Why deacons?

...deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. 

1 Timothy 3:8-10

When I was first engaging our local Diocesan School for Ministry, I had the blessing of traveling to and from the courses in Titusville with two faithful and inspiring persons, John and Kathleen. At the time, both were ordered deacons in our church (though Kathleen went on to be ordained a priest). They shared beautiful stories about the history of the Episcopal Church in Erie, spoke of the challenges of balancing family and ministry, and sparked attention to the needs of the community. Many times, our dialogue burst with joy and laughter, as their senses of humor, though different from my own, tickled my imagination; other times, their perceptions of the needs of the marginalized and underserved in our community moved tears to flow.

While John has since passed on, and my connections to Kathleen are fewer and farther between, they both seeded an appreciation of the deacons for their ministry. In the ordination liturgy for deacons, we recognize that the deacons perform a very special function in the life of the church. In many ways, to paraphrase Shakespeare's Hamlet, they hold up a mirror to all of us so that we can see all of ourselves; not solely the healthy and wealthy but also the the sick, the poor, the helpless in our midst, and remind us that our alms and efforts must be to address their needs.

Often we are certain we know that there are needs in our community, though we seldom ask those in need how we can help. We diagnose the situation from a distance, assess our own abilities and willingness to respond to the challenges others face, but doing so when it is convenient to ourselves. Recently a church wanted to address the needs that elementary school students had in doing their homework for class. For many families, with working parents, the adults may not have the time, energy, or education themselves to facilitate their children's learning. Members of this church developed a Saturday morning program to help tutor children. They had many members who signed up on Saturday mornings, when their schedules were most free, they purchased materials, created a welcoming environment in their Sunday school rooms, and they sent flyers to the elementary schools, hoping that the parents would send their children for this free outreach.

While hundreds of flyers went out, less than ten students came to the first tutoring session. The members of the congregation were disappointed, frustrated, and dismayed. They felt that either the schools didn't promote the program or that the families themselves didn't feel it worth their time. After several weeks, fewer church members agreed to be involved, and, with the waning enthusiasm, the program was ended.

A deacon in the parish shared that they knew this is what would happen. The deacon had been in contact with several of the parents in the neighborhood, and had listened to them. The parents shared that many of them had several children living in households, and that Saturday mornings were not only a chance for the children to sleep in, but also they were able to watch one another, while parents could work weekend hours (often for increased wages). What they really needed was an afterschool program, bridging the gap between the end of the school day and the end of the workday. They certainly had need, but the church had not attended to the expressed need; rather, they based their involvement on their own desires and schedules.

A deacon is empowered to be the honest voice in the room. They are called by God, not only to assist in the liturgical and teaching functions of a congregation, but also to be the honest gut-punch to the church. Sometimes their honesty is inconvenient, even offensively challenging, especially to other ministers and church leaders who believe they know best. Still, the calling of these special servants of God and of humanity allows our congregations to better be the hands, feet, voice, and heart of Christ in our communities and in our world.

In Acts we read that the ordering of the diaconal servant ministry was not a subservient task creation. It was an affirmation of individuals, dedicated to faithful study and rigorous prayer, sharing the Word through action and engagement. Their presence and inspiration pleased the faithful, the Word of God increased, and the numbers of faithful disciples grew exponentially. Their work also helped for priests to be more obedient in their ordination to preach, teach, and lead in authentic worship of God and Christ.

This is why the diaconal ministry exists, and this is why denominations like the Episcopal Church need to facilitate those who believe they are called to this essential order.

A Pre-Post Pandemic Post

O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.

- Psalm 28:6

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Fairview, Pennsylvania, has been gathering in cars and on our lawn since last summer, and last weekend we had our first indoor service in the church sanctuary. We had been attentive to the expressed needs of the congregation, even surveying our membership to see what their comfort levels were, what their liturgical desires were, and how the would be most comfortable engaging liturgical services safely. Christmas Eve brought well attended parking lot in car services, and Easter had our first sharing of pre-consecrated Holy Communion, a much wanted component for most if not all catholic churches. When the weather cleared, we restarted our outdoor services on our beautiful north lawn, with shade from our trees and from the shadow of the church's steeple.

However, there were voices that were self-silenced, and the positive experiences of others may have prompted them to finally express the challenges they were facing. Many were more mature members who were uncomfortable with either the in cars or outside gatherings. While it was nice to see other church members parked next to one another, it wasn't always as easy to feel as if one was in prayer while in a car seat. Although the outdoor services were wonderfully received by many, to some it was difficult to manage walking on grass with a folding chair in hand. These wonderful individuals who were not participating in our accommodation services finally shared, after a year, their reservations and their disappointments. As our community has seen noted low levels of reported infections, and as many of our congregants have been immunized, they finally and pointedly expressed their needs for in person / in church worship.

