First Sunday at St Simon's

There are moments in life,

which come to us…it seems,

from beyond the stars .

Moments which are precious, loving and so grace-filled…

we never want them to end.

You can probably think of a few, I am sure, in your life.

And so it is today,

we find ourselves in just such a moment.

Because today we gather here at St Simon’s and are filled to the brim

with an abundance of new blessings…

It is a blessing to worship God in such a beautiful sacred space.

It is a blessing for a fresh opportunity

to regroup and rethink

how we can better serve God’s people.

I am indeed honored and excited

to be called as your eighth Rector,

and to claim these moments with you, along the way.

Jesus loved people…

and he loved observing people –

he would have been a great Walmart greeter.

Jesus had an eye for the person in the corner,

the blind man, the woman scorned

and, today, the one so crippled by a spirit,

she couldn’t even stand up straight.

Jesus’ first instinct

was to touch others with Compassion.

But, Sabbath is supposed to be about rest.

And there is no rest for one who is crippled by pain.

So with a word and a touch of his hand,

Jesus heals this woman,

and immediately she stands up and praises God. Something old has been made new!

Well, let me just warn you,

God is fixing to do a whole lot of new and exciting things

right here at St Simon’s…

Old things are now ready to be transformed

into something New!

As many of you know, my wife Cheri Smith grew up here,

and I was born and raised over at Trinity Church, Mobile.

It’s still hard to believe, isn’t it?

Who would have ever dreamed…

only wish our dear friend Ed Horton,

my dad, and Cheri’s dad were here…

*Gen. Doolittle and Malcom at Eglin/Hurlburt.

Well, a few weeks ago,

I said good-bye to many wonderful dear friends and colleagues

at Christ Church Greenwich, Connecticut.

And in the midst of saying good-bye and thinking of this ministry…

I realized something significant…

I believe there is a disconnect taking place

between Religion and Spirituality.

What I mean by this is…

many folks in their 20s, 30s, and even a few 40s/50s…

have grown up in a totally different spiritual environment,

than their parents or grandparents did.

Church is different now.

Church membership and financial giving are clearly different…

Making time for God, has changed.

But, what I am discovering,

as someone who is almost 50, is…

there remains in every human being

a very deep longing for Spiritual Connection,

for transformation….

for a better way to live and breath.

Especially when life hurts…

Connecting to the sacred mystery of life is important…

and longing for answers to profound questions and doubts,

about personal and professional ethics

for conflicting societal standards,

are indeed all appropriate and good.

But, unfortunately, there is bad news for us…

because many now see The Church –

mainline protestants, and Roman Catholics --

as a less relevant community for spiritual growth.

In fact, I think you will discover

that even among some evangelicals

there is push back now…

Because what is emerging

is this deeper longing for

authenticity, relevance

and connection with The Living God.

Who is real…and knowable.

This is not about Mega Church,

Conservative or Liberal…

its all about what am I to do

with this dark emptiness inside…

I am tired of keeping up with the latest,

cars, boats, clothes, house…

In other words,

many are saying…

there’s got to be more to this life,

than managing my daily appearance.

Seekers of Jesus Christ

need a safe space to connect with Him.

To fall in love with Him.

To Worship Him.

This is really not rocket science…

It’s called FAITH.

And as you know,

“Faith is the evidence of things hoped for

and the assurance of things to come. “

Maybe one of our first faithful tasks together

may very well be to ponder all this…

Asking for God’s help

as we seek to serve Christ in all people.

My immediate predecessors,

Bill Richter, Jim Spencer and Ed Campbell

all provided solid leadership here.

And you certainly have a long rich history

of successful ministry here…

You already know what is needed

to nourish a healthy congregation.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, in his book,

Where God Happens,

says -- “A healthy church is one in which we seek

to stay connected with God

by seeking to connect others

with God.”

Fortunately, we don’t have to do this alone…

Jesus shows all of us the fundamental way to be:

and that is -- be Compassionate Observers.

