car, stopping to replenishthe liquids when the warninglights indicated that fluids weredangerously low! A car needsproper maintenance to runsmoothly and efficiently —neglecting this leads to problemsalong the way.

Did you realize that we are alsoin need of proper spiritual main-tenance for our souls? Neglect of“tending our souls” results inspiritual dryness, which leads todiscouragement, despair, andyes, problems along the way.Max Lucado writes, “Depriveyour soul of spiritual water, andyour soul will tell you.Dehydrated hearts send desper-ate messages. Snarling tempers.

Waves of worry. Growlingmastodons of guilt and fear. Youthink God wants you to live withthese? Hopelessness. Sleepless-ness. Loneliness. Resentment.Irritability. Insecurity. These arewarnings. Symptoms of a dry-ness deep within.” Come Thirsty,pp. 11-12

What is the panacea for dehy-drated hearts and souls? Jesusgives us the answer in John 7:37-38 (NRSV) “... he cried out, Letanyone who is thirsty come tome, and let the one who believesin me drink. As the scripture hassaid, ‘Out of the believer’s heartshall flow rivers of livingwater.’” The fact that Jesus criedout indicates that he wasadamant about our need to beconnected to him in order toreceive his living water. “I am thevine, you are the branches. Thosewho abide in me and I in thembear much fruit, because apartfrom me you can do nothing.”John 15:5 (NRSV) He desires thatwe remain “connected” to himthroughout the day, communi-cating with him, noticing hisconstant presence, and continu-ally seeking him. He neverintended for us to struggle and“go it alone.” He desires that wecome to him, surrendering our


hearts and our lives. He desiresthat we spend time with him insolitude and silence. “Be still,and know that I am God!” . . .Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)

He desires that we spend timereading and meditating upon hisWord. As we study and delveinto scripture, we are strength-ened and refreshed. “I will med-itate on your precepts and fix myeyes on your ways. I will delightin your statutes; I will not forgetyour word.” Psalm 119:15-16(NRSV)

Solitude, silence, prayer, medi-tating upon his Word, noticinghis presence: these are ways tostrengthen your spirit andrefresh your soul. “Come to me,all you that are weary and arecarrying heavy burdens, and Iwill give you rest.” Matt 11 :28(NRSV)

Are you thirsty for that abun-dant life promised to you by ourLord Jesus Christ? Then come tohim and drink deeply. Rest inhim and be refreshed in yoursoul!

— The Rev. Carolyn S. Petersen,The Cathedral Church of

Saint Luke, Orlando, Florida

One Hundred Years ofWeekday Lenten Services

The Cathedral Church of theAdvent in Birmingham, Ala-bama will celebrate a century ofLenten weekday services withthe 2008 Preaching Series. Thisyear’s series will feature an inter-national potpourri of preachersof excellence, drawn from theU.S., Canada, England, andIreland, and crossing denomina-tional lines. The 25-minute serv-ices start on Ash Wednesday andrun through Good Friday.

Initiated under the direction ofthen rector, the Rev. WilliamEdwin Evans in 1908, weeklyservices acquired an emphasison preaching during the tenuresof subsequent rectors. The Rev.John Turner, rector from 1939 to1966, often invited bishops fromdioceses around the country.

The present rector and deanof the Cathedral is the Very Rev.Frank Limehouse. Anyone in theBirmingham area during theseason of Lent is welcome toattend. Cathedral Church of theAdvent is on the web atwww.AdventBirmingham.org.

LENT A.D. 2008 7


Ash Wednesday RevisitedBecause I am so turned around again,I still add “alleluia” to “amen.”The mark of ashes darkening my browIs stark reminder it’s Ash Wednesday now.Time, ever fugitive, has flown; so flee —Or have fled — the Magi with Epiphany.

Forlorn the unflowered altar looks, and bare;I see the color purple everywhere.From “Christ’s transfigured glory” to “repent”The theme has changed: there’s no mistaking Lent.

The Friday fish and Stations of the CrossAre welcome. What I count as greater lossThan chocolate or desserts or Guinness StoutIs the joy of alleluias ringing out.And since I am forever turned around,From time to time from my lips they will sound,However softly, till Good Friday’s here.The habit is too hard to break, I fear.

I once declared I’d give up Lent for Lent,And merrily down the primrose path I went.If you are half as turned around as I,You’ll wonder if it even makes sense to tryWhen the odds seem stacked against us. We can’t win:Why get set up for failure once again?

Though I can’t win, I can still run the race,My faltering footsteps aided by God’s grace.Then when I stumble, stop, or step aside,Fall flat, or bumble backwards, mortified,I am reminded that my motive forceIs not myself, and hobble back on course.

And so each year in Lententide I plodAlong the road the Church has ever trod,My journey and arrival in the hands of God.

— Dr. Susan Skelton, Dallas, Texas

LENT A.D. 2008 9

Fast Facts on Fasting

Jesus said, “Take care! Don’t doyour good deeds publicly, to beadmired, because then you willlose the reward from your Fatherin heaven. And when you fast,don’t make it obvious, as thehypocrites do, who try to lookpale and disheveled so peoplewill admire them for their fast-ing. I assure you, that is the onlyreward they will ever get. Butwhen you fast, comb your hairand wash your face. Then no onewill suspect you are fasting,except your Father, who knowswhat you do in secret. And yourFather, who knows all secrets,will reward you.” (Matt. 6:1,16-18, New Living Translation)

Fasting, one of three spiritualdisciplines commended by Jesusin his Sermon on the Mount(almsgiving, prayer, and fasting)may be the least understood andpracticed spiritual disciplineamong North AmericanChristians. Perhaps a betterunderstanding of the value ofthis particular spiritual disci-pline will encourage you to con-sider its practice as a Lenten spir-itual discipline or habit.

What is the motivation forfasting? Motivation is an issue

Jesus addresses in Matthew 6about almsgiving (giving to thepoor), prayer, and fasting. ForJesus, the motivation issuefocused on seeking attention andrecognition from other peopleinstead of seeking a deeper rela-tionship with the Father. Thehypocrites or “actors” of Jesus’day were wrongly motivatedtoward fasting for attention orrecognition from other people. Awrong motivation for fasting inour modem world might be “aslimmer trimmer you.” Yes, fast-ing may lead to weight loss, butthe primary motivation for fast-ing, or any other spiritual disci-pline, is a more significant rela-tionship with the Lord.

How can fasting enrich andstrengthen my relationship withthe Lord? We live in a food richsociety: I drive past thirty or soplaces to buy food — grocerystores, convenience stores andrestaurants — every day to andfrom the Cathedral. With food soreadily available we can take forgranted the gift of food andGod’s provision. We feast onThanksgiving to celebrate God'sbounty, but fasting in Lent — orany other time — might make amore lasting impression aboutGod’s provision.


Fasting also gives us an oppor-tunity to stand with our brothersin Christ who do not have ourfood resources. The hungerpangs we experience in fastingone meal a day or week can be atangible reminder to pray forand serve those who fast becausethey have no other option.

I believe Jesus talks about alms-giving, prayer, and fasting to-gether in Matthew 6 so we makea connection between the threespiritual disciplines. Our fastingcan motivate us toward a deeperprayer life with the Father. Whenwe fast our bread, we have anopportunity to feast on the Wordof God, the bread of life.

If fasting can enhance our verti-cal relationship with the Father,it can also enrich our horizontalrelationship with our neighbor.Money not spent on our foodbecomes alms for the poor. Ourhunger pangs can move us tofeed the hungry. The spiritualdisciplines of almsgiving, prayer,and fasting can become a threedimensional, tangible way to liveJesus’ command to love God andneighbor.

— The Very Rev. Tony Clark,Dean, Cathedral Church ofSt. Luke, Orlando, Florida

Catch of a Lifetime

He was eleven years old andwent fishing every chance he gotfrom the dock at his family’scabin on an island in the middleof a New Hampshire lake. Onthe day before bass seasonopened, he and his father werefishing early in the evening,catching sunfish and perch withworms. Then he tied a small sil-ver lure and practiced casting.The lure struck the water andcaused colored ripples in thesunset, then silver ripples as themoon rose over the lake.

When his pole doubled over, heknew something huge was onthe other end. His fatherwatched with admiration as theboy skillfully worked the fishalongside the dock. Finally, hevery gingerly lifted the exhaust-ed fish from the water. It was thelargest one he had ever seen, butit was a bass.

The boy and his father looked atthe handsome fish, gills playingback and forth in the moonlight.The father lit a match and lookedat his watch. It was 10 P.M. - twohours before the season opened.He looked at the fish, then at theboy. “You’ll have to put it back,son,” he said.

LENT A.D. 2008 11

“Dad!” cried the boy. “Therewill be other fish,” said hisfather. “Not as big as this one,”cried the boy. He looked aroundthe lake. No other fishermen orboats were anywhere around inthe moonlight. He looked againat his father. Even though no onehad seen them, nor could anyoneever know what time he caughtthe fish, the boy could tell by theclarity of his father’s voice thatthe decision was not negotiable.He slowly worked the hook outof the lip of the huge bass andlowered it into the black water.The creature swished its power-ful body and disappeared. Theboy suspected that he wouldnever again see such a great fish.

That was 34 years ago. Today,the boy is a successful architectin New York City. His father'scabin is still there on the island inthe middle of the lake. He takeshis own son and daughters fish-ing from the same dock. And hewas right. He has never againcaught such a magnificent fish asthe one he landed that night longago. But he does see that samefish — again and again — everytime he comes up against a ques-tion of ethics.

For, as his father taught him,ethics are simple matters of right

and wrong. It is only the practiceof ethics that is difficult. Do wedo right when no one is looking?Do we refuse to cut corners to getthe design in on time? Or refuseto trade stocks based on informa-tion that we know we aren’t sup-posed to have? We would if wewere taught to put the fish backwhen we were young. For wewould have learned the truth.

The decision to do right livesfresh and fragrant in our memo-ry. It is a story we will proudlytell our friends and grandchil-dren. Not about how we had achance to beat the system andtook it, but about how we did theright thing and were foreverstrengthened.

—The Rev. Guido F. Verbeck, III,St. Paul’s,

Shreveport Louisiana

THE ORDER OF ST. ANDREWA Religious Order of men and

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Fear Not

Jesus told this parable to his disci-ples about their need to pray alwaysand not lose heart. — Luke 18: 1

The story that Jesus told to illus-trate his point was, as usual, onethat made his listeners scratchtheir heads and squint their eyes.After all, it was a comic storyabout the poorest of women, themost powerless of people, ulti-mately winning her case againsta crooked but powerful judge.And why did she prevail?Because he would just as soonsettle up with her rather than lis-ten to her nagging forever. Notexactly how we usually like tothink of not losing heart.

But, we do lose heart. It hap-pens to us so often. It happensmost when our fears, our inti-mate lifetime enemies, overtakeour better hopes. It happenswhen our fears wear us downand occupy the best of our time.They make us lose heart andthey keep us from living morefully. We fear that our past willactually catch up with us. Fearalso has us crossing bridges wemay never get to. It is a lifelonggame of “what if” that wastesour time and erodes our present.If perfect love casts out fear, then

it is also possible for perfect fearto cast out love.

But, scared living never makesus more than we could haveimagined before. Frightened liv-ing never strives for somethingbeyond our reach; never imag-ines a better, larger future. Afrightened life never dreams. Welose heart.