So finally, on July 4, we were able to celebrate Independence Day with our own assertion of independence from the pandemic restrictions, and held our first indoor service since March of 2020. We entered through our parish hall, sanitized, took our worship bulletins, and safely sat, with distance, in our well ventilated sanctuary. We affirmed our relationships, face to face and smile to smile, and we shared in a spoken Holy Eucharist that honored both our faith and our national heritage. We heard the beautiful readings appointed for the day, recognized our cultural accomplishments, acknowledged our national sins, and smiled with hope as we imagined our world guided by our Gospel principles of love of God and love of one another. We shared our prayers, our thanksgiving, the breaking of the bread, and the reception of our Holy Communion. And once again, we prayed to be sent forth to do the work God has given us to do.

And while there were less than fifteen of us gathered, the voices sharing praise and prayer in unison, filled the sanctuary and broke the silence of the past year. Our voices were faithful, good, and true, and smiles grew larger and eyes filled with tears. We imagined what our Hebrew ancestors may have felt in being kept from their Temple for decades. We considered what disciples must have felt during those three days of emptiness between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. We recognized our own Christian hope, as an Advent people, in that space between Christ's presence and Christ's return.

And we were were thankful to know God's glorious presence in God's dwelling; deeply thankful to be together again in the house of God.

God Is (Strangely) With Us

Lord, you now have set your servant free 

    to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,     whom you have prepared for all the world to see:A Light to enlighten the nations,     and the glory of your people Israel.

Luke 2: 29-32

Sometimes the things done in our faith traditions are absolutely bizarre. And while modernism and relevance have certainly tempered our practices, we still engage ancient texts and rituals which may not make any sense to others…or even to ourselves.

Take, for example, the purification rituals that many in our Christian churches will be recalling this weekend in our Sunday readings. “The Presentation of Our Lord,” or the atonement ritual that Jesus’ parents shared after his bris, or circumcision, is what we commemorate this weekend. Because Jesus was Joseph and Mary’s firstborn son, he was presented for purification in the Temple in Jerusalem. They participated in this experience as many had done before, asserting that they were in a long line of faithful families who loved God and sought both blessing and reconciliation for any actions which cause separation from God or from one another. There were sacrifices, and blood, and prayers, all of which would seem very strange to us today.

While this ceremony was happening, Simeon, whose constant presence in the Temple and devotion to God showed his own faith and desire to one day see God’s anointed, along with Anna, a wizened prophet and lover of God, saw and recognized in this child Jesus something special, something new, something extraordinary. They saw that in spite of the challenges, oppressive powers, and seeming distance of God from God’s people, there was, in the face of this child and in the faith they affirmed, the salvation of all peoples, the righting of the universe, a light in darkness for the faithful of Israel as well as those who live beyond that faith, a promise of God’s presence in God’s own creation.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to see that the God of our Creation is present, is calling us to care, has provided us with all we need. However, when we do see and recognize that we have been and continued to be gifted with the divine presence in all, we can both take comfort as well as share that Good News with others: God is with us.

Glenn Close's Golden Moment 2019

"I feel what I learned through this whole experience . . . we are women and nurturers . . . we have our children, and our husbands if we are lucky enough, our partners, whoever. But we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams." - Glenn Close

Glenn Close's Golden Globe award acceptance speech was a strong reminder of the importance of recognizing where we have been, where we are, and where we, one day, may be. It wasn't angry, it wasn't aggressive, but it was also not accommodating or aloof. She spoke of her mother, and they way she had spent much of her life sublimated to her father.

It is difficult to either be eclipsed or to allow one's self to be eclipsed by the work or reputation of a partner. During my wife's mayoral campaign, I was often the spouse on the sidelines, and frequently asked to place a phone call, send an email, look up a statistic, all to help support the work she was doing as a candidate. It was wonderfully humbling to be on the sidelines helping to support her endeavor. But it was always my own choice. In Close's mother's situation, and in many situations, such as that of the character Close played in The Wife, for which she won her award, the individual is not given the public recognition for the work they do.

If our work is an outward manifestation or evidence of our creative productivity, it is essential that it receives affirmation. The affirmation and recognition is more than a pat on the back or a round of applause; it affirms our gifts and our industry. We own our dreams and desires, and we are proud that they take form in our work, and we deserve to have that work appreciated, if not lauded.

It is equally important that we recognize that for years, great minds and great leaders have often eclipsed the extraordinary support work that have given them visibility and voice. Unsung heroes, supernumeraries in the wings, special teams on the sidelines - all have contributed to the success of others. Sometimes we play those roles ourselves, forming a solid stage on which another individual can share their talents.

Ms. Close's comments were powerfully moving - they affirmed that for centuries, gender has not always had equitable recognition. Still, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, if bestowing this award on her for this role, is saying something specific about the value of those in the shadows of others. It also brings to center stage the importance of appreciation for all of those who work tirelessly on behalf of others.

