Sunday, August 10, 2008
Lambeth Conference Reflections
Thursday Aug 7 I attended a reflection on the Lambeth Conference given by Bishop Don Johnson of the Diocese of West Tennessee; actually was given by him and his spouse.
Nothing earth shattering in this but a few things stood out in what he said and his spouse said.
He was surprised at how little the other Bishops knew of the workings of the Episcopal Church. I wonder how much do we know of let us say how the African or South American or Asian Anglican Churches workings.
He was moved very deeply moved by the recent Melanesia Martyrs, apparently crucified like Jesus.
He was struck by the various styles of liturgy but have having the same shape ( I think he used the word "pattern" at least that is what is in my notes). I am reminded of Dom Gregory Dix,"Shape of the Liturgy", which has been my guide for many years.
And the power of words particularly when we have to depend on translators struck him.
And then the Bishops spouse commenting on how some of the other Bishops and their spouses did not know about "Right Guard." I wonder what our odor is like to them. I think of the comment a tour guide at Colonial Williamsbugh said that there was one signer of the Constitution who had come to the conclusion that one ought to bathe every day; the other signers of the Constitution thought he smelled rather strange.
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
Nothing earth shattering in this but a few things stood out in what he said and his spouse said.
He was surprised at how little the other Bishops knew of the workings of the Episcopal Church. I wonder how much do we know of let us say how the African or South American or Asian Anglican Churches workings.
He was moved very deeply moved by the recent Melanesia Martyrs, apparently crucified like Jesus.
He was struck by the various styles of liturgy but have having the same shape ( I think he used the word "pattern" at least that is what is in my notes). I am reminded of Dom Gregory Dix,"Shape of the Liturgy", which has been my guide for many years.
And the power of words particularly when we have to depend on translators struck him.
And then the Bishops spouse commenting on how some of the other Bishops and their spouses did not know about "Right Guard." I wonder what our odor is like to them. I think of the comment a tour guide at Colonial Williamsbugh said that there was one signer of the Constitution who had come to the conclusion that one ought to bathe every day; the other signers of the Constitution thought he smelled rather strange.
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
St. Lawrence martyr
August 10 is the feast day of St. Lawrence. This is a very important day for me. It so happens this is my religious name day. Lawrence is the name I took when I became a member of the Third Order of St Francis many many years ago, +40 years. I chose Lawrence because I had long been an admirer of him since somewhere early in elementary school where I first heard/read of his death, more of that later.
It just so happens that on this date in 1963 I received my letter of acceptance into St Meinrad Seminary to study to become a Roman Catholic priest. I remember it distinctly as if it was yesterday despite 45 years having gone by. It was a Saturday. It was the day that my cousin Jo Anne Maynard, God rest her soul, married Cecil Cope. I rode my bike home to check on the mail between the ceremony and the reception of the wedding. I was so excited about being accepted. I had bugged my Pappa for over a year to let me apply before he finally agreed. I had real doubts about being accepted. My intention was to finish high school at St. Meinrad and then apply to the Trappist monastery of Gethsamane. I had already been a lover T. Merton for 5 or 6 years so the heading to Gethesamane.
It was the summer between the 9th and 10th grade. There were Minor Seminaries in those days. St Meinrad was a Benedictine monastery. There were 150 students in my grade at St. Meinrad. It was assumed even then that about only 4-5 of us would make it all the way to ordination, which as best as I can tell was pretty accurate. I cannot begin to say how important those 2 years there were for my formation and clearly were wonderful years for me. I would not be anything like I am now, at least in the positive way if not for those 2 years. I can recall very vividly many of those days there as if they just happened.
It has been rare in these past 45 years that I have not thought my whole life was not focused on this vocation. Very few seconds in which there was any question of this vocation, plenty of confusion and non-understanding what this really entailed.
Thank you Yahweh for that blessed day so many yet so few years ago.
The very 1st time I heard the story of St. Lawrence I was smitten by him. Could there ever be another remarkable story. I began to pray on a regular basis for the gift of martyrdom. I have often wondered what Jesus made/is making of such a prayer.
One can find many accounts of this life with little variations. Basically, he was roasted on a gridiron and as he was made fun of he said: "Turn me over I am done on this time." I have thought about this over and over in my life and cannot begin to grasp what type of person could do this. It is unimaginable by any standards. I cannot make any of the small slights of my life into anything like this.
