St. Blogory’s— The internet café d’un prêtre à la retraite ac o offeiriad wedi ymddeol.

Tanzanian Bible Story

A village woman used to walk around always carrying her Bible.

 

"Why always the Bible?" her neighbors asked teasingly. "There are so many books you can read."

 

The woman knelt down, held the Bible above her head and said,

 

"Yes, of course there are many books I could read.

 

"But there is only one book which reads me."

 

 

Phil Groves and Angharad Parry Jones, Living Reconciliation (Cincinnati: Forward Movement, 2014), p. 167.

Chicago Botanic Garden

Gathering the fragments left over

These are the writings that touched me this Lent.

 

From Lenten Meditations 2018 by Episcopal Relief and Development

 

Sunday, February 18

 

"O God, you made us in your own image and

redeemed us through Jesus your Son:

Look with compassion on the whole human family;

take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts;

break down the walls that separate us;*

unite us in bonds of love; and

work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth;

that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

         * this Collect appeared in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer

 

Monday, February 19

 

"The 'death' of one's own priorities (goals, toys, attention, achievements) to make room for someone else is an act of love that requires sacrifice." — Mary Carter Greene

 

Tuesday, March 6

 

"I once asked a group of fourth graders at church to write down three people beside their parents who were most important to them. . . . I told the kids I wouldn't look at their lists, but I was curious: Did anybody have a priest on the list? No. Did anybody have a Sunday School teacher on the list? Hands shot up. . . . Discipleship is strengthened not only in the pews but also in the places where lay people minister." — Boykin Dunlap Bell

 

Friday, March 16

 

". . . Then I had children of my own. I skipped lots of page . . . in our children's Bible. One day, I didn't turn the pages fast enough. 'What's that story?" my son asked. It was the sacrifice of Isaac. 'We'll read it another time,' I hedged. "I don't like it." This piqued my son's interest so I took a deep breath and read. When I finished, my son nodded. 'So, Abraham was really old, right?' 'Right.' 'Well, sometimes when people get old, they get confused. . . . So Abraham thought God was telling him to do something mean, but he was wrong. He was confused. And God stopped him.' . . . I liked my son's conclusion. Instead of hiding parts of the story, maybe I could let my child explain them."    — Boykin Dunlap Bell

 

Monday in Holy Week, March 26

 

"The Children's Hour

"Between the dark and the daylight,

    When the night is beginning to lower,

"Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

    That is known as the Children's Hour."

        — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

". . . Longfellow's poem continues by telling the story of three young girls plotting to ambush their father in his study. He hears them and plays along, collapsing in a tangled web of children and laughter upon their 'sudden raid from the hall.' This is a beautiful image of family. . . . If we are not holding apart sacred moments to be present with our loved ones throughout the day, what is the purpose of this life? What do we lose if we are not willing to pause at the Children's Hour?" — Chad Brinkman

 

Wednesday in Holy Week, March 28

 

"Before Happiness you are Adventurous." — Miles Greer, age seven, from his book, The Feeling Guide

 

"These words of my younger son have challenged me more times than I can count. I am the sort of person who tends to err on the side of 'When I am happy/content/secure/(fill in responsible and cautious adult words here), then I will take that risk, try the new thing, go toward the unknown.' . . . Adventures are the beginning of the journey, not the end. . . . Following Christ and living a gospel-centric life is anything but safe and secure, easy or common." — Jerusalem Jackson Greer

 

Easter Day, April 1

 

"Jesus was not a theologian. He was God who told stories." — Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.

 

"I sometimes think that no one over the age of twelve should be allowed to preach on Easter Sunday. I think this especially when I am schedules to preach on Easter. . . . After Jesus rose from the dead, John's Gospel tells us that he appeared to his disciples while they were fishing. 'Feed my sheep," he said to Simon Peter. "Follow me." These are simple commandments; they're even easy enough for children to understand. And yet for Christians, they are the work of our entire lives." — Gay Jennings

 

From Living Well through Lent 2018: Loving with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind by Scott Stoner

 

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

 

"Letting go of judgment is often a hard, but necessary, first step in being able fully to love someone. . . . Why? Because our judgment gets in the way and when we are full of judgment, we have no room to love. This doesn't mean that we don't make judgments about what is right or wrong, but rather it means that love sees the bigger picture and remembers that this person is also loved by God, and realizes that all people, including ourselves, are imperfect works in progress."

