Thoughts and Thanks on Veterans Day

"O beautiful, for heroes proved in liberating strife,

who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law."

A few years ago, when I put out the call for names of veterans to be read at a Veteran's Day prayer service, I got an email back thanking me and remarking that "in the past, CCC has been overly "peacenik" and resistant to any such service."

If that's true, it's not surprising. Not because of anything about this community, but because we as Christians struggle with the tension between honoring two values that Jesus himself lived -- self-sacrificial love and commitment to peace.

That tension is brilliantly sung in "America, the Beautiful,"  one of the "patriotic hymns" in our own hymnal. I am particularly struck by the brilliance of that second verse as a way we might honor and live both of those values as Jesus did.

People have served in our armed forces for many reasons -- from volunteering, to the compulsion of the draft to economic compulsion. But whatever the reason, that service represents a willingness to put their lives on the line for a greater good. To offer, if necessary, what President Lincoln rightly called "the last full measure of devotion."

That act of self-giving is at the heart of our call to be disciples of the one who gave himself for the love of the world. It must be acknowledged, celebrated and even revered. In fact, the willingness to offer that "last full measure of devotion" is so sacred that we as a nation have a sacred duty to make sure it is never demanded except when absolutely necessary. That it is only demanded, as in the case of those honored dead at Gettysburg, literally to preserve not our nation's economic interest or our strategic position but the very freedoms upon which our nation was founded.

That's why on this Veterans Day, in addition to honoring those "who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life," we must ask God to "mend our every flaw." We must repent of those ways we have dishonored - and continue to dishonor - their service by sending them to fight, kill and die, for lesser and less pure causes than ensuring that "government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth."

We have the greatest fighting force in the history of history, but with that comes the responsibility of restraint. The power not only to kill, but to force our own sisters and brothers to be takers of life should be used only in extreme circumstances. And when we do go to war, we must do so in ways that embody the freedoms and respect for the dignity of every human being we fight to defend.

The soul of our nation must be confirmed in self-control, her liberty in law.

I hope we will take a minute today to read these names below -- names of people in our congregation who have served and are serving. I hope we will take the time to thank them for their service the next time you see them.

I also hope this day and every day, we will dedicate ourselves to holding our nation to the highest standards of honoring their commitment, supporting any commitment of troops that is worthy of their devotion ... and working tirelessly to end any action that falls short of that high standard.
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Thank you for your service:

Ed Mehler
Orrin Dieckmeyer
Ron Thompson
Dennis Goffin
Bob Schleipman
Ronnie Smith
Bruce Hoover
Sel Jenkins
Mike Rohan
Bob Lipscomb
Tom Manche
Kate Eakin
Walt Johnson
Jerry Wacker

... and any others I have missed. Please leave those in the comments section.

I'm on a Grand Jury (sort of).

Dear Ones,

Yesterday, I was impaneled as an alternate on a Grand Jury for St. Louis City. We talked about this possibility at the last Chapter meeting and it has come to pass -- at least in part.

The basics are that for the next two weeks (beginning Tuesday, Nov. 13), I will be at the courthouse from 9 am - 5 pm hearing testimony. From that point on, I will be on call every Tuesday and Thursday ... as well as the last two Wednesdays of the month - through the first week in February. 

On call means that I can be called at any time and with very little notice to report to the courthouse on one of those days to serve for the day. That means I can get a call at 8:30 am saying "be here in 30 minutes." 

I am not anxious about this in the least and, in fact, I see this as a great opportunity for all of us. First off, as a Cathedral in the city with a long and deep presence in the city, the experience of the parade of murder, assault, drug, domestic violence, etc. cases that will come before me on the days I serve cannot help but give me (and all of us as I share the experiences) a deeper sense of the opportunity of God's call to us as an urban congregation. I am viewing this impanelment not just as my civic duty but as a call to ministry ... and one not just for me but for the entire Cathedral community.

Second, it will mean that I will have fewer hours -- and we really don't know how MANY fewer hours -- to devote explicitly to my job as dean. As a chronic overfunctioner, I think this can also be a great opportunity for all of us! This really is about shared leadership ... and the opportunity for things that I have too readily just taken on myself to be shared with you all and others. 

I have already had an initial conversation with Annette and Amy about this and we wil be having a conversation about this at Chapter next Thursday. A real gift in this for us is an invitation for us to be grace-filled and flexible. Things literally may change at a moment's notice in terms of what I am able to do. I have been already advised not to schedule meetings on days I could be called to serve ... or to have them be meetings that can easily work without me. 

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to email or call me. 