The answer to fear is courage.But that sounds so unrealistic.When we think of courage, weusually think of heroes who talkand act boldly, without any traceof fear. Fearless leaders, peoplewho don’t know the meaning ofthe word, fear. I don’t think thatis very real at all.

Courage isn’t the absence offear. It is staring fear right in theface and not being crippled by it.It is going ahead even when youare scared to death. It is a will-ingness to risk something of our-selves. Do what needs to be doneanyway. Risk looking foolish orfailing. Risk looking stupid.

Courage isn’t the movies. It issomeone walking into an AAmeeting for the first time. It isknowing the pain of chemothera-py and knowing the slim chanceof surviving, and going anyway.Enduring it anyway. Courage isthe willingness to say “I love

LENT A.D. 2008 13

you” instead of fearing that lovewon’t be returned. Courage isgetting up in the morning andfacing the day, when yesterdayoffered only sorrow and death’smemory. Courage is a willing-ness of everyday people to standup even when they stand alone,even a powerless woman whoLuke tells us would just nevergive in, never give up. Thisnameless woman is our realhero.

Where does that courage comefrom? I believe that the sameGod who walked with any herothe world has ever called by thatname is the same God who

walks through your life andmine. The God who tells us that,no matter what happens to us,we are never alone. His love,presence, and mercy all give usthe courage to be present to ourown lives, to face this day andthe next one. The same God whois with us when we stare into thedarkness, and who holds out hishand from the other side of dark-ness itself and says to each of us:“Do not lose heart. Fear not, for Iam with you always, even to theend of the ages.”

—The Rev. Jeffrey H. Walker,Christ Church,

Greenwich, Connecticut

Fasting

There is no more poignant, unsettling, or humbling moment in thechurch’s liturgical year than the imposition of ashes on the first dayof Lent. The priest blesses the ashes with these words: “AlmightyGod, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant thatthese ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, thatwe may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we aregiven everlasting life.” And then as a smudge of ash, in the form of across, is traced on our foreheads, we hear the words: “Rememberthat you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

A colleague has described the experience of Ash Wednesday likethis: “In the ash we have the image of ourselves being reduced downto the bare minimum, the stark essentials — and what we are after allvitality and usefulness have been burned off. The ash speaks ofreduction and regression and worthlessness, of disintegration anddeath — of the ultimate defeat of not only our bodies but of our most


hard-won and cherished progress and accomplishments.” In otherwords, Lent serves as a reality check, when we remind ourselves thatafter years of spending time and money beautifying, primping,deodorizing, dressing up — and vesting — our bodies, they will bereduced to dust.

The purpose of this exercise, and indeed of Lent, is not to make usdepressed, but to remind us of our humanness, our mortality. Wemust remind ourselves of our humanity in all its inadequacy andimperfections as the first step towards spiritual growth and develop-ment. Indeed, the word “Lent” is an Anglo-Saxon word for “spring,”and comes from the same root as “lengthen.” It is in the spring thatthe days lengthen and flowers and trees begin to blossom. So itseems especially propitious that Lent be a time when we employforms of spiritual discipline to help us grow closer to God. Lent canbe a time when the person God has created us to be can begin to takeroot and blossom.

Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline but I would like to suggestthat as a Lenten discipline, we engage in a spiritual fasting, as out-lined in the following anonymous meditation. As you go throughLent, concentrate on a different one each day.

Fast from judging others; feast on Christ dwelling in them.Fast from fear of illness; feast on the healing power of God.Fast from words that pollute; feast on speech that purifies.Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.Fast from anger; feast on patience.Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.Fast from negatives; feast on alternatives.Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion.Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.Fast from gossip; feast on purposeful silence.Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that sustains.Fast from worry; feast on faith.

With prayers for a holy Lent,

— The Rev. Colleen O’Connor, St. Mark’s, LeRoy, New York

LENT A.D. 2008 15

Mother Teresa andHer Dark Nights

I have trodden the winepress alone.(Isaiah 63)

Thy way is in the sea, and thy pathsin the great waters, and thy foot-steps are not known. (Psalm 77)

With the publication against herwill of any number of her letters,one could have predicted the out-pouring of scorn from certain cor-ners toward Mother Teresaregarding her “long dark night ofthe soul.” Witness this pearl ofwisdom from the seeminglyomnipresent Christopher Hitch-ens paraphrasing Karl Marx’sbarb about religion being the opi-ate of the people: “She was nomore exempt from the realizationthat religion is a human fabrica-tion than any other person.” Whatthese avowed atheists share withso many of the religiously chal-lenged, is the false assumptionthat human beings initiate theirrelationship with God. In fact,God calls us to enter into fellow-ship with him — wherever, how-ever, and especially whenever hewills.

No man need make light ofMother Teresa’s loneliness, butone wonders what help she hadthrough these years and decades

of what she calls spiritual dry-ness. After all, the greatest of allhuman saints was told that herchild was set for the rise and fallof nations, and that a swordwould pierce her own soul.Indeed, anyone who sets hismind, heart, and will to followour Lord’s way cannot help but bebuffeted by the world, the flesh,and the devil. It seems thatMother Teresa’s greatest battlewas with the devil himself, whodid his best to convince her thatshe truly was totally alone. Theprophet and psalmist quotedabove experienced that same ter-rible sense of darkness and blind-ness. Thank God for all three.Each in his own way helps usappreciate our own dark nights —and yet, at least with those linesquoted above, one cannot helpbut feel a certain nearness to God,the same way one might knowhim in the midst of a terriblethunderstorm. “I have troddenthe winepress alone.” “Thy wall isin the sea ... and thy footsteps arenot known.” And yet, somehowthey are known. Christians inter-pret the former as coming fromnone other than our dear Lord,seeing we read this passage (aswell as the psalm) during HolyWeek. Should we feel alone, weare in the bes t of company.

Further, even though God’s foot-steps are not always known, insome wonderful and mysticalway, we don’t feel alone. Indeed,Mother Teresa eventually learnedthat her sense of abandonmentmirrored the experience of Christhimself, who on the Cross felt theFather had forsaken him. Shewould eventually write: “I cameto love the darkness.”

In the wake of her now pub-lished letters, perhaps three obser-vations are in order for us “mor-tals.” First, — not to imply thatMother Teresa necessarily expect-ed them; nevertheless, we don’tlove God and attempt his will inorder to be recompensed by hiscomforting us with warm fuzzies.Indeed we love God, simplybecause he is God. He does in factallow us to experience him inquite wonderful ways at thebeginnings of our journeys withhim and to him. But as any parentmust eventually remove the train-ing wheels from a child’s bicycleso that he’ll be able to spread hiswings to a greater degree, Godpurposefully backs away from usso that we might learn to love himnot for what he does for us, but tolove him simply because he is.

Second, one must never meas-ure the validity or effectiveness ofhis or her relationship with God

by how he feels. The heart isdefective and deceitful — foreveran inaccurate barometer of one’sfaith. Better to take refuge with St.John: “Beloved, God is greater thanour hearts.”

Third, Mother Teresa’s long darknight in no way inhibited theincredible work she did on behalfof hundreds of thousands. Herinitial encounters with God had tobe of an unspeakably profoundquality, such that somethingcaused her to persevere throughthose dark seas. Her actions, if nother feelings, indicated the over-whelming presence of hope: thevirtue that helps us to continueour pilgrimage and our vocation,even when we are not sure pre-cisely where we’re going·

Again, not to ignore her veryreal pain, but everyone has dryspells when we don’t feel the waywe think we ought. And yet, whoamong us is able truly to venturewhat or how we ought to feel. Theheart is deceitful above all things,yet God is greater than our hearts.Most important, the fact that wemay not feel him doesn’t by anymeans indicate he is not there. Weare never alone.

— The Rev. Frederick A.Buechner, All Saints,

Thomasville, Georgia


The Anglican Book Club’s Spring selection is Richard Burridge’sImitating Jesus: An Inclusive Approach to New Testament Ethics.

Dr. Burridge maintains that the heart of the ethicallife comes from following both Jesus’ words andhis deeds. After a detailed examination of textsfrom each of the four gospels, Burridge considersapartheid in South Africa as a test case for his the-sis that “Jesus continued giving his all-demandingethical teaching within the context of an open andinclusive community comprised of those whoresponded and wanted to follow him.”

– Kendall S. Harmon +

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LENT A.D. 2008 17

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ANGLICAN BOOK CLUBTHE ANGLICAN BOOK CLUB’s membership, figured on anannual (but not calendar year) basis, provides members with fourcarefully selected classic or contemporary books postpaid, for $49in the US, $69 (plus GST) in Canada, and, $89 elsewhere (in U.S.funds). Membership may be entered or renewed any time and willconsist of the next four books selected. Written by articulate andinformed authors, each book is fully guaranteed; any book notwanted may be returned for credit within ten days of its receipt.To join the ANGLICAN BOOK CLUB complete the coupon below andreturn with your remittance of $49, $69 or $89 (in U.S. funds)(Canadian residents must add 6% GST) to ANGLICAN BOOKCLUB, 805 CR 102, Eureka Springs AR 72632-9705, visitanglicandigest.org online, or call 1-800-572-7929 if using a majorcredit card.

Serving the Church since 1953


LENT A.D. 2008 19

The Seven Virtues:A Lenten Meditation

Three thousand years have left us thisPrécis of health and sober bliss:Temperance, the broad firm base,The drink refused with quiet grace;Prudence, rich at folly’s expense,The interest of common sense;Justice, blind in the balanced scales,The weak man freed from strong men’s jails;Fortitude, outfacing dread,The great poem done as the cancer spread.Such natural virtues well definedBy Greece and Rome, the classic mind,Prepare us for the higher three,Faith, Hope, and Love called Charity:Faith, the flower of reason’s seed,Rooted deep in fear and need;Hope, the craving of the soulThat cannot think itself the whole;Love, by which we know the OneWho loves us as He loves His Son;And, to these antidotes to vice,Gentlefolk will add the spiceOf Courtesy to sweeten upThe virtues’ sometimes bitter cupAs John once stood apart, yet near,In honor of the Virgin's tears.

— David Middleton, Parishioner,St. John’s, Thibodaux, Louisiana

[Mr. Middleton is ATR Poetry Editor (1997-2006), a member of The Guild ofScholars of the Episcopal Church, and Poet in Residence, Nicholls StateUniversity, Thibodaux, Louisiana]


Via Dolorosa

In Jerusalem there’s a famousstreet called the Via Dolorosa, lit-erally, “The Way of Grief.”

Along its path are marked ninedifferent stopping places, or sta-tions, recalling Jesus’ walk fromthe judgment seat of Pilate to theplace of crucifixion. Along withfive other stopping places, all ofwhich are within the walls of theChurch of the Holy Sepulcher,they form the fourteen traditionalStations of the Cross.

Some of the stations are basedupon events recorded in theGospels (Jesus being condemned,Simon of Cyrene being compelledto carry the cross, Jesus meetingthe women of Jerusalem, Jesusbeing stripped, crucified, andburied). Others are based uponpopular tradition, and may nothave much of a historical basis(Jesus falling several times, awoman wiping Jesus’ face). Thusthe stations are a mixed bag,some historical, and some not.

The route itself is also question-able. The ending point in theChurch of the Holy Sepulcher isperhaps 99% certain. The tradi-tional beginning point, however,only has a 33% chance of beingcorrect (there are two other possi-bilities). And the route in between

is on more modern streets. Thestreets from Jesus’ time wouldhave been ten or fifteen feetbelow what is currently groundlevel, so they don’t correspond atall to any kind of route Jesuswould have probably taken.

