“ALL THINGS COME OF THEE, O LORD"

At the Offertory when there is no music, after the gifts are brought forward, the priest lifts the monetary offerings on high toward heaven, then the chalice and paten, and says, while doing so, "All things come of thee, O Lord." And the congregation responds, "And of thine own have we given thee." Prosaic language which simply means that God has given us everything and what we are doing in our offering is simply giving back a small part of all that God has given to us.

We know all that. We're no dummies. We know that God created everything – and still creates – and that we are the recipients of that creation. What is even more wonderful is that we are the greatest result of that creation. We are God's best work. And everything we are, everything about us: our ability to sing, to think, to dance, to work, to dunk a basketball – or the lack of some of those abilities – are the result of God's creating us the way God, in God’s infinite wisdom, chose to do so. (Parenthetically, that means it is God’s fault I am a klutz and can’t sing.)

And so everything we can do and everything we actually do is directly the result of what God has done, and is still doing, for us. The possessions we have, the money we earn, everything, in the final analysis do not belong to us: they're all God's. God simply puts us in charge of those talents and possessions. And so when we give away some of what is in our charge, we are not giving away something that is ultimately ours but something that is ultimately God's. We are giving back.

We know that, do we not? Nevertheless, sometimes it is so difficult to give away some of what we have accumulated because we worked so hard for it. And we did. There is no denying that. God did not simply plop the possessions into our hands. We had to use the raw materials God graced us with to earn, purchase, build up those possessions and those bank accounts.

What God calls us to be are good stewards of all that we are, all that we possesses. God also reminds us that the gifts we have been given and the ability to use those gifts well were not given to us for us alone. They were given to us to share with those who are less blessed. Why they were less blessed is unimportant and not our concern. Our concern is to share from our abundance. Moreover, they were given to us to help us become even more blessed.

When we give some of "thine own" to our church, we do so because we know the importance our church, our church family, is in our lives. We are better people because of this place and these people. We come to this place and are among these people because we are fed here – with the Eucharist, with fellowship, with education. That may sound self-serving. And it is. But unless we are fed spiritually, we die.

God blesses us so that we may live, and in so living be able to give some of what God has given to us to others. When we do so, we give life to one another and, we should not forget, to ourselves.

THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THESE IS...

When Martin Luther took the Church to task centuries ago, he did so because he knew the Church needed quite a bit of reforming. There was much corruption on the part of the leaders of the Church (the hierarchy) and much ignorance on the part of the people of the Church (the laity). It is hard to say either which party needed the most reforming or which reformation was the more difficult to do.

It would be easy to speculate that the more difficult task was to reform the hierarchy. Once one comes into power, one is very reluctant to give up that power and to change the order of that power. Self-security is a powerful incentive. History affirms that Luther's greatest opposition came from the hierarchy, so much so that he and his followers eventually split from the Church, although that was certainly not his original intention. He simply wanted to reform it.

But unless I miss my guess, in the end, the hierarchy was a piece of cake when compared to the job that needed to be done with the laity of the Church. Both reformations, clergy and laity, demanded conversion: a turning away from the old ways and turning to new ways or, certainly, back to the original ways Jesus laid out to live out our faith in him. But the fact of the matter is that no matter how much we want to make that conversion, it is never easy. Conversion/change is always difficult as each and every one of us knows from past experience.

Luther knew this. He knew the difficulty. He has experienced it in his own life, in his own conversion. He could have left well enough alone; but the situation was so bad that he could not do so even if it would cause him much pain and suffering. And it did. Reflecting on his own conversion he once observed about conversion itself. He opined: "There are three conversions necessary: the heart, the mind, and the purse." Now unless I miss my second guess, I would assert that the most difficult conversion to make is that of the purse.

Conversion of heart and mind are interior conversions. Conversion of purse is an exterior conversion.  The former leads to the latter. We can have a true change of heart and mind when it comes to matters of the pocketbook. But to put that change of heart into practice is often most difficult, the most difficult conversion to make.