Love you all and see you Sunday.

in Christ's love,

Opening Prayer - Board of Aldermen Meeting -- Friday, Nov. 9, 2012

Here is the prayer I led to open this morning's session of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. Many thanks to President Reed for honoring Christ Church Cathedral with this opportunity.

God, you are a God who implants vision in your people. And the vision you have implanted in all your people of every tradition throughout time is a vision of a promised land, a land where none of us are natives but all of us call it home. A land without power or privilege of the few but of a people working together for the common good. A heavenly city that makes glad your heart.

That city is not a place we reach all at once or a place that magically appears by itself. We know that we can only reach it through your leadership, but even as you lead us there, you have given us the charge to build it here in this City of St. Louis.

And because we know we will never build it out of despair, give us the gift of hope.
Because we will never build it out of fear, give us the gift of courage.
Because we will never build it out of division, give us the spirit of reconciliation.
Because we will never build it out of narrowness of mind, give us the gift of broadness and generosity of spirit.
Because we will never build it out of arrogance and hard-heartedness, give us the gifts of humility and compassion.

Holy God, if we are to pick up the tools to build this city, we need to lay down some other things we are holding onto pretty tightly. So I invite us here to lay down and release those things that keep us from picking up the tools to build this city that makes glad God's heart.

Aloud or in the silence of our hearts, I invite us to lay down the grudges that we might hold against one another. (Silence)

Aloud or in the silence of our hearts, I invite us to lay down the certainties in our own agendas that might prevent us from listening deeply and hearing God's voice in one another. (Silence)

Aloud or in the silence of our hearts, I invite us to lay down the pain and burdens we carry from all corners of our life and to let God carry those burdens and to seek ways we can help carry them for one another. (Silence)

God, we ask your blessing on this session. Implant in us a wisdom for the common good that is beyond us each individually but which we can reach together. Ignite in us a passion for the common good that will overwhelm any temptations to a personal good.

Finally, bind us together in the quest for the common good, the promised land, the heavenly city, for we know that the only way we will reach it is if we travel together.

Let the people say ... Amen.

Faith knows no party II -- How people of faith can choose either side.

Last week, I asked several people of deep faith -- some Republican, some Democrat, all St. Louis Episcopalians -- to write no more than 2 paragraphs telling about what core principles of their Christian faith lead them to embrace what they see as the core principles of their party.

I asked them to
DO speak openly and passionately about both your faith and your party affiliation.
DO speak clearly about how your faith is expressed in your political views and affiliation.
DO NOT talk at all about "the other party."
DO NOT talk about a specific candidate for office.

My goal is to demonstrate what has been my personal experience ... which is that while both parties have at times claimed a corner on faithfulness, neither has it. This is about showing that people can be faithful Republicans and faithful Democrats ... and that the Episcopal Church (I hope) is big enough to hold both.

I will be posting the responses here -- two a day until the election (or until they stop coming in). PLEASE continue the conversation in the comments but also abide by the DOs and DONTs above and use "I statements."
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Katie Des Prez - A Faithful Democrat
Some people might consider what I’m about to say to be paradoxical: Among the central tenets of my religious beliefs is reason. In my estimation, faith is impossible without a willingness to ask questions and challenge paradigms. It is important to me to be a part of a church community that embraces change and accepts how evolving knowledge can also transform how we approach certain issues (such as homosexuality and our ideas about creation and science, for example).It is also important to me to be a part of a political party that supports scientific progress, as I believe that God gave us the gift of scientific insight in order to see what is truly miraculous about Nature and to put creation to its most just use.

On the other hand, some things should not change even as the world around us does: our dedication to helping those less fortunate, our willingness to engage different faiths (or those who are not religious) in open and honest dialogue, and rejecting prejudice. Government’s most important role is reducing inequalities among people. I believe in reducing disparities among Americans and around the world, and that is why I am a Democrat. It makes me sad to say that I feel one party would support these principles more than another, as I feel that they are truly human — not political — values. But meeting the needs of the poor, continued openness with other cultures around the world, and support of the rights of all people are also the main reasons why I identify as an Episcopalian and a Democrat.