And yet, when I was inJerusalem, even though I knew allof that, it was still a powerfulexperience to walk and to praythe traditional Stations of theCross along the Via Dolorosa. Thereason it was powerful wastwofold:

First, it was the closest I couldcome, after almost 2,000 years, ofmaking an approximation ofwhat it would have been like.Short of having a time-machine,this was the best I could do.

Second, I had the overwhelm-ing sense that I was joining withmillions of others who havewalked and prayed along thisroute, all of whom were trying todo the same thing I was, gettingas close as they could to remem-bering Jesus’ passion. It wasn’tjust about me. It was about beingpart of a whole community whoremembered and celebratedtogether what Jesus had done forus.

This Holy Week, you are giventhe same opportunity. The churcharound the world invites you to

LENT A.D. 2008 21

join with billions of otherChristian brothers and sisters,those alive today, and those whohave gone before, in remember-ing, marking, and walking theWay of the Cross. Palm Sunday,Maundy Thursday, Good Friday,and Easter services provide a wayto recall and celebrate the mostimportant events in the history ofthe world.

— The Rev. Jim Haney,Good Shepherd,Wichita, Kansas

Practicing thePresence of God

Sometimes individuals ask mewhat kinds of things they mightdo to keep them mindful ofGod’s presence and our need toserve God. One way to achievethis kind of mindfulness is for usto cultivate various prayers andactivities, which will nourish ourlife with God. Most of them aresimple and easily rememberedand they have the added benefitof stirring our heart and mind aswell as expanding our vision ofGod’s purpose for the createdorder and us.

These things to rememberinclude:

• The Sign of the Cross: + In theName of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.• The Gloria tibi: Glory be tothe Father, and to the Son and tothe Holy Spirit; as it was in thebeginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.• The Good Intention: I will doall, dearest Lord, for you, foryou, sweet Jesus, have done allfor me.• The Morning Offering (madeupon rising): + My God, I offeryou this day both all I do and allI say; Teach me, dear Lord, Yourholy will, and help me to fulfillmy duty to You.• The Evening Prayer: + IntoYour hands, O Lord, this night, Igive myself till the morningLight: through all the hours ofdarkness still keep far boththought and deed of ill.• Against daily temptation:Make the sign of the Holy Cross+ while saying, Jesus help mefrom sinful deeds and thoughtsto flee.• At all Meals: With the sign ofthe cross, ask God’s blessing onthe food we share.

We are also called to cultivatepractices and habits of the heart


that will aid and abet our walk inthe pilgrim's way. They include:• Joyful attendance at church asoften as we are able - building acorporate sense that each Massand Office we participate in is forthe good of the whole church aswell as ourselves and that weintercede on the behalf of thosenot present.• Attendance which focuses onthe praise of God, a deeperknowledge of his Holy Word andan openness to grace made avail-able in the sacraments, ratherthan as a means for personal ful-fillment or satisfaction.• Approaching work or lessonswith diligence and care and mostimportantly as an offering toGod and to acknowledge thisdaily in a moment of prayer atnoonday.

Make space in our day for prac-ticing the presence of Godthrough meditation and the dailyreading of Holy Scripture and toinsure that our practice of reli-gion is not isolating, to gladlyhelp the sick, the aged and theneedy as our Lord himself woulddo.

— The Very Rev. WilliamWilloughby, III, St. Paul’s,

Savannah, Georgia

Guest Quarters atHILLSPEAK

Whether seeking the serenityof an Ozark mountain re-treat, searching shelves inOperation Pass Along, ordoing research in the FolandLibrary, Hillspeak’s guestquarters are ideal. Scenic vis-tas from atop GrindstoneMountain and the proximityof Eureka Springs draw visi-tors from around the world.Each unit accommodates atleast four people with a fullyequipped kitchen. See themonline at anglicandigest.orgor call for more information orto make reservations. Linensare supplied but no maidservice. Plan to spend sometime with us.

479-253-9701

LENT A.D. 2008 23

Fr. Anthony-Gerald (Lee)Stevens OHC 1912-2007

Lee Anthony-Gerald StevensOHC died onSeptember 22,2007, in the 56thyear of his profes-sion.

He was ordained a priest in1943 and served parishes inMaine and as a Navy Chaplain inthe Pacific. In 1947, he enteredthe Order of the Holy Cross mak-ing his Life Profession in 1951.

From 1952-1965 he served pri-marily at the Order’s monasteryand school in St. Andrews, TN.But it was while serving theOrder’s Liberian mission, andparticularly at the leprosy clinicand colony at Mbalotahun, thatFr. Stevens lost his heart forever,as he put it. In order to facilitatehis work at the clinic Fr. Stevenstrained and was licensed as aParamedical worker in Leprosy.He also studied the Bandi lan-guage. He developed a leprosyrehabilitation and control pro-gram in Mbalotahun, the MLRP(Mbalotahun Leprosy Rehabili-tation Program). This programcontinues with trustees whoraise funds for the work.

The remainder of his years inthe Order alternated between

time spent in his beloved Liberiaand years spent as a hermitmonk, first at the Order’s prioryin South Carolina and later atIona House in the Diocese ofWest Tennessee. Fr. Stevensreturned to Liberia in the sum-mer of 2000 at the request ofBishop Neufville, but theincreasing civil unrest therenecessitated his return to theUnited States the following year.He lived at Holy CrossMonastery, West Park, spendingmuch time in prayer and con-stantly working for his Liberianfriends.

In 2006 his dream came truewhen the political situation inLiberia calmed down and at theage of 94 he returned to estab-lish, at the request of the Bishopof Liberia, the first indigenousreligious Order for men, theCommunity of the Love of Jesus.The brothers live in Bolahun,having reopened the MissionChurch built by the Order of theHoly Cross many years before. Itwas here, among the people heloved so much, that Fr. “A-G”quietly died at the age of 95 onSeptember 22, 2007. He is buried,as he requested, in the cemeteryof the Leper Colony atMbalotahun. May he rest inGod’s Peace.

LENT A.D. 2008 25

Advertisement


Proper Liturgies

At the center of the Book ofCommon Prayer is a section enti-tled “Proper Liturgies for SpecialDays.” A lifetime of genuine par-ticipation in and reflection onthese liturgies in the context of aworshipping community formsChristian identity and inspiresChristian mission in the world.This core of our liturgical lifereminds us that we are beloved inChrist and sent out as apostolicwitnesses of the Good News.

The practice of marking specialdays liturgically goes back cen-turies in the Church, but cameunder fire during the Refor-mation as part of the resistance toall things “Romish.” The Englishreformers eliminated many of theliturgies for these days, but nevercompletely. The history of thedevelopment of the Prayer Bookshows a recovery of these properliturgies for special days overfour-and-a-half centuries, culmi-nating in the 1979 book, in whichthese liturgies are nothing lessthan the crown of our liturgicallife.

What are these proper liturgiesfor special days? In the context ofthe Prayer Book they are specifi-cally the liturgies of AshWednesday, Palm Sunday,

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday,Holy Saturday, and The GreatVigil of Easter. They are, in otherwords, the special liturgies ofLent, Holy Week, and Easter.

Easter is the theological epicen-ter of the Christian life, and theGreat Vigil of Easter is the liturgi-cal expression of that center. TheEaster Vigil is something of the“big bang” of Christian identity.It begins in flint and spark,exploding into a new fire thatultimately brings to life a newreality illumined by light ofChrist. All that we are and allthat we do derive from this cele-bration.

The Easter Vigil alwaysincludes baptism, or the renewalof baptismal vows, and HolyEucharist. Through this liturgy,we proclaim with dramatic storyand symbol God’s work of cre-ation and redemption frombeyond time and in time; werehearse the history of salvation,the beginning and end of which isthe paschal mystery, the Passoverof Christ from death into resur-rection life; we appropriate thatpaschal mystery as the shape ofour lives in baptism; and wereceive the gift and authority tore-enact that paschal mysterythroughout the year in HolyEucharist. Through this liturgy,

LENT A.D. 2008 27

therefore, the two primary sacra-ments of the Church, Baptismand Eucharist, are firmly rootedin the primary proclamation ofthe Church, the death and resur-rection of Christ. MarionHatchett catches the significanceof this liturgy well when he refersto the Great Vigil of Easter as:

… the keystone about whichthe rest of the church year isbuilt. Other baptisms of theyear reflect this primarybaptismal rite. Other Euch-arists of the year are, to usethe analogy of Augustine ofHippo, the repeatable part ofthis rite. In the Great Vigil ofEaster we celebrate andmake present (anamnesis) thepivotal events of the Oldand New Testament her-itage, the Passover of theHebrews from the bondageof slavery in Egypt to thefreedom of the PromisedLand, the Passover of ourLord Jesus Christ fromdeath, and our ownPassover from the bondageof sin and death to the glori-ous liberty of new life inChrist Jesus. (Commentaryon the American Prayer Book,Minneapolis: Winston Press,1980, pp. 242-243.)

The Great Vigil of Easter is theliturgical anchor for all we areand do as the Body of Christ.Each Sunday in church, theCelebrant raises and breaks thebread while saying these climac-tic words following theEucharistic prayer: “Alleluia.Christ our Passover is sacrificedfor us.” That action and thosewords recall our identity inChrist. Christ’s Passover fromdeath to life is also our Passoverfrom death to life. And we confi-dently affirm that new identity inour response: “Therefore let uskeep the feast. Alleluia.”

But the Christian Passover, thepaschal mystery, embraces notonly the Alleluia of Easter, butalso the cross of Good Friday.Christ calls us to follow him notdown a shortcut to paradise, butrather through the agony of cruci-fixion. “If any want to become myfollowers, let them deny them-selves and take up their crossdaily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The Good Friday Liturgyimmerses us into the center ofChrist’s passion. The heart of thisliturgy is the reading of thePassion Narrative from John’sgospel, perhaps the most haunt-ing rendition of the four. Jesus isin complete control of his destinythroughout the narrative, just as


he is throughout the entire gospelof John. He masters the interro-gations with the high priest andPilate, and, in the midst of hisown torture, throws them back ontheir heels. In a wonderful ambi-guity in the Greek, Pilate bringsJesus outside to present him tothe crowd and sat — or seated him— on the judge’s bench. Theambiguity begs the question: whois the true judge of the proceed-ings, Pilate or Jesus, the Ruler ofthis world or the incarnate one?There is no one to carry Jesus’cross in John’s narrative; hereJesus takes up his own cross.Finally, Jesus’ last words on thecross are an exclamatory, “It isfinished.”

But is it really finished? Yesand no. “Finished” is a temporalterm. It refers to an ending orcompletion, and therefore impliesa beginning or commencement.Jesus’ death indeed completes hisearthly ministry and ends hisphysical life, an historic segmentin time. But John’s gospel dis-plays little concern for history aswe view it through chronologicaltime. John is far more interestedin eternity, or God’s life beyondtime.

John therefore narrates eventsthat occur within the divine life ineternity. The Logos, the Word

present “in the beginning,” isincarnate in Jesus. Time and eter-nity meet in Christ, and in thatmeeting, God touches our lives inthe flesh. Here is the crucial con-nection with the Good Friday/Easter cycle: as we participate inthese powerful liturgies, we enterwith Christ into the core dynamicof God’s redemption of theworld. The paschal mystery isfully revealed only as we stepwith Jesus through death and thegrave, and rise with him on thethird day. Cross and empty tombalways go together. The GoodFriday and Easter Liturgies arenecessarily linked.

