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A Prayer during Worldviews
06/25/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
A Prayer during Worldviews
I came across a prayer given at the World Council of Churches gathering in Vancouver in 1983. It was apropos to stumble on because this week we are hosting the Eighth Annual Worldviews Seminar which Christ Church co-sponsors with the University of Michigan – Dearborn and others. This gathering is a five and a half day, experienced based seminar designed to introduce people to the beliefs and practices of several of the world’s religions, through presentations and “site visits.” Over the years, the lives of many of our participants have been transformed as they learn the concepts, vocabulary and practices of various religions and grow to be able to engage in intelligent dialogue with members of them.
Anyway a portion of the prayer I came across is entitled God’s Love for All People:
Eternal God whose image lies in the hearts of all people,
We live among peoples whose ways are different from ours,
whose faiths are foreign to us,
whose tongues are unintelligible to us.
Help us to remember that you love all people with your great love,
that all religion is an attempt to respond to you,
that the yearnings of other hearts are much like our own
and are known to you…
The rich diversity of this world is a wonderful thing to behold!
Peace
06/16/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
So it is Tuesday, June 16th and Christ Church is holding its Summer Arts Camp this week. I am at my desk, and a few minutes ago a group children, giggling noisily, walked by my office door, peeking in as they passed. I peeked back...
Then I opened this email, from Story People, a "daily" I get... I thought I would share it!!
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| Here's the Story of the Day: |
| Chaos Theory (Boxed Book Set #1712) |
| I'm beginning to think peace is something we made up to keep us from being satisfied with all this luscious chaos |
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A Blog Delayed
06/03/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
A Blog Delayed
Sorry for the "gap" in postings... It has been a busy time in the life of our parish and things like my announcement to accept a position of leadership at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in St. Louis MO have interfered with my entries... But the Blog must go on!!
SO -- I have this entry... and another "saved up". Both are links to Episcopal Cafe' stuff again. Hardly original. But both SOLID.
This first one comes from a chorus in Bruce Springsteen's song "Land Of Hope And Dreams" .
For Springsteen fans, you can see a video of it on Episcopal Cafe's web site and You Tube HERE.
If the music doesn't fit your style, look at the lyrics...
The refrain from this song by Springsteen is a wonderful image of what Christian Community can be. It expresses all of what we have hoped for, for thousands of years... the Kingdom of God - a place - a world - a journey with the people around us... A train of hope and dreams...
"This train
Carries saints and sinners
This train
Carries losers and winners
This Train
Carries whores and gamblers
This Train
Carries lost souls
This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded
This Train
Hear the steel wheels singin'
This Train
Bells of freedom ringin'
This Train
Carries broken-hearted
This Train
Thieves and sweet souls departed
This Train
Carries fools and kings
This Train
All aboard
This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded
This Train
Hear the steel wheels singin'
This Train."
More from me will come in a bit... for a bit...
Tweeting the Lord
05/19/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
Tweeting the Lord
Ship of Fools recently held a very interesting competition for re-writing the Lord's Prayer for the mobile phone, using just 160 characters or less. It was judged for Ship of Fools by the Churches' Broadcasting Conference.
FYI - The traditional version of the Lord's Prayer is 372 characters long, so whittling it down to 160 characters meant cutting the prayer by more than half but without losing anything important.
Third Place: Rev. Stephen E. Moore, Bellevue, Washington, USA (WOO HOO!! Go Vicar of all Bellevue!). Here's what he wrote:
God@heaven.org, You rule, up and down. We need grub and a break. Will pass it on. Keep us focused. You totally rule, long term. Amen. Second place: Steve Seymour, Bristol, England:
r pa in evan, respect 2 u, may u rain ear as in evan. giv us r needs, 4giv rsin as we 4giv r nmes. resq us from the evil 1. 4 ur always the most xlent dude. yo
THE WINNER – out of a strong field of over 100 entries, Matthew Campbell, a history student at York University, came up with the winning entry, which is...
In 1st place: Matthew Campbell, York, England
dad@hvn,ur spshl.we want wot u want&urth2b like hvn.giv us food&4giv r sins lyk we 4giv uvaz.don't test us!save us!bcos we kno ur boss,ur tuf&ur cool 4 eva!ok?
Resurrection after Easter Day
05/05/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
We are in the Season of Easter - the Fifty Days after the Day of Resurrection.
There is a poem that wonderfully expands what Jesus' resurrection means in these spring days which is by Erich Fried and called, "What it is."
What is it? What does Resurrection mean to you? Beyond Easter Day, how do you embrace the meaning of Resurrection... and embrace it in your life? For me, it is all about God's Love for us and all of creation! And that is worth embracing!!