We may, for instance, be intellectually convinced that we should – dare I use the word? – tithe. And we may be convinced in our hearts that that is what we want to do. But when it comes to putting pen to check, ah, that is most difficult. It is as if someone suddenly grabs are hand and makes it immobile. The mind says, "Write it!" The heart says, "It's the right thing to do." But the hand says, "I can't."

Who's in control here? Good question. I don't know why the conversion of purse is so difficult, the most difficult of all. How much is or is not in that purse does not seem to matter: Luther's followers were not wealthy. So tell me, why is the conversion of purse so, so, so difficult?

CARTER

As I write this, Arlena and I are in Baltimore at Tracy’s and DaMon’s home sitting at the kitchen table with our newest grandson, Carter, lying in his cradle, squirming around, just begging to be picked up and held. Oops, he just got his wish. But, then, how was his grandmother to resist? Infants make the strongest of people weak. They are so very weak and yet they are so very strong.

They are so dependent on others for their very survival. But, then, aren’t we all? No one of us can get through this life all on our own. Sometimes in our bouts with our ego we think we can. Sometimes when feeling down and out and put upon we wish we could. But no one can, not even Bill Gates. All the money in the world cannot buy what only the love and care of another human being, other human beings, can freely give.

As I look at Carter, as I hold him in my hands, I have to think about that. I have to remind myself that Carter needs me as much as I need him. Actually, as needy, as totally needy that he is, I need him more than he needs me. He doesn’t know that and that is fine. At this moment all he knows and all he cares about and all he needs is to be held and fed and changed. We lovingly fulfill those needs not just because he is our grandson but simply because he needs us.

As I do my small part in fulfilling Carter’s needs, at the same time he is reminding me of how blessed I am, how blessed I have been, to have had and to have so many, many, many loving people in my life who have made and who make my life so very blessed. The sad fact, for me at least, is that it sometimes takes a helpless baby to remind me to remind myself of my many blessings.

It would be wonderful if I were the exception to the rule here, but I think not. It is so easy for each one of us to forget just how blessed we are no matter what our age. I used to think it was only teenagers who took their blessings not only for granted but also believed they were their rights. But adults do too even if we are a little less obnoxious about it at times. Sometimes we can be even more so than teenagers!

Even if we have not had the best of parents, as some should never be parents, we all have been blessed to have others in our lives who have loved us and reminded us that as we have been loved, so, too, must we love in return and especially love those who at the moment cannot return that love.

Carter is indeed a blessing: God’s gift to his parents and grandparents and the rest of his immediate family. At this time in his life all he can do is accept our unconditional love. He cannot love in return, at least not intentionally. What he does do is make us thankful for the blessing of his life and remind us of just how blessed we are, not only because he has come into our lives but for all our blessings.e jusHHe

THE HUMAN RACE

The Episcopal Church has a requirement that all in a position of leadership, lay or clergy, attend an anti-racism workshop. To be honest, over the years of my ministry it has been very difficult for me to convince the leadership in the parishes I have served to attend these workshops. I have been given a multitude of reasons why attendance was a “no”: took too long (a full day and a half) and they were just too busy on the one hand to “I’m not a racist and don’t need to go”, on the other.

The truth is that the workshops are too long, in my humble estimation. I’ve taken them. The other truth is is that most of us do not consider ourselves racists and get angry when anyone might intimate that we are, especially by requiring that we attend an anti-racist workshop to help us overcome our racist mentality.

Thus, I found it quite interesting, fascinating and completely honest when one of my parishioners, in completing the registration form to attend the latest workshop, responded to the question: “Race/Ethnicity with “Human”. To read her mind, which I probably should not do but will anyway, her obvious point, at least to me, is that being asked to declare our race just might be the basis of the whole problem.