The liturgy for Maundy Thurs-day derives its name from a Latinword which means mandate orcommandment. It refers to John’sstory of the last supper. Onceagain, John departs from theother three evangelists by includ-ing a story of Jesus’ washing thedisciples’ feet, commonly reenact-ed in the context of our MaundyThursday liturgy. But John neversimply tells a story. He alwaysliberally expounds on its theolog-ical significance. The story of thewashing of the feet provides theoccasion for Jesus, who is prepar-ing to die, to leave his discipleswith a new identity and direction.You should do as I have done to

LENT A.D. 2008 29

you, he says. And by doing this,by demonstrating humility andgentle service, you are incarnat-ing the love of God. “I give you anew commandment, that youlove one another.” The agape thecommunity has for one anotherwill be their identifying mark.

The liturgy for Holy Saturdayis not widely experienced.Although Eucharist is not cele-brated on this day, the liturgy is inthe basic form of a Service of theWord. The appointed readingsinclude one of Job’s laments, andthe story of Joseph of Arimatheaburying Jesus’ body. Some havereferred to this day as marking“tomb time.” The liturgy invitesus not simply to grieve the deathof Jesus, but to enter the tombwith Jesus on the day of JewishSabbath, and wait.

The liturgies of MaundyThursday, Good Friday, HolySaturday, and Easter constitutethe Easter Triduum. The word lit-erally means “three days” andpoints to the three days countedaccording to Jewish reckoningfrom dusk on Maundy Thursdaythrough dusk on Easter Sunday.Yet the Triduum encourages us toenter the paschal mystery not somuch as a sequence of independ-ent days, but rather as a singlecomplex of death and resurrec-

tion. Again, cross and emptytomb are inextricably linked.

Palm Sunday foreshadows allof these Holy Week events. ThePalm Sunday liturgy may be themost emotionally wrenching ofall. It begins with the reenact-ment of Jesus’ triumphal entryinto Jerusalem, complete withexuberant crowds shouting,“Hosannah!” Yet the action quick-ly turns as we read the Passionfrom one of the three synopticgospels. By the end of the liturgy,we are faced with every would-bedisciple’s choice: will we walk theway of the cross, or seek an alter-nate pseudo-salvation? If wechoose the latter, we stand withPeter on the night of Jesus’ arrest,warming our hands by the fire ofCaesar’s minions. If we choosethe former, we walk with Jesus.

The liturgies of Holy Week andEaster and the dynamic of deathand resurrection reflected thereinwould blow us over if they wereexperienced alone. They demanda larger context and a time ofcareful preparation. AshWednesday inaugurates thatforty-day season of preparation,and helps provide the propercontext for our entrance into thePaschal Mystery, the heart of theChristian proclamation. TheCelebrant in the Ash Wednesday


liturgy invites us into that seasonof preparation by “self-examina-tion and repentance; by prayer,fasting, and self-denial; and byreading and meditating on God’sholy Word.” The recital of Psalm51, the Litany of Penitence andthe imposition of ashes with thewords, “remember that you aredust, and to dust you shallreturn,” may leave us feelingdiminished. But the intention ofthe Ash Wednesday liturgy andthe season it commences is notself-deprecation, but rather hon-est self-examination. How elsecould we enter fully with Christinto the Paschal Mystery?

The Church’s liturgical life can-not be experienced or understoodfully except as a whole. TheProper Liturgies for Special Daysare the crown of our Prayer Bookbecause they draw us deep intothe heart of the primary Christianproclamation. Yet these liturgiesand that proclamation do notstand alone. The Paschal Mysteryto which all these liturgies pointembraces and redeems all of timeand creation. The incarnate one isalpha and omega, the beginningand end. He encounters us in alllife and in all time.

— The Rev. John S. Nieman,Holy Trinity,

Clemson, South Carolina

OPERATION PASSALONG at Hillspeak

Operation Pass Along receivesbooks, vestments, clericals, andother items from individuals orgroups who are disposing ofthem. We redistribute items tothose who come to Hillspeak tobrowse the over 13,000 volumeson OPA shelves at no cost.Others are sent by mail to thosewho have requests for specificbooks. If they are in NorthAmerica or other “First World”countries, we charge shipping.If the requester is in a “Third”World country or one whereChristians are restricted—Africa, the Balkans, SoutheastAsia, the Philippines, or CentralAmerica, we bear the shippingcosts with money from userswho send a bit extra for booksthey receive or those who donateto OPA.

We will gladly take any books— theological and religiousbooks are, of course, of primaryinterest but even “light” readingfinds a home in seamen’s orprison libraries. To donate orrequest books, or to learn more,contact OPA at Hillspeak. Call479-253-9701, M-F, 8 - 5, Centralor e-mail [email protected]

LENT A.D. 2008 31

E HAVE a Greek’s word forit — Eureka! Over 200 years

before our Lord was born, theKing of Syracuse asked Archi-medes, a Greek mathematician,physicist, and inventor, to see if acertain crown was really puregold or if it had some silvermixed with it. After mulling overthe problem, it suddenly cameto Archimedes that gold andsilver would displace differentamounts of water. He proceededto test the crown in that man-ner, and rushing naked fromthe bath he shouted, “Eureka!”,[“I have found it! “]

We too have found it — foundthe right location of theEpiscopal Book Club, TheAnglican Digest, and all other“operations unlimited” — “Hill-speak,” an 11242-acre ranch 3miles south of Eureka Springs, inthe Diocese and State ofArkansas.

Long known as “SilverCloud Ranch” and the “baby” ofretired Texans and million-aires (one “old timer” reckonsthat a quarter of a million dol-lars has gone into the place over

the years), “Hillspeak” seems tohave been designed and waitingespecially for us. There are twodwelling houses, a guest house, asummer house, and many otherbuildings, including two largebarns, one of which has beensomewhat remodelled to accom-modate our offices and allow ussix times the floor space we hadin Nevada, Missouri.

The 11242 acres includes thebiggest part of “GrindstoneMountain” and half of “PondMountain” (two of the threehighest mountains in this part ofthe Ozarks), several pastures,and what we have called “agreen hill far away.” The viewsin all directions are lovely. Theweather is mild both in winterand summer. “Hillspeak” is notfar from town, but its entrance isso well hidden that it is utterlysecluded.

We paid $50,000 for the prop-erty: $22,500 in cash, and the bal-ance by a five-year loan ofmoney. We hope soon to retireabout $10,000 of the debt by thesale of walnut timber, and if EBC“past-duers” (as of three months

E U R E K A !First in a series of articles from early issues of TAD

celebrating 50 years of ministry to the Anglican Communion

W


ago) would pay up theiraccounts we could retire about$12,000 more of the debt, and soleave us with only $5,500 to pay-off. The sooner we get“Hillspeak” paid for, the soonerwe can get on to other work forthe Church.

Money from the sale of theDirector’s house and the EBCbuilding in Nevada provided the$6,500 used to hire four vans tomove our things from Nevadaand to remodel two floors of the36’-by-56’ barn, and to build afireproof room for our records. Aheating system for the barn hasyet to be installed.

Five members of our staff ofsix have made the move, and wehave been joined by another vol-unteer. At this writing a womanfrom the East plans to make herway out to Eureka Springs, findher own place to live, pay herown expenses, and work for usfor nothing. We expect others tojoin us — and build their ownhouses at “Hillspeak.” We hopesomeday to come upon a manwhose retirement or privateincome and personal interest andabilities will allow him to lookafter the “Hillspeak” propertywithout salary.

The move is a big step, but onefor which we were a long time

preparing. It means, amongother things, a higher roll ofsleeves and even longer hours ofwork and not a little personalsacrifice on the part of our smallstaff, but the move is the rightone— the right one indeed, if weare to get along with the businessof serving the Church.

It may be remembered that thewhole move has been made pos-sible without the aid of grants,subsidy, allocations, committees,budgets, and solicitations. Themoney for “Hillspeak” has beenearned and saved, so that wecould serve the Church better.Faithful and continuing mem-bers of the Club have made itpossible for us to do that.

A great future lies ahead of us:the only thing that can spoil it isimpatience. When we have hadour feet on the ground for aspace, we can address ourselvesto that future, and, with morehands and backs than we havenow, work towards that futureconstructively.

Just as the Anglican WritersAward has made a bit of, history,so may “Hillspeak” do the same.We want to think so.

Come and see us.

— ”Embertidings”(Summer, A.D. 1960)

LENT A.D. 2008 35

CHURCH bodies around theworld regularly assemble to de-bate, discuss, examine, occasion-ally to pontificate and pass reso-lutions about, ecumenicism, butin the long run Anglicans remainAnglicans, Baptists remain Bap-tists, Catholics remain Catholics.On the other hand, OperationPass Along (OPA) has been fromits beginning, and is so today,completely ecumenical.

Its mission is to solicit books(primarily about the Church), andnowadays clericals, vestmentsand altar fittings, from those whono longer need or want them andto pass them along to those whodo. It is as simple as that.

There are neither means testsnor are there any religious affilia-tion tests. If we have the item, wepass it along; if we do not we willenter the request in the OPA databank and send the item if andwhen it shows up in the day’smail. We’ll keep the request openfor a year and happily renew it ifrequested. The only priority weapply is the date of asking.

There’s never a charge for theitem itself, but we do ask that

postage and handling charges beremitted before we send it. MostOPA beneficiaries throw in a fewdollars extra and with that we areable to send books, tapes, videos,vestments, clericals, altar fittings,and the like to clergy and church-es — and to individuals — inThird World countries postpaid.

Our benefactors are as variedand widespread, and as ecumeni-cal, as are our beneficiaries. Inrecent years two of our most fre-quent and generous donors havebeen a Presbyterian church inAlaska and a Baptist church herein Arkansas.

Just as we happily send to thosewho ask, we happily accept fromthose who send. Ofttimes wehave no inkling of the affiliationof the donor — and wonder howin the world he or she learnedabout Operation Pass Along.

In the thirty-five years I haveworked with OPA, I’ve followedany number of seminariansthrough their years of study andon to their ordinations. One such,of happy memory, told his sonabout OPA when he went to sem-inary and now the son too is a

HILLSPEAKING


priest — and still occasionally asksfor a book he has trouble finding.

People who send books or vest-ments quite often thank us for see-ing that those items have a secondlife.

Operation Pass Along is interna-tional as well as ecumenical. In2007, for example, we sent morethan three thousand books toGhana, India, Kenya, Malawi,Nigeria, the Philippines, the Solo-mon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago,Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, andZimbabwe. In all, since its begin-ning in 1972, OPA has sent almost24,000 books to the Third World.

Along with that, some six hun-dred vestments, clericals, and altarfittings have been passed alongduring the year.

All of this, of course, would beimpossible without the generosityof those who, over the years, havedonated books and other items tothe tune of almost a quarter-millionindividual items of great varietyand value. A seminarian in Ghanarecently e-mailed us, “I am verygrateful for the parcel of studyingmaterials you sent to me. Thanksfor your concern and [the] help youhave given so many individuals.”

It is a gratifying and worthwhileministry.

