From The Desk of Intern Steven

"But Mary pondered and treasured these things in her heart"

These words hit me strong this year (and not just because I heard them 4 times). I thought about Mary's response to God's calling. They didn't immediately spurn her into action but instead she processed them internally. She didn't ignore the things going on around her. She didn't respond with apathy (as many people do.)

What am I treasuring? What am I pondering? Anything?

It isn't an easy question to answer. I find myself thinking, "I don't have time. I'm so busy." But maybe that's the point. Maybe in the midst of all that is going on we must take time to ponder our vocation from God and treasure the blessings given by our Heavenly Father.

What are you treasuring? What are you pondering?

I can tell you this. I have been pondering what paid work the Lord wants me to do. Where I can work for a paycheck but have it be more about the money I'm being paid. Nobody thinks they are getting paid too much (even if much of America thinks they are).

I've been treasuring people. I've always told people the greatest thing about me is my family and friends. This Christmas being so far away from so many people I've known and love I'm remembering to be grateful that they are in my life (even if it is at a distance.) However I've also been grateful for the warm reception that Nebraska has given me (and really all the interns.) I didn't spend this Christmas alone. I had brunch with some wonderful people, I had a Christmas Eve dinner with some fun people, I had a lovely Christmas luncheon with some people I knew and a few new faces.

I encourage each and everyone of you to take time. Ponder what the Lord is calling you to do. Treasure what you've been given. I know it feels like you don't have time but MAKE time. Your spiritual journey is your own. You set the pace. Are you sitting down on the path with your hands over your eyes? Are you running along so quickly you can't process what's going on around you? (Guilty)

I hope in 2012 to be a little better at slowing down. When a priest says, "This one over here. It's like he's afraid to not be doing something. That if he holds still God may actually speak to him. So he keeps moving to avoid God's call." it's time to slow down. It will be hard for me. But if Mary can do with the responsibility of being the mother of God's One and Only Son then I gotta at least try.

Merry Christmas to all!

A December to Remember

Christmas is only one week away (that is Saint Nicholas of Myra in the picture). This will be my first time away from home on December 25^th, but I will not be alone. Several people have generously offered to take me in over the holiday season, and the invitations are much appreciated. Over the early months of the program I have spent a lot of energy on getting settled, understanding my responsibilities, and developing a routine. Starting in 2012, I expect an increased emphasis on discernment about what the next step will be. What that looks like, I do not know, but I have faith that God will steer me in the right direction, even if it’s not the direction I expected.

For my non-profit hours, I have been splitting time between Miller Park Elementary and Life Care Center of Elkhorn. It is a blessing to interact with people in the early stages of life, as well as older adults. The vigor and spirit of elementary kids is refreshing. The experience of the elderly is a valuable resource. Somehow, it is possible to see Christ in both a 1^st grader and a 90 year old. There is something about our shared humanity, our common needs, that connects us in ways that don’t make sense on paper.

All Saints Episcopal Church is a special place. I was given the opportunity to preach at all the weekend services on Third Advent. It was difficult, and many edits were made, but I was able to focus on the Gospel, keep the message biblical, and speak from the heart. As I looked out at the people, it was incredible to think of the potential in that church. There are young people, teachers, doctors, lawyers, all walks of life really. If the Church can offer people formation, inspiration, and rejuvenation it is wonderful to think of the possibilities.

Theology Cafe

      Over the past few months Father Tom (rector at Church of the Holy Spirit) has been hosting a "Theology Cafe" at Panera Bread on Tuesday mornings. It has been quite an enjoyable experience, and I would have to say one of my favorite ministries that I am able to participate in at Church of the Holy Spirit. We typically have around 8 people (including the little ones) and have recently been asking different attendees to bring a book to share and discuss with the group each week. The books have covered a wide variety of topics such as  C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, a book from the Fly Lady, triathlon training guide (thanks Drew), and today Heaven is for Real. These books have lead our conversations in some interesting directions. And, today as we discussed Heaven is for Real, a recent best seller, about a little boys momentary death experience, we delved into what it was this little boy from Nebraska saw, heard, and felt as he went Heaven.
       Hearing how these various books have effected or impacted the attendees at the Theological Cafe has allowed us all a small (or not so small) window into each of their lives. Learning what it was inside the book that had sparked something inside the presenter has allowed us to see a little more of who they are, but has also allowed us to share a little of who we are. It has been quite a blessing to share my Tuesday mornings with this group. Hearing new and interesting questions, learning various opinions or points of view on theological topics, I come each week with no expectations or agenda only anticipation as to where the coffee, books, and the Holy Spirit will lead us.

A Trip To Central City - Intern Steven

The Sunday before Thanksgiving the Youth of St. Andrew's took a trip out to Central City, Nebraska to visit the parish of Christ Episcopal which was founded 139 years ago. I didn't have to drive but I got to go and I really enjoyed it.

Prior to going out there, the Youth group had been rehearsing hymns out of the 1982 hymnal. 450, 536, and 537.

450 = All Hail the power of Jesus' Name
536 = Open Your Ears O Faithful People
537 = Christ for the world we sing

The kids worked really hard however the hardest part was getting them to sing loud and confidently. This shouldn't have been such a challenge. At St. Andrew's we have a rowdy, energetic youth group and I thought we could funnel that directly into the singing. Things didn't really work out that way and we had to really push on them to keep their chins up and sing out loud and proud.

When we arrived we took the attendance that Sunday from 15 to 40. It is a BEAUTIFUL Episcopal Church. Beautiful wood interiors and stain glass windows. A small but sacred place. I felt blessed to be there. The church was very kind and they bought pizza for the kids and stayed and had lunch with them.

This is the norm for Nebraska. Nebraska isn't filled with large churches but rather has many smaller parishes. I realized that if I'm going to stay here this could be the type of church I end up working for.

I could feel how glad the parish was to receive us and there was a wonderful bond and connection. Episcopal churches need to get better at this. Sometimes we get a little competitive with each other when we actually are on the same team.

I don't know what my future may hold BUT I do hope to stay on for the summer expansion program (if it is an option.) I'd love to be attached to a smaller parish like this one and see ministry from another view point. Christ Episcopal doesn't face the same challenges as St. Andrew's and has completely different needs. But it is still a faith community. It still follows Christ and worships the Lord. I want to be apart of this. Where two or three are gather Christ is present. I think sometimes we think it needs to be two or three hundred and that isn't what the scripture says. I think it's time for us to rediscover the gifts of the small church and the gifts of small groups. We can get lost in the shuffle if the crowd is large but when the community is small people know when you are present and when you are missing.

I'd like to give thanks out there for every small parish. For every parish that doesn't have the resources to employ a full time priest  but still finds a way to celebrate the Risen Lord every Sunday. They do a great service to their community and it speaks out of being faithful and true even in the hardest of times.

Thanks be to God

As Thanksgiving was celebrated last Thursday, I have been reflecting on the many blessings of this life. I am certainly thankful for the opportunities Resurrection House has provided, to push me out of my comfort zone and engage in new ministries. I am also thankful for the hospitality Nebraska has shown me, and I pray for the wisdom to accept that gift. For the remainder of this blog post I would like to share some of my reflections on what I am grateful for. This list is far from comprehensive, and represents only some of the blessings God has generously bestowed upon me………

• God’s grace and mercy.