What we all have in common is that each and every one of us belongs to the human race. When we begin to name what we do not have in common – color of skin, country of origin, sexual orientation: the list is long – trouble starts. Then we begin comparing those differences as if they really make a difference. It’s as if saying a car painted blue is better than that same car painted yellow.

Yes, we are different. No two people are exactly alike. Those differences are what make this world what it is. But those differences do not make one person better than another person, one country better than another country, one skin color better than another skin color. What they do is help make us better. Because we are different one from another, have different experiences one from another, we can learn one from another, which is what we should be doing anyway, which is probably why God made us different one from another in the first place.

What we need to do, must do, is appreciate those differences and be thankful for them. What we must not do and which, unfortunately seems to be easy to do, is categorize and judge people who look alike to actually be alike when they are not. My brother Fran looks very much like me, handsome guy that he is. But even though we have very much in common, very much alike in many ways, we are still different.

We all belong to the human race. What we need do is treat one another as fellow human beings, treat them as we wish to be treated. If we did, then we would not need these anti-racism workshops to remind us that that is what we should be doing all the time.

NATURE AND NURTURE

All four of my grandparents were born and raised in Italy. They migrated to this country in the early 1900s to begin and raise their families. When others learn this about me and then discover that I do not like garlic, wine or opera, they shake their heads in disbelief. They assume, I assume, that there must be a defective gene in my makeup. Is it not the nature of an Italian to love all three? My siblings love garlic and drink a little wine now and then, but I’ve never asked them about opera. Am I the odd man out or simply odd?

Perhaps if my parents liked garlic and wine and listened to the opera on the radio when I was growing up, they might have nurtured me into loving or at least liking all three. But they did not either like or nurture or encourage. My Dad, when he was told that he had to learn to like hard liquor simply asked “Why?” Why do we have to learn to like something we don’t like, like garlic, opera or wine?

The truth is that both nature and nurture play a very big part in who we are. I naturally do not like garlic. I cannot explain why I do not like it just as I cannot explain why I do not like liver, Brussel sprouts or sushi. On the other hand, I don’t think I came out of the womb being a bleeding-heart liberal. I believe my parents nurtured me in that regard. By nature we are all born good because our Creator is good. But we can be nurtured to be bad.

Nature and nurture: is one more important than another in how we turn out as individuals? I really do not know the answer to that question and leave it to those who have professional expertise in that area of human make up and the human condition. Yet it is our fundamental nature and how we were nurtured that explain why two people looking at the same situation can have opposing opinions, sometimes diametrically opposing views.

The issue becomes even more confusing when siblings, raised in the same household, nurtured by the same parents, can be so different when it comes to likes and dislikes, to religion and politics, to, well the list is long. It is those differences that make life so fascinating and yet so difficult, so enjoyable and yet so painful. In my family it is those differences that make conversation around the dinner table loud and long and leaves my wife shaking her head because she was raised where only one conversation at a time goes on and not three or four.

Nevertheless, even if we concede the fact that we are who we are because of our nature and our nurture, that truth in and of itself, does not excuse us from doing what is inherently wrong. Not only does the devil not make me do it or say it, neither does my nature or nurture. As old as I am I can learn to like garlic, wine and the opera if I so choose to do so.

I can also learn to be more kind and caring towards those with whom I disagree. I will never understand why they believe what they believe and they will never understand me. That is always frustrating and even maddening, but it is what it is. Sometimes, sad to say, there is no happy ending other than to agree to disagree. For me that leaves a garlicky taste in my mouth.

BEING RIGHT IS SOMETIMES WRONG

There have been times in my ministry when I have been visiting a parishioner in the hospital who was very, very ill. And while I was at that person’s bedside, the doctor came in to speak to him or her. When I tried to excuse myself so that the doctor could have private time with the patient, the doctor often said, “No, Father, you can stay.” And so I stayed. What I heard when I stayed was sometimes very honest but not what I thought should have been said.

