Rectors Ramblings

Buildings and Hymns and The Episcopal Church

2007-04-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

A blessed Holy Week to you all.

As you probably have observed the Music/Youth building is now complete. It is a wonderful space for our music program and our youth ministry. An elevator goes all the way to the top floor where the youth will soon be happily ensconced.

The Ministry Center is also almost complete. The facade is nearly finished and the interior has only a few more fixtures to be installed and then we will be down to check lists and certificates of occupation.

Kathy Evans and an august committee are in the process of designing a series of Gala events to welcome us to the new center and then a schedule of activities will be offered throughout the summer. With building projects going on all over the southeast as a result of Hurricane Katrina we discovered that building materials cost more than we projected. In addition we had some unexpected expenses, not uncommon in old buildings. We will not know the full extent of these overruns until the last bills are paid.

We will bring a full report to the congregation before we launch into the next phase of our campaign.

As you have read from Katharine Haroldson, our junior warden, our offices will soon be moving into the area directly across the Middle Street in order that the work on the main campus may be done. It is our hope that we will be able to find a firm large enough to complete the whole project in one year so that all the changes might end and we might settle into a normal routine.

In my lastest Crown article I have requested that parishioners send me their top 15 hymns and songs from the Hymnal 1982 and the Parish Family Song Book. Send yours as soon as possible.

Some at Christ Church have been alarmed by the ultimatum delivered by the Primates in their regular meeting in Africa in February. Their fear is the Episcopal Church will be asked to leave the Anglican Communion. I believe that is highly unlikely. We may indeed be asked to walk apart for a season, but there are many among the primates who do not see human sexuality as an ultimate concern and are not therefore willing to set the precedent of allowing a time of deep disagreement to be blow the Communion apart. At the last primates meeting 18 primates refused to have communion with then presiding bishop Frank Griswold. This time only 7 of the 38 refused to have communion with Katherine Jefferts Schorri our current pb. This seems hopeful, that in times of deep disagreement we can stay at Christ's table long enough to discern how we claim what is essential for the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ. This is not the first time that the Church have wrestled with divisive issues nor will it be the last. We are now attempting to define and design a Anglican Covenant that will help us to know how to be together in Communion and we are fine-tuning our Biblical skills so that we start from a common starting point.

A good site for viewing the whole Anglican Communion is: www.anglicansonline.org This site gives you balanced readings on what is going on in worldwide anglicanism. To view what is going on in our own diocese and updates by our bishop Clifton Daniel check out www.diocese-eastcarolina.org

Until next time.

Peter+

Fatherly advice to a son on the art of dating

2006-11-30T09:23:00.000-05:00

Hello beloved son. Relationships require careful, gentle, cultivation. It is helpful that you are devoted to Christ and faithful in your disciplines of prayer and scripture study. Joyful meaningful relationship with God will shape how you grow in loving relationship. Experiencing God's unconditional love will enable you to learn to love your sweetheart in a similar way.

Your mother and I based our dating relationship in right relationship with God and with each other. Life, love and theology (how we know and love God) are concerned with right relationships and less about what we "should" think or do--right relationship over right thinking. Theology is that winsome process in which God engages our memory, reason, skill and imagination so that we gain the wisdom and understanding to apply God's loving of us to our loving of those around us and particularly those who are closest to us; i.e., sweethearts, moms, dads, brothers, friends.

You understand this love of God quite well. You have always had a wonderful ability to love all whose lives intersect yours. I remember how you have always reached out to include those who were on the margins.

There is a tendency in the early stages of dating to enter the relationship through our physical self. You are young and passionate and physical. Passions can drive us. It is important however to discipline ourselves and go slowly in the physical relationship because it can complicate and obfuscate those qualities which will create long term intimacy. Your mother and I entered our dating relationship with an awareness that Christ was calling us to walk together for awhile. We were not thinking of marriage at that time, but we loved being together. There was a delightful physical tension in our relationship. We purposed that we would not do anything in our dating relationship that would cause harm to the other if God called us apart at a later date. Therefore we focused on our friendship, on the sharing of hopes and dreams, on the things we were studying and new avenues we were exploring. We knew that there would be time for other intimacies if Christ called us into the vocation of marriage. This was my philosophy of dating from the beginning.

There is also a tendency in dating to look for the things that divide us and that we do not like about the other. Perhaps we even think that we will fix those things after we are married. This may not be the way a covenant relationship in Christ is lived. It is more useful to focus on and celebrate the gifts and skills that the other does well and to shape our conversation so that we praise rather than sarcasm. Sarcastic words, even if said in humor, harm the other. Her head droops, her shoulders sag. A word of praise lifts her to receive love from God and from you. In the nurturing places safety and security leads to confidence that allows us to risk new understandings of ourselves. I know that part of the humor of our family has been how I get carried away in my praise of you all, but I sense that we all are richer for having had this family discipline.

