This is Our Story


It is classically understood from Dom Gregory Dix’s treatise, The Shape of the Liturgy, that Eucharist consists of a fourfold action consisting of an offertory (of bread and wine), prayers (the celebrant gives thanks to God), the fraction (where the bread is broken), and the communion (where bread and wine are distributed).  Eucharist is an action in which the four orders of bishop, priest, deacon, and laity come together with Jesus as He offers Himself as a sacrifice to the Church.  This is not a “re-sacrifice” of Christ, but rather the original sacrifice of Christ is somehow made present.  In other words, there is an “indissoluble unity of the Eucharist with the sacrifice of Christ...”  In this action the Church not only becomes one with her Lord, but the members also declare unity among themselves (hence, the term, “Communion”).  In this action, the Church offers herself as a sacrifice in Eucharist to become the sacrificed body of Christ to the world.  Finally, the act of Eucharist not only binds the Church with Christ’s sacrifice in the past, but it also draws the Church to the very throne and Kingdom of God made present at Eucharist.
~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma


If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to: gghaas@aol.com, or drop the question in the offering basin. Please note whether we can credit you as the source of the question.

Scripture
Mark 6 30-46 New King James Version
 
Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
 
Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
 
Meditation
 
Growing up in the Episcopal Church, this is one of the first of Jesus' miracles that I remember being taught in Sunday School. The scripture passage before this one is of the Disciples collecting the body of John the Baptist to rest in a tomb. Now, the Disciples want to rest but was stopped by a large mass of people wanting to see, hear, and learn from Jesus. Jesus then taught the masses, but they were hungry, and the Disciples did not have enough food to go around. The Disciples found what bread and fish they had and brought it to Jesus who proceeded to use the five loafs and two fish to feed the five thousand people that came.
 
This passage has always reminded me of a lesson about tithing. There is this old man that has just pennies to his name, he could barely buy his own food, but every Sunday he would toss in what he had left into the offering plate. The priest would ask, "why are you giving up all you have left to the offering every Sunday?" The man responds, "I know it is just 5 or 10 cents, but through my belief in Jesus, he can use those 5 or 10 cents to create $1000s for his church." No matter how little this man had, his belief in Jesus led him to know that Jesus could multiply whatever he gave, so that the church could do many great things.    
 
When you think about this lesson, you should think about the great things that Jesus did with so little. Jesus fed 5000 men and women with just 5 fish and 2 loafs. Now, think of what Jesus could do with an extra $1 or $5 in the offering plate every week. How many people could our church feed, save, or heal? The miracles, just like this one, not only show us to believe in Jesus, but they can show us how to live our lives like Jesus. Sure, some of us could go out and just buy everything we need to feed the 5000, but that is not an option for all. By putting our faith, trust, and belief in Jesus, even the little old man that gave 5 or 10 cents could feed the 5000.     
   
Prayer
 
Lord, I pray that you help me teach the world about your miracles. I pray that you continue to perform miracles just like feeding the 5000 men and women and I pray that you use whatever I can give, whether it is $1 or $1000, to feed the 5000 men and women.  Amen.

 
 
 
 
Jason Seabolt – Jason has been attending St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for approximately five years.  He is a lifelong Episcopalian having been baptized and confirmed at St. John's Episcopal Church in Vinita, Oklahoma. He is an attorney practicing in the area of Real Property, Wills and Trusts, Probate, Oil and Gas, and Contract Litigation at his own law practice, Jason S. Seabolt, P.L.L.C., since 2016. In his free time, he can be found cooking Greek dinners, golfing, fishing, laying in his hammock or, on Saturdays in the fall, Jason can be spotted at Memorial Stadium in Norman or hosting friends and family during Sooner away games.