• The Sermon on the Mount, the Greatest Commandment, the Seven Woes, and the Great Commission.

• The Old Testament Prophets, Paul’s Letters, the Book of James, and the Book of Revelation.

• Psalms 23, 27, 46, 91, 100, 131, 139, and 148.

• The baptismal covenant, apostolic succession, the Book of Common Prayer and the Nicene Creed.

• Lessons and Carols, Pentecost, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.

• Northern Virginia in the Fall, when the leaves change colors.

• Omaha’s Old Market, the Joslyn Art Museum, and the Henry Doorly Zoo.

• A grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day, sweet tea on a hot day, and pecan pie in any weather.

• Steel guitars, banjos, fiddles, and horns of all kind.

• Joe Gibbs, Mark Rypien, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Brian Mitchell, and the rest of the Super Bowl Champion 1991-92 Washington Redskins.

• In Football -- Goal line stands, trick plays, and well executed special teams.

• In Baseball -- Sacrifice bunts, strike em out/throw em out double plays, and inside the park home runs.

• In Basketball -- High percentage free throw shooting, taking a charge, and fundamental box outs.

• The Macho Man Randy Savage, Ric Flair (Woooooooo!!!!!), The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Randy Orton, and all other professional wrestlers.

• Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Tommy, Uncle EC, Aunt Mildred, Aunt Trosie, Aunt Fran, and the rest of my family who has passed on to glory.

• Dogs of all shapes and sizes.

• Life’s challenges, mysteries, and struggles.

Creating a Home

Well it has almost been three months here in Omaha for the Resurrection House interns, and as I was driving my regular route back to the Resurrection House, from Church of the Holy Spirit, I began to think how this was really becoming my "home." I am becoming more and more familiar with the land, the city, my home at Resurrection House and Church of the Holy Spirit, but it is within more then the physical entities of Nebraska that I have come to find and create a new home. As I come to know and be a part of the communities here within the greater Omaha area I find myself identifying with Nebraska, as my home. Going to the grocery store and running into neighbors, enjoying coffee every Tuesday morning with parishioners from Church of the Holy Spirit at the Bellevue Panera, seeing familiar, friendly faces at local Episcopal events, and knowing I have friends to call on to share in times of joy and pain. Through these events, experiences, people I can see myself being enveloped by, and embracing, the home I have found within the communities here in the heartland of America, so far away from the place that was my home three months prior.

As I listened to Bishop Barker's sermon yesterday evening, Sunday November 20, 2011, at the Bishop's Seating Evensong, I found myself identifying with the beautiful picture he painted of coming home, to Nebraska, to Omaha. He spoke of the physical landscape and of well known places, but most importantly he spoke of the people, the communities he had once embraced and was now coming home to as they welcomed him with open arms. Hearing this, I found began nodding my head and finding that a big smile had overtaken my face as I was able to associate his feeling of comfort and home hear in Omaha, in Nebraska, within my own.

So, thank you, thank you to the people of Omaha, of Nebraska. You knew I might only be here for a short while, but you still accepted me as your own and gave me the gift of finding a new home, and for that I am truly thankful. I look toward the next sixth months of my time here with joy and excitement as I come to grow with you and  your communities here in my new home of Omaha, Nebraska, "The Good Life."

From the Desk of Intern Steven

Last Friday 11/11/11 we had a gathering offered in Omaha. It was geared towards our 20s & 30s population and we had a potluck and movie night. The movie we watched was The Adjustment Bureau. The movie challenges your ideas on how your life is lived. Do you have free will? Is everything pre-destined? Can you change your fate?

As true Episcopalians our thoughts were all over the map. Some loved the idea of predestination. That God has a plan and that plan is in effect. Others liked the idea of personal choice. That God loves us enough to let us try our own way even if it leads to us making mistakes.

Scripture can imply both. In the Old Testament, we see God have His mind changed on more than one occassion. We also see him change the hearts of people on earth in accordance with His will. Which is really true?

We'll never know. Like so much of our relationship with the Lord it will be clouded in mystery. And for that I am grateful. We aren't meant to know all and see all. If we were - faith wouldn't be as powerful. We are meant to leap - meant to take a chance. The stars of the film took those chances for better or worse. Our existance from creation has been a chance. God knew we'd mess it up. He gave us life anyways. That decision is the greatest testament of love there is.

The event had 12 in attendance including all 3 interns. Discussion was lead by myself, but really I was more then to keep the conversation moving in a meaningful way. There was a great deal of participation. It was a roomful of young adults dedicated to sharing their story and trying, if just for a couple of hours, to understand God's will and the role He plays in our day to day life. It was beautiful. Proof that my generation hasn't fallen away from the Church. That we are here. We will worship, we will pray and we will participate in our church. That participation can (and ultimately will) include questioning. We will use the reason we are blessed with to find our way.

I hope that everyone who reads this - finds a way to support the future of the church. Reach out to the younger generations and give them a way to get involved. We may not be rich (we may not even be employed) but that doesn't mean we aren't ready to share our faith with the larger community. Across the board I've heard about the graying of the church. Find a way in the next few weeks to bring in some youthful color. Middle School, High School, Campus Ministry, 20s, 30s, Singles, Young Professionals, Young Married - we are all trying to find our place in the church. A helpful hand from a wiser more experienced member will always be appreciated.

Faithfully,
Steven

The Lord be With You

One of the common stereotypes of Nebraska (from those who have never been there) is that it is flat and boring. This is clearly unfair, and having lived here for about two months I can feel my ignorance being peeled away like an onion. Hearing people talk about the sand hills, the crane migration, the black hills, and other “God spots” of natural beauty has piqued my interest. Sometime in the Spring I would love to take a few days and really get out in the open spaces and reflect in God’s creation.

I am thankful to be past the complete newcomer phase at All Saints Episcopal Church. Everyone was very welcoming, but it is a relief to not have to constantly explain who I am or worry about making first impressions. It’s been awesome getting to know the characters that make up that community, and also work to bring more people into that community. I’ve gotten some valuable hands on experience in church life such as working with kids, discussing facility management and budgets, and teaching an adult education class. On Sunday, October 30^th I was given the great honor of preaching at Church of the Resurrection (it should be posted to the COR website – http://www.cor-episcopal.org/ - under the weekly sermons tab). It was a challenging experience, but one of the most invigorating I’ve ever had. The best advice I received was from the Sexton at Church of the Resurrection, who told me to “trust God, let him use you, and come from your heart.” Nobody threw tomatoes at me, so for my first time out I consider it a success. I Peter 3:15 reads

“…In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to every one who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Through researching to prepare the sermon, reading the scripture over and over, and delivering it on Sunday morning I felt as though I was living into that teaching of Peter.

I have also been fortunate to experience how the Christian community is trying to live out Matthew 25, taking care of our brothers and sisters in need, with the knowledge that we are all sinners and are susceptible to a fall ourselves. I was thoroughly impressed with the order and precision at Siena Francis, as well as the service ethos that maintained dignity without bleeding into condescension. Helping out at Miller Park Elementary School is a blast; the kid’s energy provides a boost when I get too stuck in “important” things in my life. Later this week I will be trained through Desert Ministries to do social visits to elderly care facilities, hopefully allowing for a two way interaction where both parties learn from the other. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was (Matthew 22:34-40), he actually gave two commandments because it is not possible to love God without loving your neighbor. I feel much more in touch with that commandment in Omaha than I did in Virginia.

