all the king's horses

Today in the Episcopal Church lectionary we remember Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer. In their honor, I'd like to share a portion of the first sermon Hugh Latimer preached before King Edward. Worth considering in a 21st century light.

Hugh Latimer - The First Sermon preached before King Edward, March 8, 1549
(Deut. 17:14-16)

“In any wise, let not such a one prepare unto himself many horses,” etc. In speaking these words, ye shall understand that I do not intend to speak against the strength, policy, and provision of a king; but against excess, and vain trust that kings have in themselves more than in the living God, the author of all goodness, and giver of all victory. Many horses are requisite for a king; but he may not exceed in them, nor triumph in them, more than is needful for the necessary affairs and defence of the realm. What meaneth it that God hath to do with the king’s stable, but only he would be master of his horses? The scripture saith,…“He dwelleth on high.” It followeth,… “He looketh on low things;” yea, upon the king’s stables, and upon all the offices in his house. God is the great Grandmaster of the king’s house, and will take account of every one that beareth rule therein, for the executing of their offices; whether they have justly and truly served the king in their offices, or no. Yea, God looketh upon the king himself, if he work well or not. Every king is subject unto God, and all other men are subjects unto the king. In a king God requireth faith, not excess of horses. Horses for a king be good and necessary, if they be well used; but horses are not to be preferred above poor men. I was once offended with the king’s horses, and therefore took occasion to speak in the presence of the king’s majesty that dead is, when abbeys stood. Abbeys were ordained for the comfort of the poor: wherefore I said, it was not decent that the king’s horses should be kept in them, as many were at that time; the living of poor men thereby minished and taken away. But afterward a certain nobleman said to me, What hast thou to do with the king’s horses? I answered and said, I spake my conscience, as God’s word directed me. He said, Horses be the maintenances and part of a king’s honour, and also of his realm; wherefore in speaking against them, ye are against the king’s honour. I answered, God teacheth what honour is decent for the king, and for all other men according unto their vocations. God appointeth every king a sufficient living for his state and degree, both by lands and other customs; and it is lawful for every king to enjoy the same goods and possessions. But to extort and take away the right of the poor, is against the honour of the king. If you do move the king to do after that manner, then you speak against the honour of the king; for I full certify you, extortioners, violent oppressors, ingrossers of tenements and lands, through whose covetousness villages decay and fall down, the king’s liege people for lack of sustenance are famished and decayed, — they be those which speak against the honour of the king. God requireth in the king and all magistrates a good heart, to walk directly in his ways, and in all subjects an obedience due unto a king. Therefore I pray God both the king, and also we his people, may endeavour diligently to walk in his ways, to his great honour and our profit.

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/latimer/sermons.pdf (excerpt p.71-72)

Rachel Held Evans Funeral

Here's the original link to the service livestream: https://rachelheldevans.com/funeral
 (I've also included the YouTube version made of it below.)

The link also includes the bulletin pdf with the participants, hymns, etc.  Liturgical participants included Nadia Bolz-Weber preaching, Sarah Bessey and Austin Channing Brown reading, Audrey Assad singing, and Winnie Varghese celebrating (I recognized her soothing voice from General Convention before I knew she was there). There were others, but those are the ones with whom I was familiar and whose presence was somehow comforting - how much more to her family and friends. I had also become familiar with Jeff Chu through that time of prayer while Rachel was sick, and his leading of the Prayers of the People was moving.

But hearing from her little sister Amanda Held Opelt both made me laugh and moved me to tears. Plenty to think about, too. One thing she said that I don't think will necessarily get quoted seems important to me: "What was most special about her was her love. She's one of the least branded people I know. We all know, she was horrible at Instagram. She was the worst. And I think while other writers were working on their image and working on their brand, Rachel was working on her relationships. She was listening, she was leaning into people's pain, she was hearing their stories, she was being changed by their stories."  She wrote a song about her sister after she'd read Rachel's Searching for Sunday - that she never sang to her - I think it's called "Bloodlines and Intercessions." Hope someone publishes the words. Maybe she'll record it... Meanwhile, you should watch the service and listen - it's somewhere around the half hour mark. Wish I could be such a good sister to mine...

From her service (1979 Book of Common Prayer via the online bulletin):

O God of grace and glory, we remember Rachel before you and thank you for giving her to us to know and to love as a companion in our pilgrimage on earth. In your compassion, console those who mourn. Give us faith to see that death has been swallowed up in the victory of Christ so that we may live in confidence and hope until, by your call, we are gathered into the company of all your saints; by the power of your Holy Spirit we pray. Amen.



COMMENDATION

Leader: You only are immortal, the creator and maker of humankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and to earth shall we return. For so did you ordain when you created me, saying, "You are dust, and to dust you shall return." All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

People: Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Leader: Merciful Savior, we commend Rachel to you. Receive her as a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Accept her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of your saints.