This is Our Story


Today, Lent’s fourth Sunday, is called Laetare.  Like Advent’s third Sunday(Gaudete), it is a break in a penitential season.  These Sundays’ vestments are rose in color, a symbol of joy in the middle of a somber season.  The name, Laetare, is translated  “Rejoice”, and it is the introit’s opening word assigned to this Sunday, i.e. “Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her...”.  It is also known in England as Mothering Sunday and is celebrated similar to our Mothers’ Day.  Spring bulbs are given to mothers, and simnel cakes (from the Latin simila, a high grade flour) are baked on this Sunday.  A visit to one’s cathedral, or “mother” church, is another reason for the name.   The Sunday is also called Refreshment Sunday, since it provides a refreshing break halfway through Lent’s penitential themes.  In France, it is call Mid-Lent Sunday (mi-carême).  Finally, it can be called Rose Sunday, both because of its liturgical color and also because of the golden roses sent by popes to Catholic sovereigns on this Sunday.  Dissimilar to other Lenten Sundays, Anglican churches place flowers on the high altar, and the organ is played as a solo instrument. 
~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to: gghaas@aol.com, or drop the question in the offering basin. Please note whether we can credit you as the source of the question.

Scripture

Mark 4:1-20
 
Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.  Mark 4:8

Meditation 

My youngest son and I read the book, Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes, by Bruce Koscielniak, many times. In the story, Bunny gardens by tossing his seeds onto the ground. He has high expectations for a great crop. Bear is a meticulous gardener and prepares his soil, removing rocks, pulling weeds, carefully watering, and staking his plants, and chasing away anything that might try to get into his crop. 
We would laugh because we thought gardening to be easy, but often like Bunny our weeds seemed to grow better than what we had planted. In the end, Bear offers some of his extra tomatoes to his fellow gardener, Bunny. We always giggled when Bunny responded, “ Thank you, I do have a tomato garden. I just can’t find it.”
I used to struggle with this parable, but as I have become a better gardener it seems to make more sense. Just like gardens, relationships must be tended. Those who truly spend time getting to know Jesus, harvest the fruits of that relationship. They are able to share joy and love with others, because they have extra to spare. 
 
Prayer
Lord, with your help I want to cultivate a deep relationship, so that the fruits of knowing you can be a blessing to others.
 
 
Valerie Hall - Valerie began attending Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2016 and married former Vestry member Mike Hall in 2017. Together they have four children, and have rescued and adopted numerous furry children.

This is Our Story


As a priest dons his/her stole, the cross on the stole’s neckpiece is kissed acknowledging the yoke of Christ - the yoke of service.  A bishop’s stole hangs straight down allowing space for a pectoral cross to be symbolically close to the bishop’s heart.  From the seventh century until the reforms of Vatican II, a priest’s stole crossed the chest (right arm of the stole over the left), and the position of the stole visually separated priests from bishops.  In this paradigm, when a deacon was ordained to the priesthood, the ordaining bishop would swing the stole which was crossed on the former deacon’s right side to where the stole’s arms crossed over the newly ordained priest’s heart.  The reforms of Vatican II stated, “The stole is worn by the priest around his neck and hanging down in front.”  Some theologians have argued that this canon does not prohibit a priest from crossing the stole, and a crossed stole may be an attractive “fill-in” in lieu of a pectoral cross.  Anglican theologians argue that whether the stole is crossed or hanging down in front is a matter of personal preference.
~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to: gghaas@aol.com. Please note whether we can credit you as the source of the question.

Fr. Tony Moon, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
​Second Sunday in Lent, 2022
Luke 13:31-35
 
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
Recently, my wife Marian and I were talking with an IT professional who was doing a repair on our internet router. He summarized the situation in a few sentences and asked if we understood. Marian immediately replied in a succinct way, and was actually speaking for the both of us when she said, “I know you were speaking English, but beyond that I have no idea what you said.”
 
Upon my first reading of today’s Gospel, I felt much the same way: I know this is in English… but what did it say?  And so, let’s  take a little time and effort to get to the core messages of this reading.
 
Luke’s reading begins right off with a bit of a mystery! Some Pharisees are warning Jesus that Herod wants to kill him. Weren’t the Pharisees generally antagonistic towards Jesus? Well, yes they were… generally. But there may have been some who were more positively inclined towards him. Some, we might recall, even invited him to their homes for dinner… although that usually didn’t turn out well for them. But we do find in the Book of Acts where some Pharisees became Christians. So, let’s assume that these warning Pharisees were some whom Jesus had influenced in his ways of humility and love. It’s also possible that, in truth, Herod did not want to kill Jesus, since Herod had the opportunity to condemn Jesus during his passion, but rejected that option.
 
