Lenten Life

 

Contemplative Spirituality

As I write this, I am a few days back from a 2 night retreat with my friend and my Pastor, the Rev. Jim Williams.  We have now experienced 8 short retreats together in the last two years and I am reasonably assured that these “get-aways” have become essential to my well-being.  We practice contemplative spirituality, that is a form of prayer and being that is less focused on doing and more focused on being with God.  We pray in silence, believing that silence is the least busy and outcome-oriented way of simply resting in God.  To be sure, I use some of our time at Cedarbrake Catholic Renewal Center in Belton for planning and accomplishing a few essential tasks.  The majority of the hours, however, are spent in conversation and silence, (and eating…).  As your Priest I can only hope for you that you are finding ways in your life to find the refreshment of prayer and silence.  In our hectic, loud and divided world there is no substitute.  I remind you that we have regular Contemplative Liturgies with significant silence at 5:15 PM on most Sunday evenings.  Just watch the schedule.

 

All Can, Some Should, None Must

In a recent sermon, the Rev. Susan Barnes used this odd phrase as a concise way to understand how most Episcopalians understand the Rite of Confession with a priest.  If a member (All can) of St. Matthew’s desires to make a private confession to one of our priests, Susan Barnes, Joe DiPaola, Jim Williams and I stand ready to offer our services.  In preparation, I would suggest you read through the Prayer Book Rite of the Reconciliation of a Penitent on pages 446-452 in the Book of Common Prayer.  Simply call one of us and we will make an appointment to hear your confession.  Some should.  If your conscience is plagued about something you have done and you want to unburden it with a private confession, perhaps you should make an appointment.  It can be very healing.  None must.  Private confession to a priest is not required by the church at any time.  Our regular prayers of confession give God space to manifest his eternal forgiveness.  Nevertheless, you may find that you do not feel the depth of forgiveness you desire.  Please feel free to speak to Susan, Jim, Joe or myself as you might choose.  All is perfectly confidential.

 

Lenten and Holy Week

We are deep into Lent and I trust that you are in some way keeping the discipline of the season.  Holy Week approaches soon and I want to offer a few liturgical notes for the week.  This year we will, weather permitting, gather in the courtyard for the Blessing of the Palms.  After the Blessing of the Palms we will process straight into the church with the palms and begin the Holy Eucharist.  We will, of course, read the Passion Narrative in parts.  Elsewhere in this edition of the Monthly Word you will find greater detail regarding the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter.  I would especially point to the services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as particularly crucial to a meaningful preparation for Easter.  In my first three years as your Rector, I have been surprised by the lack of attendance for the Noon Good Friday Liturgy.  I understand that work and other concerns make it difficult, yet I cannot imagine a greater priority for Good Friday.  Easter is the grandest of the grand celebrations of the Victory of God over sin and death, and appropriating the spectacular reversal of Easter is quite hard without gathering to recall and re-live the Maundy Thursday foot-washing, the betrayal, the arrest, the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and the darkness of Good Friday.

 

Day School Relations

One of the ongoing concerns for me as your Rector is the complex (sometimes confusing) roles I fill as the Rector of the Church and Vestry, and Chairman of the Board of the St. Matthew’s Day School.  It is no secret that I am very, very proud of our school and the work it accomplishes with children and families in our community.  Yet, I have been helpfully reminded by some of you that I am so engaged in the day to day life of both the school and church that I often overlook the very basic reality that many members of the church know very little about the school and are confused about its mission and ministry and the ways the school actually serves the interests of the church.  So how does the Day School, with its particular mission and ministry, fulfill the church’s mission to “Know Christ, Grow in Christ and Share Christ’s Love”And how does St. Matthews' work with the Day School to carry out our mission?

 

Elsewhere in this edition of The Word you will find a notice of a Day School Presentation on Thursday, April 6, that is designed to answer that mission statement question and any questions or concerns you might have about the work of the Day School in our midst.

 

Our Day School has significant decisions to make about making some final expansions to the Education Building to fulfill their mission and the church cannot fully consider their desire to expand without a better understanding of how the church and school accomplish God’s work together.  I realize that we are in a busy season yet I would ask you to come on April 6 for the presentation and to please ask your questions.

 

Let’s Gather at the Gathering in Houston

You will be hearing more and more about the Gathering of the Diocese of Texas on June 1-3 in Houston.  I am making reservations for Crystal, Patrick, Caroline and me to stay at the Hampton Inn West Loop.  We are excited about the programs planned for the children and youth and are very excited about the fantastic speakers and events planned for adults at the Gathering.  Elsewhere in this WORD you will find all the information you need to make a decision to attend.   Please take action now to make your plans to attend the gathering in Houston.

 

Young Children and the Holy Communion I am delighted that parents have asked me to meet with their young children to introduce them to the Holy Communion.  Here is how I see it: a child that desires to take communion who can adequately handle the physical task of receiving the elements should, if the parents concur, be given every opportunity to receive communion with the older faithful.  I say this because I understand the Holy Eucharist to be spiritual food for Christians whether or not they have an adult comprehension of the sacraments.   Every child has a spiritual life and if they desire to receive Holy Communion, we cannot imagine the ways that God might fulfill their yearnings, even if it seems they just want to do what the rest of us are doing.  This is foremost a parental decision.  Crystal and I introduced our children to the Bread at very young ages, (around 2) but did not allow them to partake from the Cup until they were older.  Perhaps you have young children that are receiving Communion, or that desire to receive Holy Communion soon, and you would like them to receive some instruction to prepare them or better instruct them on how to understand and receive communion.  I will be teaching a class on Palm Sunday, April 9^th, beginning after the end of the 10:30 AM service.  This class is for children ages 3 through the first grade and their parents and will be held in B-18.  It should last no longer than one hour, which would include time to have a pizza lunch immediately after the conclusion of the service and before the class itself starts.  Please contact Ann Brooke by email at ann@TheBrookeFamily.org and let her know that you will be attending and she will provide pizza for you at a nominal cost.  I am really happy about the opportunity to gather with your children and allow them to touch the sacred vessels, practice kneeling and standing and raising their hands to the Priest, and to show them the colorful vestments and just let them see how much I want to serve them!

 

In Christ, Merrill