It was a privilege to attend Annual Council in North Platte last week. There was a positive energy to the proceedings, and I experienced several spiritual highs. I am more impressed with Bishop J. Scott Barker every time I see him, and will continue to pray for him as he leads this Diocese. In a practical sense it was educational to see how decisions get made and experience the voting process. There was a random seating assignment, which was fantastic because it allowed me to meet people from Scottsbluff, Grand Island, Lincoln, and other parts of Nebraska I was not familiar with. It’s a wonderful thing how when people pray together the superficial differences start melting away. No doubt there are challenges for this Diocese, as there are for every Diocese, but the sense of optimism at Annual Council was palpable.

One of the themes of Annual Council centered on Luke 16:10,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

We are all given the responsibility of proper stewardship of our material resources, as well as our unique spiritual gifts. As we approach Advent and celebrate the coming of the best news the world ever received, that Christ was born in Bethlehem, I would like to carry on that theme from Annual Council into my life as a Resurrection House Intern.

A Change of Season

I would have to say that fall is one of my absolute favorite seasons. I relish in the red and orange hues, the crisp air, and especially the smell that comes with the turn of the season. Fall greets us with a refreshing cool breeze and leaves us with a blank slate, as the canvas of foliage is wiped clean. In the past few years my own life’s “foliage” has been turning. As my habits, tastes, and daily life’s activities have been continually changing I have begun to realize that one season of my life is coming to a close as I enter into an exciting new one. Looking toward a new season I find that the change of “weather” in my life has allowed me to embark on this new season with my own fresh canvas.  As I have begun to embrace the beauty of this new season I realized that to fully grasp the opportunities that come with this new season great change would be necessary, or at least desired.

In moving to Omaha, Nebraska, I have been given the opportunity to join many new communities. These include the Resurrection House, Church of the Holy Spirit, and very soon Omaha Together One Community (OTOC), my non-profit placement. By leaving behind those communities, at home, which have become familiar and comfortable to me I have been able to embrace and face the changes all around me. As I look toward great change in my life, embarking on a chosen vocation, creating new community, etc… I chose Omaha, Nebraska and the Resurrection House Program because I knew that through this experience I would be able to develop and broaden the lens through which I see the world. It is through the great changes in life that I believe ones most beautiful colors are allowed to show and be truly appreciated. This is why I have looked toward embracing great change in my own life, for change is inevitable, through the wonderful experience of my intern year at Church of the Holy Spirit, and Resurrection House.

From the Desk of Intern Steven

Nebraska knows how to keep their interns busy and I've been loving every minute of it.

I've really been enjoying EfM on Sunday evenings. I find that it is the perfect way to end the week. The level of spiritual and theological exploration and study is really fulfilling. I would advise anyone who isn't involved with it to get involved. You can learn so much about Scripture, the Church and even your own faith. It really is a blast.

I've been working at St. Andrew's and the name of the game is "Get Involved." I've been helping withe everything from Youth Group, to preaching a Sermon, to helping build a ministry banner, to stuffing envelopes, answering phones, emailing parishioners and members of the Diocese of Nebraska.

I always enjoy our staff meetings and they are filled with lots of information (and not a little bit of laughter.) I'm learning so much from Father John on how to run a team. He doesn't micro-manage his employees and really trusts them to get their work done. They in turn love working for him and the product they put out is to the glory of the Lord. (No he doesn't read this blog so it isn't brown nosing it is just the truth.) I hope that no matter what I go on to do that if I find myself in management of any kind that I can learn to have the same level of respect and trust with my co-workers.

This last weekend I helped do cardboard testimonies sharing our story. The way it works is in silence someone got up and showed a sign that described a challenge or a struggle. After 10 seconds they would flip it over and the other side shared how the Lord blessed them or gave them a way through or a solution. They were very deep and moving. At the end of it St. Andrew's had Christine their Capital Campaign Consultant wrap up by reminding people, "We don't give because of budgets or because our church has debt. We give in thanksgiving for the blessings of the Lord and the ministry of this church." My cardboard talked about losing my job and how after that I found in a calling in God's church.

I also helped construct the Christian Education Ministry Banner which was a part of the processional at 2 of the services and was hanging up in the Church Hall for the other two. I hope to get more involved with Christian Education in the upcoming weeks. A solid Christian Ed program can make or break a parish and St. Andrew's has worked hard to develop their program. In time, I hope to contribute to it in some meaningful way. For the moment, I'm content to step back and listen to what they do.

Random Thought: My grandmother sent me some glove liners to help keep me warm and I'm very grateful for the gift. Any and all gifts that keep me warm or fed are always well received. (I almost referred to myself in Third Person but I've heard a few people out here really don't like that.)

We are inbetween books for the moment but I'm reading the Good and Beautiful God which I'm enjoying. I need to get a little deeper into it but it is meant for group discussion and exploration. I may pick it as my book for later in the year but probably not. I'll most likely pick a work of fiction. I love reading fiction.

I'm loving my time at my non-profit. I've helped launch Conversation Clinics to help our clients practice their English. I'm also developing a volunteer Orientation program.

My roommates and I continue to worship together and eat together. We don't get to spend as much time together as I would like but we are busy with our parishes and non-profits. All in all I"m happy to be here. I feel like God has brought me here to learn and to grow and I'm trying to get my "money's worth."

Thank you to everyone who has offered support to me and/or this program. Your charity, your prayers, and your thoughtfulness makes all this possible. All for the honor and glory of our Risen Lord.

Your Humble Intern,
Steven

One Month In

I have now been in Omaha for a little over a month, although it feels like I have been here much longer (I mean that in the nicest way possible). The support network provided by the program has been fantastic. It is hard to believe how different my life was only two months ago. I was living in northern Virginia and working in Therapeutic Recreation, now I’m in a different time zone surrounded by people I have only known for a few weeks. I suppose the lesson is when you try to follow God you can end up in unexpected places, but if you have faith and a strong community then things will work out.

One of the highlights thus far was attending the consecration of the new Bishop of the Diocese of Nebraska, Joseph Scott Barker, on October 8^th. The Resurrection House Interns were asked to help pass out nametags, which was fun and a good way to meet people. I had never been to a Bishops consecration before, and it was certainly an impressive ceremony. There was beautiful music, a great homily, and I was fascinated by the tradition and symbolism of the service. Not to mention the “tailgate” themed reception due to the Huskers taking on (and beating) The Ohio State Buckeyes that night. It was a great experience, and I even got to meet the both kind and dignified Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

My church placement at All Saints is going well. I am progressively getting more responsibilities, and they are diverse enough to give me a well rounded picture of what life as a Priest might look like. I have participated in services as a chalice bearer and reader, done administrative tasks such as editing the contemporary service power point, spoken to the 11^th and 12^th graders about college, been preparing to give an adult education presentation on two saints (Martin of Tours and Oscar Romero), and been assigned my first preaching date on November 16^th. I am able to experience some of the challenging parts of the priesthood, such as tagging along on a hospital visit to a parishioner and serving people in need at a Mobile Food Pantry event. However, All Saints also knows how to have fun as evidenced by the “Raise the Roof” tent party featuring a live band and food provided by the wonderful people at Big Mama’s Kitchen.