Jesus’ response to these Pharisees, and actually his response to Herod’s threat, may only appear brash, but what he said tells us a lot about Jesus’ ministry. “Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow and on the third day I will finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.
 
This response, this statement, is a reflection of Jesus’ life and of his mission. It tells us about the tragic role Jerusalem plays in the life of Jesus and other prophets when Jesus says he wants to get away from Jerusalem in order to live! And, it does more… this passage invites Christians today to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ life and death, and on the role we play in continuing Jesus’ mission.[1]
 
Regardless if we solve the two mysteries that were first posed: The motivation of the Pharisees and Herod’s intent, Jesus uses this threat to clarify his mission when he says he is “casting out demons and performing cures.” The significance of casting out demons for Jesus’ ministry is stated in an earlier passage by St. Luke, where Jesus says, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” Casting out demons is part of Jesus’ battle against evil and so it is a part of his establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth. In other words, when Jesus removes a “demon” (whatever that ailment may be), he is doing that by God; God has placed his finger on us, placed his Spirit upon us—and, when God has touched us, we have been welcomed into God’s Kingdom.
 
In addition to casting out evil, Jesus also names performing cures as another part of His mission. Also quoted in an earlier portion of Luke’s Gospel (and recently heard proclaimed here in this church only two weeks ago), Jesus says he is here “to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.” –another statement of releasing us from whatever inhibits us spiritually, thereby establishing God’s Kingdom here on earth.
 
Jesus makes it clear that Herod has no control over him when he says that he will be active in his mission “today and tomorrow and the next day.” Jesus is not backing away from his mission because of a threat. He will stay focused on his mission—he will stay calm and carry on! He will not be deterred. And, to us, with centuries of hindsight, when Jesus adds, “on the third day I will finish my work,” we might assume that Jesus is talking about his resurrection. If this is the case, Jesus is also telling us that he is not separating his ministry into two distinct segments: The ministry of his life on earth, and the ministry of his death and resurrection. Jesus integrates his life and death into his ministry. Regardless, all of this—Jesus’ ministry in his life and in his death—is all about establishing the Kingdom of God. This is Jesus’ ministry and his mission.
 
The last time I talked with you a couple weeks ago, I spoke about the Christ Project—a name I love for the work we do in the Name of Christ, the work of continuing and furthering Jesus’ own ministry. This Project is about our being a part of the Body of Christ; it is about our continuing to build the Kingdom of God here on earth. The Christ Project began with the ministry of Jesus and now includes our efforts as we go about replicating and extending Jesus’ work of forgiving and healing, loving and proclaiming God’s Good News by word and deed. No one prior to the life of Jesus Christ held this mission. It is said that if Jesus had not lived, we could not have created a character like this. That speaks to just how unique Jesus is, just how unique his role is in our world, and just how unique Jesus’ role is in building God’s Kingdom.
 
Especially in this season of Lent, we remember Jesus’ days as he prepared himself to face the cross. At this time, we prepare ourselves to experience the cross of Jesus, but we also prepare ourselves to encounter our own cross. The cross we bear may be something difficult in our lives that is on-going, something that weighs on us, but is a cross we share with Jesus as we talk with him, pray to him, lifting up our cross and asking for help to carry it. Or, it may be a self-imposed, temporary cross we bear only during this Lenten season, taking the familiar form of giving up something or taking on something. This cross may be burdensome, but for most of us it’s a little Lenten cross that serves as an inconvenience or irritation to remind us of Jesus’ cross. Giving up coffee or chocolates or sodas; giving up TV or eating out might fall in to this category. Taking on a little extra daily prayer time, or an extra effort at forgiving or helping might also be included in our Lenten observance. Hopefully, we are lifting up our Lenten cross and talking with Jesus about this and not taking these things on alone as some kind of self-improvement project.
 
