A great Epiphany meditation.

"When we have found our lasting joy in the midst of the encircling gloom, cynicism, despair, indifference and meaninglessness, the only thing to do is to kneel and adore."

Rice and Beans: The New Happy Meal

A few times per year we receive letters from our Rwandan daughter Yankurije Laetitia. Through Compassion we “adopted” her several years ago when she was a small child and now she is nineteen – a young, beautiful woman with sad eyes. Even though her messages are brief, Yankurije often mentions the fact that her family grows beans. My Dad had a tomato and zucchini garden of which he was very proud but I get the sense that the Laetitia’s garden is tied to their survival. It is very humbling to read the words of a child (and then teenager) as she gives thanks to God for her beans.

I’m only in the third day of “Rice & Beans Week” sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of Old Greenwich where I am the music guy. The plan is to live on a subsistence diet for a week and then contribute the grocery savings to build a greenhouse in Nigeria. So I won’t shame myself by claiming that I now appreciate Yankurije’s situation and the plight of the poor. My concept of suffering includes denying myself premium movie channels and waiting to replace my aging Macintosh computer. Yes. Life is hard.

But before I give myself over to the sin of despair, I hope that small gestures like this week’s exercise will help to get my heart right with God regarding the poor. Empathy is a start. But it takes food to fill tummies and clean drinking water to save lives. So, with God’s help, I need to rethink what I am able to do and, for Christ’s sake, do something while I am thinking about it.

Anglo-Catholics Can Return To Rome

The Vatican has paved a way for Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church "while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony". This has been met with enthusiasm by traditional Anglicans. Liberals and evangelicals in the Anglican Communion will have little interest but for very different (and obvious) reasons.

I'm personally intrigued by this because, as a family, we were members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, CT from 1988 to 1997. I credit that time at St. Paul's with softening my lapsed-Catholic heart towards the Catholic Church and growing fond of liturgy. It was a slow transformation that led to my own return to the Ancient Church during Lent 2000.

It will be very interesting to see how this new avenue plays out in a practical way.

Justin's letter to the emperor.

Justin Martyr wrote a letter to pagan emperor Antoninus Pius defending the faith. His description of 2nd century Christian worship sounds wonderfully familiar. His feast day is today. (2009 June 1)

"On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits. When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate those beautiful things. Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves... and for all others, wherever they may be... Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren. He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: Amen. When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the eucharisted bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent."

My first CD .review

Susan Bailey of GrapeVine asked me to review the work of a fellow worship-leader. It wasn't easy.

Just Another Facebook Faster

So it's Ash Wednesday, the 1st day of Lent. Tis the season to turn up the heat on the Lord's charge to "deny yourself, pick up your cross & follow Him" through increased prayer, fasting & giving to the poor. I was thinking about giving up some media consumption -- something meaningful. Anne Jackson blogged about a "Facebook fast" and it spoke to me. When I heard one of our church teens was doing a FB fast, that was the clincher.

On the more traditional Lenten disciplines, here's an easy way to do all three simultaneously:

1) skip a meal;

2) pray during the time you would have been eating;

3) donate the dollar amount you would have spent on food to the poor (maybe through a charity that works directly with the poor).

Have a blessed Lent.