In America right now, we tend to ostracize anyone who disagrees with us or thinks outside the box too far. This dynamic can not be present in an intimate relationship if we hope to grow old together and be faithful to the vows we make to each other. God invites us to seek truth wherever it leads. Interesting, is it not, that truth is a person (Jesus) and not a set of facts or beliefs. Christianity and the western world have not often understood this.

Relationships are harder to control or manage than "right" thinking. We have to allow our beloved ones room to seek truth wherever it leads them, trusting that Jesus is the truth that they will continually find. This places both of you firmly in the footsteps of Jesus as you follow him on the way. Parodoxically we lovers follow him together and individually at the same time. We also become more fully one as we are each in the process of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. There is a great and wonderful mystery here. By journeying together in covenant love, we learn more than we would have learned by ourselves. Community has a way of growing us more deeply and more fully. As we journey together our love for each other grows and deepens best when it mirrors the sacrificial, steadfast love that we are experinecing from our Savior.

Dating is a wonderful time of adventure and discernment. Your mother and I long for Christ's best for you. Love each other and love God and see how God takes pleasure in you all and gives you delight in return.

Seasons

2006-10-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

This past week I went to Virginia Theological Seminary for the Alumni convocation, an annual event. I am a class steward for the class of 1979. I arrived a day early for the stewards meeting and then stayed for the lectures, "Islam, behind the headlines." I will say more about that in Christian Education in the months ahead.

Gathered at VTS were priests and bishops, mostly VTS grads, from as far back as the 40's and as recent as last year. I also met seminarians and saw our own seminarian, Ann and her daughters Nina and Olivia. (They send there love.)

It always amazes me how many of these folk I know and how many know me. There are friends from every season of my life and ministry. Bishops and priests I have served with throughout the years, classmates who spent the 3 years at VTS or went through the doctoral program with me, professors (now retired) who taught me 30 years ago, when I began at VTS.

I experienced the same wonders at General Convention this past summer, seeing people who nurtured me when I was a seminarian, friends who were young priests with me in the Diocese of Montana 25 years ago, or served with me in Arkansas, Atlanta, or Pennsylvania. We caught up with each other, heard what Christ had been doing with us in all those years. We spoke of how we had weathered the various storms over these years and how Christ had granted us wisdom to lead our people, all very powerful stuff.

I do love this church. Storms may come and go, but the faithful keep following God on the way, confident that God will provide the grace to weather the chaos, and the mercy to love and forgive and heal those who are swept along or are dashed on the rocks as the storms rage.

The constants in the seasons of my life have been a devotion to Jesus Christ, a deep love for the Episcopal Church and her people (regardless of where they may be in their understandings on issues), and a rootedness I find at VTS.

2006-08-22T14:45:00.000-04:00

The summer has fled away since my last posting on this site. I did post several blogs from General Convention on a blog site now deleted. What a powerful, prophetic, engaging time that was; full of prayer and the process of discernment to find where the Holy Spirit is taking us in the Episcopal Church on this wondrous journey of faith and trust.

The Fall approaches at breakneck speed. The Sunday School teachers have been preparing the Sunday School staff has been working hard to prepare a welcoming program for the 60 returning children and the four classes for adult education. Our new Christian Education director has hit the ground running with great energy and creativity. First Semester will go forward in the current classroom spaces. We may have to be more creative as we prepare to do the major renovation on this side of the street during the Spring.

The two buildings across the street are being remodeled and reconstructed. Steel beams go into one building this week and the elevator shaft is being created to receive the car in the other building. We hope that the youth/music center will be complete by January and the new ministry center by February.

We are thinking of running a contest to name the two buildings. More later.

It is an exciting, hopeful time, just right for dreaming the dreams and seeing the visions that Christ will have us fulfill as the new facilities are built. With more space and much space off campus we have a wonderful opportunity to serve Christ and the people of New Bern.

Fr. Jeremy is creating a team to begin to move the vision from dream to reality. Several on the group have met a few times already, but there are more to be added to this important study group. If you sense a call or have skills in this sort of strategic planning let us hear from you.

Trust your summer has been restful and recuperative.

Peter

A festival of commencement for our building project

2006-06-10T12:05:00.000-04:00

On July 2, during the hour between the 2 services at 9:00 AM, our architects Charles Francis and Diane Filipowicz wll present a three dimensional rendering of the new buildings, particularly the core building. This computer generated demonstration will allow us to walk through and around the new buildings in virtual reality. It is quite amazing.

In addition on that day we will have a brief liturgy of commencement of our building project. This will probably take place on the church grounds near the historic church site following the 3 dimensional presentation.

During the Eucharists on that day in Celebration of Independence day we will conduct the liturgy using the 1662 prayer book which would have been the book used at Christ Church in 1776. We encourage parishioners to come dressed in colonial garb or in full military regalia. We also hope to have color guard on that day.