And here's something from the BCP (p.507) that wasn't in the bulletin but that is really important. And it lines up well with what Nadia Bolz-Weber's sermon, which you simply must hear for yourself. It starts right about minute 50 on the video.

The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we too, shall be  raised.

The liturgy, therefore, is characterized by joy, in the certainty that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,  nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else  in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ  Jesus our Lord."

This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian. The very love  we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted  by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend. So, while we  rejoice that one we love has entered into the nearer presence of our Lord, we sorrow in sympathy with those who mourn.

So hold them all in your prayers, especially Dan, her husband, and her little ones.  And hold yourself gently if you, too, are grieving right now, as so many are. 

Peace be with you all.

Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation, a day in which we hear about Mary and Joseph bringing the baby Jesus to the Temple as required for first-born sons by the law. They came with two pigeons to sacrifice - not much, but what was required for those without means. What a surprise it must have been to have the elderly Simeon and prophet Anna praise God and speak of the child to the people around as well as to them!  I would love to meet Anna, especially, and hear the story from her perspective.

• Malachi 3:1-4
• Hebrews 2:14-18
• Luke 2:22-40
• Psalm 84
• or Psalm 24:7-10   (Thanks to the Lectionary Page.)

On this feast day at the convent, we celebrate the profession anniversary of one of our sisters, which adds another special note.

And, lucky me, I got to celebrate - which also means I got to wear my favorite chasuble with the amazing embroidery.

I found a blessing and dismissal for this feast on the Church of England at  http://www.oremus.org/ (marvellous site worth your support). They are not from their Book of Common Prayer (1662 version, still in use!) or from Common Worship (their modern language version).  I think The Promise of His Glory must be a sort of Enriching Our Worship, English style, though far more traditional. Fortunately, this blessings and dismissal lend themselves well to being sung, as we prefer to do on feast days.

THE DISMISSAL
9	The president may say THIS BLESSING. Christ the Son of God, born of Mary, fill you with his grace to trust his promises and obey his will; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen. [8]
10	Minister Go in the light and peace of Christ. Thanks be to God.

You can find this and the rest of their liturgy here as well, including a couple of post-communion prayer options.

I also found a nice solemn blessing from Common Worship on the C of E website, but it might have required my passing out a copy to everyone so they could come in properly with the Amens. (Yes, the sung tone really does cue you, but early in the morning, extra help is always nice.) 

It's on the very last page of this pdf document.

one last view of the baby Jesus for this liturgical year

Where's the baby Jesus? I swear he was here just a moment ago...

With or without liturgy, we rejoice with Simeon and Anna and Jesus' parents today as we remember that moment and seek to incorporate it into our own lives.

May the One who was presented in the Temple be so welcomed into the heart of each one of us.

Holy Week Myers-Briggs

Found something awesome at

Church of the Resurrection - Holy Week Myers-Briggs

If you don't know your type, they also have a link to an online test.

A bit more seriously, they also remind us that Holy Week is "time outside of time."

Indeed it is.

May we all make space and time to enter this "time outside of time" in such a way as to live this week fully, open to whatever God has in store for us, ready to walk this road with Jesus.

R.I.P. Sr. Marie Margaret

Sr. Marie Margaret, SSM
at General Convention

It is with deep sorrow that we deliver the sad news that Sister Marie Margaret has died. After suffering a massive stroke in Haiti, she was brought by air ambulance first to the Dominican Republic, then finally to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Valiant efforts were made by the medical team but the damage was too severe. This is a time of sadness both for the Sisters and for her family, whom we ask that you keep in your thoughts and prayers. We will share more information as it becomes available.

At this time we are also giving thanks for Sister Marie Margaret's many years in community.  As a young Sister of the Society of St. Margaret, Sr. Marie Margaret served at St. Monica's Nursing Home in Roxbury; St. Margaret's House, New Hartford, NY; St. Margaret's House, Oliver Street, NYC; as well as at the Boston Convent. In 1971 she took up work at St. Margaret's House in Philadelphia, and served as Parish Sister at St. Luke's Church, Germantown, Philadelphia until 1979. During the summers of 1972-1978 she was responsible for the younger children at St. Margaret's Camp, Duxbury, MA.  She received her R.N. in 1983. In 1985 she returned to Haiti and in 1994 became Sister-in-Charge of St. Margaret's Convent, Haiti.

Sr. Marie Margaret, SSM

Sr. Marie Margaret was the first of our Sisters to join us from Haiti.  Sr. Marjorie Raphael remembers meeting her in 1951, when Sr. Marie - still Yvette Fenelon at the time - was a young adult leader of the Cathédrale Sainte Trinité youth group and working in the clinic at the cathedral school. She remarked on Sr. Marie Margaret's great courage in pursuing her vocation, travelling to Boston far from everyone and everything she knew, and also on her great love of being a Sister of St. Margaret.