For my non-profit placement I am currently working at the After School program at Miller Park Elementary School. I’ve been with the 5^th and 6^th graders, helping them with homework and assisting the staff as needed. So far it has been fun, but I forget how much energy Elementary School kids have. There are other programs in addition to Miller Park I want to volunteer with, but have not officially begun yet. My goal is to get experience working with, and finding Christ, in a variety people.

One of the things I am enjoying most is the leadership of people associated with the Resurrection House program. Fr. Jason Emerson clearly has a passion for helping my fellow interns and I discern God’s call in our lives, and his Thursday visits are both intellectually stimulating and fun. Our spiritual director Fr. Phil Chapman has vast amounts of life experience, as well as great jokes, and has generously agreed to spend time with us every other Monday. At All Saints I am benefiting from both the seasoned veteran Fr. Tom O’Dell and the Associate Rector Liz Easton, a young Priest who actually went through the Resurrection House program a few years ago. Both should be great resources throughout the year.

I would like to close with Psalm 131. The former Dean of the Washington National Cathedral, Sam Lloyd, once stated that reading this Psalm everyday is guaranteed to lower your blood pressure. As a naturally introspective person who is now doing more reflecting with regard to discernment, I can testify to the validity of Dean Lloyd’s claim.

“My heart is not proud, O LORD,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child with its mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD

both now and forevermore.”

-Psalm 131 (NIV)

Kate in Omaha

Why would someone drive across 11 states, leaving behind familiar faces and places, take a leave of absence from seminary after one year, and move to Omaha, Nebraska to live with two complete strangers (both boys by the way)? Maybe because they are a little crazy, maybe because they are seeking God's purpose and yearning for their life, or maybe a little of both. 

My name is Kate Hahn, I am 24 years old, I am an only child from Arlington, VA, where my parents are still living. Halfway through my Junior year of seminary (that is the first year) I decided I needed extended time and space for true discernment as I wrestled with the possibility of a call to the priesthood. In May 2010 I graduated from Randolph-Macon College (R-MC), a small liberal arts school in Ashland, VA. I attended this institution with the help of a pre-ministerial scholarship, The A. Purnell Bailey Scholarship, which required me to attend seminary for one year directly following graduation from R-MC. So, in August 2010 I entered Virginia Theological Seminary as an M.A. student, still discerning a call. 

After returning from a visit to the Holy Land in January 2011 it became clear that I was not ready to accept a call, especially without any type of real, "long term", experience outside of school. And, I quickly began applying to Episcopal Service Corps (ESC) programs hoping to find the answers to my questions, deepen my spiritual life, and learn more about myself through the intentional living model that the ESC offered. In the spring of 2011 God granted my prayer requests as I received a call from Resurrection House, and in September 2011 I gave away a portion of my belongings, and packed up the rest to move to Resurrection House for my year of intentional living.

 

It has been a little over a month since I arrived here and I am beginning to get adjusted and settle into my house community, both my non-profit and parish placements, as well as the larger Omaha community. My parish placement is Church of the Holy Spirit in Bellevue, and my non-profit placement, the Miller Park Elementary after school Community Learning Center (CLC). I am coming to love and cherish my parish placement by the day, the parishioners have welcomed me in with open hearts and arms and Father Tom, the Rector of Church of the Holy Spirit, works to give me exciting a challenging responsibilities, such as a Bible study which I began last week, and the opportunity to give a sermon this upcoming Sunday. At the Miller School I have been working with the third grade class, and we are getting to know one another as I help them with homework and work to be a familiar face within their CLC experience. 

From the desk of Intern Steven

Sorry it's been days and I haven't reported.

Well I broke down and finally bought a laptop. I really do need one out here. (I'm trying to become a laptop person but it isn't easy. I've got the soul of a desktop living inside me.)

Monday's staff meeting went well. I gave my little report with the tiny things I've been doing on the parish level. I told them about my work towards being a Lector. I informed them I'd be in the Crop Walk and asked for sponsorship. I taught Susie what Angry Birds was and Father John decided to play a few noisy rounds during my report. I gave him the evil eye and was like, "Really you couldn't at least mute it?" We all had a really big laugh. I shared that over the next few weeks I'd like to spend one Sunday School session with each class. The report should've been longer but I'm still trying to get my feet wet.

Tuesday I started getting some work setup on my non-profit. I've had some emailing back and forth with the Executive Director. I'm interested in getting involved in what classes their cultural center has to offer. I wanted to focus on Citizenship however I think I will end up getting to do more than that.

Wednesday of course is my big church day (my roommates have a big church day as well). 7AM Eucharist where we had 3 lovely college age ladies in attendance. Do you find that odd? Me too so I asked them what brought them here and they were like, "Um theology class....we are students at St. Mary's." I knew it was a school project. It reeked of school report. I will say both of the ladies at this service (not the young girls the full time parishioners) hugged me during the peace. It was great. (I really like hugs.)

After that it was off to breakfast with Max & Father Jack which was a lot of fun. They both are just full of knowledge and experience and I spend more time listening than I do talking. (No joke if you can believe that.)

Then it was back to church for their 9:30 Healing Eucharist. I love how laid back this crowd is. The church is dutiful, organized, and liturgical but they aren't really crazy strict which I like. I think everyone could stand to be a little bit more relaxed about things (myself included). After that it was time to fold, stuff and lick envelopes. I had to lick 70 envelopes personally b/c the wet wheel tool couldn't be find. Needless to say envelope glue doesn't taste great. (I am such a modern day martyr...just kidding it was a super easy job.) Then I had a little time so I went out and got some things done.

Afternoon rolls around and I'm jumping in a borrowed pick up truck to help move tables & chairs from the Rector's house back to the church. Then we had our Wednesday night events. I helped by running to the store to pick up some last minute items and I helped setup for dinner. Dinner was amazing (as per usual - this parish knows how to cook). Then went into Youth Group event and we talked about Authority. We talked about authorities on Earth and in Heaven. I even got the Senior High kids talking about the authorities they submit to. All of them shared "earthly" ones which I felt was very honest. Our lives are very dominated by things like money, success, family, fame, health, beauty, and the list goes on and on. Some of these things can be very good. None of these things should be placed higher than the Lord.

I admitted that money has a great deal of power over me. I told them all week long I wanted them to work on overcoming the "earthly" authorities that bind them. One member of the group said, "Okay what about you?" I told the group for the next week I would (try) to not log into my online checking account. I typically like to do it about 3 times a day. I don't know why. I don't gain any more money by doing so and I don't have things that needed to be checked so frequently. I hope the gang comes up with ways to challenge their earthly authorities. Can you think of an earthly authority that has a hold on you? I encourage you to find a way to challenge it this week (and in the weeks to come.)

Got home and had some roommate time and now I'm about to try and a watch a little TV online and head to bed.

Entertainment Tip: Go watch/read "The Help."  I really enjoyed it.
Currently Reading: The Powers That Be
Fun Nebraska Fact: Using the word "ya'll" gets you branded a Southern on the spot.

Welcome to Nebraska

My name is Trevor, and I am a Resurrection House Intern for the 2011-12 program year. I was born and raised in Reston, Virginia, which is about 25 miles west of Washington DC. After getting a degree in History from Virginia Tech, I returned to northern Virginia and have done a variety of jobs from moving furniture to working as an Instructional Assistant in a Special Education school. I decided to apply to the Resurrection House program to discern God’s call in my life by working with a local parish, volunteering, and receiving regular spiritual direction. Part of the program is to live with two other people, Kate and Steven, in intentional community. Using the early church described in the Book of Acts as inspiration (Acts 2:42-47), we have committed to sharing meals, prayers, chores, and providing support to each other. There will undoubtedly be some challenges, but we should be able to overcome difficulties that arise through effective communication, compromise, honesty, and remembering that God calls us to live in community.