A great deal of my life has been spent trying to figure out what motivates people to do what they do. but even more than the motivation how do people arrive at this point in their lives. This is not mere emotional response to something. There is something much deeper. It is this event in this life of St Lawrence that pretty much has pushed me to be so focused on how spiritual formation takes place. Is it quite amazing how something so pivotal happened in my life when I was somewhere in the 9-12 years old.
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
It just so happens that on this date in 1963 I received my letter of acceptance into St Meinrad Seminary to study to become a Roman Catholic priest. I remember it distinctly as if it was yesterday despite 45 years having gone by. It was a Saturday. It was the day that my cousin Jo Anne Maynard, God rest her soul, married Cecil Cope. I rode my bike home to check on the mail between the ceremony and the reception of the wedding. I was so excited about being accepted. I had bugged my Pappa for over a year to let me apply before he finally agreed. I had real doubts about being accepted. My intention was to finish high school at St. Meinrad and then apply to the Trappist monastery of Gethsamane. I had already been a lover T. Merton for 5 or 6 years so the heading to Gethesamane.
It was the summer between the 9th and 10th grade. There were Minor Seminaries in those days. St Meinrad was a Benedictine monastery. There were 150 students in my grade at St. Meinrad. It was assumed even then that about only 4-5 of us would make it all the way to ordination, which as best as I can tell was pretty accurate. I cannot begin to say how important those 2 years there were for my formation and clearly were wonderful years for me. I would not be anything like I am now, at least in the positive way if not for those 2 years. I can recall very vividly many of those days there as if they just happened.
It has been rare in these past 45 years that I have not thought my whole life was not focused on this vocation. Very few seconds in which there was any question of this vocation, plenty of confusion and non-understanding what this really entailed.
Thank you Yahweh for that blessed day so many yet so few years ago.
The very 1st time I heard the story of St. Lawrence I was smitten by him. Could there ever be another remarkable story. I began to pray on a regular basis for the gift of martyrdom. I have often wondered what Jesus made/is making of such a prayer.
One can find many accounts of this life with little variations. Basically, he was roasted on a gridiron and as he was made fun of he said: "Turn me over I am done on this time." I have thought about this over and over in my life and cannot begin to grasp what type of person could do this. It is unimaginable by any standards. I cannot make any of the small slights of my life into anything like this.
A great deal of my life has been spent trying to figure out what motivates people to do what they do. but even more than the motivation how do people arrive at this point in their lives. This is not mere emotional response to something. There is something much deeper. It is this event in this life of St Lawrence that pretty much has pushed me to be so focused on how spiritual formation takes place. Is it quite amazing how something so pivotal happened in my life when I was somewhere in the 9-12 years old.
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
Thursday, August 7, 2008
"Little Boy"
Yes I am aware that this bomb is also referred to often as "LIttle Boy."
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
"Baby" was delivered anniversary
Today at Eucharist and anointing service I asked the celebrant to anoint me in the name of the victims of atomic warfare.
This is a weary day for my soul!
It is the Feast of the Transfiguration, such a wonderful Feast Day, the Propers from the Eucharist and Office are wonderful especially if one has the old Propers to make use of. Yet it is the anniversary of the dropping of the bomb on the town in Japan that we seem to never quite pronounce correctly.
The name of the bomb "Baby." And the delivery was made.
I cannot help but think of Thomas Merton's wonderful, powerful, weeping poem "Original Child Bomb."
There were only 5 of us weary souls at the Eucharist, 7 counting the celebrant and assistant. And yet in my way of thinking the Churches should be full or maybe they should be empty with shame. "We were naked and so we hid since you Yahweh walked in the coolness of the evening in the garden."
When the bomb exploded the earth was left naked, people were left naked, bodies were left naked, and the souls of all were left naked.
Peter wanted to put up tents. We wanted to tear down everything.
Jesus was headed for Jerusalem and the Cross. We made that town into a cross.
Maybe we should move the Feast of the Transfiguration. No! It is where it must be.
Pray for the victims of warfare, even atomic warfare. vincent ira ciaramitaro
This is a weary day for my soul!
It is the Feast of the Transfiguration, such a wonderful Feast Day, the Propers from the Eucharist and Office are wonderful especially if one has the old Propers to make use of. Yet it is the anniversary of the dropping of the bomb on the town in Japan that we seem to never quite pronounce correctly.
The name of the bomb "Baby." And the delivery was made.
I cannot help but think of Thomas Merton's wonderful, powerful, weeping poem "Original Child Bomb."
