Fr. Houk's May Voice Article

The full issue is available on our Parish News page or click here.

William Temple

BROADCASTING THE GOOD NEWS

Currently underway at our 9:00 am adult Sunday School hour is the course I’m teaching entitled “Becoming a Contagious Christian.” The class’s purpose is to encourage and assist all of us to be “broadcasters” of the Gospel—in simple and straightforward ways, according to the gifts and personalities God has given each one of us.

As a foundation for the class, I’ve been making the point that evangelism—sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ—is part of our dna as Episcopalians. We’re not famous for this, of course, but if you look at our Anglican tradition, you see running through it an emphasis on the Church’s Gospel mission communicated through all of her members.

For instance, it was no less than the Archbishop of Canterbury who defined evangelism for the modern era. (You can’t get any more Anglican than that!) In 1945, Archbishop William Temple (pictured above) encouraged the Church to engage post-war England with the Gospel by describing evangelism this way: “Evangelism is the presentation of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in such ways that persons may be led to believe in him as Savior and follow him as Lord within the fellowship of his Church.” Archbishop Temple’s definition was so good and so comprehensive, that the Billy Graham Association later adopted it as it’s own definition of evangelism, as did the Episcopal Church’s General Convention of 1973.

But our evangelistic heritage goes farther back than that. You see it when you look at the office of Morning Prayer, the basis of our Church’s daily devotional life. In that liturgy, there are three prayers for the Church’s mission, one of which is to be said each day. Here is the third of the three: “Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out thine arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of thy saving embrace: So clothe us in thy Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know thee to the knowledge and love of thee; for the honor of thy Name. Amen.” (bcp 58)

You see, ours is a tradition that has prayed daily for others to receive the Gospel. Furthermore, we have collects throughout the Church Year that stress the importance of mission—and not through the hierarchy, but through the lives of “ordinary” members. Take, for instance, the collect we pray on the Second Sunday after the Epiphany: “Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that thy people, illumined by thy Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” (bcp 163)

Lastly, the responsibility to share Christ with others is part of the promises made at baptism. The candidate is asked, “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” The answer that follows is: “I will, with God’s help.” Both “word” and “example” are important. I’m mindful of St. Francis of Assisi’s exhortation to “preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words!” It is indeed important to remember that people often don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Yet, part of facing up to Francis’ famous words is that there really are times when it is necessary to use words! Sometimes we need to “connect the dots” for people by telling others of our faith and hope in Christ. Long ago, St. Peter put it this way: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15 niv) This is what we promise to do in baptism; we promise to “proclaim,” to share Christ with others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we indeed have Good News to broadcast, the kind of news that is “contagiously” good when we share it with others. In so many ways, our Episcopal/Anglican tradition encourages us to share it with the world. Why not try attending the Contagious Christianity class to see how God might use you, in ways big or small, in this great enterprise.

Yours always in Christ,

Fr. Houk's April Voice Article

Blooper cartoon The full issue is available on our Parish News page or click here.

THE LAST LAUGH

No one is exactly sure where or when it started. Some say Bavaria, some say it began in the middle ages, but this kind of thing seems to have gone on throughout the Church age, East and West, from time to time.

I’m talking about Risus Paschalis, a Latin phrase that means literally, “the Laughter of Pascha” or “Easter Laughter.” Risus Paschalis is the custom of celebrating, through jokes and joviality, the days and weeks which follow the Resurrection.

As I say, the precise origin is uncertain, but we do know that at certain times in Christian history, priests have been so bold as to tell jokes from the pulpit, and monks have gathered in the cloister— not for the usual austerities, but for a chance to outdo one another with hilarious tales. There is also the custom of parishioners returning to the church on Easter afternoon (or in the East, the next day, Bright Monday) for laughter: a time to engage in jocularity, clowning around, and then, of course, the accompanying festivities of dancing and feasting.

“Why?” you may be wondering. Well, it has to do with the way in which early Church Fathers described the Easter event. It was a joke, they say! It was, in fact, the greatest joke of all. For in the Resurrection, God had the Last Laugh over the devil and his cohorts: sin, death, and hell. That is, although Satan and his forces thought they had triumphed by killing Jesus, they were divinely outwitted on Easter morn. God turned the tables, showing that his was a love that could never die, and Jesus burst from the tomb with a final, cosmic Laugh! In The Theology of Joy, theologian Jurgen Moltmann writes, “Easter laughter is rooted in the wholly unexpected and totally surprising ‘reversal of all things.’...The expectation was for cosmic death, but what comes is eternal life.”

What does God’s greatest Joke mean for us? Among other things, it means we can lighten up! The time of sorrow is over. Lent’s forty days of fasting have given way to the Fifty Days of Easter feasting. Our sins are forgiven! Our foes are defeated! Christ is risen, and he has brought us up with him!

It is in this spirit of Risus Paschalis that I offer you the following bulletin misprints. Some are cute, some are corny—apparently all are bona fide typographical errors (from other church bulletins). In any case, I hope one or two bring an Easter smile to your face.

Yours in the Risen Christ,

Church Bulletin Bloopers

Don’t let worry kill you—let the church help.
Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.
This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
Thursday—Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.
The Rev. Adams spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience.
The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.
Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door.
The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
Stewardship Offertory: “Jesus Paid It All”
Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.
The cost for attending the National Prayer and Fasting Conference includes meals.

Fr. Houk's March Voice Article

The Holy Triduum: Three days to save

When I was studying for the priesthood at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, the former bishop of Albany, Dan Herzog, made a visit. During his time with faculty and students, he told a story about the power of Easter I’ve never forgotten.

Bishop Herzog told of how, just after he was ordained to the priesthood, he was the administrator of a mental hospital. And during his tenure there, he ministered to a particular woman who suffered from schizophrenia. Her treatment, however, turned out to be most unusual. During the time in which Bishop Herzog met with her for therapy, Holy Week approached. The woman took an unexpected interest. She asked if she could go to church with him on Palm Sunday. He agreed, and took her to a small Anglo-Catholic parish nearby, and there they experienced together, in the Church’s liturgy and ceremony, the drama of the Passion narrative. The woman was so moved that she wanted to come back the next day. So they went back, together, on Monday. And then they were back on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and right into the Holy Triduum, taking in the whole story of Christ’s betrayal, suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection. (By the way, Triduum means literally, “Three Days” in Latin—and this refers to those three holiest of days of the Christian calendar: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, beginning at the Great Vigil Saturday evening.)

I don’t remember the details about exactly when it happened, but somehow in this process of experiencing the Easter story in the liturgies of the Church, the woman was healed. Bishop Herzog chalks it up as a bona fide miracle: after celebrating the Easter Vigil on Saturday night, this woman claimed to be cured of her schizophrenia. She was evaluated, soon thereafter, and was de-institutionalized. She then got a job, and got married, and went on to lead relatively healthy life.

Welcome!