Two quick Lenten stories from my youth: Growing up Roman Catholic, Lent was usually a difficult journey for me as a little boy—that may have had to do with some kind of unrealistic expectation of achieving perfection. I especially remember two Lenten observances that stand out to me. Looking back on it, one was kind of humorous, while the second seems like a holy time. The humorous Lenten observance was when I decided that I would not shoot my little brother’s BB gun throughout Lent. This has the hallmark of humor right off because the gun, given to my younger brother, never worked right. If you held the rifle upwards, it would push out the BB. But, if you held the rifle downward, the BB would only disappointingly roll out the end of barrel. Still, shooting the BB gun lived large in my life, and silly as it sounds now, it was a large surrender that I gave it up for Lent. That was until Holy Saturday …the day before Easter… when I just couldn’t bear it anymore and I grabbed that broken BB gun on a warm afternoon of a glorious spring day, and holding that barrel high, I pulled that trigger and ended my Lenten observance… and I felt terrible! I felt so guilty! I was so close to the finish line, and I just couldn’t help myself! And yet, here I am nearly 60 years later vividly recalling that Lent. I didn’t know it at the time, but I learned quite a lesson about self-discipline that day.
 
The other story is of the same BB gun shooting little boy only a few years later when, in the seventh grade, I took on the Lenten discipline of attending daily evening Mass. I had completed Catholic grade school, and was attending the local public junior high school. My folks owned and operated a floral shop in our small town, and every day, I’d go out with our beloved employee, Ruby, to deliver flowers. At the end of our deliveries, Ruby would drop me by the church for daily 5:00 o’clock Mass. There were usually only four or five of us in attendance, so for me, it was a quiet and solemn time of contemplation and reflection there at church as well as on my two-mile walk home. It felt like a holy time that I didn’t pursue but was gifted to me. This particular Lent was formative in my Christian faith, a time that opened a door for me to lead to a more serious life in Christ and in the church; a time that seemed to validate a path of contemplative reflection.
 
I believe that Lent is a time that we can stop and ask, “How am I encountering the cross? Am I embracing the cross of Jesus not only in what I give up but also in how I give that up—not begrudgingly—but freely, with hands open, with freedom in my heart? Am I dying to my self as a way of honoring this mission of Jesus? Do I experience this release as contributing to establishing God’s Kingdom here on earth? In other words, can I truly count myself as actively supporting the Christ Project?” Or, “Am I fearfully or distractedly avoiding the work of Jesus today, tomorrow and the next day?” These days of Lent are days of slowing ourselves to listen to the Holy Spirit, and to make decisions to grow our lives in Christ—and grow the Kingdom of God.
 
Amen.


[1] Working Preacher, Scott Shauf (Associate Professor, Religious Studies, Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC.)

 
 
 Scripture
Mark 1:29-45
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues, and driving out demons.
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
 Meditation
There is a common theme in these stories from Mark's gospel. In each story, people sought Jesus. People who were sick, cast out, and who were worried about those they loved asked Jesus for help and healing. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed and needed healing. Her family sought Jesus. The people who lived nearby brought their friends and family to Jesus for healing and deliverance. The man with leprosy came and begged Jesus to heal him. Each time, Jesus stopped, listened, and answered the calls for help. Each time, he showed compassion, care, and love.


These past two years have been challenging. Many of us have faced illness, loss of jobs, uncertainty, worry, and even the loss of loved ones. Many of us are still in the midst of deep challenges in life. Like our brothers and sisters in these scripture passages, we can call out to Jesus for help, comfort, and healing. We can cry out in despair and need. And just like he did in these stories, Jesus will stop, listen to our cries, and answer our calls for help. He deeply loves and cares for us. His help and presence are as close as our prayer, our whisper, even as close as our very breath. He is right here, already tending to us with deep love. Rest in His loving care.


Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for caring. Thank you for being as close as our breath. Even when we do not know how to pray, thank you for answering us, just as faithfully as you answered the people in scripture. Help us to remember your love and experience your presence. Amen.

 
 
 
Brad Davidson. - Bradley Davidson, PhD is a personal and executive coach, spiritual director and a small group and retreat leader. He has attended St. Augustine’s for several years and was confirmed in 2021. His partner, Anthony, serves as the pastor for children and youth at a local Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation. Brad’s favorite pastimes include playing the piano, reading, and writing.