—The Trustees’ Warden

Harsh Realities andRevelations

February is my least favoritemonth of the year. It is often coldand gray. Saint Valentine‘s Dayis thrown in to give the monthsome life, but by the end of themonth people often seem irrita-ble one minute and sluggish thenext. I think of it as a darkmonth. In the midst of this drea-ry month, we have AshWednesday. Ash Wednesdaymarks the first day of our spiritu-al journey though forty days ofdarkness. It is a day when weacknowledge that we are sinnersand from birth to death we areutterly dependent on God. AshWednesday is the beginning ofthe solemn season of Lent thatcontinues as we walk with Christin the shadow of the cross.

I went to seminary in Sewanee,Tennessee where they have aLenten tradition where youexperience walking in the shad-ow of the cross. On Good Fridaythe main street is closed to trafficand a large crowd of people of allages gathers at the EpiscopalChurch at the edge of town. Thecrowd falls silent as four sturdypeople struggle to lift a largewooden cross onto their shoul-

LENT A.D. 2008 37

ders. As they bear the weight ofthe cross, they slowly make theirway out into the street. Thecrowd follows in silence until theprocession stops in the road andsomeone steps forward to readthe first reading of the Stations ofthe Cross. Then people pushtheir way through the crowdeager to take the cross on theirshoulders, or just to touch it as itis lifted onto the shoulders ofothers. As the silent processionmoves down the streetbystanders cease their conversa-tions, construction workers onrooftops put down their ham-mers, delivery truck driversstand in silence beside theirvans, and children in strollerswatch with awe. The readingsfrom the Stations of the Crosscontinue and the mood of thecrowd becomes somber as peo-ple begin to fully understandthat the cross represents the suf-fering that Christ endured for us.That plain wooden cross is a vis-ible reminder that we aredependent on Christ to save usfrom our sins.

Lent is a season full of harshrealities and revelations. Ourjourney through Lent is like trav-eling through a desert for fortydays. It is reminiscent of the forty

years the Jews remained in thedesert; forty years in which theywere dependent upon God fortheir daily nourishment. Weneed to experience the hardshipof the desert so we can clearlyunderstand our dependence onGod. The church does not offeran easy escape from the trials ofthis difficult time. Instead thechurch encourages us to experi-ence this dark season in thewilderness. Our worship will besomber, simplified, and peniten-tial. We will acknowledge oursins and admit that we need tobe redeemed through the graceof God. It will be a quiet periodand, like the dark days ofFebruary, it will allow us time toprepare for the light that is tocome.

— The Rev. Sally Joyner-Griffin,Harriet Chapel,

Thurmont, Maryland

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Abide, dear Lord, with the steady folk whochoose to dwell in the gentle valleys of Vermont.

Thy goodness doth her land proclaim:

by water dancing in her streams, pure in theponds;

by the silence of winter coldand the sweetness of Spring in the maple sap;

by granite sentinels against the sky,and the greenness of life below.

By such blessing surrounded may Thy frugalpeople, sturdy and free, sanctify their hands forwork and their hearts to Thee. First to marchfor liberty, first to outlaw slavery, first to count

the vote of every person:Thou didst teach Thy people well.

Guard now their peace,and forever the openness of truth;through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

–The Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre, Jr., Dean Emeritus, Washington National Cathedral.

LENT A.D. 2008 39

THE ANGLICAN BOOKSTORE

THE EARLIEST CHRISTIAN ARTIFACTS: Manuscripts andChristian Origins, by Larry Hurtado, professor of New Testamentlanguage, literature, and theology at the University of Edinburgh,Scotland.

Much attention has been paid to the words of the earliest Christiancanonical and extracanonical texts, yet Larry Hurtado points out thatan even more telling story is being overlooked — the story of the phys-ical texts themselves.

Widely recognized for his outstanding scholarship, Hurtado com-bines his comprehensive knowledge of Christian origins with anarchivist’s eye to make sense of these earliest objects of the faith. Heintroduces readers to the staurogram, possibly the first representationof the cross, the nomina sacra, a textual abbreviation system, and thepuzzling Christian preference for book-like texts over scrolls.

Drawing on studies by papyrologists and paleographers as well asNew Testament scholars — and including photographic plates ofselected manuscripts — The Earliest Christian Artifacts astutely exam-ines the distinctive physical features of early Christian manuscripts,illustrating their relevance for wider inquiry into the complex originsof Christianity.Item E1027T (softbound, 248 pp, index, biblio) $20Also available by Larry Hurtado:At the Origins of Christian Worship, Item E621T, $16Lord Jesus Christ, Item E814T, $35

THE FOLLY OF PREACHING: Models and Methods, edited byMichael P Knowles, George Franklin Hurlburt Associate Professor ofPreaching at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario.

Contains a wealth of theoretical and practical insights into preach-ing from some of today’s best-known preachers, scholars, andhomiletics teachers.

TMTM


Many of these contributions derive their inspiration from Paul’s let-ters to the church at Corinth, in which the apostle vigorously defendsboth the message of the gospel and his own manner of proclaiming it.Several of the twelve exemplary sermons rounding out The Folly ofPreaching continue reflecting on the key theme of grace and weaknessand need, expounding passages from Paul’s Corinthian correspon-dence. There are many books on preaching, but few come close to thecompilation here of eminent figures in contemporary preaching suchas Elizabeth Achtemeier, Martin Marty and John Stott.Item E1069T (softbound, 264 pp, indexes) $18

THEMONASTICWAY: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Living:A Book of Daily Readings, edited by Hanna Ward and Jennifer Wild,freelance writers and editors, both of whom have spent part of theirlives as members of Anglican religious orders.Nuggets of wisdom offered in the spirit of a conversation between

equals rather than from a lofty higher way of life.As this book of daily readings shows . . . monastic life is hardly an

escape from the world. Indeed, monastic spirituality addresses thecares and concerns of human life from a unique perspective shaped bycenturies of deepening spiritual wisdom.

Culled from the writings of monks and nuns from a wide variety ofChristian spiritual traditions, both Eastern and Western, these wise,down-to-earth, and sometimes humorous extracts — one for everyday of the year — show that monastic spirituality is intensely practi-cal and speaks to every area of our lives.

The book includes a biographical index of all the writers within. Atonce practical and sublime, The Monastic Way will inspire anybodyseeking to live wisely and well in today’s world. It provides an excel-lent entry into and through Lent.Item E1035T (hardbound, 242 pp) $20

MUHAMMAD, PROPHET OF GOD, by Daniel C. Peterson, profes-sor of Islamic studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University, Provo,Utah.

LENT A.D. 2008 41

Founding not only a world religion, but also an empire and a civi-lization, the prophet Muhammad was undoubtedly one of the mostinfluential men in history. Amid the swirl of current judgmentsregarding Muslims and their religion this book offers a concise, objec-tive, accessible biography of the first Muslim.

Respectful and readable, Muhammad, Prophet of God opens a clearwindow on the life and influence of the founder of Islam.Item E1040T (softbound, 186 pp, biblio, indexes) $15

PRAYING WITH BEADS: Daily Prayers for the Christian Year, byNan Lewis Doerr, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer inHouston, Texas; and Virginia Stem Owens, a member of the editorialboard of Books & Culture.

The use of prayer beads, which has a long history in practical spiri-tuality, is now becoming more widespread among Protestants. Doerrand Owens here show readers how to use what have become knownas Anglican or Christian prayer beads. Readers can then use the basicprayer structure provided by the beads to pray their way through eachday — morning, noon, and night — and through the church year.These prayers — a thoughtfully chosen combination of quotationsfrom Scripture and gleanings from the Book of Common Prayer — canbe enhanced and enriched by the mindful and meditative practice ofusing beads.

The authors encourage readers to use beads as “something to hangonto, a lifeline to the Presence that lies, often hidden or forgotten, atthe center of our lives.” Praying with beads as outlined and embod-ied in this little book, has the potential to transform one’s prayer life.Item E1060T (softbound, 104 pp) $12Of related interest:The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, C. Frederick Barbee and Paul F. M.Zahl, Item E579T, $12The Dwelling of the Light, Rowan Williams, Item E1068T, $16

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LENT A.D. 2008 43

Retiring…

Retirement: remembering,reflecting, remorse, rejoicing —these now are the components ofmy spirituality in the autumn ofmy life.

I was 41 years old whenordained, a second career, butthat is another story. After threeyears serving part time in twocongregations, the poorer con-gregation called me to be theirrector. The bishop said thisparish might close, and they toldme they could only pay a salaryfor three years with their sav-ings. Now twenty-five yearslater, the congregation has grownconsiderably and built a newchurch as well.

What have I learned? First Ilearned that I was not responsi-ble for the faith of the congrega-tion. Each one of us mustrespond to a call from the Lordand shape his or her lifestyleaccordingly. I did, however,need to really love them for bet-ter, for worse. Remorse: some-times I failed, but most loved meback into the relationship.

Secondly I learned there is noprogram or ministry techniquethat will produce faith. Faith is aresponse to the discovery of Godat work in the core of one’s life. I

did learn, however, that faith ispowerfully strengthened whenthe “liturgy of life” blossomsforth into the liturgy of worshipand the sacramental actions.

God’s grace, which I prefer tocall God’s love energy, perme-ates all creation and all humani-ty. Jesus told us, Matthewrelates, that God “makes his sunrise on the evil and on the good,and sends rain on the righteousand on the unrighteous” (Mt5:45). I do not bring God’s graceto the congregation with liturgyand sacramental actions. I canonly help the action of God intheir lives already, the liturgy oflife, to blossom in the liturgy ofworship and the sacramentalactions.

Dying: sharing with familiesfrom serious illness to the vigil atthe hour of death, to the funeralplanning and through the recep-tion celebrating their loved one’slife afterwards – these aremoments when prayer andanointing and reflective conver-sation bring the two “liturgies”together in a powerful, spirit-filled encounter that transformsall involved.

Healing: Years ago I startedoffering the opportunity for thelaying on of hands and anointingfor healing after each Eucharist


for those experiencing disease intheir lives, going for testing,struggling with long-term ill-ness, or carrying the burden ofsuffering with a loved one. Afterthe Eucharist offered a more pri-vate moment much akin to pri-vate confession as we note in theExhortation (BCP p. 316). Herethe private prayers of those seek-ing healing were linked with thesacramental actions and prayersof the community. Friends, choirmembers, and pastoral visitorsjoined in the encounter, and werejoiced to see the positiveresults.

These are but two exampleswhere members find the liturgyof worship and the sacramentalactions expressing God’s loveenergy in the midst of their per-sonal life and faith experiences.There are many other suchopportunities where sponta-neous prayer and those of thePrayer Book link the two, includ-ing prayers for birthdays andanniversaries, for safe delivery ofthe expected child, for transitionto retirement, and all such regu-lar life experiences where God isalready at work. I needed onlyto help that action become mani-fest.

I rejoice that the congregationdid their best to make a decent

priest out of me, and for this Igive thanks daily, recalling thewords of Paul to Timothy thatthe Lord “judged me faithful andappointed me to his service eventhough...” (I Tim 1:12-14).

Retirement is like an exileaway from the community withwhom we shared so many pro-found transforming moments,but there are new horizons thatthe good Lord is opening. Whatwill they be?

— The Rev. Joseph Neiman,Paw Paw, Michigan

Throw Out the Net!

