Thursday, July 19, 2007
Fr Matthew' Video Log
Hey, check out my new function at the bottom of the page. Matthew Moretz is curate (assistant) at St. Paul's Yonkers, NY, and has a video log that has drawn a lot of attention across the Episcopal church and beyond. I have added his VLog to this page. Hope you like it!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Jass mass--you missed a good one!
We had great music, an engaging liturgy and a fun time at the jazz mass. Byron McChord played keyboard and John Bell provided guitar and vocals, as we sang from Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Newly ordained transitional deacon, The Rev. Janey Wilson, gave a sermon peppered with jazz references and the spirit of Benedict, whom we celebrated last night.
Hopefully we can do another eucharist with jazz, when more folks can come, perhaps in the fall on a Saturday evening, early, before people go out for the night, or Sunday evening when we can get even more musicians involved.
Sorry you missed it!
Newly ordained transitional deacon, The Rev. Janey Wilson, gave a sermon peppered with jazz references and the spirit of Benedict, whom we celebrated last night.
Hopefully we can do another eucharist with jazz, when more folks can come, perhaps in the fall on a Saturday evening, early, before people go out for the night, or Sunday evening when we can get even more musicians involved.
Sorry you missed it!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
All that is perfect is not good
In the middle of issues cropping up in the Jazz Mass preparations I am reminded of Leonard Cohen's words:
Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.
It seems that I learn best when things are not exactly as I planned. That's when I am called to understand that there are other ways that a thing can happen that will be okay, that I am ultimately not in control after all, but God is. I have an issue of "atheism in practice", when I believe it's all about me and my accomplishments, rather than God working through me and the talents and gifts I have been given. When I feel responsible for all that happens in my life and work is often when I get caught up short with reality, the needs of others, the timelines of God.
The cracks in the bell are the best I can do, in the last analysis.
Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.
It seems that I learn best when things are not exactly as I planned. That's when I am called to understand that there are other ways that a thing can happen that will be okay, that I am ultimately not in control after all, but God is. I have an issue of "atheism in practice", when I believe it's all about me and my accomplishments, rather than God working through me and the talents and gifts I have been given. When I feel responsible for all that happens in my life and work is often when I get caught up short with reality, the needs of others, the timelines of God.
The cracks in the bell are the best I can do, in the last analysis.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Big Week for Diocese of Lexington Young Adults
Two big events this week--
the start of Canterbury Pub tonight at 6:30 at Azur Restaurant's patio, or indoors if it continues to rain...The topic for the next four Tuesdays is "What Do Episcopalians Believe?"
Friday we have young adult musicians providing a jazz setting for Eucharist here at Mission House in Lexington, starting at 6 pm. I hope this will be the first of many services that the young adult commission sponsors with good music and new worship opportunities.
This is an exciting time in the diocese as young adults begin to see their power, look at options for improving the response to their needs and take action to see their needs being met. Several priests of the diocese are engaged in various campus ministries, and the theology on tap program, which I hope will continue once a month this fall.
We ended the vocational discernment group in June and I think there is interest in continuing this fall too. More info will be coming on that.
As campus missioner, my office is still in the diocesan headquarters, but there is a plan to make the office at UK in St. Augustine's chapel, with the current Lutheran pastor there, Barry Neese. I hope to institute one eucharist a week for faculty at UK, more info will be coming on that too.
If there is a program or event you would like to see in the diocese, reply to this post or email me. The more input I have, the better the programming for young adults.
the start of Canterbury Pub tonight at 6:30 at Azur Restaurant's patio, or indoors if it continues to rain...The topic for the next four Tuesdays is "What Do Episcopalians Believe?"
Friday we have young adult musicians providing a jazz setting for Eucharist here at Mission House in Lexington, starting at 6 pm. I hope this will be the first of many services that the young adult commission sponsors with good music and new worship opportunities.
This is an exciting time in the diocese as young adults begin to see their power, look at options for improving the response to their needs and take action to see their needs being met. Several priests of the diocese are engaged in various campus ministries, and the theology on tap program, which I hope will continue once a month this fall.
We ended the vocational discernment group in June and I think there is interest in continuing this fall too. More info will be coming on that.
As campus missioner, my office is still in the diocesan headquarters, but there is a plan to make the office at UK in St. Augustine's chapel, with the current Lutheran pastor there, Barry Neese. I hope to institute one eucharist a week for faculty at UK, more info will be coming on that too.
If there is a program or event you would like to see in the diocese, reply to this post or email me. The more input I have, the better the programming for young adults.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Christian freedom
Last Sunday's epistle included Paul's sermon on Christian freedom to the Christians of Galatia:
For freedom Christ has set us free...not for self-indulgence. We are free to love our neighbors as ourselves, to serve each other.
But we are not free until all are free. Dr. Martin Luther King demanded that freedom ring throughout the country, and once all were free-- male, female, black, white, Jew, Protestant, Catholic--we could then join hand together to sing the negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last."
Are you truly free? Free from hate of yourself and free to love others?
Do you know how you are forgiven, and then can forgive; are loved, and then can love?
When you are watching the fireworks and listening to the national music tomorrow, remember your freedom in Christ.
For freedom Christ has set us free...not for self-indulgence. We are free to love our neighbors as ourselves, to serve each other.
But we are not free until all are free. Dr. Martin Luther King demanded that freedom ring throughout the country, and once all were free-- male, female, black, white, Jew, Protestant, Catholic--we could then join hand together to sing the negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last."
Are you truly free? Free from hate of yourself and free to love others?
Do you know how you are forgiven, and then can forgive; are loved, and then can love?
When you are watching the fireworks and listening to the national music tomorrow, remember your freedom in Christ.
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