Those were the times when the doctor was brutally factual with the patient. He cut no quarters, did not soften what he said and he certainly did not tell anything but the truth. “The cancer is malignant and inoperable and you only have a few weeks to live,” he said. “The paralysis in permanent and will never be lessened.” I’ve heard others in a similar vein. None provided any hope for the patient.

As a priest I deal in hope. Without hope, we cannot go on. We will very easily simply give up if we believe all hope is lost. However, even if that hope is only a small sliver, at least it is that, and with that we can go on. When I heard those hopeless diagnoses that came from those doctors’ lips, I believed while they may have been right in what they were saying, they were wrong to say it.

Yes, we need to know the truth. But when the truth will not change anything, when the truth will not allow us to hang on waiting for a miracle, then why destroy another’s bit of hope? Not only does offering a bit of hope help the patient, it also helps the family as well. They need a bit of hope too even if they know they are really hoping against hope. It is human nature to do so.

Years ago I attended a local ministerial gathering where the featured speaker was the hospital chaplain. He said, rather bluntly, “You know, don’t you, that the doctors think we’re just a bunch of clowns.” At first I was very insulted. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to believe it was a compliment even if back-handed. For is not a clown someone who lifts up spirits, who, in truth, is a symbol of hope?

But, then, aren’t we all? Is not that one of the responsibilities we have as Christians, to be bearers of hope, to lift up spirits? Yes, there are times when we are called to tell it like it is. But there are also times when we don’t have to do so. There are times when telling the truth only makes things worse, when being right is the wrong time.

Those times don’t happen all that often, thankfully. I didn’t take the doctors to task who were brutally honest with their patients. I just wish they had not been so, that they could have found words of hope; and if they could not have done that, they could have at least understood that that moment was the wrong time to be right. There may never be a right time, but there are times when it is the wrong time to be right.

DIVINE PROVIDENCE?

A while back I received an invitation to the ordination to the priesthood of a colleague. The invitation announced that the bishop who was to do the ordaining was the bishop of that Bishop’s diocese “by Divine Providence”. I disagree. I also disagreed with another colleague who had been in the election process and was a final candidate to be called to be the bishop. When the elections results came in and he was not elected, he sent a kind email to all those who had supported and prayed for him saying that the result of the election was the result of the Holy Spirit – in other words, by Divine Providence.

As I said, I disagree on both accounts. Episcopal elections, the calling of Rectors, the choosing of the Pope, the election of the President of the United States, none of these are the result of Divine Providence. They are all the work and result of what we human beings do and not do. If we honestly and truly want to rely solely on Divine Providence in any election of any kind at any level, religious or secular, all we need do is place in a container the names of every individual qualified by age and then draw out one name. We would then conclude that the choice was the result of Divine Providence if we were believers. Non-believers might say that it was simply dumb luck.

The danger in believing that any election result is the work of Divine Providence is to conclude that everything that person then does must also be the will of Divine Providence as well. But we know better, or at least we should. I hope none of the congregations that have called/elected me to be their Rector ever thought that I knew God’s will firsthand and that everything that I said and did was in accordance with that will. I also hope they believed I was called not because it was God’s will but because I was merely the best candidate among a list of candidates. I may have also simply been the best of an extremely bad lot.

To be sure it would be wonderful if we knew what the will of God is for every decision we make. It would be even better if, knowing that will, we actually fulfilled it each and every time. But we do and we don’t. There are times when we know exactly what it is God wants us to do but we still refrain from doing it. That’s what sin is. Sin is knowing what we should do or not do and then not acting accordingly.

We in the Church really want to believe that our leaders have been specifically chosen for us by God. But we have seen our leaders do some of the most ungodly deeds – all in the name of God, of course. Somehow they must have come to believe that they were chosen by Divine Providence and not because they knew how to work the election game.

The Holy Spirit is indeed alive and well and works in deed in and through you and me. Nevertheless, we need be careful when we claim that the works we do are the works of the Holy Spirit ordered by Divine Providence. Enough damage has been done already by thinking that way and, even worse, actually believing it.