I had never been to Omaha prior to September 3, 2011. To be honest the only things I knew about Omaha were that Warren Buffett was born there, the College World Series is played there, and a lot of Omaha steaks get delivered at Christmas. I have only been here 3 weeks, but many things have pleasantly surprised me. The Henry Doorly Zoo is massive, Memorial Park is lovely, the Old Market is interesting, and the Joslyn Art Museum had more to see than I could fully appreciate in one visit. However, the most impressive thing by far has been the warmth and hospitality of the people I have met. It cannot be overstated how important that is for someone completely new to town. Several people have stated that Omaha is a “hidden gem,” and I am starting to see why.

At the conclusion of our opening retreat to the Benedictine Center in Schuyler, Nebraska I was placed at All Saints Episcopal Church. It is an honor to be placed at the largest Episcopal parish in Omaha. We are still working out my specific responsibilities, but my goal is to have a mutually beneficial relationship. I aim to contribute to the active, generous community that has already been built, and in return feel closer to God through strong relationships with the congregation. Elsewhere, I am only two weeks into Year One (The Old Testament) of the Education for Ministry course and have already learned a lot. Yesterday we (the interns) had our first preaching workshop. We were asked to speak for three minutes from the pulpit about something we love. Our presentations were recorded and then used as a visual tool for feedback. It always makes me a little uncomfortable to see myself on video, but it was a very effective tool and should lead to improvement.

Being 1,200 miles from my family, the people I love most in this world, has been tough. I have felt homesick at times. For example….the Washington Redskins are 2-0, it’s Dallas Week AND we're playing on Monday Night Football, yet nobody around here seems to care. It helps to be reminded that I came here to challenge myself and experience new things. It does not make sense to want to get out of my comfort zone, and then complain when things are different.

I will conclude with a verse of scripture that I have repeated many times since my arrival, and hopefully will continue to be with me…..

“O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,

as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.”

-Psalm 63:1 (English Standard Version)

Lessons and Friendships at Rosebud Reservation

Two weeks ago, I was assisting with the Diocese of Nebraska's Youth Mission Trip to the Sicangu Lakota people's Rosebud Reservation. A few years old, it echoes my Omaha church, St. Andrew's much longer, nearly 20 year partnership with a historic Oglalla Lakota church in Pine Ridge. We were blessed to have Rev. Tom Jones, with long experience in both trips and many dedicated youth and adult leaders along with us, including a special group from St. Michael's church in North Carolina. St. Michael's is a growing dynamic community looking for new opportunities for service, and their members have been searching for some time to establish a meaningful service relationship with the Native American community through churches with trusted relationships already in place on the ground. You can view many more pictures, and get a day by day update at Fr. Tom's blog here; I'll share a few of my own images and highlights for the week.










I met up with the group Sunday night, after they'd been able to attend a special Powwow and be guided in some dances by tribal members; I had a chance to meet everyone and get a sense of the work for the week ahead. We would be working this year out of the Church of Jesus in the town of Rosebud; this is the oldest Episcopal church on the reservation, and very close to the original tribal agency. We also had a chance one day to visit the Episcopal Mission in Mission, SD where our youth had had a chance to do some work last year, and the Tribal Museum.

Church of Jesus, Our Hosts in Rosebud SD

Beautiful chapel at the nearby mission; the ceiling is all cedar, a sacred plant for the Lakota,
and there is a traditional drum to the left of the altar for special worship events.

Powwow Arbor at the Mission, which our Youth had a chance to help paint last year.

We started each day at the Church of Jesus, running a Vacation Bible School for the area children who came and also engaging in a work project at the direction of local members of the congregation. Don Eagle, a leader at Church of Jesus and his granddaughter were with us nearly the whole week and crucial in directing and taking part in the project for their building (which ended up being re-installing a ramp that would allow safer access in the winter). I spent most of my time working with the kids, but also had a chance to help clean the Vicarage next door so their replacement pastor will have a comfortable place to live.

Don Eagle puts the finishing touches on the church's new ramp.












I admit, I was personally a little uncertain about running a "Bible Camp" at first given the complicated cultural dynamics, but was pleased with the sensitivity and respect our whole team nurtured, including many "learning moments" with our youth each night. Our ethos, as Fr. Tom stated beautifully later was not to "Bring Jesus to the Reservation and convert people," but to "humbly expect to meet Him already there in the people we meet." Our youth and adults alike encountered, and learned from issues of cultural differences, the challenge of building trust and being guests in their community. There were some beautiful moments though, as we saw kids forming meaningful relationships even in the short time we had, and the joy we saw in kids faces as we played games and sang silly songs.

One particularly memorable story involved one of our more "energetic" guests; this boy (whose name will of course remain anonymous) gave a few of our youth a hard time, even getting rough on our second day with a few of the girls. But we had a serious discussion of how to show extra love to youth who act out, even while setting boundaries so everyone was safe. Our kids really took it to heart, and I personally witnessed several people who were upset with him the day before let him know they were "glad he came back," or sit beside him during an activity to give him extra attention. The final day, this young man was one of the saddest to see us go- and asked several of our kids to ride back with him in the van. It was a humbling experience for everyone.

We were also richly blessed to have Rev. Two Hawks, a retired Episcopal Priest and past Tribal Chairman with us one afternoon to share a little about life on the reservation and Lakota culture. There was some concern from our adults about how the younger children would sit through such a talk, but we were all blown away by the respect shown an elder (something our culture could learn a thing or two from) by kids of all ages, and moved by his words. Rev. Two Hawks shared his experiences serving his people in ministry and also leadership in areas of health, culture and his tribes ongoing struggles to preserve their language. He was actually involved in the government in the time they set up Sinte Gleska University a dynamic educational institution. One of the most poignant things he said, however was recalling his people's experience of being pushed into reservation life- "It was like being caged," he noted, after living for centuries with freedom and self-sufficiency. He also shared, however the great desire and gratitude of his people for committed professionals willing to dedicate time to their community today. We were all richly honored by his time with us.

Our team poses with our hosts at the weeks' end

I was not able to join our youth for the final tubing trip, as I had a spill and a minor arm injury earlier in the week, but was able to say farewell and say a riverside early-morning prayer for them at the Fort Niobara Wildlife Refuge, a beautiful preserve for Buffalo and Elk I fell in love with my way out here. I gave thanks to my Creator, the local church in Valentine that housed us, and the Sicangu Lakota people for their hospitality as we worked and learned in their sacred homeland.

