Change and transitions

Angelus February 2007

Fr. Dale

I returned last week from 4 days attending a conference put on by the national church. The title was “Upward Bound.” It was billed as a follow up to workshops titled “Start Up Start Over.” I was interested in the work because of my conviction that St. Mary’s is now going through an important transition in its life of just over 100 years. I hoped to gain some insight both for myself and for the congregation, some tools and some new skills, that would help us along this time of change. The diocese is quite obviously going through change that is marked by the election of a new bishop. The change confronting us is less obvious and is really not unlike the changes facing congregations all over the country. Linda Lingle was aware of a similar kind of dynamic when she gave her “State of the State” address this year. She said, Some think it is easier to keep doing what we have been doing. They think it is too hard to change. But, hard or not . . . change will happen. The question for us to answer is, will we just let change happen to us in the coming years . . . or will we create the change we want to see so that future generations are able to live a good life in Hawai’i? I had a somewhat quirky approach to our workshop because the title of it sounded like a program I was quite aware of growing up in Colorado. “Outward Bound” grew out of the observation that under similar conditions of stress, some people some people survive and some perish. The observation was first made in the Navy during World War II. When a ship was torpedoed and sinking, some sailors survived and others didn’t. Outward Bound was intended to train people to be a part of the survivors. How to function well under extreme stress. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn’t Outward Bound, it was Upward Bound. However, because of my association, I had a thought that perhaps Upward Bound was intended to train people (leaders) in congregations to be able to be survivors at a time when many Episcopal congregations are facing deep questions of survival. Why is it that some congregations flourish while others in more or less similar circumstances perish? And what can we do about it? Maybe the association was intentionally made by the organisers? As I write, I am aware of Lent being upon us. It always seems to come too early for me, whatever the actual calendar date may be. It no doubt has something to do with what “keeping Lent” means to a pastor of a small congregation. It may also have to do with an inner voice that says, “This year, Dale, you should do better than last.” Every year is new, and yet every year it is the same. Not unlike the rhythm of our lives. Things are constantly changing and forever familiar. We help to make them that way. We don’t want to be overtaken by the “new” and we want things to get better. We want there to be an upward trajectory in our lives, while not disrupting the things that we know and are familiar. Keeping Lent in the wider “catholic” tradition of which we are a part means to intentionally travel the way of the cross that Jesus’ entire life was. If during the Epiphany season we have heard of the highlights of Jesus’ emerging ministry that reveal his identity as Savior and Lord, during Lent we travel in lightning fashion the main road that he took – from Nazareth to Jerusalem, from promise and excitement to death on the cross. As we travel, we expect that the ship we are on is impregnable, it cannot be sunk. We anticipate advancing from one victory to another, from one awesome sign to another. That’s what Jesus did, afterall. The first sign at Cana. Wonders and healings that followed him wherever he went. No wonder the disciples anticipated that this was going to be a big deal. They just didn’t know what kind of big deal it was to be. And so we (at least I) get surprised each Lent as we discover that the end of the road is an ignoble execution. Year by year I really do end up experiencing a little piece of Jesus’ way of the cross. Enough. God’s mercy gives me just enough. Not too much. Not too little. The main opportunity for keeping Lent that we are offering this year at St. Mary’s will occur on Wednesday evenings. The congregations of east Honolulu will be gathering for a light supper, followed by a teaching and discussion about Joseph the Patriarch (son of Jacob). This is the first such cooperative venture that I am aware of on this side of the mountains among our Episcopal congregations. I very much hope it is a success that we can build on. This effort will really begin the day before Ash Wednesday with a pancake supper and video presentation at Holy Nativity. Erni Uno was the last to spearhead such a dinner at St. Mary’s. I will be remembering him on that day. The schedule for Ash Wednesday will be slightly different from what it has been in the past. There will be 2 services offered, one at noon and the other at 7:00 p.m. Ashes will be imposed at both services and the schedule should allow almost everyone to attend one of them. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. (BCP, p. 265)