Well, I’m actually going to do it.  I’m going to introduce the subject of abortion into this blog – but NOT to try to convince you to be “pro-choice” or “pro-life”.

I’ve been catching up on my reading and so, having devoured the July and August issues of Sojourners magazine, I am currently reading through June’s issue.  I know, I know…but I’m actually further behind than that.

Julie Polter writes a very encouraging article (http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0906&article=bridge-over-troubled-waters) about how many people on both sides of the abortion issue are putting down their verbal swords in order to work together toward a common goal – reducing the number of abortions.  I find it encouraging that people, without giving up any of their strongly held convictions, decided to look for agreement rather than difference. 

The article lays out a number of initiatives that can be supported by proponents of both sides and you can read the details yourself, but there is a common thread that touches on our patron saint, Clare of Assisi, and her life’s witness.  When circumstances were studied, it was found that one of the best ways to reduce the number of abortions was to reduce the number of people living in poverty and to provide a little extra support to the poor.  It’s simple.  Poverty leads people to have unplanned pregnancies at higher rates and to choose abortion at higher rates when they do get pregnant.

In the end, my thoughts today really aren’t about abortion.  They are about refusing to demonize those who don’t agree with us and instead choosing to find ways to work together to reach common goals in the midst of disagreement.  And they are about following in St. Clare’s footsteps in caring for the poor as a way of showing our devotion and thankfulness to God for all our blessings.

On Saturday (8/8/09) we had a feast here at St. Clare’s Episcopal Church – or really we had several feasts.

We celebrated the Feast of St. Clare, our patron saint, and learned a little more about her life and witness.  We wanted to draw inspiration from her life of loving God and those around her.  She gave up her wealthy life to live poor in things, but rich in God’s love.  She dedicated herself to acts of mercy done on behalf of the poorest, most neglected, most outcast people of her time.  This is who we want to be – a people who serve others.  We celebrated her feast and feasted on her example.

We celebrated a feast in Holy Communion, or what Episcopalians often call Holy Eucharist.  The physical parts of this particular feast are not lavish – a bit of honey/molasses, fresh-baked bread and a swallow of ruby port wine, but as a thanksgiving to God in remembrance of all He has done for us, it truly is a feast for the soul.  We gather strength and sustenance from this meal – remembering Christ’s sacrifice that we might be freed from sin and taking Jesus into our very bodies in the form of bread and wine.  This is to strengthen us to go out and be a people who serve others.

We celebrated a feast of love and fellowship as we took the time to really see one another – our fellow worshippers around Christ’s table.  This feast of fellowship continued in an Italian-themed potluck dinner in honor of our Italian saint, Clare of Assisi.  We laughed and listened.  We took in the closeness of sharing food with people all around us.  Don’t overlook the importance of sharing food with one another.  Just take a look at how often Jesus is shown sharing a meal with those He came to serve – especially in Luke.  Good thing He spent so much time “Power walking” all over the Holy Land!

And of course there was the feast of the food itself – sumptuous lasagna, artichoke dip, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, crispy salad, sourdough garlic bread, and tiramisu mousse spread on wheat crackers….the list goes on.

But as good as the food was, it was those first three feasts I described that fed me on Saturday.  Won’t you come and join us in this joyous feast?

Our new Episcopal church is named for Clare of Assisi, an early convert to St. Francis’ devotion to Holy Poverty and founder of what would eventually be known as the Order of Poor Clares.  Tomorrow we will be celebrating the Feast of St. Clare and on the eve of our patronal feast day, I am drawn to thoughts about sainthood and saints in general.

What is a saint?

The Roman Catholics have a tight definition with a well-established procedure for naming new saints.  The Episcopal Church has no such well-defined set of criteria that I know of.  Our General Convention, a meeting of lay and ordained deputies, does recommend various people who have lead exemplary lives for recognition by the wider Church, but those included are not always people who would pass muster with the more specific criteria of other churches – for instance Martin Luther King, Jr.

So, what is a saint?

For me, saints are people that we all can point to as having lived holy lives.  Lives lived in service to God and God’s people – especially the poor, neglected, dispossessed, and marginalized.  We label them as saints to indicate that we see the holiness in them and we look to them as examples of how we should live our lives.  They are inspiration for us to be better people today than we were yesterday.

But saints are not always famous.  They are not always recognized by the wider church.  Sometimes they go about the business of serving God and God’s people in such quiet ways that they are only noticed by their closest friends and relatives.  But the lives they lead are no less holy.

What is a saint?

A saint is anyone who considers themselves God’s own and strives to lead a life of service to God and God’s people.  In the words of a hymn we will sing tomorrow,

            They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still,

            the world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will.

            You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,

in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,

for the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.

First an apology for the long delay in posting.  The intent was to spend a few weeks in pure listen mode, but I didn’t mean to be silent for so long.  From here on, I plan on a new post at least once a week. So….

I’ve had a Bible passage rattling around in my brain for about a month now and I’m wondering if that ever happens to you.  Has something just really hit you where you live and it won’t leave you alone?  For me it has been Mark 4:26-34 where Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to the sowing of seeds. 

Best if you read it for yourself, but I’ll summarize.  Jesus tells two parables.  In the first, a person plants some seeds and then goes about his or her business.  The seeds sprout and grow all on their own.  The planter can’t explain how, they just do.  The planter comes in at the end of the story to reap the harvest.  The second compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed which is the smallest of seeds, but which grows into a large shrub able to give shelter to the birds.

Bible readings stay with us because they speak to our real, every day experience.  Both of these parables touch on my experience as a church planter helping to start a brand new Episcopal church in Johnson County.

St. Clare’s feels like that mustard seed to me.  It may be smaller now, but we hope and believe that it will grow into a strong, thriving community that will “shelter the birds of the air” and proclaim the Kingdom of God.  I invite you to be a part of that God-given growth.

Jesus’ other story tells me how the kingdom of God, and our little corner of it at St. Clare’s, grows … and who does the growing.  We are the planters.  We are told to scatter seeds everywhere and all the time – little seeds of the Kingdom of God.  A smile, a conversation at the local coffee shop, the packing of backpacks for hungry kids, a check written to buy food or school supplies for our neighbors in Johnson County or a place like Haiti.  God then makes the seeds grow.  We don’t know which seeds will grow or how God makes it happen.  But knowing and understanding are not our job. Our job is to plant and pay attention so that we are ready to reap the harvest that God has provided. 

What do you think?  Ready to plant some seeds with us?

In one sense, I’ve already broken this rule.  You are probably reading this after having already read some portion of St. Clare’s website.  I have had the opportunity to speak first. 

But at least in this blog, in spite of my temptation to tell you even more about why this new church excites me or my temptation to comment on something going on in our community or one of the daily Scripture readings, I want to stop and listen to you.

To me, this is one of the hallmarks of hospitality – listen first, speak second.

So, I’m wondering – how does what you’ve seen of St. Clare’s Episcopal Church connect with your daily life?  What excites you, concerns you or intrigues you?

If you are not currently regularly involved in a church, what would make you want to come to church – not just St. Clare’s, but any church?  What programs, mission opportunites or worship experiences are most appealing to you?  What qualities in the people matter most to you?  If you are deeply engaged in another church, what compels your active involvement there?

What do you think are some of the biggest needs in our community, our nation or the world?  Do you have any ideas about how St. Clare’s could be a part of making things better?

I thank you in advance for your thoughtful comments.  By sharing what is important to you, you honor us and help us become better servants of Jesus Christ.

Peace,

Pastor Pip