"Images of Hope" (Sermon Week of Sunday July 24th 2011)

This was a sermon I preached at our two parishes this past weekend; Below are some links to the lectionary readings for the week, and a picture of the little stone church I tell a story about!
-Kieran

Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

I’d like to start today with a story about Stain Glass Windows. As I mentioned in my first sermon, I went through a “season of questioning” in college; feeling like the Christian faith of my youth didn’t “fit” with the questions I was facing, even as I was trying to graduate and figure out my calling. But I was still seeking God, and happened to be taking a few religion classes my last Fall semester. Bookworm that I am, I long ago mastered the trick of walking and reading, and I’d often walk into the little nearby New Jersey town with my nose in a book for one of my classes. One day, as I read of a mystic’s wanderings through many strange deserts and cities, I felt a sense of homesickness myself. I looked up and noticed a little Episcopal church. Now I’d never been IN an Episcopal church before, and didn’t know much about them, but something about it seemed so inviting. It was one of those little sprawling English country-style stone churches, with lots of side doors like a monastery and a simple garden to one side to pray in. And, of course a red door, which I was pleasantly surprised to find unlocked, even though the sun was just starting to set.

So I made my way in, and suddenly felt very peaceful. I didn’t know the first thing about this church, but the images and beauty that greeted gave me hints about the people who prayed there. I saw a little side-room with beautiful Icons of Jesus and cushions to pray- and then I walked into the darkened church itself. It reminded me of the big Catholic churches I grew up in, yet gentler somehow in the quiet dark stone and evening light. I noticed a side altar with a candle lit, telling me the people here believed Jesus was present in a special way in Communion. And I was thrilled to see a little prayer nook with St. Francis, my own Patron Saint which made me feel like I was surrounded by old friends. Feeling welcomed, I continued back, glancing at the stain glass windows on each side. The soft evening light was flickering through, making the whole room feel safe and peaceful. I felt the urge to pray, and looked for a seat that felt right—only to run right into a stunning image of Jesus. This wasn’t a tortured man on the cross, or a distant king, just Jesus standing with the sun-setting behind him, arms welcoming and the gentle hills of Galilee behind him. It reminded me of the Good Shepherd and was opposite another window showed a soft sunset over a forest stream.

I decided to pray next to Jesus that day… and found myself coming back many more times, a different book in my hand each week. Even though it would be a long time before I even met any of the people in that church- and I had not had a church home for some time, something in that space welcomed me, with arms outstretched. It became a place of healing for me, a Sanctuary where I could bring my struggles, and through those sunlit windows God somehow seemed more REAL that He did in the harsh world outside. Those images and the sacred space they created gave me hope to slowly see God again at a tough point.

The Episcopal church is good at using images to give people hope—and in doing so, we find ourselves in good company with the Ancient Church. In Rome, beneath the ground where Christians would gather to pray, honor their dead and sometimes hide from persecution we have some of the oldest Christian art- beautiful images of Jesus, the saints, and beloved friends they had buried there. The earliest Christians surrounded themselves with their friends, to give hope that God was there, working in and through them when the whole world seemed against them. The Eastern churches would continue this tradition by literally filling their buildings wall to ceiling with Icons, sacred paintings that are seen as “windows” into God’s Mysteries. In Western Europe, stain glass would become our “Icons,” literal windows that took light and brought it in to fill dark churches with God’s wonders. All give peeks into God’s world, and help people find trust to continue living their lives for God in hard places.

Jesus, through his parables this week also gives us some powerful images. A few weeks ago I shared how these strange parables, like stain glass teach us about God’s Mysteries—they help us picture a truth that is hard to understand, something that doesn’t follow normal logic. All of today’s parables are telling us about something very important to Jesus, God’s Kingdom, and the part we are to play in it. Now, people sometimes get confused because in today’s Gospel it says “Kingdom of Heaven.” But Jesus is NOT talking about waiting until we get to Heaven to build God’s Kingdom. Other Gospels use the word “Kingdom of God,” and we know in Jesus’ time “Heaven” was a respectful way to speak of God (like how we say “the White House” when the President gives statements).

Now God’s Kingdom is one of the things Jesus talks about more than almost anything else, and it always has a sort of funny “double vision.” It IS something beautiful coming just around the corner—but its also, somehow mysteriously already HAPPENING all around us. And both things are very much still a part of CREATION. Last week we heard Paul talk about how God plans to save all Creation, not just human souls. Somehow Heaven is going happen ON Earth in a New Creation… and we, in our small struggles are mysteriously helping it get rolling.

The Ancient Christians did believe that people who died now would go to be with God for a time… but RESSURECTION means Jesus is coming back, to make all things new, including our bodies. So what we do in those bodies matters A LOT! A great example of this is a classic book and movie, “the Robe.” It came from the same era as Charleston Heston’s 10 Commandments and other classic Bible movies, and imagines the story of a soldier who crucified Jesus and got his cloak, only to find himself drawn to follow him, and even face death as a Christian. But the movie, Hollywood often does misses something; it focuses more on the woman he loves and their decision to face persecution together. But the movie makes the same mistake of focusing on Heaven over the work of God’s Kingdom HERE. In the book, before he dies the soldier goes to a little village full of arguments and fights. He lives among them for several years, and teaches them the simple Ways of the man he crucified. The whole town is changed, and a glimpse of Heaven happens on Earth. God’s Kingdom is something he faces death in hope of—but which he got a glimpse of as God used him to help a whole community act more like Jesus.

Jesus’ stories today, which are actually rather strange, give us hints of this “double vision.” A mustard tree, I was told in seminary is not actually a very impressive- like a redwood or cedar of Lebanon. Its more like a bushy weed, that creeps in everywhere and gave ancient farmers a hard time. But it also makes a home for creatures who need one. God’s Kingdom, creeping in like weeds below the rich and powerful, and giving shelter to those in need? Actually sounds like how the church got its start—and what happens when Christians act as the GOOD kind of troublemakers today. But it sure isn’t the way I’d plan a garden!

What about the story of the pearl and the treasure? These two are similar, but both sound a little foolish to your average businessman. Building God’s Kingdom apparently means throwing away all your worldly possessions for one “big deal.” The Pearl-buyer doesn’t even buy the Pearl cheap and sell it back at a profit- we’re left to assume he paid “the Great Price” for it. So now he’s a homeless pearl owner! The treasure-hunter’s a little more shrewd- maybe he DOES know how much he found. But then he risks burying it on someone else’s land and hoping they’ll cut him a deal! Even if it all works out its’ clear the guy will be sleeping in that field for a few nights, since he sold his house! (though, in a funny way the burial image also echoes Baptism—sharing in Christ’s death to live forever).

This may seem like bad business sense… but in God’s economy things are apparently different. We may live now, but we’re being asked to be God’s stock-agents for an Eternal Kingdom. A Kingdom where the things we do on Earth matter VERY much, but where things are priced differently. Caring for the poor beats silver, and helping a beat up guy on the street can buy out the whole gold market. We’re building a Kingdom not just for Earth, but which Jesus later tells Peter and the Disciples “not even the Gates of Hell can stand against.” Pretty ambitious business plan!

In a final story, one of those Disciples, Thomas is said to have made it all the way to India, and Christians there have many stories about him. In one he is hired by a King who heard he was a Jewish architect, and asks him to build a new palace in a distant city. He sends Thomas money and expects updates every year. Thomas tells him his Palace is growing greater and greater, and asks for more money. But when the King returns, he finds Thomas has been feeding thousands of poor people instead. He’s furious, but Thomas tells him he built him a palace in God’s Kingdom, one that would last forever. Thomas would eventually be killed in India—but his piece of God’s Kingdom remains to this day there. Pretty bold faith from a many we know as a “Doubter.”

Of course, Jesus knows we need to eat. I don’t think he expects everyone to literally dump all our savings into empty fields. But He DOES expect each of us to follow Him in building that Kingdom… and warns us it WILL take sacrifices… sometimes big ones. Above all, to plan our futures with GOD’S plans in mind, not those of this world.