Becky Davidson - A Faithful Republican
When i was asked to do this, I was humbled and a bit terrified. I wanted to make sure that I touched on what the most important thing for me to say and how do I say it succinctly. After praying about it and talking with my family, it came to me. I would say the two aspects of my Christian faith that have had the greatest influence in my political decisions are life and choices. The life aspect is easy to explain. I value life. This past week I had the opportunity to hold my niece for the first time. When she smiled and reached out to me it was the best gift anyone could give me. My niece, nephew and God children are a most wonderful gift from God. I don't understand how anyone see a child as anything other then that wonderful gift. As a woman, I have had to work through where my body ends and where a baby begins. I won't say it was easy because regardless of what anyone says life begins within the woman's body and is nurtured by her body. Yet regardless of where the life begins it is still a life. The Republican Party shares my belief that this life should be protected. This leads to my second part of choices. Other than in the instances of rape, a woman has the choice of whether to try to conceive or not. I understand birth control is not 100% fail safe but abstinence is.

Your life is a series of choices, some good and some not so good. God gave us free choice. We are responsible for accepting the consequences of those choices - good or bad. The Government is not a replacement for God. Loving my neighbor does not mean that my hard earned money should go to the government to take care of someone else. My observation has been that providing welfare as a solution predominantly breeds dependence on welfare not independence. I miss the days when someone had a need and the local churches and community helped, instead of everyone relying on the Federal Government to provide the primary support. There are times when people need a hand up. The east coast after storm Sandy last week is a perfect example. People across the country - if not across the world - are pitching in to help. When the tornado struck Joplin, people from across Missouri sent truck loads of food, water and clothing. Others traveled down to offer a hand. Jesus never asked Caesar to help, he asked his children to love their neighbor. The Republican Party shares my belief that the role of government is not to replace God. It should be up to people to help people and when given the opportunity, they do.

Faith knows no party -- How people of faith can choose either side.

Last week, I asked several people of deep faith -- some Republican, some Democrat, all St. Louis Episcopalians -- to write no more than 2 paragraphs telling about what core principles of their Christian faith lead them to embrace what they see as the core principles of their party.

I asked them to
DO speak openly and passionately about both your faith and your party affiliation.
DO speak clearly about how your faith is expressed in your political views and affiliation.
DO NOT talk at all about "the other party."
DO NOT talk about a specific candidate for office.

My goal is to demonstrate what has been my personal experience ... which is that while both parties have at times claimed a corner on faithfulness, neither has it. This is about showing that people can be faithful Republicans and faithful Democrats ... and that the Episcopal Church (I hope) is big enough to hold both.

I will be posting the responses here -- two a day until the election (or until they stop coming in). PLEASE continue the conversation in the comments but also abide by the DOs and DONTs above and use "I statements."
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Mark Klamer -- A Faithful Republican
Helping the poor is nonnegotiable for Christians. How best to help them is the tougher issue. Those in desperate need should be protected by a robust safety net, certainly, but the far better result is for the poor to earn their own living. Why? Some reasons are obvious. Almost every job confers dignity and self worth, and the self-sufficiency of some allows us to help more people. Welfare, on the other hand, risks creating a culture of dependency and having unintended adverse consequences (for example by damaging family structures). But perhaps the most important reason to favor jobs over welfare is that God created humans to do work; we participate in His creative nature when we do our jobs imbued with Christian principles. Human being’s deepest and best nature is to honor God with the work we do. The Republican Party, at its best, fundamentally embraces the primary importance of jobs and the health of the economy.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us". This applies to every single business person and every single person who works for the government. It applies to every single person, period. Although businesses are run by sinners, market forces provide checks on their behavior. A business with shoddy products, for example, loses its reputation and can go broke; competitors will seek by their self interest to do better. The problem with government is there are no natural forces to check the sinful nature of its workers. Bureaucracies, for example, have no competitors to run them out of business. Therefore, at their best, bureaucracies tend to inefficiency and wasteful activity. At their worst, they get corrupted to favor the rich, the powerful and the connected. I don’t argue for a moment in favor of the straw man of laissez-faire economics, but the larger the government, the more resources that are wasted, and the larger unchecked power that is created. The Republican party, at its best, recognizes the societal implications of our sinful nature, and seeks to restrain the size, scope and nature of government accordingly.


Celeste Smith -- A Faithful Democrat
I am a Christian. I believe that our responsibility on earth is to learn about God's love though our relationships with others. I believe this means that my relationship with my parents teaches me about aspects of God's love, my relationship with my husband teaches me about aspects of God's love, and my relationship with my daughter another mirror of God's love for us. But my Christianity is not just personal, it is political. I believe that God expects us to build our communities based on love, too. I believe it is our responsibility to make decisions focused on compassion, mutuality, and speaking up for those who need our support. I am a Democrat because our party stands up for these values on a political level. Our party wants a government that balances corporate and individual interests, invested in maintaining a safety net, and truly respects diversity.

Tomorrow -- two more faithful people (one Republican/one Democrat) share how their faith informs their politics.