This is Our Story


            A Saint’s feast’s celebration is sometimes extended.  A novena (Latin, “nine”) is nine days of devotion preceding a feast, particularly Pentecost (memorializing the days of communal prayer for the Holy Spirit by the disciples and Mary described in Acts).   An octave (Latin, eighth) is the celebration of a feast for eight days beginning with the feast itself.  Our Book of Common Prayer does not mention the word “octave”.  However, there are propers for each of the weekdays of Easter Week which may be likened to an octave.  An eve or vigil occurs on the evening before a feast, and our Book of Common Prayer provides directions for vigils of Easter, Pentecost, and burials.  Easter Vigils began in the second century when baptismal candidates listened all night to readings.  At cockcrow on Easter Day, the candidates were baptized.  Our Book of Occasional Services provides forms for vigils of Christmas, the Baptism of our Lord, New Year’s (feast of the Holy Name), All Saints’ Day, and baptism.  The 1662 Prayer Book listed 16 feasts to be preceded by a vigil.  Early evening prayers are called vespers (Latin, evening).  In the context of a feast, a feast’s vespers are prayers offered the evening of a feast.  
Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to: gghaas@aol.com. Please note whether we can credit you as the source of the question.

Sunday, February 27, 2022
Feast of the Transfiguration
Luke 9:28-36
 
We all evolve. Babies become toddlers. Toddlers become preschoolers. Pre-schoolers become children, and children become adolescents. Adolescents become adults. And the changes don’t stop there. Early adulthood, middle adulthood, old age: all are marked by changes and evolution. As we encounter these “required” patterns of evolving, we each engage our unique changes, too. Sometimes, bankers become artists; managers become salespeople; carpenters become actors; and hairstylists become realtors. Young men and women often become dads and moms. Dads and moms become grandparents, and maybe great-grandparents. It seems that God has blessed us with ever evolving change and wonder at every turn. We spend our childhood dreaming of what we can become when we get older. And often, most of us continue that dreaming into our adult years—some of us are ever evolving in different ways. This reminds me of a wise little boy I read about, who, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, simply replied, “Kind.”[1]
 
In today’s Gospel lesson, we hear of Jesus encountering a great change. Perhaps this was part of Jesus’ own evolutionary path. Jesus takes his close friends and followers, Peter and the brothers, James and John, with him up a mountain. There, while praying, Jesus’ face becomes illumined, and his clothes turn brilliant white. Jesus’ companions see this, and they see representations of the law and the prophets flanking Jesus, the law-giver, Moses, and the prophet, Elijah, speaking with Jesus. In this transfiguration, it’s as though Jesus had shifted from his physical presence—his human being—into his Godly being—an energetic being, one of light and energy. Perhaps we can’t really imagine the fear-inducing thrill of seeing this transfiguration, but we completely understand when Peter approaches Jesus, wanting to stay in that moment, suggesting that they build tents to stay at this sacred site. While Peter is petitioning Jesus, we are told that a cloud came over them, engulfing them, and they were terrified as they entered that cloud. It is then that God speaks to all, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” We know that Jesus rejects the idea of staying put, Jesus rejects the idea of remaining static in that moment—even if that were possible, and moves them on ahead, pushes them to evolve as his followers, pushes them not to remain static in some transfixed state, but instead pushes them to be about his mission of healing, preaching and teaching. Jesus pushes his followers to be about the work of bringing the people of the earth closer to living in God’s Kingdom here on earth.
 
I do not know for sure, and I doubt that anyone can be sure what this event of the transfiguration did to Jesus or for Jesus. But I think we can imagine that it caused an even greater solidification of Jesus’ mission and focus within him—likely similar to when he was baptized and we also heard God’s voice acknowledging Jesus. As observers, it undoubtedly had a profound effect on Peter, James and John. Imagine, if you or I were there, following the Jesus we love, and we witnessed something so spectacular, so miraculous as this transfiguration event, I’m sure this would have profoundly affected us. It would undoubtedly make me even more certain that Jesus was God’s chosen, the Messiah, and make me certain that my following Jesus was the most on-track, on-purpose, the most important thing I ever had done or ever could do in my life. Wouldn’t you agree that if you and I were there together, witnessing this miraculous occurrence, that you would feel the same way? …that your following Jesus was the most on-track, on-purpose thing—the most important thing you’d ever done or ever could hope to do with your life? It seems like a most reasonable assumption.
 