“Once again, the Kingdom heaven islike a net that was let down into thelake and caught all kinds of fish”Matthew 13:47

Over fifty years ago, theGerman pastor and theologianDietrich Bonhoeffer famouslydescribed Jesus Christ as a man“for others.” In many ways, thatphrase — “for others” aptly con-veys the orientation of all peoplewho truly desire to follow JesusChrist. As Paul puts it “though Iam free and belong to no man, Imake myself a slave to everyone,to win as many as possible” (1

Corinthians 9:19). In otherwords, the focus of the followerof Jesus is to live, even serve, insuch a way that many are won.To be “won” is to be won toChrist — to have one’s heart cap-tured by his love and in submis-sion to call him “Lord.”

It’s an entirely different orien-tation for our lives than wemight have expected. We areimbued with the idea, oftentaught in church, and alwaystaught outside the church, thatthe goal in life is to find personalfulfillment. I am taught that myjob in life is to discover what ful-fills me the most and if I pursuethat discovery with all of myenergy, I will find true fulfillmentand happiness.

However, the orientation of thelife of Jesus and his ardent fol-lowers is not personal fulfill-ment. It is service — throwingout the net. Whether they findfulfillment in that or not is quitebeside the point. Service is theirjob description and their desire isto fulfill that job description; notfulfill themselves. The wonder isthat many find this self-sacrificeso fulfilling. But, as they mighttell you, it is only a side benefit,not the point. The point is fol-lowing Jesus and Jesus said, “Icome among you as one who

serves,” and later demonstratedthat vividly by washing the feetof his disciples.

It must be kept in mind, howev-er, that the point of this service isthat others might be “won.” Themetaphor that describes one whoserves that others might be won,is that of a willing channel. Thisservant reaches out in love tocare for another, praying all theway that God would use thishumble act of service in a waythat would allow others to turnto Christ. Again, personal fulfill-ment is not the goal, nor is it selfcongratulatory. The goal is thatothers might be won.

Where does this life of servicebegin? It begins in our hearts. Itbegins by asking God to work inus the heart of a servant, askingGod to pry us away from ourown self-centeredness. We askGod to give us his heart of com-passion for those in need. We askGod to help us to be willing togive. We will know that God isanswering our prayers when wenotice doors of opportunity forservice that we had not noticedbefore. Consider them opendoors. Throw out the net!

— The Rev. Greg Brewer,Good Samaritan,

Paoli, Pennsylvania

LENT A.D. 2008 45


� THE REV. WILLIAM E. BALD-RIDGE, SR., 80, in Tyler, Texas. Fr.Baldridge was a long-time TADreader and strong supporter ofOperation Pass Along. He servedas a priest in the EpiscopalChurch for nearly 50 years, beingordained in 1959, at CalvaryChurch, Memphis, Tennessee. Heserved as a Navy chaplain forseveral years. In 1966 he movedto Rayville, Louisiana, where heserved at St. David’s as well as St.Columba’s in Winnsboro for 41years.

� SISTER MARY BASIL, CSM, 93,in Greenwich, New York. Pro-fessed in 1941, Sr. Mary Basilserved at Saint Mary’s Children’sHospital and School in Peekskilland as mother superior of theEastern Province of the Commun-ity of Saint Mary from 1966 to1986.

� THE REV. PATRICIA GREIGBENNETT, 72, in Fillmore,California. Ordained a priest in1991, she served parishes inAtlanta, Georgia, Los Angeles,and, most recently, at Trinity inFillmore.

� THE VERY REV. J. EARL CAVA-NAUGH, 77, in Kansas City,

Missouri. He served 55 years inministry including 20 years in theDiocese of Los Angeles andnorthern San Diego County; 20years as Dean of Grace and HolyTrinity Cathedral in Kansas City;and five years as Chaplain ofBishop Spencer Place.

� THE REV. ROWLAND CLARK-SON, 78, in Greeneville, Tennes-see. A native Oklahoman andgraduate of General TheologicalSeminary, Fr. Clarkson wasordained a priest in 1975 andserved as rector of St. James’,Greenville from 1986 to 1998.

� THE REV. MICHAEL COBURN,67, in Keokuk, Iowa. Ordained apriest in the Diocese of Chicagowhere he served parishes for over35 years, Fr. Coburn was vicar ofSt. Paul’s, Warsaw, Illinois in theDiocese of Quincy for the pastfive years.

� THE REVEREND CANON RICH-ARD W. DANIELS, 77, in Tulsa,Oklahoma. Ordained in 1959 inthe Diocese of Indianapolis,Canon Daniels served at St.Paul’s, Indianapolis, until 1961.He became curate at St. John’s,Tulsa, where he served until theyestablished St. Duntstan’s. As

� DEATHS �

LENT A.D. 2008 47

founding vicar and later, rector,he remained at St. Dunstan’s untilretiring in 1994. He was alsoactive in diocesan affairs.

� THE REV. CANON GEORGEEASTER, 86, in Lake Placid, NewYork. Ordained a priest in 1946,he served parishes in NiagaraFalls, Saint Louis, Missouri,Buffalo, and Massena beforebecoming canon chancellor of theCathedral of All Saints, Albany in1985.

� MADELEINE L’ENGLE, 88, inHartford, Connecticut. Her novelA Wrinkle in Time captivated gen-erations of schoolchildren andadults since the 1960s. She wrotemore than 60 books, includingfantasies, poetry, and memoirs,often highlighting spiritualthemes and her Christian faith.For many years, she was thewriter in residence and librarianat the Episcopal CathedralChurch of St. John the Divine inNew York City. In 2004, PresidentBush awarded her a NationalHumanities Medal.

� THE REV. GEORGE H. HARRI-SON, SR., 66, in North Carolina.Ordained a priest in 1970, heserved parishes in Atlanta,Newnan, and Roswell, Georgiabefore becoming priest-in-chargeat Church of the Annunciation in

Marietta in 1999. Fr. Harrisonserved on the Province FourDisaster Relief Commission anddied while attending a Provincemeeting.

� THE REV. BRADFORD BROOKSLOCKE, JR., 83, in Madison,Connecticut. A Marine veteran ofWorld War II, he was in the Battleof Iwo Jima and witnessed theraising of the flag on Mt.Suribachi. He graduated fromVirginia Theological Seminary in1952 and was appointed curate ofSt. Marks in Mt. Kisco, New York.He became rector of ChristChurch in Guilford, Connecticutin 1955, retiring in 1995.

� THE REV. HOWARD MARSHALLLOWELL, JR., 61, in Green CoveSprings, Florida. Ordained in1977, he served parishes inMackinac Island, Michigan,Petersburg and Jacksonville,Florida, and as rector of St.Margaret’s, Green Cove Springsfrom 1987 to 1995.

� THE REV. DR. ROBERT DICKIENIX JR., 65, in Austin, Texas. Dr.Nix was ordained an Episcopalpriest in the Diocese of Pittsburghin 1977. He served in nine states.His last ministry was at Church ofthe Holy Apostles in Katy, Texas,where he led a service just fourdays before his death.


� THE REV. CANON DAVID CRAIGPATRICK, 86, in Poulsbo, Wash-ington. Ordained in 1949, Fr.Patrick served as rector at St.Philip’s, Joplin, Missouri from1955 until retiring in 1985. Healso served in interim positions inKansas and Arkansas.

� THE REV. ROB ROY RHUDY, 76,in San Francisco, California. Fr.Rhudy was an Episcopal Priestfor over 50 years. Ordained in1955, he served as curate at St.John’s, Oklahoma City, and vicarof St. Alban’s, Fort Wayne,Indiana before moving toCalifornia. At the time of hisdeath he was associate Priest atSt. Aidan’s and also worked withthe San Francisco Night Ministryand San Damiano Friary.

� THE REV. MORTON TOWNSEND,92, in Lancaster, Virginia. Fr.Townsend was the oldest canoni-cally resident Episcopal priest inthe Diocese of Virginia. Hefounded The Church of theCreator in Mechanicsville. Heretired from the ministry afterserving Trinity in Lancaster andSt. Mary’s Whitechapel inLancaster County.

Rest eternal, grant unto them O Lord,and let light-perpetual shine upon them.

REMEMBER TADIN YOUR WILL

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LENT A.D. 2008 49

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(Availability subject to stock on hand)

THE JESUS WAY: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is TheWay, by Eugene H. Peterson, Item 07BT, $22

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CHRIST ON TRIAL: How the Gospel Unsettles Our Judgment, byRowan Williams, Item 03CAT, $3

CHRIST PLAYS IN TEN THOUSAND PLACES: A Conversationin Spiritual Theology, by Eugene H. Peterson, Item 05AT, $3

THE DANCE OF HOPE: Finding Ourselves in the Rhythm ofGod’s Great Story, by William C. Frey, Item 03AT, $3

DOORS OF THE SEA: Where Was God in the Tsunami?, by DavidBentley Hart, Item 05DBT, $3

EARS TO HEAR: Recognizing and Responding to God’s Call, byEdward S. Little, Item 03DT, $3

EAT THIS BOOK: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading,by Eugene H. Peterson, Item 06AT, $20

ECSTASY & INTIMACY: When the Holy Spirit Meets the HumanSpirit, by Edith M. Humphrey, foreword by Eugene H. Peterson,Item 06CT, $21

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GLORIOUS COMPANIONS: Five Centuries of AnglicanSpirituality, by Richard M. Schmidt, Item 02BT, $3

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SHAMING THE DEVIL: Essays in Truthtelling, by Alan Jacobs,Item 04DT, $3

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WILLIAM WILBERFORCE: A Biography, by Stephen Tomkins,Item 07DT, $18

(to order any of these books, see order form on page 42)

LENT A.D. 2008 51

I Thirst

After this, Jesus, knowing that allwas now finished, said (to fulfill theScripture), ‘I thirst.’ John 19:28

Jesus in the flesh, scourged byRoman soldiers and forced tocarry his cross, sweats profusely.It is now hours since his last sip ofliquid and he is thirsty. Thus thissimple phrase stands on its ownin the context of his passion. Butthere is mystery here.

Why would Jesus choose toidentify his thirst as a matter ofconcern? This holy man, who hassought nothing for himself butgiven of himself freely through-out his ministry, is depicted asproviding his followers with thereassurance of his presence as theSon of the Father.

The Gospel of John recognizesthe incongruity that might beattached to Jesus’ plaintive cry “Ithirst.” Thus it is made clear bythe inclusion of “to fulfill theScripture,” that Jesus selectedthese two words in fulfillment ofMessianic prophecy, the promiseof a coming Messiah, likely con-tained in Psalm 22:15 – “Mystrength is dried up like bakedclay; my tongue sticks to the roofof my mouth. You put me intothe dust of death.” And Psalm69:21 – “Instead, they gave me

gall for my food, and for my thirstthey gave me vinegar to drink.”

However, there were other,more dramatic, prophecies Jesuscould have chosen. He mighthave selected Zechariah 12:10“when they look on the onewhom they have pierced theyshall mourn for him, as onemourns for an only child, andweep bitterly over him, as oneweeps over a first born.” Had hedone so he might have cried out“I am crucified.” More drama,less message!

Let us examine the moment.Jesus is the Incarnation of God,the human and the divine in one.He prepares us, in the chapters ofJohn leading up to “I Thirst,” forhis departure as our teacher in theflesh to fulfill the necessary roleof our Divine Savior. This is thekey moment of transition, fromJesus of Nazareth, teacher in theflesh, to Jesus Christ, divinemember of the Trinity, the truth ofwhich is the foundation of ourfaith.