Sometimes that may even mean the ultimate sacrifice. Paul reminds us of this, in one final image from his letter today. He wrote this letter to Roman Christians after a long life of ministry, and many “close calls.” Here, in a moment of audacious hope he states “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Living as a Christian in this world may seem pretty crazy at times. But God gives us glimpses, thought stain glass and the living images of those who gave before, to trust our savings are not just safe—but backed by the love of Jesus. So let’s get out there and invest like lunatics!

"Wrestling With the Trinity" (Sermon for Week of Sunday June 19th 2011)

This was my first sermon with St. Mary's and St. Michael's and All Angels this summer, and was on the slightly intimidating day of Trinity Sunday! But everyone seemed to enjoy it, and it was a nice challenge to rise too. Below are week's readings and also an Orthodox Trinity Icon and a Celtic Trinity.

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20

Good morning. When Fr. Randy and I were looking at my plan for the summer, he said “why don’t we have you preach Trinity Sunday.” Nice relaxing introduction, lets toss Kieran into one of the weightiest questions of Christian theology right off the bat. Make him prove he earned that fancy Harvard seminary degree!

But in all seriousness, I’m honored to be able to share with you today. The Trinity—the Christian belief in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a weighty, but also beautiful teaching of our faith—though sadly, perhaps for that reason, it has inspired some of the bloodiest debates in times past. Wrestling with some of that Church history, in fact proved a challenge to me in my own faith journey. But I’ve also come to realize religious truth often shines through most clearly in stories, in the lives of our fellow human beings. Their imperfect lives still give us glimpses of God in the things they were willing to live and die for—and perhaps keep us humbler and kinder when we disagree today. As the late Peter Gomes, the legendary Black Preacher of Harvard’s chapel said “Christian truth is advanced not by… bone crushing logic… but in the living flesh of human beings.” Its in this hopeful spirit I will try and share a few thoughts with you today: looking first at our scriptures, and then the stories of few two that help me understand the Trinity—and I ask all of your kindness in not reporting me to any Inquisitions if I mess up!!

So what’s so important about the Trinity? Well, it makes sense that at some point Christians wanted to explain what KIND of God they worshipped. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, but it isn’t written as a neat instruction manual. It gives us glimpses through poetry, songs and stories things that are hard to put into words—and which Anglicans, like many Christians respect the early work of Apostles and Church Mothers and Fathers for helping us to understand. The Bible points at what theologians came to call MYSTERIES of God. Mysteries not as crimes to be solved in a paperback novel, but an older sort of Mystery—a truth or experience so amazing we can spend the rest of our lives being amazed and transformed by it. But like chasing the setting sun, or a rainbow, the Mysteries of God are also greater than anything we can “grab” in this life. They speak of a God real but vaster than we can imagine. Many ancient ideas of theology are PARADOXES, which seem to hold opposites together, but actually point to truths too big for our minds to understand in any other way. The Trinity, the idea that there are 3 PERSONS of God, each telling us something deeply important about God, but are also somehow all one, is one of those. Some of the most painful fights in the Church’s past tried to make that idea seem more “reasonable,” but risked losing the beauty of the Mystery.

Coming to think about faith and Mystery this way helped to shape MY story. In my last term of college I found myself wrestling with faith. I’d ran into ideas and groups of Christians who, though I still love many of them as friends today—presented me with questions that shook me to my core, especially in seeing some of the hurtful ways the Church has often treated people of other faiths or cultures. The God I grew up believing to be Love seemed far away, and even the Bible or church became painful for a season. I faced struggle but also many blessings in this time of “exile,” surprises and relationships that helped me along my way. One of the most important surprises, was to eventually find myself growing closer again to Jesus as I started to reread the Gospels. Something in Jesus always seemed to turn things upside down, to inspire people to love God and the needy around them while also always challenging them. I realized that Jesus’ teachings, when you really take them seriously had more surprises then I realized and captured my experience of a recklessly welcoming God better than any other religion. The Trinity, the idea that Jesus showed us something unique of God, became important in a new way. I came to appreciate the beauty of paradoxes, and some of these ancient traditions more maturely, but grateful for the lessons my honest struggles affirmed about the God of love we serve.

Our Creation story in Genesis today, in my opinion gives us a great example of the challenge of reading God’s Mysteries in the Bible, and how the Church Fathers and Mothers tried to make sense of the Trinity. “In the beginning when God created…” We find out our God is the One who made all things. We hear of a wind—which in Hebrew is the same word for spirit, that sweeps over dark waters mysteriously before God begin. Is this wind a part of God, God’s Spirit, some kind of angel, or just the wind? Its not clear, and ancient people debated this. We see God creating many amazing things, and saying Creation is Good. Then, after 6 days God gets to something special. God decides to create one final wonder—human beings, who will be “God’s Image.” Humans are somehow special. We are stamped with God, like a mirror or photo we reflect something of God to the world around us, and have the possibility to know and be in relationship with God.

In this simple story, one gets the seed of so many things to come. We get images of a God working in mysterious ways, and see that humans are called to live in ways that seek to understand and reflect God’s light. A big job indeed—and sure enough, it gets messed up real fast! Later, after Jesus, his first followers experienced God in new, saving ways that also reminded them of things in these older stories. As Jews they believed in one God—but they also EXPERIENCED God fully in Jesus, a human being, in a way that changed everything. Then they experienced God coming to live WITH them, and transform their lives and the world around them through the Holy Spirit. Somehow all of these things were part of God and, as Matthew says they began going out into the world to teach and Baptize in these names. But these ideas were still so new, so fresh. The first Christians demonstrated them, above all in the ways they lived and died for their experience of Jesus in a hostile world. But it would take centuries for the first Christians to fully define this as the Trinity.

Basically, after Rome’s Emperor Constantine BECAME Christian, things got messy. The government wanted a nice, tidy religion, not loose ends and fights. WAS Christianity about one God or three Gods? How could Jesus be both God AND human at the same time? Can’t we just simplify this whole Trinity thing? This brings me to first inspiring story, of a man named Athanasius.

Athanasius spent much of his life debating something called Arianism, a belief that Jesus was not exactly God, but more like a lesser god, like Hercules or one of the Greek heroes. It seemed easier to understand for former pagans who used to worship gods like that—and it was also nice for Emperors who could worry less about people being more loyal to a divine Jesus than to them. But Athanasius saw dangers. If Jesus was not really God, God did not truly become one of us to die and rise again. The true God is still distant from us, Jesus becomes just middle-management. Athanasius was just a young secretary at the earliest debates, but would become a Bishop and hold onto his beliefs even when he was persecuted by the power of church and state. As Arianism became “official” under the Roman Church, he was exiled 5 different times from his home, and people repeatedly mocked that it was “Athanasius against the WHOLE world.” But in the end, his beliefs stood the test of time, and are held by nearly all Christian churches today. Many of the creeds we pray preserve this Mystery—challenging, but reminding us not to “simplify” the beauty God we meet in Jesus.

Athanasius and others like him tried to explain the Trinity with the best tools of their time. They also sometimes spoke in passionate terms—condemning all who did not believe the EXACT formula to an Eternal Hell, in ways we might not fully agree with today in our understanding of God’s grace. But they leave us a treasure to ponder still. You can find a Creed named after him in the back of our Prayerbook, and I encourage everyone to ponder its paradoxes later on.