What do you think it is?
"What it is"
What it is
It is nonsense
says Reason
It is what it is
says Love
It is misfortune
says Calculation
it is nothing but pain
says Fear
It is hopeless
says Insight
It is what it is
says Love
It is ridiculous
says Pride
It is frivolous
says Prudence
It is impossible
says Experience
It is what it is
says Love.
Erich Fried (1921-1988)
(Original in German)
The Presiding Bishop's Word about Hard Times
04/29/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
You may have seen this in Episcopal Life. But I thought it was worth posting here on our web site.
You can find the whole article HERE.
What I want to know is whether she speaks to your heart?
Blessings in hard times: Look for abundance amidst scarcityBy Katharine Jefferts Schori, April 28, 2009
How do we cope in tough economic times? How do we nurture an enduring sense of hope in ourselves and in those around us?
Start with gratitude for what you are and have. Begin with the simple (!) task of listing the blessings in your life – shelter, family, friends, skills and your breath. Include your hungers: for relationship, greater depth in those relationships, the desire to be of service and to give to others out of your blessings.
Look at the opportunities in your life that are the result of what others call a downturn….
Naming a sense of scarcity or shortfall also can be a motivation toward gratitude, for knowing our own dependence – on God and on others – is the root of the spiritual journey.
Reframe your perspective – look for abundance where the world sees scarcity – and discover a renewed sense of connection to, and love for, God and neighbor.
For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. -- Romans 12:4-6
Bono on Easter from the NYTimes
04/21/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
When I got finished reading Bono's editorial in the New York Time's Week in Review on Sunday April 19th, I thought how wonderful it was to have this world renowned musician and advocate for the Millennium Development Goals talk about his faith, his spiritual journey and social engagement so powerfully.
What do you think?
Below is a section of his editorial and HERE is the link:
It’s 2009. Do You Know Where Your Soul Is?
I am a long way from the warm breeze of voices I heard a week ago on Easter Sunday.
“Glorify your name,” the island women sang, as they swayed in a cut sandstone church. I was overwhelmed by a riot of color, an emotional swell that carried me to sea.
Christianity, it turns out, has a rhythm — and it crescendos this time of year. The rumba of Carnival gives way to the slow march of Lent, then to the staccato hymnals of the Easter parade. From revelry to reverie...
... I come to lowly church halls and lofty cathedrals for what purpose? I search the Scriptures to what end? To check my head? My heart? No, my soul. For me these meditations are like a plumb line dropped by a master builder — to see if the walls are straight or crooked. I check my emotional life with music, my intellectual life with writing, but religion is where I soul-search....
...Strangely, as we file out of the small stone church into the cruel sun, I think of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, whose now combined fortune is dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty. Agnostics both, I believe. I think of Nelson Mandela, who has spent his life upholding the rights of others. A spiritual man — no doubt. Religious? I’m told he would not describe himself that way.
Not all soul music comes from the church.
Easter Connections
04/11/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
Ian Fraiser has been a member of the Iona community in Scotland since 1941 - A community that challenges each other on the meaning of the Christian faith for every place and time. I came across these lyrics to a hymn he wrote as I was preparing my Easter sermon. Don't be surprised if they show up on a Sunday morning during the Easter Season.
How do they resonate with you and your experience of Resurrection?
Ian Fraiser, Deep in the heart of God
From “Eggs and Ashes”
Deep in the heart of God there lurks
A mischief making note,
A gurgle of suppressed delight
A chuckle in the throat.
Deep in the heart of God there lies
A reservoir of pain,
A cross-marked agony of love
Filled and refilled again.
God of our laughter and our tears,
Transcending human thought,
You share our fun in life, our fears,
- By incarnation brought:
Father of Jesus Christ, the clown,
Whose Spirit gives us breath,
Hear us, who look to crown our merriment, our death.
You can also find our Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori's Easter Message HERE in the languages of our Province - English, Spanish and French; and, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter Day sermon can be found HERE
Good Friday - Noon
04/10/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
One of the readings that we will hear at our Good Friday service tonight is from an ancient Byzantine liturgy:
A dread and marvelous mystery we see come to pass this day.
He whom none may touch is seized;
He who looses Adam from the curse is bound.
He who tries our hearts and inner thoughts is unjustly brought to trial.
He who closed the abyss is shut in prison.
He before whom the powers of heaven stand with trembling, stands before Pilate;
the Creator is struck by the hand of a creature.
He who comes to judge the living and the dead is condemned to the cross;
the Destroyer of hell is enclosed in a tomb.