 

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

 

"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so to have the life that is waiting for us." — Joseph Campbell

 

". . . Our carefully made plans for our lives (and for the lives of others) gives us the illusion that we are in control, and it is humbling when life takes unexpected turns. At the same time, twists and turns in life are also reminders that our task is not to control, but to stay loving in the midst of the changes and chances of this life."

 

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

 

"The children who need love the most will always ask for it in the most unloving ways." — Russ Barkey

 

". . . The key to loving someone who is going through some type of adversity is to be persistent, yet not pushing, with our love, and to not take it personally if offers of support are rejected. In this way the other person will know that our love is genuine, and when they are ready to begin to soften and to let others in, they will know we are waiting and available."

 

Holy Saturday, March 31, 2018

 

"It is impossible for us to fully understand the emotional space the disciples found themselves in the day after Good Friday. . . . While we may not be able to feel exactly what the disciples felt that terrible day, most of us have experiences our own 'Holy Saturday' moments, times when we have experiences a devastating loss or trauma, made a terrible mistake, betrayed someone or been betrayed, and/or have found ourselves filled with fear and uncertainty, unsure of the way forward. Whenever I feel this way and am unsure of what is going to happen next, I find comfort in the wisdom of the Quaker saying, "way will open."

 

— When I read this passage, I immediately thought of Jurassic Park, when Jeff Goldblum's character says, "Life finds a way."

+ + +

 

I close this post with the Collect for Holy Saturday, a beautiful Collect so seldom used that I've decided to add it to my Saturday Morning Prayer:

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Photograph from the Chicago Botanic Garden

as a Lenten harbinger of the Easter Garden

 

Carl Gerdau’s Farewell, 1988

I was reorganizing a bookshelf yesterday when I came across an old Newsletter.

 

Parish News — April 6, 1988

St. Gregory's Episcopal Church, Deerfield, Illinois

The Rev. Carlson Gerdau, Interim Rector 751-4205 (Ofc.)

The Rev. William D. Roberts, Rector Elect

 

I was once asked in an interview, "All people are wounded. How are you wounded?"

I remember being a bit taken aback by the question and giving some sort of answer.

As the interview went on and as I answered further questions, I kept thinking about how I was wounded; and so I broke into the questioning, looked at the person who asked the question and said,

"I'll tell you how I am wounded.

"I would have liked to have spent my time with the same group of people growing together.

"But here I am in a moving profession.

"That is how I am wounded."

The point of this of course is that I am moving again.

In a sense I have been moving since December as I have done less and less here and more and more downtown.

In many ways this will be the most healthy move that I have made.

I can remember how badly I left Ontonagon* and its satellite churches years ago when I tried to prevent any ceremonies with my departure.

What is healthy about this move is that I am ready to go and St. Gregory's is ready for a new rector.

A time in each of our lives is swiftly coming to an end, and each is moving on to the next stage.

But having said that, there is much here that I will miss.

I will miss the people and the excitement that parish life can be.

I can always remember the sermon preached at my ordination when the preacher said that "I would see people at their best and worst."

One can always soon forget the worst because the good can be so good and so surprising.

I will also miss the excitement that perhaps is part of an interim rectorship.

There are those moments when one senses an awful lot of thin ice around.

I will miss the services and their vigor and music and the opportunity to preach to the same people for awhile and so be able to grow together.

Finally, I will miss the Illinois plain and the pleasure of a good cigar at night while sitting out on its solid earth.

One of the problems of being in a place for only a year is that some people one gets to know well, while for others there is still so much to know about.

There is also the fact that one sees the young develop only over one year and there is not the fun that comes with seeing children develop over a long period of time.

There is a story, though, which I would like to close with.

A few years ago I heard the then Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, John Allin, speak at a moderate size dinner.

He began by saying that over his years as Presiding Bishop he had decided what the special joy of the Kingdom of Heaven would be for him.

It would be completing all the conversations which he had begun on this earth but had not been able to finish.

I too look forward to the same thing as Bishop Allin with those I have gotten to know at St. Gregory's in the past year.

I have had a good time here in the last 12 months.

It has been a pleasure to have been amongst you.

St. Gregory's, I know, has a great future.

— Carlson Gerdau

 

    *The Church of the Ascension in Octonagon, Michigan

 

Carl never lost his affection and interest in St. Gregory's, and he would call me periodically to ask how things were going, always asking after those with whom he forged a special bond— even after he moved to New York City as Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold's right hand man— and served Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as well, and as recently as early last year.