But these debates, which made so much sense in the Greek and Roman world often caused confusion or difficulty for other cultures. This brings me to my second, and last story—of a special man seeking to help build understanding between Muslims and Christians today. It’s the story of a man named Mazhar Mallouhi, which I was blessed to read in a book written by a Priest of our Church in Egypt who became his close friend.

We don’t have time for a full lesson on Islam, but I’ll note a few things. First, Islam considers itself to be of the same family as Jews and Christians—it came from Arabs who speak a language close to Jesus’, who were also Abraham’s children according to the Bible—and who share many things with us, like the worship of one God, and the belief in a final judgment. Surprisingly, many Muslims also love Jesus and Mary, and believe Jesus was born through a miracle, while Mary was a Virgin. They even believe Jesus will come again, as Christians do! But Muslims also find many ideas of Christian faith hard. The Trinity is one of the toughest, because to their Prophet, Muhammad it seemed like we worship three Gods—exactly what Athanasius wanted to avoid. Their respect for God’s holiness, and “Otherness“ is so great they reject the idea of God becoming human in Jesus—even though their holy book teaches Jesus was sent by God, and that Muslims should respect Christians and the things he taught them.

Of course, since these debates a long time ago many crusades and bloodshed have come between Christians, especially European Christians and followers of Islam. We still see it in the anger that inspires some to terrorism, and the distrust many Christians have of Muslims today. “Christians” are seen as European conquerors who, after the World Wars controlled much of the Middle East. It was in this time, as many Middle-eastern nations were becoming free, that our friend Mazhar was born to an Arab family of desert people. In time spent in the army, he discovered Jesus though the works of Gandhi and Christian novelists and finally decided to become Christian in a moment of deep depression. This shook up his whole life! He found new life, but family felt betrayed, governments persecuted him, and he also felt saddened by how many Western Christians tried to teach him to hate his own people and culture. He eventually chose to live among other Muslims, but as a follower of Jesus. A crazy idea!

But a deeply fruitful one. Over the next few decades, Mazhar became bookseller and writer himself. Through his work, and with the help of an American wife he made friends across the Middle East, Muslim and Christian, and shared his simple love of Jesus, or Isa, in Arabic. He continued to pray in Mosques, Christian prayers but as a way to continue to meet people and respect them as spiritual gathering places. Many respected Muslim teachers sent THEIR students to him when they had questions about Jesus—knowing he was a Christian, but aalso a fellow seeker of the truth who respected Muslims and would not seek to trick or brainwash them. Many of these students did decide to follow Jesus too- and with Mazhar’s help some joined him in this respectful witness.

Perhaps his most amazing project has been to translate the Bible, legally into Arabic. Many western missionaries try to “sneak” the Bible in, thinking they are liberating people but actually being viewed by many local people as dishonorable for this. Mazhar sought permission to sell his books and, as a native Arab he was more trusted. His books sought to translate the Gospels faithfully, and even included commentaries meant to help Muslims understand hard ideas like the Trinity by showing respect for MUSLIM poets and philosophers who talked about the Paradoxes of God in similar ways. Like Athenasius, Mazhar is trying to translate Christianity into his own culture—but also bravely and honestly being true to the mysteries of our faith, without compromise. And his books are not just selling—they are BESTsellers to people across the Middle East.

The Trinity has come down to us, through fierce arguments, but also through humble men like Athenasius and Mazhar who suffered for their simple faith. Thanks be to God!

Comings and Goings Across God's Country

Hello to all, and thanks for reading! I've been up here in the Basset/O'Neill area for almost four weeks now, and thought to give a quick overview of our churches up here and my journey so far. I say especially brief, because I'm about to head out for a week with the youth of several Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal and Presbyterian churches for a unique summer mission trip we pool resources on- this year in Kansas City (KN). I hope to have more pictures and news to share when I return!

I arrived here after a breathtaking two weeks with my family; we set off from Omaha and journeyed along the entire border of Nebraska/South Dakota from Sioux Falls to the Paha Sapa (Black Hills), a place very sacred to the Native American peoples of this part of the world and beloved by guests worldwide. It was a lovely time to reconnect with my mom and dad before beginning my summer ministry, and gave me a chance to delve into the rich history and natural beauty of this part of the country. I've included a few pictures below, so you can get a taste of this part of the world!

I finally arrived at the ranch of Fr. Randy Goeke, the Priest up here with quite a natural welcome- a BIG storm was coming in, and I worried I might have a Wizard of Oz moment the first day! But thankfully Fr. Randy and several family members and friends were on hand to give me my first lesson in "storm watching" and safety and we did just fine. One of our sweet farm cats, "Mommy Kitty" decided to pick that night, of all nights to give birth to her 6 kittens as well, which was a lovely surprise! Definitely an intense introduction to "God's Country," but with people and creatures who made me feel at home very fast. It was very moving doing evening prayer together that first night, which has become a habit up here on the farm.

I've been getting to know our churches out here (and shall add more pictures once I return). St. Mary's, Basset is a beautiful, warm church dedicated to Jesus' mother and recently redone with stunning stain glass and a very intimate warm wood interior. The larger of the two, they are very active in the community and have some incredible people of many diverse backgrounds and stories. So far I've helped them with their rummage sale, a very big community-building event which we dedicated to helping the Tornado victims in Joplin and Alabama, and spend a day fossil huntingwith our resident family of paleontologists! I was also blessed to visit with a former member who has a passion for recovery work and friendships with Native people, and now lives closer to a reservation West of here. He showed me around, and was a great person to get to know given my vocational interests in these areas.

St. Michael's and All Angels 's is our "mission" church, a little storefront in the larger community of O'Neill to the West. O'Neill is the "Irish Capital of Nebraska" and a very lively place, and we're already gearing up for me to do some public talks on my research/pilgrimage to Ireland as a way to better get to know the community. St. Michael's may be small, but some amazing people have been sent our way, and has an incredible energy and sense of potential to it. Part of this, no doubt comes from how much love the community has put into our little space--most notably four full-wall Icons of the Archangels who surround us in our worship. We had an amazing Pentecost/Holy Spirit experience together two weeks ago, which deserves its own post.

Below is my "tour" of Northern Nebraska and the Black Hills; now I'm back on the road but hope to post more soon!


Shot near the intersection of the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers, just a little north of where I'm living now.









Sun creeping down at nearby Ponca State Park... lovely forests cluster by the rivers up here.

Further West brought us to the Badlands (Paha Ska, or White hills in Lakota). This beautiful spot also has some weighty history... the infirm Lakota Chief Big Foot led his people to hide here shortly before the tragic Wounded Knee encounter.
This is Spearfish Canyon, a special place in the Black Hills, which are at the very Western corner of Nebraska and South Dakota. Sacred to many local tribes, they were taken from Native people during a gold rush in the 1800's, but are revered as a natural treasure by many Americans today. These mountains sit like an "island" in the open Plains, and are home to bighorn sheep, beavers, mountain lions, elk, and even several buffalo herds.


A profoundly peaceful stream in Wind Cave National Park, which also has a roaming Buffalo herd.






























The sun decided to come out on our last day in the Black Hills!

Wagons EAST: Looking back towards the Sandhills that will be my home for the next 10 weeks.