Síochán leat

"Peace be with you," in the Irish language. Recently, my family and friends from the Erie Playhouse had an opportunity to share our award-winning production of THE GLORIOUS ONES with our friends of the Dungarvan Dramatic Club in Waterford County, southeast Ireland. I found myself wishing old friends and new acquaintances "peace," in their homes, in the work, in their creating, and in our time spent together.

Síochán leat. The wishing of another "peace" is a universal greeting, parting, and well wish. My Arabic students greet me with Salaam alaikum, "Peace be upon you." In our Christian Eucharistic liturgy, we greet one another with the phrase "Peace be with you," and respond with "And also with you" or "and with your spirit. These are the words that Jesus used to greet his friends during his resurrection appearances, and words that should have a sacred and honored sincerity each time they are uttered.

The extension of peace, though, is not always a concrete wish. In point of fact, by our actions and by our words, we often are not invoking a sense of calm or ground, but a sense of anxiety, conflict, and tension. Many of our prayers for peace are empty, as we actually wish ill upon one another. Can you imagine if you were greeted, or you greeted someone yourself, with "Pain be with you." or "Anxiety be upon you." or "Hatred be with you."

We disciples of Christ are in the world, but not of the world, says Paul. We recognize the hypocrisy and disingenuous psyches of individuals and institutions around us. But we need not adopt or employ such negative tactics in our own interactions and relationships. In fact, we are called to imitate Christ, to reach out to those with whom we may disagree, or to those who may harbor ill will towards us and those we love. And we are to wish them peace.

So to those who are intolerant, unwelcoming, voluntarily ignorant of the millennia of Christian teachings on שָׁלוֹם, or ειρήνη, or pax, or peace, I say to you:

Síochán leat.

Salaam alaikum.

Peace be with you.

In the Peace of Christ,
Fr. Shawn

The start of a new chapter...

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.’

I Samuel 3:11

I have always loved novelty and change. As a child, I enjoyed new toys, new games, new houses. I loved new television shows, especially new cartoons at the beginning of each new season (Does anyone else remember watching the Saturday morning preview promotional shows that whetted our appetites for the new Josie and the Pussycats or Star Trek cartoons?).

So it is not surprising that I am giddy about my new appointment as vicar of St. Stephen's in Fairview, Pennsylvania. It is a congregation in West Erie County with a strong tradition. Founded in 1964 by faithful families that were also looking to initiate a something new: an Episcopal presence and ministry in a growing community. It is a church with a strong history of commitment to authentic and engaging ministry (the architectural style has a Virginia flavor with an emphasis on congregational participation), a desire to be vital in the township (with a newly initiated community garden), and a love of children and their teaching/learning (housing one of the areas most respected and loved pre-school programs).

The first scripture on my first Sunday at St. Stephen's is the reading from I Samuel where he is called by God in the midst of transition to an unknown future. While God expresses anger with the way his people are living their lives (which is not a characteristic of St. Stephen's), he also affirms that Samuel is gifted with attributes, talents, and passions which will help his household and community to weather the changes that they would encounter.

My prayer, as I start this next chapter in my priestly ministry, is that my attributes, talents, and passions will help inspire the good people of St. Stephen's to embrace their various ministries and do the good work that God has given them (and me) to do. I look forward to our new relationship and to the exciting days to come.

Peace in Christ,
Fr. Shawn

The War on Lent

“The War on Christmas” is a ruse – there are more Christmas lights, more Christmas greetings, and more Christmas celebrations every year. And while Christians, and those who appropriate Christianity for personal gain, cry out that secularism has stripped Christmas of Christ, the only sane response to the allegation is, “Bah! Humbug!”

The real war is the “War on Lent.” For centuries, faithful Christians have taken the forty-days and forty-nights from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday to be a time of sincere and deep self-examination. Unfortunately, the season has been written out of some traditions and practice (“It’s too serious.”), or has become a website pop-up survey (“Which of the following do you do during Lent? A. Read the Bible B. Replace beef with haddock. C. Swear less. D. Other”).

Lent demands the seriousness of looking into a mirror and being honest with ourselves. It needs more than a buffet of giving up and taking on of novel actions. Christians don’t always seize the blessings of a season that invites us to remove the mask and shed the armor of religious hedonism, and view ourselves through the eyes of God who has gifted us with gifts we don’t employ: empathy, sympathy, generosity, and love.

My Jewish friends take the period of penitence from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur extraordinarily seriously. My Muslim friends enter the month of Ramadan with a piety that is worth emulating. If we Christians honestly took the time to examine how our actions affirmed our love of God and the love for our fellow humans, imagine the hope, peace, and justice that would be released into our lives, our homes, our communities, and our world.

In the War on Lent, for Christians, our only enemy is ourselves; and we are an adversary worth confronting, knowing that the battle waged will end in our triumphant reconciliation with our Creator and with one another.

With compassion and mercy, let us love and serve the Lord.

Fr. Shawn+