Sr. Adele Marie recalls, "Sr. Marie Margaret and I shared some years together in the novitiate. I remember the cold, frosty day on which she arrived in Boston from the warmth of Haiti. I was sent to Logan to meet her plane and bring her to the Convent. The days and months after her arrival were filled with challenges and adjustments. She coped beautifully, putting up with frigid temperatures, English immersion, and strange food.

During our novitiate we discovered quite by chance that she had great talents as a mimic. Most Sundays the novices were expected to attend the 11 am Mass at St. John's Church, Bowdoin Street, which at that time was under the direction of the Cowley Fathers. The priest in charge during these years was Father Banner, SSJE. We quickly noticed his distinctive mannerisms when he gave the announcements mid-way through the Eucharist. One Sunday afternoon about five of us were in the novitiate common room commenting on what we perceived as his 'oddities' when suddenly Marie Margaret was on her feet doing an absolutely screamingly funny take-off on Fr. Banner delivering the announcements. Suddenly the door opened and Sr. Eleanora's nearly six-foot frame entered the room glowering at our antics and hilarity. We were all dressed down properly with a lecture on 'respect for the clergy.'"

Sr. Sarah recalls with fondness her sartorial training upon arrival in Haiti. Never again will she be able to look at a scuffed shoe or wrinkled habit without thinking of Sr. Marie Margaret and running for the shoe polish or iron. It was also Sr. Marie Margaret who taught her the proper way to transform huge bolts of linen into beautiful purificators and altar cloths.  She will always be profoundly grateful for Sr. Marie Margaret's care and generosity during a family health emergency; as we have just learned again, handling such things internationally is very difficult.

Sr. Marie Margaret was a very encouraging person, always helping others to keep going. Sr. Claire Marie tells about making a trip to a rural mountain mission near Léogane. She and Sr. Marie Margaret started their trip by jeep but needed to switch to horses partway there. Sr. Claire Marie was afraid to get up on the horse, but Sr. Marie Margaret encouraged her to get up there, backpack and all. When the hill got steep and Sr. Claire Marie declared she was going back down, Sr. Marie Margaret called back, "You can't! It's too steep!" After a time, Sr. Claire Marie had to get off the horse and had trouble with her backpack. Sr. Marie Margaret carried both of theirs while one of the men accompanying them helped Sr. Claire Marie up the hill. Coming down was a piece of cake after that.

Sr. Promise sent the following recollection from Haiti, where she has gone to help out for a short while:

"Sr. Marie Margaret was the first sister I met the first day I was on my way to the convent. One afternoon before I went to school I decided to go and meet the sisters for the first time after two of the seminarians told me about sisters in the Episcopal Church. On my way there I met one of the seminarians. While talking with him, Sr. Marie was on her way to deliver something to Holy Trinity School. The seminarian present me to her and on her way back, she took me to the convent. Upon that encounter, we stay in touch. She was my novice Mistress, she sewed my novice habit and she put a handkerchief in my pocket. She received me as a novice, she receive my temporary and my life vows. And she always make sure that I have a new handkerchief in the pocket of my habit for each of those occasion. As you know I love to ask question and she is never tired of answering me and never think that I am challenging her instead she was very open and welcoming to my questions. She taught me so much about putting other first and it is not about me. I am very grateful for all she taught me especially on how to find God in everything."

Sr. Marie Margaret

On a beautiful autumn day last September during the Gathering, Sr. Kristina Frances went to Plimoth Planation with Sr. Marie Margaret, Sr. Marie Thérèse, Sr. Promise and Sr. Kéthia. Sr. Promise and Sr. Kristina Frances took a ton of pictures and some are attached below. In one of the gardens at the Plantation, Sr. Marie Margaret found a carved, wooden chair that she thought made her look taller and wondered how she might get it back to Haiti. We share these pictures with you as a reminder of a time of laughter, of community and the joy of being together on a lovely day.

selfie at Plimonth Plantation 2014
Sr. Kethia, Sr. Marie Margaret, Sr. Kristina Frances

There will be many more stories to tell in the days to come as we remember our sister, her laughter, her smile, and her care for those around her. Perhaps the most important thing we all remember about her is that Sr. Marie Margaret knew, above all, how to love.

The mission and ministry in Haiti Sr. Marie Margaret loved and supported so faithfully continues under the care of Sr. Marie Thérèse and Sr. Kéthia. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they continue this vital work. To ease some of their burden we ask that you direct any questions or communications regarding Sr. Marie Margaret or Haiti to the Sisters in Duxbury via email at sisters@ssmbos.org. We thank you for your continued support.

