My Spiritual Blog

 Well it is coming up that time of year for most churches, that being doing the annual Pledge Drive/Stewardship Campaign, in other words, it’s that time of year for the churches to start asking its members to let it know how much money that it plans to give so that the churches can pan for the next year.

 But there will be some congregations were this won’t happen, which is sad. Oh excuses will be given in many of them as to why they don’t, which in the long run is going to not only hurt that congregation, but it will reflect on the leaders of that congregation. Should that congregation close, in the end the people who it will reflect upon the most will be the ordained of that congregation. I know of an ordained person who told his congregation that Stewardship had nothing to do with money. I feel really sad for that person, as I know of people in that congregation who want to pledge and be good stewards who want to pledge and be good stewards, but they spend the money on other things instead.

 I was brought up in a family where being apart of the church in different ways is a tradition that goes back many generations. We have not only given our dollars to the church, but our time in other areas of the church also. They have ranged from being both Laity to ordained. They have served on Vestries, Altar Guilds, Acolytes, Sunday School Teachers, Maintenance people, and so many other things. I myself has served as an acolyte, been a thurifer, lay reader, cup bearer, provide music for services, been in the choirs, sung in folk groups, intercessor, usher, served on committees and commissions, along with a number of other things.

 Why have I been involved in so many things? Because I was brought up to believe that pledging and stewardship is also more than giving money. But that without giving money to the church by pledging, the church cannot survive. How is the church suppose to pay people? How is the church suppose to pay the electric, water, gas and/or oil bills? How is the church suppose to be able to pay for the things that it uses during services? How is the church suppose to be able to pay for the buildings so that programs and events can happen? How is the church suppose to be able to even plan for the future if it doesn’t know if it will have money in the future?

 If you think about it, you will also realize that doing such things like sending Missionaries out to spread the Great News of the Gospels couldn’t happen. Oh I am sure that some would be happy because radio and television evangelist would vanish, but as much as one may dislike them, they are able to bring the Great News to those who are homebound, and with some people they record them because they have to work, so they watch them later.

 For some, going to church is a family event that brings the family together. We live in a world where there are so many distractions that going to church is the only family event that happens. The church is a place where many children learn discipline from others besides their parents. Church is the place where people make friends and find relationships with people who are similar in many ways to themselves. The church is the place where people come to celebrate the life of a Great person. But without money, these things can’t happen, because the church would not exist.

 With some churches, they tell you how much you should pledge, and that amount is usually 10% of your income. But the truth is that the amount of money that you pledge is really between you and the Holy Trinity. I am sure that some will be told that they can’t afford to pledge, or will be discouraged from pledging, but my hope is that they don’t listen to the people telling them that, as that is the Devil speaking, and we all know that the Devil doesn’t want the Great News to be spread out.

 But also pledge things that you will do in the church, being you join and sing in the choir, serve on the altar, host “coffee hour”, teach Sunday School, help to clean up around the place, or something of many other things that you could be doing. The church needs you involved in many ways in order to continue to spread the Great News of the Gospels to the world.

 There is a phrase that is said in different ways through most religions, that phrase being “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I was to change that praise into something that I want for you to think about. “Give Unto The Church As You Would Have It Give Unto You”

 Think about how your life would be if the church didn’t exist. Would you be like you are if it didn’t exist, or would you be worse off? How important is the church to you? Do you desire that the church and its people continue to spread the Great News of the Gospels to others?

 When the pledging starts, do and give what you feel is best for you and for the church in both money and time.

Been trying to figure out why people are going to the Evangelic and other churches over some other denominations? What is it that they are doing that we aren’t doing. I mean mainly, for the most part we are all spreading the Good News about Jesus, but why are some growing while others aren’t?

This past Sunday I didn’t go to my congregation, but headed out to another one to see a friend installed as the Deacon for that congregation. It was a wonderful and joyous service, and I felt really good when I left. It felt so good to sit in a congregation where I could really feel the Spirit. As I walked back to BART, I began to wonder what it was that they have that my congregation doesn’t? I began to think about the other congregations that I had been in not only in this diocese, but in others, along with the non-Episcopal churches that I have been it. Suddenly it hit me earlier today.