Carl was so important in the parish's life that I soon designated him our Interim Rector Emeritus, perhaps the only Interim Rector so titled!

I always invited Carl back to preach and renew his friendships at St. Gregory's at every opportunity, and he often accepted my invitations.

And I valued his always wise counsel during tough times— and we enjoyed appreciating the many more wonderful times, as well.

I grieved his death this past May, and I am sharing his words of Farewell to St. Gregory's because they may also serve as his farewell until that Day when we can all finish our conversations with him.

 

Gary Lawrence drawing of St. Gregory's, Deerfield, as it looked when Carl Gerdau was Interim Rector

Canticle of the Holy Spirit

I first wrote and published this in 1986, in a little booklet I prepared for preaching at St. Bartholomew's Church during Holy Week.

 

Canticle of the Holy Spirit

Alleluia!

Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you,

            unless you are born of water and the Spirit,

            you cannot enter the kingdom of God. Alleluia!

If you are thirsty, come to me and drink,

            for if you believe in me,

            “out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water.” Alleluia!

The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! Let all who hear say, Come!

            Let all who are thirsty come take the water of life without price!

Alleluia!

 

“I walk many times into the pleasant fields of the holy Scriptures”

I am reading The First Elizabeth by Carolly Erickson (New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1997).

On page 134 she writes:

"An English translation of St. Paul's Epistles that belonged to Elizabeth at Woodstock [where she was under house arrest after being imprisoned in the Tower] has been preserved. In it, in a blank space, she wrote a passage that gave a glimpse of her meditative life.

"'I walk many times into the pleasant fields of the holy Scriptures where I

pluck up the goodlisome herbs of sentences by pruning,

eat them by reading,

chew them by musing, and

lay them up at length in the high seat of memory, by gathering them together.

"'That so having tasted the sweetness, I may the less perceive the bitterness of this miserable life.'"

Carolly Erickson continues:

"On the silken corners of the book mottoes are embroidered in gold thread:

"'Heaven my Fatherland,

"'Christ the Goal of Life,

"'Blessed is He Who, Reading the Riches of Scripture, Turns Those Words into Deeds.'"

"On one side a star has been worked in gold, and in a circle surrounding it, the words 'Vicit omnia pertinax virtus E. C. [Elisabetha Captiva].' 'Tenacious Virtue Overcomes All. Elizabeth the Captive.'"

The year was 1554, and Elizabeth was 20 years old.

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

 

Sunday, 1 January 2017

 

First Day of the Week

First Day of the Month

First Day of the Year

 

Almighty and everliving Father,

we thank you for bringing us safely

to the beginning of this

new day, and

new month, and

new year:

Defend us by your mighty power that we may be

kept free from all sin and

safe from every danger;

and enable us

in everything

to do only what is right in your sight;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"A Morning Collect" from An Alternate Order for Morning and Evening Prayer, © Church in Wales Publications, 1992

 

Happy New Year

"The word happiness has a fascinating etymology.

"Its root, hap-, appears in such words as perhaps and haply, but principally in happen.

"In some peculiar way, therefore, happiness has been seen as having something to do with the way things happen. . . .

"[We] cannot, in any ordinary sense, arrange for happiness; rather, happiness must be something that befalls us.

". . . the call of God is not a call into the following of some plan that will guarantee a life drawn up to either our or God's specifications. . . .

"It is a call to the next step in the dance of a free creation; and whatever we do about that next step— whether we take it brilliantly, or disastrously, or not at all— the dance will always be different as a result of what we did." *

Happy New Year!

 

* Excerpts from Robert Farrar Capon, Health, Money, and Love & why we don't enjoy them (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990), pp. 19, 171.

 

After the Elections: A Way Forward

I am well aware that the entire world has been waiting for my response to Donald Trump’s Electoral College win and his popular vote loss.

Having waited until I could make a considered response, these are my thoughts about a way forward, written self-consciously as a white male Christian.

In this regard, the most trenchant post-election post on Facebook for me was this one:

“Imagine being so privileged that someone’s racism is seen as a minor character flaw rather than an absolute deal breaker to run a country.”

This way forward has two elements: spiritual and practical.

 

Spiritual

Twenty years ago I read Andrew Young's inspirational An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1996).