Comments not allowed for this entry.
The movement into Holy Week
04/07/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
I thought that this piece from "Thinking Anglicans" was a nice segue into Holy Week, after my last entry on the G20 meeting.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Donkey Riding
"They had been waiting for him. He promised so much. And he arrived, waving to those who greeted him so enthusiastically (especially the photographers and the press), and rode the beast through the great city. Some had got ahead of themselves: they were already disenchanted, already crying ‘crucify’ — or at least ‘get the bankers!’ — but for most, the hope was there, the hope of a saviour, come at a time when the old ways, the old certainties, could no longer be sustained. Surely, with his coming there would be the promise of restoration: we would again feel comfortable with ourselves, assured that our lives would again be blessed and fruitful.
Well, so much for last week’s G20, and the arrival of Barack Obama. This week, of course, it’s a different story, a different arrival. The expected Messiah comes on a donkey, and it takes a while for the mood of the crowd to change. But the fearfulness with which we seem to live because of the global economic downturn, and the hopes invested in the meeting of world leaders last week, above all in the new US President, provided a strange parallel to what might have been the mood of an expectant, fearful, hopeful Jerusalem on Palm Sunday..."
You can read the rest of it HERE.
G20 and the Church
04/02/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
Most of us, especially in Southeast Michigan, have trouble connecting our faith with the G20 meeting that is occurring right now in London. Not so, with a blogsite called The Church Times Blog by David Walker which you can find HERE.
It has some great cartoons, a few videos and solid commentary with links to other sites/blogs talking about the economic crisis. As a church site, it invites us to reflect on our response as faithful Christians to the plans that are being made about various economic strategies for a global recovery.
Walker and others see the moral choices made by the leaders of the G20 (or G27) as reflecting values and ethics that have “Gospel” implications. As one of those interviewed remarks: As stimulus plans are considered by the richest countries in the world, there is a real need to prioritize the needs of the poor. The recovery is every bit as important for the villager in Africa as it is for a banker in London, a home owner Madrid, an auto worker in Detroit or a Baby boomer in the US with a 401K.
What do you think?
Mission
03/29/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
I just came across a great quote about mission from a friend and colleague Bishop Chris Epting, though he says the quote has been around a while.
"God's Church doesn't have a Mission...
God's Mission has a Church."
I find this a wonderful way of reflecting on what we might be as a people who follow Jesus!
What do you think God's Mission for world is?
Lent: A Time for Reflection
03/16/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
When I was in England for my meeting with the Advisory Committee to the Anglican Observer to the United Nations, I had the chance to get together with my old seminary classmate the Rev. Geoffrey Hoare and had the chance to meet his friend, the Rev. Canon Giles Fraser. Giles is Team Rector of Puntey in south London and writes for The Church Times and The Guardian.
This week I came across a great article that he wrote about Lent. There, among other things, he says:
"Lent, of course, begins with a reminder that we are all dying. Thus it offers all of us an opportunity to prepare ourselves for a good death, and a spur to figure out what it is that is most important to us..."
Of course, he is absolutely right. Lent is a time for deep and profound reflection about life and death. You can read the entire article here. I hope you find it a helpful addition to your Lenten reflections.
Comments not allowed for this entry.
Young Words for Lent
03/09/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
I thought that this was a great message and video on You Tube for us to see as we continued our Lenten Journeys.
Truly wise words offered by a young adult who cares and seeks to live life in a balanced, just and compasionate manner!
What do you think!?
Young Words
Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed (20 years old), submitted in a contest called by the AARP "u @ 50".
Video (viewable on YouTube) won second place.
I realise this may be a shock but
"Happiness comes from within"
is a lie, and
"Money will make me happy"
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life.
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
this is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce.
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope
And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.
So read it upwards from There is hope. The young voice of the video reads it all very well.
Other approaches to Lent
02/25/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
Here's another reflection on Lent, this time from a member of our parish, Erika Morrison. Erika was interviewed on National Public Radio's program Day to Day which was aired on Ash Wednesday. Erika is the first person featured on the program, but others follow.
The link to Erika's interview is:
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=101144638&m=101146606
Are there any sites that you are finding helpful as you consider your approach to Lent?
Go to the Blog tab under Extra!, hit "Comment" and write a reply let us know (member login may be required)!
Entering Lent
02/25/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
As we enter the season of Lent and its “lengthening spring” (as “lenten” is translated from the Middle English), you have the opportunity to consider and reacquaint yourselves with your baptismal promises.