I think that, like Peter, we’d also have surely pressed Jesus to let us remain there with him, build little homes there for us, so the miracle of his transfiguring could be relived in our memories every day for the rest of our lives. And, also, without a doubt, I’m sure you will agree, that Jesus would reject our idea and press us forward to do ministry rather than bask in his glory—to do ministry that would benefit untold numbers and spread God’s Kingdom in this organic and growing way, changing lives, changing the world. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see how these two diverging paths—one static, one evolving—would play out.
 
But we weren’t there. We didn’t witness this first-hand, but we do witness this in a different way. We witness the transfiguration through the eyes of the Gospel writers, through our reading and through our God-given imaginations; we witness along with and through millions of devoted Christians down through the ages. If the transfiguration were the only thing unusual that ever happened with Jesus, we might dismiss it. But we include the transfiguration in with so many other miracle stories from Jesus’ life. And we have faith that Jesus is God’s own, is God, is divine and completely capable of shifting and evolving in the way we read about today.
 
I love the “let’s build tiny houses here!” aspect of this story. A story of unearthliness is transformed into a very human story with this simple request. But Jesus started a work here on earth, to bring people to God, to introduce a way of living in God that completely contradicted the way of living in domination and fear. Jesus introduced a way of being in peace and love; a way that honored all people, all people! This was a work that needed to be continued. This work that Jesus began is one that needs to be evolved into works even beyond what Jesus initiated.
 
You and I will likely never transfigure in the same way that Jesus did—but we can pick up Jesus’ work, become his body here on earth, and transfigure the Body of Christ into the next phase. We can continue and prosper his work. I did not coin the term, but I call this the “Christ Project.” This Project does the work of including and honoring, forgiving and loving—of loving God, loving others and loving ourselves, just as Jesus commanded. This work includes serving. It does not require a theology degree—it’s pretty simple really. And in the process, greatness in the eyes of our Lord can be achieved. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
 
The Christ Project is on-going and hopefully evolving. Of course, as with any project, it can succeed or it can fail. My deepest hope for humanity is that the Christ Project succeeds—and we must realize that its success is not guaranteed by God. The success of Christ’s work here on earth, the work of love overcoming hatred in all its forms is not guaranteed by God because God gave us freewill to succeed or fail in everything we do. I know that God will support and encourage us in this work, but God will not force us to take it on. Even in this phenomenally important work of loving, God remains gentle and patient, even if failure of the Christ Project would be cataclysmically devastating for the people of the world. The success of Christ’s project of bringing heaven to earth depends on us, on Christ’s followers to bring Jesus’ vision, God’s vision for the world into being. And while theology degrees are not required, being able to articulate our faith, to say what we believe, to know the life of Christ and what he taught is important. Knowing these things can give us a good foundation for furthering God’s Kingdom, for clearly understanding and living our mission, helping us grow in wisdom, compassion and love. If some of this seems mysterious or seems to fall into the category of “things I missed in Sunday School” let me encourage you to avail yourselves to Sunday morning or Wednesday noon classes, or the Wednesday evening Lenten Series that is coming up.
 
I have a brief story to relate to you. I want to tell you this story because it has to do with gently evolving a secular community in ways of kindness. Recently, I completed a seven week, two-evening a week basic welding course given at one of the vo-tech centers in Oklahoma City. There were a dozen students to begin with, and not surprisingly, I was the oldest. Most were guys in their late 20’s to mid-30’s. They didn’t interact a lot—and I remember being that age, and I didn’t interact a lot at that age, either. I hadn’t been in a completely non-church group like this for a long time, and I was surprised to come to understand how steeped I am in my faith culture. For example, the first evening was only classroom work about safety—that’s a given. The second evening we moved from the classroom out into the shop. When the instructor said, “OK, let all go out to the shop,” the thought that literally crossed my mind was, “aren’t we going to pray first?” Then, I remembered where I was, and proceeded out to the shop with only a silent prayer.
 