At each mass we affirm “Ibelieve … in one Lord JesusChrist, the only-begotten Son ofGod; who for us men and for oursalvation came down from heav-en, and was made man: and wascrucified also for us underPontius Pilate.” We believe this


as a matter of our faith. The tran-sition from flesh to divinity givesus a different perspective on “Ithirst.” The spiritual nature ofJesus’ message commands ourattention and his final wordshave the deepest of poignancy.

Just a few chapters before “Ithirst,” in John 4:13-14, Jesus says,“Everyone who drinks from thiswater will get thirsty again. Butwhomever drinks from the waterthat I will give him will never getthirsty again ever! In fact, thewater I will give him will becomea well of water springing upwithin him for eternal life.”

Jesus in the flesh relates to thesubstance of water as a temporalthirst quencher, one that must bereplenished on a regular basis.Consider “I thirst” as an indica-tion of the absorption of sufferingof the flesh by Jesus forhumankind. His final messagecontains an element of God’s giftto us, his gift of the Son whoabsorbs suffering on our behalfand who teaches us the paths tosalvation; of Jesus who fulfills themessianic prophecy of the scrip-ture using the text that allows afinal demonstration of sacrificiallove.

But what are we to make of thedivine Jesus? Here we addressJesus’ words, the “water I will

give him.” It is the divine Jesuswho thirsts for the love ofhumankind, for God, and whothirsts for the desire of human-kind, to pursue the promise ofredemption and salvation. It isthis thirst that Jesus is grantingus, the thirst to seek those fruitsof our faith that lie within ourgrasp, truly there for the asking.It is this thirst that the divineJesus will quench with the “wellof water springing up within himfor eternal life.”

The Rev. Professor PeterGomes, Senior Minister ofMemorial Church at HarvardUniversity preached in a sermon,“Jesus did not die in order tospare us the indignities of thewounded creation. He died thatwe might see those wounds asour own.” Gomes was referringto the transition of Jesus fromflesh to divinity. Jesus’ missionwas not to come to us, as God’sson, to cure the ills of this worldand then die. He came, as God’sson, to show us how we canendure the indignities to whichGomes refers. He came to sharethe suffering of his creation, hecame to show us examples ofredemption and the power ofGod’s love, he died a brutal deathto show his love for us amidst the“wounded creation.” He came to

promise us the paths to right-eousness, both now and forever.

The next time you recite theCreed, when you start with “Ibelieve,” listen to yourself, focuson what it is that forms our faith,open your hearts to our Lord,Jesus Christ, recognize his divini-ty, and thirst for his guidance inyour lives. Amen

— John C. Lang, The CaspersenSchool of Graduate Studies,

Drew University,Madison, New Jersey

[A Meditation delivered at Trinity EpiscopalChurch on the Green, New Haven,

Connecticut, on Good Friday, April 6,2007.]

Temptation

We all know what it is to betempted. Sometimes temptationcan put us into agony. WhenJesus submitted himself to bebaptized by John the Baptizer, ashe came up out of the water, theHoly Spirit came upon him asgently as a dove would alight.And then that same Spirit of Godled him, drove him, out into thewilderness to be tempted by theSatan, the personification of evil.

Why? Why would God theHoly Spirit lead Jesus to betempted? An interesting ques-tion that we will come back to.But, first, let's look at what hap-pened out there.

The Satan enticed Jesus by dan-gling before him those three oh-so-human needs we all have —our hungers. First, of course, thephysical hunger. The Satanpointed to the stones rounded bywind and water. They lookedlike rounded loaves of breadwhich is not baked in a breadpan.

“Say, Jesus,” he whispers,“You can fill your aching belly byusing some of miraculous powerof Spirit as magic. You can sayto the stones, ‘be bread,’ andwhammo — that’s what they

LENT A.D. 2008 53

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will be.” (That’s the NewRevised Elledge paraphrase.)

“No Sirree!” says Jesus. “Thegood book says ‘Thou shalt notlive by bread alone.’” And, thushe avoids perverting the firsthunger by satisfying his needsby magic.

Magic. We are sophisticated21st Century Americans andChristians to boot. We know thatmagic is either entertainment,trickery or superstition, don’twe? Or do we?

One of the questions that I havebeen asked over and over for thelast 30 or so years that has mademe prickle every time is, “Whatsign are you?” or “What signwere you born under?” I want toexclaim, “You’re a Christian andyou ask such a question?” But Iknow that approach will onlyserve to alienate, not to instruct.I’ve answered variously. One ofmy favorites is, “Forrest CountyGeneral Hospital.”

Sometimes I’m able to dig deep-er with people I know well andask if they really think that Greekor Roman gods live up in the skyas Zodiac signs and influencewhat goes on here on earth.

Magic. I’ve known many

Christians who experience a cri-sis of faith when they haveprayed so really hard while theyworked arduously to keep doubtout of their minds yet thingsdidn’t turn out the way theywanted them to. The person theywere praying for dies or theydon’t win the lottery or whatev-er. They were engaging in magi-cal thinking. They were turningthe bible into magical formulas,trying to get the Genie in the Skyto work magic on a situation.

God answers prayers, yes, butGod does not hop to our bid-ding, nor does God controleverything that happens. Theway the Cosmos works is thatthere is order, there is free will,and there is chaos. When the per-fect comes, chaos will becomeordered and free will shall suc-cumb to God’s perfect love.That’s why Jesus taught us in themeantime to pray “Thy will bedone on earth as it is in heaven.”Why would we have to pray forGod's will to be done if God werecontrolling everything? Duh!

Okay, what was the secondtemptation and what was thesecond hunger that it was basedupon? The second temptationworks on the human need for


affirmation. We all need to knowthat we are loved, that we arecared for, that we matter. Carriedto extreme, you get people likeJoseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler,Saddam Hussein, in the politicalrealm, and like some of the peo-ple in the pop culture who havebeen dominating the news lately.

The political extremists I men-tioned did not have that basicsense of self-worth and intercon-nectedness with other peoplethat gives us balance and whole-ness. Their inner selves werefilled with fear and anger. Theywere driven to control every-thing around them, destroyingthose who got in their way, orthey even imagined were in theirway — Hitler and the Jews, forexample.

The ones whom the paparazzichase and who have done bizarrethings, people like Tom Cruise,Britney Spears, Anna NicoleSmith, and Lindsay Lohan, craveattention and adulation, yet theirshallow fame never satisfies andall-too-frequently turns intocurse.

The devil showed Jesus all thekingdoms of the earth and toldhim that all the glory and author-ity of the world would be Jesus’if he would just fall down and

worship him, that is, worship theSatan. “Oh, no! I know better! Itis written, you shall worshipGod alone.”

No idolatry for Jesus. What thedevil wanted was to replaceGod. Every time we put any-thing important to us ahead ofGod, even our careers and fami-lies, not to mention money, sex,and sports, we commit idolatry.Jesus would have been an idol tothe world had he had only firstidolized the devil. Those dicta-tors I mentioned and the popstars alike have succumbed tothe temptation to become idolsout of misplaced basic humanneed.

Finally, the Satan took Jesus tothe Temple top and tempted himto jump off. What was the needhe tried to play on here? It was aneed for power. Yes, the secondtemptation was for power, too,but of a different sort. It waspower over people in an attemptto satisfy ones own ego needs foraffirmation. The temptation tojump, his third temptation, was atemptation aimed at our need tocontrol our environmental cir-cumstances.

Does that seem far-fetched?Think of being in the path of ahurricane or a tornado. Wouldn’t

LENT A.D. 2008 55


you want some magical power toturn them aside? If you werefalling, wouldn’t you want to beable to fly, or at least someone torescue you — a savior? Everyday in the news we read aboutsome new gadget, some newdrug, some new initiative thatpromises victory over the worldand its powers.

We seal ourselves up in alu-minum tubes so we can fly fromcoast to coast giving us victoryover gravity, over our limitationsat walking or running, over timeitself. The invention of the air-plane has been with us so longthat we take it for granted, butconsider what your ancestorswould have thought about flying350 miles an hour when theywere limited to horse and buggy.We invent new drugs, new vac-cines, and new bionic prosthesesall to gain victory over disease,handicaps, and injury.

Jesus would not give himselfover to manipulating God inorder to gain mastery over theenvironment. Ironically, whenyou look at the temptations,Jesus went on to gain them alldespite the Satan’s insistencethat Jesus short-cut the process.

Bread and hunger, the firsttemptation: Jesus later feeds5,000, 4,000, and 1,000 people,each on separate occasions, witha meager few loaves, and some-times with a few dried fishthrown in for good measure.

Second: hunger for affirmation.Power over people and nations— today Jesus is known andworshiped in every country onthe face of the earth.

Third: power over natural cir-cumstances. He walked onwater, he healed people, heraised Lazarus from the dead,and, on Easter, he was himselfVictor over sin and death.

I promised to tell you why theHoly Spirit led Jesus into thedesert temptations: to identifyfully with us and to strengthenhim, temper him, for his comingearthly ministry. As fire temperssteel, so withstanding tempta-tion strengthens and tempers us.The 20th century theologian,Friedrich Nietzsche got it rightwhen he said, “That which doesnot kill us strengthens us.”

— The Rev. John H. Elledge,St. John’s,

Havre de Grace, Maryland

LENT A.D. 2008 57

The Lenten Season:A time to be (re)born

Back in the days of my highschool Latin, I figured out thatthe word “Lent” was derivedfrom the ancient word lentus. Theword means “slow,” and thatseemed to reflect the somber andmore reserved nature of the peri-od. At about the same time, I dis-covered the musical term lento,which was a direction that apiece be played in a slow, delib-erate tempo. For a high schoolstudent struggling to make itthrough six and a half weekswithout chocolate or desserts orwhatever else I had given up,that seemed a very fitting andaccurate description of the timeperiod. I came to develop a the-ology of Lent as a time to slowthings down in our life, a timefor rest and quiet. That felt likean appropriate theme for thisspecial season.

Logical though that may havebeen, I learned quite a few yearslater that I was wrong. The nameof Lent is not derived from Latinat all. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, whichmeans the season of spring. (Arelated word, lenctentid, is theAnglo-Saxon word for March,the month in which most of Lent

usually falls.) It reflected thechange in climate, during whichthe world reawakened from thedormant winter of retreat andhibernation and began to comealive with buds and blossoms,with germination and seedlings.Lent, therefore, isn’t about slow-ing down at all. Quite to the con-trary, it is a time of growth and atime of new life and liveliness. Inthe history and theology of theChristian Church, Lent is mostclosely related to the new lifethat comes in baptism.

In the early Church, the Lentenseason was the culmination ofthe period of preparation for thecatechumens, the people prepar-ing to be baptized at Easter dur-ing the Easter Vigil. Central tothis preparation were conversion(that is, turning away from theformer life of disbelief and alien-ation), repentance, fasting, andprayer. They were not meant tobe ends in themselves, but themeans to the primary end, whichis the new life we find in Christthrough our baptism and newbirth. As time went on, it becamethe practice of all Christians tojoin with the catechumens dur-ing the final stages of thatprocess and to prepare to renewtheir own baptismal vows as the


Church began its celebration ofthe Resurrection. Forty dayswere set aside prior to Easter(and not including Sundays) forthis period of renewal. Theyreflected the 40 years of theExodus from Egypt to thePromised Land, the 40 days dur-ing which Moses received theLaw from God on Mt. Sinai, andthe 40 days and nights that Jesusspent in the Judean Wildernessfollowing his own baptismpreparing for his new ministry ofredemption. It was a time ofexcitement as people began tolook at their own lives and theirown world in anticipation of theresurrected life that Christ haswon for our world.