One way is to reflect on the promises made in baptism is by trying to articulate your relationship with God. So Lent could mean setting aside a time each day to spend reflecting on the following questions and others that are drawn from the service for Holy Baptism:
In what ways would your life be different if you had not been baptized?
In what way would your co-workers, family or “neighbors” be able notice the difference in your behavior at work, at school, at home, with friends, if you had't been baptized?
How do you look at this life “with an inquiring heart”?
Why does it take so much courage to “will and to persevere”?
If “joy and wonder in all God's works” is a gift, how do we pass it on to others?
What would it take for life to be new every day?
Who needs to change for your life to be new?
What needs to change in your life to be new?
What in your life has grown old and could be new?
What in your life has been cast down and could be raised up?
What could be brought to fruition in your life?
Lent can be a time of self-examination and renewal. It can be a season when we, as people of God, take the time to re-energize our spirituality, to reflect on our relationship with God and on how that relationship shapes our lives. During the next six weeks stop for a moment to pause and take a hard, honest look at whether it is your relationship with God that drives you in this life or something else all together drives you.
And perhaps, best of all, "fast" this Lent from some of the frenetic desperation that rules our lives. Fast from lack of rest. Feast in times with the people whom you love and in times with God. Give energy towards helping those who are in need. There is new life in these lengthening Lenten days. And they are given to you so that you can reconnect with who you are and what you really long to become. I think that is a pretty good Lenten discipline. What do you think?
Darwin's Birthday: Science and Religion
02/14/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
As we celebrated the 200th anniversary of Charles Dawrin's birth this week and reflected on the publishing of his book, Origin of Species, I found myself pulled back into discussions that were decades old. Where could God's hand be found in the creation? How do science and religion challenge and compliment each other?
Then, in a way that I found reminiscent of my own struggle with reconciling various ways of understanding the world I lived in, Presinding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, ordained in the Episcopal Church and a scientist, said in an Episcopal News Service article: "How to make sense of the wonders of creation and the scientific descriptions of how they came to be," she recalled in an interview in her office. "I hadn't had any conscious assistance in how to deal with that as a child." But as a teenager, she said, "I wrestled with big questions through the night..."
I did too... Sometimes I still even ask questions like: Where do I belong? Why am I here? How do I reconcile my Christian faith with the science I am learning?
The P.B. is a women, who, in this 21st Century, approaches her faith in an honest and thoughtful way that I deeply appreciate.
Read more at: http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_105049_ENG_HTM.htm
And do note that the photographs of her in this article were taken at Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn!!
Being ambassadors for Christ
02/07/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
Being the "hands and heart" of Christ in this world - that is something that we try to do at Christ Church. We are committed to living lives of compassion and serving the world to make it better - more whole. These are things we are passionate about.
We also care about embracing diverse opinions and beliefs as we seek to be one community in midst of the Human Family.
Well, I came across this site on Father Andrew's site, which talked about being "on the way to God", or being ambassadors for Christ in the world. Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, President Barack Obama and others contributed... I think we all care about similar things. What do you think?
http://andrewplus.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-way-to-god.html
Connecting in Prayer
01/28/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
With all the challenges that that we are facing as a community and a region, I have been thinking about ways that we can stay connected to each other.
I have talked with a couple of people about forming personal and spiritual support groups for people who are unemployed and their families. If the interest emerges, I will let you know about it.
I have encouraged everyone in our praish to stay in touch with me and each other as we live through the whirlwind of this economic and jobs crisis together.
But today, I wanted to simply ask you to join me in staying connected to each other in prayer.
Prayer for the Unemployed
Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work. Guide the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer of the Unemployed
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that in the middle of the sadness, the anger, the uncertainty, the pain, I can talk to you. Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul. As life carries on, may I know your presence with me each and every day. And as I look to the future, help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions. Guide me by your Spirit, and show me your path, through Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Amen.
Prayer for those remaining in the workplace
Life has changed: colleagues have gone – laid off, out of work. Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile. It's hard to know what I feel: sadness, certainly, guilt, almost, at still having a job to go to, and fear of the future: who will be next? How will I cope with the increased pressure of work? Lord Jesus, in the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going: to work to the best of my ability, taking each day at a time, and taking time each day to walk with you, for you are the way, the truth and the life. Amen.
Inauguration
01/21/2009
By Appleyard, Dan
A friend from seminary preaching, a cathedral that is blessed with a rich heritage of liturgy, a wonderful mix of prayers, song and messages, and all at the end and the beginning of a poignant few days... This service was a blessing for me and I was moved! I hope you will be, as well.
http://video1.cathedral.org/wmv/Inaugural2009.wmv
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