Like I said, the guys didn’t interact much. And, I wasn’t trying to “do” anything with them or to them, but my natural inclination was to interact—to call guys by name; to ask them how their day was going. This started to unthaw things. Soon, other guys were saying hello, remembering each other’s names and interacting. When I went to the tool cabinet, I’d bring tools back for others as well as for myself. When we were sharing tools, I’d step back and let the guy behind me go first. When clean-up time came at the end of the evening, I’d sweep out my welding booth, maybe sweep out the booth next to mine, and then clean up some of our shared areas. Soon, these guys were showing others similar kindnesses, too—fetching tools for others, and cleaning others’ spaces at the end of the night.
 
For one of the welding practices, we had to first buff down two pieces of metal. This was a labor-intensive process. My first piece seemed to be taking too long to clean, and about the time I was finishing up that first piece and getting ready to start on the second one, one of the guys dropped an already cleaned up second piece by for me. This was a kindness that surprised me! After it dawned on me that my little acts of kindness seemed to be making a difference, I began observing. It was so interesting to see how I seemed to be making a difference in this little microcosm of humanity, in how we interacted, honoring and caring for each other.
 
I’m not telling you this as a way to point to myself, but I do think the lesson here is important and worth sharing. We have the power to influence others, to transform others, to transfigure work spaces—without any knowledge of the others’ politics or personal affiliations, and without any heroic acts. We can shift things in a positive direction with the faith that we live and breathe, faith that seems to reside so dearly and closely in our hearts that maybe it goes unnoticed until we stop and recognize it.
 
And so, what if we broadened our scope from this microcosm of the welding shop, to other areas in our lives, to include work, or school, or shops and clubs; to include our families? What if we participated in the Christ Project by giving others an example of Jesus? What if in this way, we preached the Gospel, as St. Francis would say, only using words when we have to? I did not give myself an assessment of my Christian aptitude or community-building skills before I stepped into that welding shop. All I needed was there. All you need to begin transforming the world around you is likely within you, and if you feel that it isn’t, it’s definitely within your grasp. Jesus didn’t make it hard.
 
You know, I also have to stop and think that in the process of performing these simple acts, that with God’s help I not only set the stage for transformation, but God also transformed something in me: I now see myself differently in that I can be more influential than I’d ever given myself credit for being.
 
Really… think about it; act on it… it is not beyond my imagination or the realm of possibility, that as we infect other individuals with Christ’s love, as we influence a microcosm of family, workplace, school, club, whatever—those individuals from that small gathering will interact and influence untold others. It’s like yeast growing bread, that we can grow the world in Christ’s image—causing the Christ Project to succeed, transfiguring the world from the sad state of fear and domination that we witness today, into the garden where we meet our beloved, God’s Chosen… listen to him!            
Amen.

~Fr. Tony Moon, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
[1] Mackesy, C. (2019) The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. Harper Collins, NY.

This is Our Story


            During Lent, we are reminded by Ash Wednesday’s gospel that we are in a time of prayer, fasting, and self-denial.  Surprising to some, page 17 of our Book of Common Prayer designates Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as “Fasts”, while the weekdays of Lent and Holy Week, (except the Annunciation on March 25) are considered “Days of Special Devotion” requiring “special acts of discipline and self-denial”.  No specific rules are provided.  The original fast preceding Easter lasted two days.  Later in the Western church, the thirty-six days of Lent were punctuated by Sunday feasting - continuing the resurrection celebration even during Lent.  Forty days of Lenten fasting was begun in the 7th century when the four days from Ash Wednesday to the first Sunday in Lent were added.  Initially, fasting was strict with only one meal a day towards evening.  Meat, eggs, and fish were forbidden.  Beginning in the 4th century, the hour for breaking the fast was moved to 3 PM and later back to noon.  The exact manner of a person’s fast is an individual one.  The important point is to set aside this Lenten time in a special and personal way. 
~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to: gghaas@aol.com. Please note whether we can credit you as the source of the question.