There were only 5 of us weary souls at the Eucharist, 7 counting the celebrant and assistant. And yet in my way of thinking the Churches should be full or maybe they should be empty with shame. "We were naked and so we hid since you Yahweh walked in the coolness of the evening in the garden."
When the bomb exploded the earth was left naked, people were left naked, bodies were left naked, and the souls of all were left naked.
Peter wanted to put up tents. We wanted to tear down everything.
Jesus was headed for Jerusalem and the Cross. We made that town into a cross.
Maybe we should move the Feast of the Transfiguration. No! It is where it must be.
Pray for the victims of warfare, even atomic warfare. vincent ira ciaramitaro
Monday, August 4, 2008
Unique Episcopal Church
The last 2 Sundays I have been visiting Annunciation Episcopal Church in Memphis. This has been a unique and rewarding experience for me. I visited because a member of the congregation attended a meeting of the W. TN. Episcopal Diocese Creation Care committee and was impressed at what the congregation was doing on its own. Before attending I listened to several sermons by the Rector, Rev. John Leach. I was definitely impressed by them. Since them I have listened to several more and am still impressed.
The 1st Sunday I visited there was a baptism. I thought the way it was handled was good, though i would prefer the Font being at the same place as the Altar. It was clear that the Rev. Leach was atuned to the members at the service. I would estimate that easily less than 50% were cradle Episcopalians or of Catholic (not referring to Roman Catholicism) Theological thinking. It was a good baptismal sermon despite the lections not being of much help, I would have chosen others Sacred Text.
I returned this pass Sunday. The sermon again was excellent and creative theologically speaking and lots of food for thought.
Let me say a word about Rev. Leach's sermonizing. I would not say he is a great orator but what he lacks in this more than is made up for in his passion, well studied text, great illustrations that are very concrete and suited to this congregation, and most importantly he has incorporated the text into something very alive in his own being which comes through in a very powerful and real way that one would have to be asleep not to recognize.
This congregation reminds of many of the rural congregations of UM churches I served and am aware of. This is truly a middle class congregation. It seems to be of middle of the road evangelical theological thinking. High Liturgical orientation is not them, but certainly Rev. Leach is moving them there.
I post al of this for a couple of reasons.
First, It seems to me that Rev. Leach is the type of pastor so sorely needed in the mainline churches. I would say that pastors like him or the hope for mainline churches. If more of these do not show up the mainline churches are just going to fade away.
The rub here is that the denominational ordination committees are pretty good at weeding folks out like him and there is probably not many of them coming before them in the first place.
Second, I can honestly say that at this point Rev. Leach and Annunciation seem like an answer to a personal prayer of mine. I have for quite a while prayed for a congregation to worship with that is liturgical and Sacred Text oriented. I have found one aspect or the other in other congregations but not one that has both. A few more visits will let me see, but this seems to be very Providential to me.
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
The 1st Sunday I visited there was a baptism. I thought the way it was handled was good, though i would prefer the Font being at the same place as the Altar. It was clear that the Rev. Leach was atuned to the members at the service. I would estimate that easily less than 50% were cradle Episcopalians or of Catholic (not referring to Roman Catholicism) Theological thinking. It was a good baptismal sermon despite the lections not being of much help, I would have chosen others Sacred Text.
I returned this pass Sunday. The sermon again was excellent and creative theologically speaking and lots of food for thought.
Let me say a word about Rev. Leach's sermonizing. I would not say he is a great orator but what he lacks in this more than is made up for in his passion, well studied text, great illustrations that are very concrete and suited to this congregation, and most importantly he has incorporated the text into something very alive in his own being which comes through in a very powerful and real way that one would have to be asleep not to recognize.
This congregation reminds of many of the rural congregations of UM churches I served and am aware of. This is truly a middle class congregation. It seems to be of middle of the road evangelical theological thinking. High Liturgical orientation is not them, but certainly Rev. Leach is moving them there.
I post al of this for a couple of reasons.
First, It seems to me that Rev. Leach is the type of pastor so sorely needed in the mainline churches. I would say that pastors like him or the hope for mainline churches. If more of these do not show up the mainline churches are just going to fade away.
The rub here is that the denominational ordination committees are pretty good at weeding folks out like him and there is probably not many of them coming before them in the first place.
Second, I can honestly say that at this point Rev. Leach and Annunciation seem like an answer to a personal prayer of mine. I have for quite a while prayed for a congregation to worship with that is liturgical and Sacred Text oriented. I have found one aspect or the other in other congregations but not one that has both. A few more visits will let me see, but this seems to be very Providential to me.
Peace vincent ira ciaramitaro
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