Some have been concerned about the length of services. For the last few weeks we have been timing the various components of the liturgy. The places where we can pick up some time is in the way we administer the Eucharist. When we are quite full communion takes 14 minutes. With the help of the ushers we propose to shorten this by 8 minutes. The clergy are attempting to preach for no longer than 15 minutes down from 2o + minutes. Layreaders will make every effort to move more expediciously to their various tasks. I think it reasonable to think we can pare down to an hour 15 minutes. I have rarely found it possible to do a full Episcopal Liturgy in less than that time. Music and movement and substantial preaching require time to develop. We are attempting to be responsive to you though. I do realize that the length of service is not an issue for everyone. We are attempting to offer the best opportunity to deepen faith, and invite adoration of our beloved God in rich Anglican liturgy.

There has also been some concern about the use of the contemporary language Lord's prayer at 8:45 liturgy. We did use this during the Great Fifty Days of Easter. We will use the prayer at 8:45 from time to time, generally during a full season of the church year. The contemporary Lord's Prayer is now being used by many denominations with whom we are in communion. I think it best that we Episcopalians know both versions so that we are at ease when visiting our sisters and brothers in Christ. We view the 8:45 service as an opportunity to prepare Christ Church slowly and gently for the new prayer book that is slated for 2012 and so we have been using Eucharistic prayers from the approved supplement to the prayer book entitled "Enriching our Worship." Our intent here is to gently prepare everyone for our journey together. I might add that the contemporary prayer is quite close to the way the prayer appears in the Scriptures. See Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:9-13. Sometimes hearing things in new ways reminds us of the meaning and power of what we say so often. I hope that these things will not be too great a barrier to your adoration of Christ. That is certainly not our intent.

For those who feel uncomfortable with these changes I would encourage you to consider one of the other 2 services on Sunday mornings during the school year at 7:30 and 11:00. We have maintained more traditional worship at both of those services. During the summer months worship will be simpler and traditional at the 8 and 10:00 services.

We love you all. Trust your summer will be a time of re-creation and joy. Find time to pray and study the Scripture and worship with other Christians wherever you find yourself.

Finally pray for the General Convention and for me your deputy. I will give a report to you between the services on June 25 th of what we do there.

The building begins

2006-05-28T23:20:00.000-04:00

Today the vestry approved a contract with Zaytoun-Raines Contractors to build the ministry center. The work will begin around June 5. The Music/Youth building should begin about 1 month later around July 10. If all goes well construction on the Music/youth building will be complete in early December and the Ministry Center in February, 2007.

Once the Music building is complete we will begin the renovation of all the building on the main campus.

We will plan a day of praise as we begin these projects.

Vestry Decisions

2006-05-19T10:14:00.000-04:00

At our vestry meeting on Monday we approved the proposed order for the building project. We will begin the 2 satelite buildings first. Work on The Ministry Center on Middle Street should begin in the first or second week of June. We are still waiting for the builders to confirm a starting date. But we are close. This project should take about 8 months if all goes according to plan. Therefore it could be complete in the first few months of 2007.

Work on the music building/youth center building (Phillips Building) should begin in July. It is slated to take 4-6 months. In order to begin it will be necessary to move the remaining staff in the Phillips Building to the Education Building. This should be accomplished by mid June. This project could be complete by the turn of the year.

The Lighting in the church is to be complete in about another month. We are waiting for the creation of the rather high tech board that will control all the light levels in the church proper. We currently have about one third of the brightness that we will have when we are complete.

Bids will be let for the removal of the core building and the construction of the new structure and renovation of the existing parish house will be let in October. Work should begin shortly there after.

Since there may be some overlap in the the construction of the satelite sites and the removal of the core building we may be moving some education functions down Middle Street 1 block to the Omarks building which Vestry member Lonny Pridgen has graciously offered to us. There may also be a brief sojourn for staff off site while we are waiting for the completion of the Ministry Center our next temporary home before we move into the permanent offices above the Parish House. This whole project should take about 1 year.

We will try to keep you abreast of developments as they become clear to us. Watch this site for more information.

Pledges continue to come in well. Remember to deep your pledges coming in during the summer months so that the church can continue to meet its obligations. We head into the summer in good shape.

Summer Schedule begins June 4. Eucharists begin at 8 and 10 am.

General Convention and Christ Church news

2006-05-04T21:59:00.000-04:00

Since I am going to General Convention and want to keep you all up to speed on what I am doing in the days leading up to my journey to Columbus, Ohio, I have created this blog. For sound info on the General Convention it is possible to receive daily news from the Episcopal News Service at the Diocese of East Carolina website. I intend to post my individual comments on the Christ Church Forum blog.

I will also try to report on the building project at Christ Church. We will be doing the music/youth building and the ministry center first beginning in June. These should be complete by Feb 2007 at which time we will begin all of the buildings on the current church campus. When the two buildings are done we will take down the core building, build the new building and renovate the parish house and education buildings. This will take about 12 monthes to complete. Stay tuned

Peter