A Shepherd In The Field

Jude and I have a father and son activity that we have enjoyed since he was a toddler - fishing.  Part of our fishing tradition is to eat breakfast at an old truck stop cafe on our way to the lake.  It is a classic, western, cafe.  We sat in the vinyl-backed chairs, ordered coffee, breakfast and talked about the fish we were going to catch. I took a moment to look around the cafe and began to notice the people around me.  A young Hispanic woman was cutting the food for her five-year-old daughter.  They sat together, and the mother had a tired look in her eyes, yet she looked at her daughter with pure love.  Directly behind us was a family of 12 smiling, laughing, and pointing at the menu.   One son wore a t-shirt from a local synagogue, and the other wore a Santa's hat.  Next to our table a Native American family of 7 was talking.  They had that graceful presence found in native people.  One of their grandchildren was running around the table poking his small finger

The feast of the Holy Innocents, Today in our liturgical calendar, we hold in our heart the feast of the Holy Innocents.  The children who are put to death by the ego, greed, fear, and cruelty of King Herod.  He wanted to get rid of Jesus from his life.  Mothers were wailing, fathers were distraught, and a community was devastated. In our prayers of reflection, let us remember the Holy Innocents of our community.  Those children who are being destroyed because of hunger, violence, bullying, societal pressure, poverty, drugs, neglect, abuse, and those acts of cruelty inflicted by society.  We can either lament or carry Jesus into what I call “sacred spaces of transformation.” In the next year, and the years to come, we shall have a voice in the community.  Our sacred spaces of transformation will be carrying the love of Christ into those places where our community is being destroyed.  In those sacred spaces of transformation, we can change lives in His name.

“ Pilgrimage does not always provide answers, but it often provides clarity.” Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler. I was watching this program while writing this post.  This quote is seemed to be a gift in that it truly describes the experience of the Come and See pilgrimage.  During the pilgrimage, I have received clarity regarding the diocese and the beloved people of this Diocese.  We have opportunities, some may call them challenges, but they are opportunities.  I use “opportunity” because we are blessed with a spirit of courage.  We also have the willingness to live in a spirit of abundance rather than a mode of scarcity.  Because of Jesus Christ, we will embrace all the opportunities that come our way.    With each stop on the pilgrimage, I have not encountered one church who has said "we need to close" or "we do not believe we can go forward."  No, while there are "opportunities" to embrace, each church, person, vestry member has said