In closing, we would like to share from you a note from Sr. Marjorie Raphael which best seems to sum up that which undergirded Sr. Marie Margaret's life:

     You asked yesterday what comes into my mind in thinking about Sr. Marie Margaret. Now that the reality of her death has sunk in, I can think about this. After each paragraph of her life, youth, middle years, and maturer years, one would want to say

"She gave her life to God,

 Not just a part of it,

 But all of it."

      And ending with the consistency of her gift of self, through others, to God. I think of her as single-minded, no rewards of career or achievement, but total gift. In that she is an image of the religious life, a "humble," "little," "Sister."

                  

   And that in no way diminishes what we may see as her "achievements." The one that stands out in my mind is her share in the establishment of the Religious Life within the Episcopal Church in Haiti. But she would do that wherever she was sent.

 She always wanted to identify herself as "A Sister of St. Margaret." Yes, proud to be a Haitian, but uncomfortable with the phrase "Haitian Sister," preferring the all-inclusive "Sister of St. Margaret."  

#AdventWord #Expand your heart

 
I am glad to recognize that when we love God our heart expands, and we can give incomparably more tender love to those who are dear to us than when our love is selfish and barren.

- Therese of Lisieux

#Expand #AdventWord

The Christian life can be described as life in Christ. What that means is that each of us is invited to live our life out of his power. To live our lives, in other words, in union with him who is the source of

all power, of all energy, and to do so by being as fully open to his reality as we can be in this life. The way of meditation is simply the way of being open to the consciousness of Jesus, to his consciousness.

It is this openness to the consciousness of Jesus that leads each of us to the complete realisation of our potential, of our capacity for development, for expansion of heart and mind. And it is even more than that, because through our union with Christ we are connected, not just with the source of our own being, but we are connected to the source of all being, and all beings.

- John Main, OSB

http://www.wccm.org/sites/default/files/users/Audio/JM_Fully_Alive_Series/Fully%20Alive%20-Master.pdf

Hildegard

Abbess of Bingen and Mystic, 1179

Sirach 43:1-2, 6-7, 9-12, 27-28

The pride of the higher realms is the clear vault of the sky,

as glorious to behold as the sight of the heavens.

The sun, when it appears, proclaims as it rises

what a marvelous instrument it is, the work of the Most High.

It is the moon that marks the changing seasons,

governing the times, their everlasting sign.

From the moon comes the sign for festal days,

a light that wanes when it completes its course.

The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,

a glittering array in the heights of the Lord.

On the orders of the Holy One they stand in their appointed places;

they never relax in their watches.

Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it;

it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.

It encircles the sky with its glorious arc;

the hands of the Most High have stretched it out.

We could say more but could never say enough;

let the final word be: "He is the all."

Where can we find the strength to praise him?

For he is greater than all his works.

http://www.lectionarypage.net/LesserFF/Sep/Hildegard.html 

St. Hildegard von Bingen - Spiritus Sanctus

Lent Madness in full swing

Fr. Tim made NPR! Score one for him. Oh wait, he's not on the list for this year's brackets.

via http://www.lentmadness.org/about/  

Have a look-see or a listen:
http://www.npr.org/2014/04/02/297822374/for-lent-madness-reverend-pits-saints-against-each-other#

There are others interviewed, of course, including members of a parish where each saint is represented by someone in the congregation.  Most unusually, my favorite line in the interview is NOT from Fr. Tim.

"I'm Catherine of Siena," says 12-year-old Maddie Reifsteck. "She's like some sort of nun or something that gets the job done, apparently."

Naturally, I am all for "some sort of nun or something that gets the job done, apparently."  Maybe I'll even be one of them someday.  Although that depends on the job. 

the brackets so far...

From the follow-up Lent Madness blog post:

Whoever wins this year's bracket, Lent Madness 2014 will go down as a devotion that shows no partiality when it comes to media coverage. What other Lenten devotion can claim it was covered by both FOX News and NPR? Talk about Red State/Blue State ecumenism!

To listen to the story, click here.

Thanks to all of you who continue to embrace this madness in the spirit in which we intend -- as a devotion to help introduce or re-introduce some pretty amazing folks who have served Jesus in their own way and in their own day. Sure, we have some fun along the way and, of course, Lent Madness isn't for everyone (certainly not the humorless). But, as Scott likes to say, "If you don't like it, go start your own online Lenten devotion."
http://www.lentmadness.org/2014/04/lent-madness-love-from-npr/

You will certainly want to take a look for yourself.  And vote, of course!  Surely your spiritual director/pastor/mother/golden retriever/local nun will be duly impressed with your participation.