To accompany a sermon about it, I gave the congregation a copy of the “Pledge to Follow Principles of Non-Violence.”

This pledge, reproduced by Mr. Young on page 238, guided the Civil Rights Movement.

I added three notes, indicated by the asterisks, following the Pledge.

 

“I hereby pledge myself, my person, and my body to the non-violent movement. Therefore I will keep following ten commandments:

“1. Meditate daily on the life and teachings of Jesus.

“2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement seeks justice and reconciliation― not victory.” *

“3. Walk and talk in the manner of love; for God is Love. **

“4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all [people] might be free.

“5. Sacrifice personal wishes that all [people] might be free.

“6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.

“7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.

“8. Refrain from violence of fist, tongue and heart. ***

“9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.

“10. Follow the directions of the Movement leaders and of the captains on demonstrations.”

 

* Victory brings a reversal in standing rather than that equal standing which is the fruit of justice and reconciliation.

** St. Matthew 5:43-47: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?”

*** Violence of fist (physical) and of tongue (emotional and psychological) injure others; violence of heart injures oneself.

 

Today, I would add these slogans:

Hillary Clinton’s: “Love trumps hate”

Michelle Obama’s: “When they go low, we go high”

I also commend this Message from Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, which you can read by clicking here.

Although we have neither “Movement leaders” nor “captains on demonstrations” today, the other 9 Principles of Non-Violence are as relevant today as they were then, especially with Trump’s appointment of Stephen Bannon, a racist, misogynist, and anti-Semite, as his Chief Strategist.

 

Practical

Donald Trump successfully tapped into the anger of many Americans— women as well as men.

For many of these Americans, the anger was explicitly economic, and they need to be heard and their needs addressed; for many others, it was explicitly misogynist, racist, or xenophobic (or all three).

These angry Americans showed up in greater numbers than anyone expected, and having tasted success, they will show up again two years from now and four years from now.

So the only practical and effective way forward is this:

Those of us who want an inclusive, open, and economically just America— and who voted— need to organize in our home communities and seek out those who also want an inclusive, open, and economically just America— and who did not vote— so that in two years and again in four years we can move our country forward again.

 

Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry's Post-Election Message

November 14, 2016

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry has issued the following statement:

Last week I shared what I pray was a reconciling post-election message to our church, reminding us that 'we will all live together as fellow Americans, as citizens.'

Today I want to remind us that during moments of transition, during moments of tension, it is important to affirm our core identity and values as followers of Jesus in the Episcopal Anglican way.

Jesus once declared, in the language of the Hebrew prophets, that God's "house shall be a house of prayer for all nations" (Mk 11:17).

He invited and welcomed all who would follow saying, "come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens" (Mt. 11:28).

We therefore assert and we believe that "the Episcopal Church welcomes you" – all of you, not as merely a church slogan, but as a reflection of what we believe Jesus teaches us and at the core of the movement he began in the first century.

The Episcopal Church welcomes all. All of us!

As the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement today, we Episcopalians are committed, as our Prayer Book teaches to honor the covenant and promises we made in Holy Baptism: To proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves; to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.

As Christians, we believe that all humans are created in God’s image and equal before God – those who may be rejoicing as well as those who may be in sorrow.

As a Church, seeking to follow the way of Jesus, who taught us, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself," (Mt. 22:39) and to "do to others as you would have them do to you" (Mt. 7:12), we maintain our longstanding commitment to support and welcome refugees and immigrants, and to stand with those who live in our midst without documentation.

We reaffirm that like all people LGBT persons are entitled to full civil rights and protection under the law.

We reaffirm and renew the principles of inclusion and the protection of the civil rights of all persons with disabilities.

We commit to the honor and dignity of women and speak out against sexual or gender-based violence.

We express solidarity with and honor the Indigenous Peoples of the world.

We affirm the right to freedom of religious expression and vibrant presence of different religious communities, especially our Muslim sisters and brothers.

We acknowledge our responsibility in stewardship of creation and all that God has given into our hands.

We do so because God is the Creator.

We are all God's children, created equally in God's image.

And if we are God's children we are all brothers and sisters.

"The Episcopal Church Welcomes You," is not just a slogan, it’s who we seek to be and the witness we seek to make, following the way of Jesus.

Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry
The Episcopal Church

House Blessing!

Yesterday we blessed our house, based on "Celebration for a Home" in The Book of Occasional Services 2003 (New York: Church Publishing, 2004), pp. 146ff, and personalized for our home.

