Holy Land Pilgrimage: Turning Aside

Moses and the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years when the Lord led Moses high up onto Mt. Nebo in modern day Jordan to see the Promised Land.  There Moses had a grand view of the land lying across the Jordan River Valley where God had been leading them.  Moses could see the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River flowing south and down into the Dead Sea.  Mt. Zion, the site of the future city of Jerusalem, was there in the distance.  The view is spectacular.

 



View from Mt. Nebo looking over at the Promised Land



 

The fifteen Nativity Pilgrims arrived on Mt. Nebo this past Saturday to glimpse this same view, not after forty years, but about 40 hours after we had left Huntsville on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  We had wandered through and waited in airports as we made our flight from the Rocket City via Atlanta, Paris and finally to Amman in Jordan.  

 

 

Nativity Pilgrims at Mt. Nebo

After a meal and a good night’s sleep, we climbed Mt. Nebo on Saturday, gazing as expectantly as Moses had looked upon this sacred land where our Christian faith sprung from ancient Jewish roots.  As the biblical story goes, Moses did not get to enter the Promised Land, but we would.  After a short diversion to the fabulous and grand Nabatean city of Petra, we now find ourselves walking in the steps of Jesus who has fulfilled God’s purposes begun with Moses and the Prophets.

 

Renewing Our Baptismal Covenant at the Jordan River

We visited the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John.  We renewed our own Baptismal Vows as water was splashed upon us from these same headwaters from which Jesus saw the heavens torn apart and the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the form of a dove, hearing a voice from heaven proclaiming him God’s beloved.  We, too, realized how deeply beloved we are of God.

Tomorrow we will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called his first disciples to turn away from their nets and follow him, becoming fishers of men and women.   We visit these holy places to hear Jesus calling us anew to follow him, just as Moses was called by God’s voice from the burning bush to lead the  people from slavery in Egypt to freedom in God’s love and purposes.  The Welsh poet R. S. Thomas penned these relevant lines about God’s call and I shared them at our Sunday evening Eucharist:

I have seen the sun break through

to illuminate a small field

for a while, and gone my way

and forgotten it.  But that was the pearl

of great price, the one field that had

the treasure in it.  I realize now

that I must give all that I have

to possess it.  Life is not hurrying

on to a receding future, nor hankering after

an imagined past.  It is the turning

aside like Moses to the miracle

of the lit bush, to a brightness

that seemed as transitory as your youth

once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

The Bright Field

The sparkling Sea of Galilee, just off those hills of brown....on the sea where Jesus calmed the storms. 

On pilgrimage, we turn aside from many other things to see the miracle of the lit bush.  We discover that we have indeed traveled to a bright field that contains the pearl of great price.  Sometimes we do this deliberately when we literally make a journey to holy fields away from our lives in Alabama.  But we always return to share this treasure, to share the view from Mt. Nebo, with others who do not necessarily leave home to hear God’s call to turn aside.  What do you need to turn aside from to see this miracle of God’s unfolding before you?  May we all hear God’s gracious words that we are beloved; that Jesus is calling us anew to follow him into God’s purposes unfolding in the bright field that is our very own life. 

THE 77TH GENERAL CONVENTION, FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The House of Deputies floor

General Convention’s energy radiates around the Indianapolis Convention Center and surrounding hotels.  With four thousand Episcopalians gathered for our triennial Convention and the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennium, there is not a stranger among us!  I have seen old friends from my life in five dioceses in which I have served the church as both lay person and priest.  I have made new friends from many dioceses around the church over the past few days that widens my circle of friends within the extended community of the Episcopal Church.  The crowds here reveal an incredibly broad and faithful church that is much more via media than we realize in the Diocese of Alabama in Huntsville and at the Church of the Nativity.  This is especially seen in our inspiring and rich daily Eucharists.  Hearing  4000 voices singing Christ is made the sure foundation affirms the faith we share.   Our rich “Anglo” music is supplemented by Native American and Hispanic music (and prayers). 

The atmosphere at my third General Convention is hopeful for our future together.  There is more generosity and respect shown among us than I have seen at other conventions.  I believe that our life together is centered on our faith in Jesus Christ and our commitment to being Christ’s body in the world, although that can mean radically different expressions of what is important for each of us.   Nativity is represented more than any other parish in the diocese with Nativity parishioners Rusty Stephenson (alternate deputy along with me), Connie Stephenson, Tippy Anderson, artist Carol McCrady (who has a booth in the exhibition hall displaying her beautiful art),  and former Nativity “Youth” Sarah Dunn,  (who is a now a Postulant for Holy Orders from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts after her graduation from Mt. Holyoke and entering Episcopal seminary Berkeley at Yale this fall) all joining me and others from our diocese in the fun! 