One caveat to my enthusiasm: I must object to the outcome of March 13th: Harriet Beecher Stowe (51%) defeated James Holly (49%)  Mgr Holly, the first bishop of the Episcopal Church of Haiti, was clearly the best choice.  See this earlier fan post, which proves my point. Sniff.
http://srsarah.blogspot.com/2012/11/james-theodore-holly-and-first.html

Bishop James Theodore Holly,  1900

Finally, as we enter into another exciting and occasionally heart-wrenching day of voting, remember that what we say about confessing our sins to a priest in the Episcopal Church also applies to engaging in Lent Madness: “All may, none must, some should.”
http://www.lentmadness.org/2014/03/james-holly-vs-harriet-beecher-stowe/

So come cheer on your own favorite saints. You wouldn't want yours to suffer the same fate.  It's not over till it's over!

Annunciation waffles

Yes, I was wondering, too.

I've been praying with saying YES to God this morning. Mary must have been an amazing, courageous girl.  I'd like to be more like that.

I was not thinking about waffles; I'm not sure she was eating them when Gabriel showed up.  Visions of Mary in the kitchen making waffles with Gabriel talking to her through the window spring to mind... But never mind.

So what is this all about?  I just checked Twitter and was baffled by references to waffles on "Lady Day."  And here I thought I was somewhat well-versed in such things.  I guess not.

But the mystery is now solved:
"In Swedish, the word våffla is attested since 1642 and derives from the German Waffel but is possibly associated by ancestors with Vår Fru (The Virgin Mary).  Waffles are served, even today, in a large number of Swedish householdson Våffeldagen, that is to say, on Lady Day, which is observed the 25th of March. In modern times, March 25 has been designated as “International Waffle Day”."
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/waffles-for-lady-day/  

The article above also includes a recipe for early 19th century raised waffles.

Before I get back to work, let me also share with you today's thanksgiving for our Sr. Carolyn, whose 25th profession anniversary is today.  I'm so glad she said YES - and that she continues to do so.

Blessed Feast, all.

Michigan bikers hanging out with the Sisters of Charity

You go, Sisters!  Next time I'm in that area, I may have to look these sisters up.  My kind of women.  

Apparently there is a big yearly motorcycle rally in Brown Deer, WI, and for the last ten, the Muskegon (MI) Motorcycle Gang has been staying at the sisters' retreat house.

Muskegon biker with Wisconsin Sister of Charity at their retreat house

Here's what they have to say:

"Motorcycle men and women are absolutely delightful," [Sr. Anne Marie] said. "We struck up a wonderful friendship."

Bill Carothers of the Muskegon Motorcycle Gang said the two groups have more in common than many would think.

"Their charter is much in common with what ours is -- helping others less fortunate," he said.

There are 23 members of the MMG staying at the retreat. Carothers said that after a deadly crash in 2012 that claimed two of their members and injured eight others in Fond du Lac County, the tranquility of the retreat has been a godsend.

"It has been a very hard year for everyone," he said.

The MMG appreciate having their extended family in Brown Deer to lean on. They have also been known to take the sisters on rides around town.

Read more: http://www.wisn.com/news/south-east-wisconsin/milwaukee/sisters-of-charity-house-michigan-motorcycle-gang/-/10148890/21702780/-/xrv3inz/-/index.html#ixzz2dVPKd6Cf

Ride nice. Pray hard.
Good advice.

Ride nice, everyone. And wear your helmets.  Too many people in the ICU with my mom were there after accidents.  The rest of us need to ride - drive! - nicely too.  And ALL of us need to pray hard for each other and offer each other such hospitality.

hurricane heroes

First responders are heroes. I read, give thanks, and pray for God's blessing on these people as well as on all those who needed their help.

In NYC, at least fifty homes burned.  Two hundred firefighters were fighting it in high winds and flooded streets. I can't imagine the conditions.  NYFD has certainly had their share of heroes in the past decade or so. I wonder if any of these also worked at Ground Zero after 9/11.
With chest-high water from the storm filling the street, firefighters had to use a boat to make rescues, the Associated Press reported. Fire department officials said about 25 people were trapped in the upstairs unit of one apartment, and the two-story home next door was ablaze and setting fire to the apartment’s roof. Firefighters climbed an awning to rescue the trapped people and took them downstairs to a boat in the street.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/30/14797289-50-homes-destroyed-as-six-alarm-blaze-rips-through-queens?lite

Further south, a replica of a tall ship went down in the storm. Fourteen of sixteen were rescued by a team with a helicopter.  I gather the Coast Guard swimmer swam in 10-30 foot waves  to carry each one to safety from the rafts to the dangling line.