Among other changes, the Collect at the beginning of the service was adapted from a prayer by Thomas Ken, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lived from 1637-1711.

And here is our little congregation, followed by the service of Celebration:

 

The Blessing of Our Home

The Celebrant, members of the household, and friends assemble in a room of the home in which a table has been prepared for the Holy Communion.

The Celebrant greets the people.

Celebrant        The Lord be with you.

People             And also with you.

Celebrant        Let us pray.

O God, make the door of this house wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship, and a heavenly Father’s care; and narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride, and hate. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block to children, nor to straying feet, but rugged enough to turn back the tempter’s power; and make it a gateway to your eternal kingdom. Amen.

A Reading from Matthew’s Gospel [10:5-13].

Jesus sent out the twelve disciples with the following instructions: “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it.”

A lighted candle is blessed for the procession through the house.

Celebrant        Our help is in the Name of the Lord.

People             The Maker of heaven and earth.

Celebrant        The Lord be with you.

People             And also with you.

Celebrant        Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, bless X this candle, we pray, by the power of your holy Cross, and grant that, in whatsoever places it shall burn, the prince of darkness with all his hosts will be driven out and flee away. Let the mighty power of the Holy God be present in this place to banish from it every unclean spirit, to cleanse it from every residue of evil, and to make it a secure habitation for those who dwell in it; in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Procession through the House

 

At the Entrance

Behold, I stand at the door and knock, says the Lord. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into the house, and eat with you, and you with me.

The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in: From this time forth for evermore.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Sovereign Lord, you are Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: Send your servants out from this place on many errands, be their constant companion in the way, and welcome them upon their return, so that coming and going they may be sustained by your presence, O Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Living Room

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Above everything, love one another earnestly: For love covers many sins.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Give your blessing, Lord, to all who share this room, that they may be knit together in fellowship here on earth, and joined with the communion of your saints in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Dining Room and Dining Area

The living God gave you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

He brings forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden our hearts: Oil to make a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen the heart.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Blessed are you, O Lord, King of the universe, for you give us food and drink to sustain our lives: Make us grateful for all your mercies, and mindful of the needs of others;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Three-Season Room

I will satisfy the weary, and all who are faint I will replenish.

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart: And good news refreshes the body.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Jesus, our good Companion, on many occasions you withdrew with your friends for quiet and refreshment: Be present with your servants in this place, to which they come for fellowship and food and leisure; and make of it, we pray, a place of serenity and peace; in your Name we ask it. Amen.

 

In the Kitchen

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.

The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord: And you give them their food in due season.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O Lord our God, you supply every need of ours according to your great riches: Bless the hands that work in this place, and give us grateful hearts for daily bread; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

On the Terrace and for the Gardens and Lawns

As the earth puts forth its blossom, or bushes in a garden burst into flower, so shall the Lord God make righteousness and praise blossom before all the nations.

My boundaries enclose a pleasant land: Indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Jesus, our good Companion, on many occasions you withdrew with your friends for quiet and refreshment: Be present with your servants in this place, to which they come for fellowship and recreation; and make of it, we pray, a place of serenity and peace; in your Name we ask it. Amen.

 

In the Family Room

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Above everything, love one another earnestly: For love covers many sins.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Give your blessing, Lord, to all who share this room, that they may be knit together in fellowship here on earth, and joined with the communion of your saints in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Laundry Closet

Many there are who rely upon their hands and are skillful in their own work.

Prosper, O Lord, the work of our hands: Prosper our handiwork.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, your blessed Son worked with his hands in the carpenter shop in Nazareth: Be present, we pray, with those who work in this place, that, laboring as workers together with you, they may share the joy of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Garage

You make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind.

Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses: But our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel from this home; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In a Bathroom

I will sprinkle you with clean water, and you will be cleansed.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering: Having our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O holy God, in the incarnation of your Son our Lord you made our flesh the instrument of your self-revelation: Give us a proper respect and reverence for our mortal bodies, keeping them clean and fair, whole and sound; that, glorifying you in them, we may confidently await our being clothed upon with spiritual bodies, when that which is mortal is transformed by life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

We go upstairs

 

In the Master Bedroom

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

I lie down and go to sleep: I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God of life and love, the true rest of your people: Sanctify to your servants their hours of rest and refreshment, their sleeping and their waking; and grant that, strengthened by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they may rise to serve you all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Master Bathroom

Bless, O Lord, this bathroom also. Amen.

