A Coat for Miss Emma!

Archdeacon Bette & Emma West

It happened at the Interfaith Collective Leaders Meeting at St. Thomas' Tuesday evening. Miss Emma West mentioned to Karen Hayward that she needed a coat. Karen and Archdeacon Bette put their heads together, but it was Karen who thought of asking Marilyn Mahan.

And the rest, as they say, is history! Marilyn had two coats she had not worn in awhile and gladly offered them. Archdeacon Bette took them to a meeting at New Light Baptist Church Thursday evening and, yes, they fit! Perfectly!

That's how it works in Interfaith and the Family of God. Thanks Karen and Marilyn! Miss West is deeply grateful.

Today's Sermon at St. Andrew's in Mer Rouge

Close Encounters of the Holy Kind

Each time I read or hear the account of the transfiguration in Luke’s Gospel (9:28-43a, NRSV), I wish I could ask the writer a question. “Well,” I would say, “which was it? Were the disciples awake or asleep when Jesus had his chat with Moses and Elijah?”

It sounds like the writer was not sure. He says they were awake, but immediately that they were heavy with sleep. But they do see Jesus blazing with light and conversing with the two most prominent prophets of the Hebrew tradition: Moses and Elijah.

By the way, I totally identify with the plight of the disciples in this story. There they are, so tired from trekking around after Jesus that they can hardly keep their eyes open for a most glorious event to transpire in front of them!

As one who falls asleep at her computer with some regularity, I am completely sympathetic! But I wonder: How often do we miss one of God’s very special moments because of weariness or everyday distractions?

 

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Interfaith at St. Thomas'

Northern & Central Louisiana Interfaith 

Collective Leaders Meeting

Monday, February 11, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

St. Thomas' Episcopal

3706 Bon Aire Dr.

Our focus is on actions in progress, including issues that surface in our October meeting at New Light Baptist Church. We will look at "next steps" for moving forward in those actions and how we can use those actions to strengthen member institutions and Interfaith.

Meeting will be chaired by Archdeacon Bette Kauffman and Deacon Verdine Williams of Little Flower of Jesus Catholic Church.

Bishop Jake's Lenten Message

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,  

Lent is rapidly approaching. Ash Wednesday falls on February 13. Just one week away. Many of you have already made plans for the Lenten journey. Some will add a Bible study. A few will take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Giving alms and doing works of mercy will be a part of your Lenten devotion.

The early Christians prepared for Baptism at the Easter Vigil during Lent. In keeping with this ancient practice, I invite you to reflect on the Baptismal Vows that you have made and that you renew each time we baptize someone. Turn to page 292 in The Book of Common Prayer and spend time at some point during Lent contemplating the Covenant that guides your walk with Christ.

The Baptismal Covenant begins with the Apostles' Creed. Reflect on your relationship with God. Is it personal? Or does God seem like an idea or a philosophical principle? How does the Creed help to map out your experience of God? Where does it confuse you or confound you?

After the Creed, we make a series of commitments about how we will live our lives:

* Following Jesus is a group project, not a solo performance. We will participate fully in the devotional life of a Jesus-following community.  

* We never promise to be perfect. But we do say that we'll fight the good fight against evil and let our failures become the occasion for growing and stretching. In other words, we aspire to the spiritual courage to admit our failings and to accept the gracious do-overs that God gives us.

* Proclaiming the Gospel is what followers of Jesus do. Words are important, but they only really work as clarifications for what we are actually doing. We are committed to doing the Gospel.

* And speaking of doing the Gospel, we understand ourselves as servants. We serve Christ, and the way we serve him is to serve each other.

* Finally, following Jesus means that we are weavers. We weave relationships of respect and nurture and love between people. We don't promise to feel deep affection for everyone we meet. Instead, we strive to remember that Jesus loves them enough to die for them and to do our best to act like it.

Schedule some time this Lent to reflect on how God is helping you to fulfill these promises. Ask yourself how you might cooperate even more fully with the gracious work that Christ has already begun in you.

Several congregations and groups have invited me to speak at their Lenten series, and I will be at St. James, Alexandria, on Ash Wednesday. Whether I am present with you in body or absent in body but with you in spiritual devotion, I look forward to spending this holy season with my Western Louisiana family.

Blessings for a holy Lent.

In Christ's Love,

  

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD

The Diocese of Western Louisiana

Presiding Bishop's Lenten Message

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, February 13, 2013. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presents a challenge in her Lent Message 2013 to pray, fast, study and give alms.

 “As you engage this Lent, I would encourage you to pray, to fast, to act in solidarity with those who go without,” she offers. “Learn more, give alms, share what you have.”

The Presiding Bishop’s video message, filmed at a park in New York City.

Isn't this Joseph's son?

Thought you might be interested in the sermon I preached today at St. Andrew's in Mer Rouge and Church of the Redeemer in Oak Ridge, La.

View from "The Precipice" at Nazareth

Today’s Gospel story (Luke 4:21-20) sounds to me like nothing so much as overheard gossip at a family reunion.. perhaps especially a family reunion here in the deep south, where family pedigree matters so much!

“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” the great aunts and uncles cluck. “I mean, the son of the carpenter? Who’d ever have thought he’d turn out like this!”

This lesson is a continuation of last Sunday’s lesson, so we know the context. Jesus has returned home to Nazareth from being baptized by John in the Jordan River and spending 40 days in the wilderness in a meet up with both the devil and God.

In Nazareth, he goes to the synagogue in keeping with custom, stands up to read from the prophet Isaiah—a passage we today categorize as one of “the servant passages”—then proceeds to claim for himself the identity of The Servant as laid out in Isaiah.

Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” he says. And the hometown community beams with pride. Everyone is amazed that the carpenter’s son speaks so well.

 

But… how quickly the clucks of surprised approval from the small-town “family” turn into murderous rage! What in the world does Jesus say in those few intervening verses that his own people go from adoring family to angry mob?

  

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Souper Bowl of Caring

Today, the youth of St.Thomas' collected $110.64 for the Refuge of Hope during our 2013 Souper Bowl of Caring fund drive. Congratulation to our young people and thank you all for your generosity!

Our collection will be reported to the national Souper Bowl of Caring website to be included in the 2013 total, but all the money will stay here for the Refuge of Hope.. For more information on the Souper Bowl, visit the website at www.souperbowl.org

In 2013

2,301 participating groups collected

$3,198,315 in cash and food items

for charities in their area