And here's another set of heroes:
http://www.wcvb.com/health/Hospital-staff-carries-babies-9-flights-after-outage/-/9848730/17188806/-/110jj2z/-/index.html?absolute=true
(CNN) — At times with only flashlights to illuminate the way, NYU Langone Medical Center was evacuating some 260 patients, carrying some of them down 15 flights of stairs to awaiting ambulances ready to take them to the safety of other hospitals.
NYU didn't anticipate such heavy flooding from Sandy, the superstorm that hit Monday, and chose not to evacuate all its patients before the storm, as they did with Hurricane Irene a year ago. But between 7 and 7:45 p.m. Monday, the hospital's basement, lower floors, and elevator shafts filled with 10 to 12 feet of water, and the hospital lost its power, according to Dr. Andrew Brotman, senior vice president and vice dean for clinical affairs and strategy. "Things went downhill very, very rapidly and very unexpectedly," he said. "The flooding was just unprecedented." Emergency generators did kick in, but two hours later, about 90% of that power went out, and the hospital decided to evacuate. By 1:30 a.m., about half the patients had been evacuated, including all the patients in the adult, pediatric, and newborn intensive care units. Brotman said he anticipated the evacuation would last until around 6:30 a.m.

Four of the newborns were on respirators that were breathing for them, and when the power went out, each baby was carried down nine flights of stairs while a nurse manually squeezed a bag to deliver air to the baby's lungs.

Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/health/Hospital-staff-carries-babies-9-flights-after-outage/-/9848730/17188806/-/110jj2z/-/index.html#ixzz2AmpBSfUC

Praise God for all those who risk their lives for others.  Greater love has no one than this...

"We need some crazy Christians" and Harriet Beecher Stowe

Bishop Curry from North Carolina preached this morning.  He didn't even have to open his mouth before I was excited: I've heard him preach before. 

Bishop Curry preaching at General Convention 2012: We need some crazy Christians!

And I wasn't disappointed. 

Harriet Beecher Stowe was on our calendar for today from Holy Women, Holy Men.  It is Bishop Curry's opinion that, despite the liturgical propers, the best gospel passage for her would be the story from Mark in which Jesus' family tries to restrain him because, depending on the translation, "He has gone out of his mind," "He is beside himself," "He is mad," or, the best in his and my opinion, "They thought he was crazy and they went to get him under control."   As he pointed out regarding the last translation, that is exactly what the Church has been trying to do for centuries.

Because Jesus, by any  normal standards, was crazy.  Love your enemies? Bless them?

"I like being the Right Reverend," he said, "and the Exalted Pooh-bah," but, he said, Jesus said to get rid of all that because the greatest among you shall be your servant.  "Try that," he continued, "at the Republican or Democratic National Conventions."   

Rejoice when you are persecuted? "That's plumb crazy!... and we need some crazy Christians."

Mary Magdalene was crazy, he said.  Jesus gets executed as an enemy of the state. The sensible thing to do is run.  Take the roll call at the cross.  "Peter? Absent.  James? Absent.  Andrew? Absent.  Mary Magdalene? PRESENT.  Hallelujah!"  She was crazy enough to stand at the cross.  And we need to be crazy enough to stand up for Jesus and his love and compassion when it would be an insane thing to do.

We actually have a feast day, he said, for crazy Christians.  It's called All Saints Day.   And not All Sanes Day. Holy Women, Holy Men (formerly known as Lesser Feasts and Fasts) should be known as the Chronicles of Crazy Christians.

Bishop Curry then went on to talk about Harriet Beecher Stowe and all the crazy things she did when she could have been home safely raising a family.  He pictures her as a little old lady knitting and wearing a shawl - with some escaped slaves in her basement.  He sees her slipping slaves up north during a prayer meeting. Apparently Abraham Lincoln, upon being introduced to her, said, "So this is the little lady who started the Civil War" with her book Uncle Tom's Cabin, which so inspired the abolitionists.

We need, he said, more crazy Christians to start civil wars - not bloody ones, but ones against hunger and other evils.  We need Christians who are crazy enough to love like Jesus, crazy enough to give like Jesus, crazy enough to forgive like Jesus, crazy enough to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

***
Amen, my brothers and sisters. Bishop Curry's got it right.

http://www.zazzle.com/harriet_beecher_stowe_never_give_up_card-137073609124953281

Later we sang a hymn from her writings set to Felix Mendelssohn's tune Consolation.  Here is the first verse.

Still, still with thee, when purple morning breaketh,
when the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
fairer than morning, lovelier than daylight,
dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with thee.

          -- Voices Found #30

Gracious God, we thank you for the witnesss of Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose fiction inspired thousands with compassion for the shame and sufferings of enslaved peoples, and who enriched her writings with teh cadences of the Book of Common Prayer.  Help us, like her, to strive for your justice, that our eyes may see the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ, when he comes to reign with you and the Holy Spirit in reconciliation and peace, one God, now and always. 