Andy with Alabama Deputation on the floor

General Convention is Diocesan Convention on steroids with not two, but eight full days of legislation.  The days are long with committee meetings beginning at 9:00 a.m.; Eucharist at 9:30 a.m. daily, and legislation running with a lunch break from 11:15 to 6:30 p.m.  Somewhere around 6 p.m. gatherings of paragroups.  I have attended gatherings of TENS (The Episcopal Network of Stewardship), The Gathering of Leaders grass roots leadership collaboration of clergy focusing on church growth for the sake of the Gospel, Sewanee, and a great Diocese of Alabama dinner!  However, our diocesan group gets together each night at about 9:15 for about an hour in Bishop Sloan’s suite to “wine” down the day and reflect on the legislation passed and what is coming onto the agenda.   Many nights there are also committee meetings again from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.  the days are full, engaging and yes, tiring. 

This convention will wrestle with over 600 resolutions.  Many have to do with the ongoing governance and administration of the church, and clarifying the constitution and canons.   Many are statements about our connection to the larger world, politically, socially, and environmentally.  We will elect new officers for the House of Deputies and many other national church offices including the Church Pension Fund Board, the Executive Council of the Church, the Nominating Committee for the next Presiding Bishop to be elected at the 78^th General Convention in 2015, and others.  We will deal with matters of church-wide health insurance and insurance parity between clergy and lay employees. 

The matter you will hear the most about through the news will have to do with blessing same sex covenant relationships, and any other matters that relate to sexuality or gender issues.  You have heard from our Bishop about this specifically.  I’ll share more about this in the next blog. 

Important to the Episcopal Church and to Christians around the world have to do with restructuring the Episcopal Church to strengthen mission and evangelism in our changing culture, our response to the Anglican Communion Covenant, and the church’s support of Palestinian Christians and justice in Israel. 

I love being here and sharing the good news that Christ’s body at Nativity is sharing in the world.  It’s great being with our Episcopal Family at this mega-reunion!

Praying With the President

Each Sunday in the Episcopoal Church we pray for Barack our President along with the leaders of the nations. We beseech thee also to rule the hearts of those who bear the authority of government in this and every land, especially Barack our President, that they may be led to wise decisions and right actions for the welfare and peace of the world.  This prayer took on new meaning this past Sunday when Barack our President was ten feet away from where I was praying! 

Tippy and I were in the nation’s capital visiting our son Case last weekend.  We decided to worship at St. John’s Lafayette Square, the Episcopal Church that is across the street from the White House.  St. John’s is known as the “President’s Church” because every president since 1815 has worshipped there while in office.  Approaching the church, police cars were blocking the streets. Policemen were questioning pedestrians and sending some in other directions.  We conveyed that we were going to St. John’s and an officer directed us toward a muscular young man wearing Ray Bans who was posted at the front doors.  This was the first time I have been frisked going into church services!

St. John's Church, Lafayette Square
The Presidents' Church

We made it to our pew when Case pointed to the right, and there, just across the aisle, was the President, Mrs. Obama and their daughter Sasha heartily singing the procession hymn! Watching him, I saw that he knew our Prayer Book responses and our “Episcopal” hymns. Kneeling for the Prayers of the People along with him, I found myself wondering about the President’s prayers. Was he praying for the economy… for the direction to take in the Middle East that will lead to peace among the nations?...for the welfare of dignity of all persons (as one of our prayers for the President in Rite Two bids)?...for the members of Congress and how they work together?...for his political opponents?...how to distribute adequate health care and to create jobs?...maybe just for his daughters growing up in this crazy world?   

And I realized that it did my heart good just to know that he was on his knees saying his prayers.  I was glad to see him receiving the bread and wine of Communion, the body and blood of Christ—that he was making an offering of himself, just as we all do, that Christ would be known through his life, through his actions as President.  Praying with the President, not simply for him, is a powerful thing. 

I certainly hope that all of the leaders of our nation and all those who seek political office are saying their prayers.  The political discourse of our nation is as divisive as it has ever been.  This political tension is fueled not so much by differing approaches to solving our nation’s problems as by rancorous language that denigrates the dignity of one’s political opponents.  No matter whether you agree with the President or other political leaders, praying for them, and even with them, takes the discourse to a higher plane.  That is one reason Christ asks us to pray for our enemies, and why we do that every Sunday at Nativity.

E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one, reminds us that it takes all of us working together, sifting through ideas and potential solutions, to get to where we need to be.  It takes compromise and it takes respect as we work towards sustainable ways to promote the dignity and welfare of all persons in this nation and in the world. Can we listen to each other with respect, even disagree with others passionately, but know we are one?   

For us Episcopalians, this is the way it is. At Nativity in Huntsville, we are Republicans and Democrats at prayer together.  We are progressive and conservatives over many issues, yet kneeling together at the altar rail, each one of us receiving God’s presence in Christ, embodies the offering of our lives that Christ would be known in our actions.    It is a powerful thing to pray with each other…to know that we are one in Christ.