Prayerful Observant Christians point the neighbor to Christ,

and show the same compassion that Jesus did.

Jesus says,

“come to me all you who are heavy-laden;

and I will give you rest. “

We at St Simon’s,

are called to serve all those who seek

the Face of God

and need rest.

As St Francis loved to say so long ago…

“Always, we begin again.”

We begin with this moment…

A moment when The Word

has come very near to us

from across the stars,

and has landed right here in our hands.

So, let’s grab it,

claim it,

love it,

and then give it away to others.

If you are ready,

I am ready!

Let’s get this started…

Amen.

NYT Magazine article still has me pondering - see what you think!

Molly Worthen has written a fascinating article entitled: Who Would Jesus Smack Down? and it appeared in the Jan 11, 2009 New York Times Magazine. Isn't the title alone something to step back and ask, "what is this?" So, from a journalistic/marketing standpoint, it worked perfectly for me, as I immediately turned to read it.

I recommend reading it, especially if you are now curious like I was. It has much to say about fridge (dare I say, radical) popular faith trends in communities around this country. However, I must say at the beginning, this piece is deeply troubling to me, as I wrestle with my own faith and belief systems as an Episcopalian/Anglican.

Now, I am sure Mark Driscoll and his religious movement at Mars Hill in Seattle must believe they are being faithful to what they see/interpret as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But I can not understand completely where and how these beliefs take shape, i.e. how they got where they are today. So, I am looking for help from others who might like to read and share your thoughts.

A few conservative blogs have recently responded to Driscoll and they are generally pleased with Worthen's take on his ministry/theology at Mars Hill. However, there is wide agreement among other blogs which I have noted, who are obviously very critical of his provocative sermons. Sermons, which often have titles such as "Biblical Oral Sex." Now, that is a sermon title! Anyway, there is much to be read and compared to here in his work, and I would welcome references to more moderate/mainline Christian commentaries on this and related subjects.

What is my interest? Well, today I write because I find this story continues to stir up in me disappointment and confusion as to what appears to be taking place in our American Religious communities, i.e. especially Christianity. So, I ask myself -- what are the historical, political, sociological, and cultural dimensions to this experience today? In other words, where the heck are these theological/ideological trends in American Christianity coming from? And why does it seem to be getting even more polarizing, darker and complex?

Clearly, there is much to respond to with Driscoll's use of scripture, his Christology, ethics, and very stark views around soteriology, etc... Also, Whorthen reveals some insights here into Driscoll's personal background, and perhaps there is something to be learned by these clues. He is the oldest of five, son of a union drywaller, and was raised Roman Catholic in a rough Seattle neighborhood. He was married at the age of 19, and says he was called by God to plant churches at age 25.

Driscoll's view of Christianity (his interpretation of the Bible) is being recognized and followed now by many across the Seattle area and other parts of the country. This fact alone is fascinating to me as Seattle does not appear to me to be a hotbed of American evangelical thought. Certainly, I am in no way implying that his faith community are sinful people and wrong; and that I offer the only "correct" way to truth, as the enlightened (saved) disciple. Rather, this seems to be their interpretation of the Bible's views on election (one chosen or predestined). I believe strongly in religious freedom in this country and celebrate diversity of thought and practice. However, I do continue to be filled with many challenging thoughts and feelings around these issues/trends in ministry and theology.

Clearly, we can see the historical roots of movements like Driscoll's in America with swings left/right (Jonathon Edwards, Great Awakening, rise of Fundamentalism, etc...). But as a moderate (broad church) Anglican, I now want to ponder some of these events in the coming days here on my blog. I believe now is the time for our church and others to take a hard look at ourselves and ask: where have we failed to completely respond to the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth? And equally important, where must we now change or die (as Bill Spong, and others so correctly point out!).

Finally, the Letter's to the Editor were no help to me either, especially my fellow Episcopalian's response. In fact, they made me even more compelled to begin something here on my blog in order to try and make sense of things.

Once again, please consider reading this article and offering up any insights as you see fit.

Every blessing,
Mark