          -- Holy Women, Holy Men

Happy Mother's Day

Merci, Manman - Thank you, Mom.

I love you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day.

Monica

St Monica window
St Margaret's Convent, formerly St Monica's Home, Roxbury, MA

Today in the Episcopal Church we celebrate the life of St Monica.  I am thinking, too, of the nursing home St. Margaret's ran for a century in Roxbury, and of another Monica, who is quite alive and well.  Much to be celebrated and for which to give thanks. 

More on Monica via http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/153.html:

Monicca, Mother of Augustin of Hippo, 4 May 387
We know about Monnica almost entirely from the autobiography (the Confessions) of her son Augustine, a major Christian writer, theologian and philosopher (see 28 August). Monnica was born in North Africa, near Carthage, in what is now Tunisia, perhaps around 331, of Christian parents, and was a Christian throughout her life. Her name has usually been spelled "Monica," but recently her tomb in Ostia was discovered, and the burial inscription says "Monnica," a spelling which all Ac (Archaeologically Correct) persons have hastened to adopt. (On the other hand, it may simply be that the artisan who carved the inscription was a bad speller.) As a girl, she was fond of wine, but on one occasion was taunted by a slave girl for drunkenness, and resolved not to drink thereafter. She was married to a pagan husband, Patricius, a man of hot temper, who was often unfaithful to her, but never insulted or struck her. It was her happiness to see both him and his mother ultimately receive the Gospel.

Monnica soon recognized that her son was a man of extraordinary intellectual gifts, a brilliant thinker and a natural leader of men (as a youngster he was head of a local gang of juvenile delinquents), and she had strong ambitions and high hopes for his success in a secular career. Indeed, though we do not know all the circumstances, most Christians today would say that her efforts to steer him into a socially advantageous marriage were in every way a disaster. However, she grew in spiritual maturity through a life of prayer, and her ambitions for his worldly success were transformed into a desire for his conversion. He, as a youth, rejected her religion with scorn, and looked to various pagan philosophies for clues to the meaning of life. He undertook a career as an orator and teacher of the art of oratory (rhetoric), and moved from Africa to Rome and thence to Milan, at that time the seat of government in Italy. His mother followed him there a few years later. In Milan, Augustine met the bishop Ambrose, from whom he learned that Christianity could be intellectually respectable, and under whose preaching he was eventually converted and baptised on Easter Eve in 387, to the great joy of Monnica.

After his baptism, Augustine and a younger brother Navigius and Monnica planned to return to Africa together, but in Ostia, the port city of Rome, Monnica fell ill and said, "You will bury your mother here. All I ask of you is that, wherever you may be, you should remember me at the altar of the Lord. Do not fret because I am buried far from our home in Africa. Nothing is far from God, and I have no fear that he will not know where to find me, when he comes to raise me to life at the end of the world."

of Syrian nuns and serious electrical power issues

I've been meaning to write posts for the past couple of weeks. One I even have written, but no photos uploaded - and I have a lot of them to go with that entry.  The power here has been sketchy lately, especially with all the rainstorms we've been having (another entry).  It's been coming on late at night and leaving before dawn.  A few times I've gotten up and checked mail, but writing takes more than that.

We actually had power when I got home this afternoon following church and a graduation ceremony - such a luxury - and I checked mail before Evening Prayer.  "I'll iron after I do the dishes," I thought, "and then I will call Mom and Dad."   So the power went off during supper.  Hmph.  Right when it was getting dark. At this point, of course, I'm used to it.  I should acknowledge, though, that I've called these "serious power issues," but we still have much more power than we did the summer I was living in Darbonne. It's all relative.

After dishes and Compline, I headed to bed.  Then around 10PM, the power came back on - so I went straight to the phone to talk to my parents and then came downstairs to iron two scapulars before tomorrow. 

I still don't have the brain power to write or upload what I'd like to, but I've had this article on my "must post this" list for a week or two now, so it's time to share it with you.  Amazing woman.  She is smuggling medical supplies to help the wounded among the activists in Syria.  The beginning of the article is below with a photo of other Middle-Eastern nuns praying - the woman in question is on such a dangerous mission that she has to remain anonymous. She is clearly a woman of courage and faith.  I would love to be more like her.

Here is another excerpt:

Supplies quickly ran out due to the blockade. Some activists managed to enter the city to help supply ad-hoc clinics in the basements of residential buildings. Many died under sniper fire, according to reports by the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

"Sister Nanique decided to go to Baba Amr when it was under fire, which meant practical suicide," Fadi says, referring to one of the most devastated parts of Homs. "Getting to Homs was dangerous, let alone Baba Amr. It was the most violently bombarded region in Homs and was surrounded by the army."

Fadi says he tried to discourage Sister Nanique from going to Baba Amr.