Today, the season of Lent isstill a time of renewal for us all. Itis a time when we look to thespirit as well as the Spirit that ismoving within our own lives,prompting us to cultivate and

raise up new forms of life in ourown world. It is a time when,through the classical disciplinesof prayer, fasting, repentance,and reflection on God’s presence,we can develop and strengthenour spiritual lives and energiesin order to live into the vocationand ministries to which God hascalled us.

May your Lent this year be atime of blessing, renewal, andrebirth for you as an individualand for us all as a community inChrist, that our lives might beenriched as we come to knowhim more and more in prayer, inwitness, in worship, and in serv-ice. For in each of those we areborn anew in the power of God’sgrace.

— The Rev. Canon JohnE. Lawrence, Calvary,

Columbia, Missouri

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LENT A.D. 2008 59

E-mail Junkies

I recently found myself stuck inan airplane coach seat for severalhours. My plane sat on the tar-mac in Atlanta, while the cap-tain, every fifteen minutes or so,reminded us that he was waitingfor permission to take off forO’Hare and the blizzard that haddescended upon the Midwest.Desperate for something to readand to distract me from the nar-rowness of the coach seat, I final-ly turned to The Wall StreetJournal, and was struck by afront-page article. “Deleting theHabit: How Email Junkies Do inWithdrawal” read the headline.It’s no secret that e-mail domi-nates many people’s lives, myown included. There’s a kind ofdemanding quality to an e-mailmessage, and many of us (again,I include myself) respond to thatdemand by downloading con-stantly.

The article points out that somepeople are trying to break thehabit. “Seeing in himself thesymptoms of an addict,” the arti-cle begins, “Jeff Clark went coldturkey in December. ‘Email waslike cocaine,’ says Mr. Clark, a24-year-old graphic designer inBoston who says he became anx-

ious after a few hours away fromhis digital drug and would checkmessages to help him get back tosleep when he woke up duringthe night.” (I’m happy to reportthat I’ve never done that!) “Sowhile visiting his family inFlorida,” the article continues,“he resolved to quit for five days.He joined the growing ranks ofoverwhelmed emailers who areputting themselves on electronicfasts. Now that BlackBerrys,Treos, and WiFi zones let peoplegorge on email at all hours, theseheavy users are experimenting,for a few days or even a month,with the information-age equiva-lent of pushing back from thedinner table.”

This is no easy task. The articlegoes on to tell the story ofemailers who succeeded — andemailers who had failed — to cutback on their habit. One youngwoman, for example, resolvedto avoid email during her honey-moon. But the lure of cyberspaceturned out to be irresistible.One day, in the cybercafé of thecruise ship, she succumbed,checked her e-mail, and wasdrawn with a kind of terribleintensity into the pile that hadbuilt up in her inbox. She couldnot escape the interior demand


that the Internet had created inher brain.

All of which (I found myselfthinking, as I sat there on the tar-mac) reminds me of sin andreminds me of Lent. St. Paul, forexample, talks about the powerof sin, its irresistibility. “I do notunderstand my own actions,” hesays, “for I do not do what Iwant, but I do the very thing Ihate. . . . I do not do the good Iwant, but the evil I do not wantis what I do.” He feels trapped.“Wretched man that I am!” hecries. “Who will rescue me fromthis body of death?” (Romans7:15, 19, 24). Paul didn’t have e-mail in mind; but the principle isthe same: human nature has notchanged. We can all identifyways in which we too feeltrapped. Behaviors, attitudes,“what we have done, and . . .what we have left undone” (BCP,p. 360) have a kind of force thatcan dominate our lives. We can’tbreak free, not on our own.

St. Paul’s answer is to turn toJesus. “There is therefore no con-demnation,” he says, “for thosewho are in Christ Jesus. For thelaw of the Spirit of life in ChristJesus has set you free from thelaw of sin and death” (Romans

8:1-2). Paul goes on to say thatthe crucified and risen Christsends the Holy Spirit to trans-form us from within. “If theSpirit of him who raised Jesusfrom the dead dwells in you, hewho raised Christ from the deadwill give life to your mortal bod-ies also through his Spirit thatdwells in you” (Romans 8:11).Jesus sets us free — not simplyby telling us to free ourselves,but by working within us totransform our hearts.

Lent is a time when we remem-ber that Jesus is our liberator(which is the literal meaning ofRedeemer, by the way). The tra-ditional Lenten disciplines ofprayer, almsgiving, and fastingall point toward freedom. Lentinvites us to do two things.

First, it asks us to take a search-ing inventory of our own hearts(a good starting place is the AshWednesday litany on pp. 267-269of the Prayer Book) and coura-geously to identify the ways thatwe’re trapped. That inventorymight well include the resolutionto “give up” something. Iencourage you to think of thispractice as an opportunity espe-cially to let go of a major obstacleto your growth as a Christian.

LENT A.D. 2008 61

Second, Lent invites us to gazeat Jesus on the cross and to con-template the price of our free-dom. That's where Lent is going,after all: to Calvary, and to theEmpty Tomb. Jesus died to set usfree from whatever binds us. Heis the Lamb of God whose deathtakes away the sin of the world.He is the liberator whose Spiritchanges us from the inside out.Nothing is beyond his power.Not even e-mail!

— The Rt. Rev. Edward Little,Bishop of Northern Indiana

Amazing Grace

“Amazing Grace! How sweet thesound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found,was blind but now I see.”

John Newton, Hymn 671,1982 Hymnal

By most standards, the author ofAmazing Gracewas truly a wretch.John Newton was pressed intothe British Navy at the age of 11.After deserting his post and beingcaptured by his shipmates he wastraded to an English shipengaged in the African slavetrade. Newton found a copy ofThomas á Kempis’ Imitation of

Christ on board that ship. Sometime after Newton read the bookthe ship was hit by a storm andnearly sank. It was during thatstorm that the young sailor gavehis life to Christ. But he continuedin the slave trade for many yearsafterward. He even became theChristian master of his own slaveship. Ultimately the inhumanaspects of what he was doingbegan to weigh heavily on hissoul. He left the sea, but not slav-ery, forever. John Newton studiedand was ordained a priest in theAnglican Church. He worked tire-lessly for the abolition of slaveryin the British Empire. This wasaccomplished in the year 1807.

Fr. Newton never forgot thateven in the midst of his repen-tance, he could not immediatelychange the lives of the thousandshe had sold into slavery, or thegenerations of children they bore.All he could do was to devote hislife to undoing what he hadhelped bring about. Newton’stombstone reads, “John Newton,Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, aservant of slaves in Africa, was, bythe rich mercy of our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ, preserved,restored, pardoned, and appointed topreach the faith he had long labored todestroy. “


We sang Fr. Newton’s amazinghymn the last Sunday before Lent.We did this as a part of the obser-vance of the bi-centennial of theabolition of slavery in the BritishEmpire. But as we sang AmazingGrace, I realized how fitting it wasto sing this hymn just before weenter our Lenten journey.

One of the themes of Lent ischoices; the every day choices ofour lives. Some of these choicesseem to have more, some less,impact on our lives and the livesof those around us. All are madein the context of our relationshipwith God. When Jesus was in thewilderness for his Lenten journey,he faced many choices. We knowthem as the three temptations;turn stone into bread, gain powerby worshiping the devil, andtempt God by trying to forceGod’s hand.

Jesus, John Newton, and wetravel the wilderness of our livesin the same company, and withthe same choices. This company isthe Holy Spirit, temptations allaround us, and the power of freewill. Our period of temptation isnot limited to the 40 days of Lent,nor was Jesus’. We struggle withchoices every day of our lives, justas Jesus did. Jesus exercised hisfree will in harmony with God’s

purposes for him. It took Fr.Newton many years before hewas able to begin to try to do thesame. Most of us find ourselvessomewhere in between.

Lent is an opportunity for us totake time out, step back, andreflect on the choices we makeand the direction of our lives. TheChurch invites us to the observa-tion of a Holy Lent, and com-mends to us the practices of self-examination and repentance,prayer, fasting, self-denial, thereading of and meditating onGod’s holy Word.

Lent is the season in which westruggle with our most challeng-ing issue. How are we to use thegift of free will? As we strugglewith this question, we are askedto remember that this gift hasbeen given to express the love ofGod and the love of our neighboras ourselves.

A friend of mine likes to say thathe has discovered that the bestthing that be can possibly do withthe gift of free will is to give itback to God; to align his will withGod’s. Jesus found this to be true.I think John Newton did, too.

— The Rev. David Elsensohn,St. Peter’s by-the-Sea,

Sitka, Alaska

LENT A.D. 2008 63

From the Editor…Hope, the Thingwith Feathers

What is hope? Recently I wasasked to address young Anglicanleaders under 30 on the subject of“portraits of hope” and it set meto thinking on that question. It isharder to answer than it may atfirst seem.

The American demotion ofhope has turned it into a feelingthat somehow it will all work outfor the best, or even simply adesire, as in “I hope it doesn’train tomorrow.”

Somehow there is more to itthan that. We all know EmilyDickinson is onto somethingwhen she writes:Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune—without the

words, And never stops at all . . . .

She is right. Hope is somethingfar more vigorous than gettingup in the morning and tellingoneself “every day in every wayI am getting better and better”(Emile Coue).

In the New Testament, thewriters understood Christianhope to be: confidence groundedin the character of God.

In Romans 5 Paul writes:“Therefore, since we are justifiedby faith, we have peace with Godthrough our Lord Jesus Christ.Through him we have obtainedaccess to this grace in which westand, and we rejoice in our hopeof sharing the glory of God.More than that, we rejoice in oursufferings, knowing that suffer-ing produces endurance, andendurance produces character,and character produces hope,and hope does not disappoint us,because God’s love has beenpoured into our hearts throughthe Holy Spirit which has beengiven to us.”

Here we have a breathtakinglyGod-based and God-shapedhope. We worship a God who isable to do “far more abundantlythan all that we ask or think”(Ephesians 3:20). It is because ofwho he is that we can have confi-dence. May God grant us all thatkind of real hope, which does notand will not disappoint us eitherhere or in the life to come.

— KSH+

www.anglicandigest.org

Contents

As Lent Begins ............................................................. 3

A Rule for Lent ............................................................ 4

Short History of Shrove Tuesday ............................ 5

Soul Maintenance ....................................................... 6

Fast Facts on Fasting ................................................... 9

Catch of a Lifetime ..................................................... 10

Fear Not ......................................................................... 12

Fasting ........................................................................... 13

Mother Teresa & Her Dark Nights ......................... 15

Via Dolorosa ................................................................ 20

Proper Liturgies ........................................................... 26

Eureka! .......................................................................... 31

Hillspeaking ................................................................ 35

Harsh Realities & Revelations ................................. 36

Retiring ......................................................................... 43

Throw Out the Net! .................................................... 44

I Thirst ........................................................................... 51

Temptation ................................................................... 53

Lenten Season: Time to be Reborn ......................... 57

E-mail Junkies ............................................................. 59

Amazing Grace ............................................................ 61

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