 

In the Upstairs Bathroom

Bless, O Lord, this bathroom also. Amen.

 

In James’ Room and Guest Room

Do not neglect to show hospitality, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Open your homes to each other without complaining: Use the gifts you have received from God for the good of others.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Loving God, you have taught us to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us: Bless those who from time to time share the hospitality of this home. May your fatherly care shield them, the love of your dear Son preserve them from all evil, and the guidance of your Holy Spirit keep them in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In Karen’s Room and Caitlin’s and Courtney’s Room

Jesus said, Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to those like them belongs the kingdom of heaven.

Praise the Lord, you children of the Lord: Praise the Name of the Lord.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Heavenly Father, your Son our Savior took young children into his arms and blessed them:  Embrace the children whose room this is with your unfailing love, protect them from all danger, and bring them in safety to each new day, until they greet with joy the great day of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

In the Green Room

Teach us, O Lord, where wisdom is to be found, and show us the place of understanding.

Seek the Lord your God, and you will find him: Search for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God of truth, eternal ground of all that is, beyond space and time yet within them, transcending all things yet pervading them: Show yourself to us, for we go about in ignorance; reveal yourself to us, for it is you that we seek, O Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

We go down to the basement

 

For the Family Room, Work Areas, and Bathroom

Bless, O Lord, these rooms and places also. Amen.

 

We return to the Dining Area

 

The Blessing of the Home

The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness tranquility and trust for ever. My people will abide in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.

Unless the Lord builds the house: Their labor is in vain who build it.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Visit, O blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence. Bless all who live here with the gift of your love; and grant that they may manifest your love to each other and to all whose lives they touch. May they grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you; guide, comfort, and strengthen them; and preserve them in peace, O Jesus Christ, now and for ever. Amen.

The Celebrant then says to the people           

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Greet one another in the peace of Christ.

The Great Thanksgiving

Celebrant        The Lord be with you.

People             And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lived in his parents’ home at Nazareth and revealed himself as Life and Resurrection in his friends’ home at Bethany. One day we will be at home in heaven, but already we laugh with the saints and angels and sing their song:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Father, you never forget us or turn away from us, even when we fail you. You sent your Son Jesus who gave his life for us. He healed those who were sick, cared for those who were poor, and cried with those who were sad. He forgave sinners and taught us to forgive. For all your love we give you thanks in the way Jesus showed us.

For on the night before he died, while he was having supper with his friends, he took bread and offered you thanks. He broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying: “Take, eat. This is my Body: it is broken for you.” After supper he took the cup, he offered you thanks, and gave it to them saying: “Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new covenant; it is poured out for you, and for all, that sins may be forgiven. Do this in remembrance of me.”

So, as we do what he told us, we open our hearts to him; we remember how he died and rose again to live now in us. Together with him we offer you these gifts: in them we give you ourselves.

Send your Holy Spirit on us, and on this bread and this wine, that they may be the Body and Blood of Christ; and that, sharing your life, we may travel in your company to our journey's end. With all your people we give you thanks and praise through the Son and in the Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

As our Saviour has taught us, so we pray:                                                        

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen

The Holy Communion

After Communion Prayer and Blessing:

Celebrant        Let us pray.

How wonderful you are, O gracious God, in all your dealings with your people! We praise you now, and give you thanks, because in the blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ you have visited this house and hallowed it by your presence. Stay among us, we pray, to bind us together in your love and peace. May we serve you, and others in your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Celebrant        May the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Healing of his Word, and the Fruit of his Spirit be with you always; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you, now and always. Amen.

The Pause that Refreshes

 

After 40 consecutive posts in Lent (and 6 others on the Sundays in Lent),

and 50 consecutive posts during the Great Fifty Days of Easter,

and 6 consecutive Pentecost posts

followed by 7 consecutive Trinity posts,

I am going to pause to refresh!

 

Posts will be more intermittent, at least for a while.

 

And future posts will include more photographs from our recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium, including this painting by Peter Paul Rubens, from about 1616-1617, titled Oude vrouw en jongen met kaarsen (Old woman and a boy with candles).

 

And please click here for a link to the Mauritshaus website, and here for the page where this painting appears.

 

 

Picture at taken Mauritshuis, The Hague, 4/11/2016