"I could not get her to change her mind, although she was fully aware of the hazard of her mission. There was only one thing she could think of: the fact that more and more people will die if she did not get there and give them the right medication."

To read the whole article:

http://womensenews.org/story/war/120416/syrian-nun-plays-key-role-in-medical-underground

17th Century Nun’s Prayer

Just found this prayer, posted by a blogger, via Facebook.

I'm not exactly elderly - as a matter of fact, I keep waiting to feel as wise and mature as I thought I would be by now - but I suspect there is still plenty in this for all of us, no matter what our age. So let me share a 17th Century Nun’s Prayer.

 Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself, that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others’ pains, but help me to endure them with patience.

I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessing cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a Saint – some of them are so hard to live with – but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And, give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
AMEN

(I might add that a sour young person is not much better. Or a middle-aged one.  But never mind.)

My sister took a photo on her recent trip to the Holy Land.  This elderly lady clearly has had a hard life, as she was begging at a mosque, but her smile is beautiful, as is she.  When I am old, I would love to have that kind of smile that lights up a space, no matter how things are going.  I've seen people like that here in Haiti.  Maybe God will work on me until I am like that, too.



beautiful smile on an elderly woman
Israel-Palestine 2012 
photo by L. Delaney



the wonder of eight years

Blessed Feast of the Visitation!


Visitation BVM - icon by Rebecca Taylor

So many wonderful texts, so many wonderful possibilities.  I had the joy of preaching and presiding this morning.  We sang the Magnificat, of course, and we really were rejoicing with Mary and Elizabeth.  What an amazing pair of women they were.  And Mary's song... Well, that will have to wait for another time. There is too much there to write now.

It's been an especially meaningful day for me because it is my eighth anniversary of profession.  So hard to believe! Didn't I just get here?  And wait, wasn't I supposed to be incredibly holy by now?!  Well, it is a good thing God is gracious and patient. And I'd say God has a wonderful sense of humor, too. 

Six years ago today, I made my final vows - my life vows.  It was the best day of my life, though ordination to the priesthood was only a hair shy of catching up to it.   In gratitude and wonder and praise, I am posting this photo to remind myself as well as to share the joy of that day with you. 

taking life vows as a Sister of St. Margaret
May 31, 2005

Magnify, my soul, God's greatness! 

Brigid

February 1 we celebrate St. Brigid of Kildare.  There are plenty of interesting tales about her, some of which are due to a connection made with a Celtic goddess of the same name and with female druids who had lived in the spot where her monastery eventually was located.  She had a reputation as a spiritual guide and friend and is best known as the abbess of that monastery, which included both women and men.  The book noted below says, "She is known for many leadership traits: patience, prayerfulness, inclusivity, and most of all, compassion.  The latter quality was the basis of her spiritual power and of her ministry as a soul friend" (69-70).  That is the kind of leadership I would like to learn and to which we all should aspire.

Brigid is also noted for giving things away to the poor, whether or not those things were hers to give, which rather reminds me of stories of our own Sr. Rosemary, who once gave away sisters' boots to people in need and sold Sr. Mary Eleanor's knitting project, still in process, while she wasn't around.  The daughter of a slave, Brigid once nearly got sold for giving away her father's sword to a beggar; fortunately Sr. Rosemary was in no such danger.

Brigid is said to be the patron saint of farm animals, healers, midwives, smiths, and probably quite a number of other things as well. My Facebook friends posted a picture of her holding a beer stein with the information that she was the patron saint of ale, which was conveniently left out of most of the books in our convent library, to my amusement.  She is often pictured with a flame in her hands because her nuns kept burning an eternal flame, a sort of holy fire, and because many stories about her involve flames.

While doing my noon reading, I found the most wonderful set of little stories about her, from which some of the information above is taken, and I'd like to share my favorite with you.

 * * * 

Brigit of Kildare:  Brigit is Ordained a Bishop

Brigit and certain virgins went to take the veil from Bishop Mel.  He was very happy to see them.  Because of her humility, Brigit held back so that she might be the last to whom a veil should be given.  A fiery pillar rose from her head to the roof of the church.  Bishop Mel said to her: "Come, holy Brigit, that a veil may be placed on your head before the other virgins." Then, it happened that, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the form of ordaining a bishop was read over Brigit.  Mac Caille, Bishop Mel's assistant, said that a bishop's rank should not be conferred on a woman.  Bishop Mel replied: "But I do not have any power in this matter.  That dignity has been given by God to Brigit, beyond every other woman." Therefore the people of Ireland from that time to this give episcopal honor to Brigit's successor." 

Wisdom of the Celtic Saints 

Edward C. Sellner

Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN, 1993

p. 71-72

Information from the first part may be found on p. 69-75.

(collage by Jan Richardson)