At one time the congregation that I am in was actually growing. As I think back about it, it was doing something that it is no longer doing, and even though I an others have tried to bring it back, the big “We Can’t ….” has gotten in the way and I sit and watch as those who want to either give up or simply leave.

What I had realized what the other congregation and the growing congregations are going is bring Excitement into the services. They are celebrating themselves and just sticking with the way things were. Think about it with the denominations that are growing throughout the world. We often say that we can’t get the young adults into the churches, but think about the our services.

What is the first thing that we should do? Get rid of the organs. My congregation decided that the future of the music in the church would be done through a computer. When we moved over to using a computer, and even still to this day, people tell me how they are so happy to hear modern music and not the old classical stuff. That the modern stuff makes them feel closer to the Holy Trinity, where the classical bores them in many ways. If the congregation that I am in were to hold a concert that contained just classical music, only a couple of people from the congregation would show up. I find it interesting to listen as I play something modern and hear people singing along, where if I play something from the classical style they will ignore what is being played and will talk with each other. It’s time to dump the organs and bring in not just computers, but guitars and instruments to put into peoples hands, with modern music that will cause them to clap and dance. Last night I did the music for a memorial service playing some songs that are somewhat modern, but still has been around for a while, and I was amazed at the number of people who sang along without using anything that had words on them. I find that happening many Sundays. When it comes to the older stuff, people need to look at the words, but not with the newer stuff. In a way it is telling me that the newer stuff is actually touching people’s hearts, where the older stuff doesn’t.

We need sermons that really reach into peoples hearts, gets them excited, uplifts them, makes them feel as those they have been touched, makes them want to jump up and down. Time to put an end to these really drab sermons that so many give. Time to put an end to the sermons where one has to tell stories about ones self, which many times are really unrelated to the any of the lessons of the day. The second that you realized that you have used a story many times, we frankly it is time to put that story away, as when you start to tell it people no longer paying attention to the rest that you have to say. It comes across as Boasting when one has to repeatedly talk about ones self. One of the things that I notice with the denominations that are growing and with the tv and radio people is that they bring excitement into their sermons. Their sermons excite people and reach into the hearts of people. That spend time talking about the Good News and the excitement of it. They bring something that seems to touch each and every one listening.

Here is an idea that I have mentioned before, but am changing it just a little. I say that once every 3 months that it is mandatory for a priest from elsewhere comes and does the service at each of our congregations. This would all happen on the same Sunday, and I am not talking about just the one service that Sunday, but ALL of the services that Sunday. No excuses are acceptable for it not happening at a congregation, and if it does happen, the clergy of that congregation are not permitted to do another service there until after the next shift happens.

Celebrate the people in the congregation, even better yet, celebrate the congregation. I know that there are congregations in the world that celebrate their founders on a special day. If you look on Youtube, there is a great video that I saw a few years ago of a church that held a Founders Day Celebration where they used music from different eras of the members of the congregation. As they played music from each era, the people of that era would stand up and dance the dance of that song. I wish that I could find it again, and I will have to take a look for it.

Another thing that needs to happen is that the elders of congregations are going to have to step back and let the younger folks run the church. The elders are going to have to look at themselves as advisers to then, and also not get in the way of progress. Churches need to come up to the modern times and need to be relate-able to those that the congregations are desiring to have in them.

But the churches also need to get outside of the doors. The churches need to push such ideas as Home Eucharist among members of different congregations. What this will do is to get people from different congregations to meet and talk with each other, sharing ideas and activities that each other are having. One of the sad things that seems to be going on are Control issues that some have. Some seem to want so badly to control the things that members of their congregations know that they are driving people away, not only from the congregations, but from the church itself.

One of our weaknesses is that we in the Episcopal/Anglican Church is that we don’t have Bibles in the pews of our church. We have a hymnal, the Book Of Common Prayer, but it is rare that you walk into one of our congregations and actually find Bibles in the pews. I walked into St. Paul’s, San Rafael, Ca, and not only was a amazed by the beauty of the place, but smiled more when I saw that they actually had Bibles in the pews. But also walk into the homes of most within the Episcopal/Anglican Church and see if you spot a Bible. Then actually open it up and try and figure out if it is one that is being used. I will admit that if you come into my place you will find a shelf full of Bibles, but one thing that you will notice if you walk into my bedroom is that I have one on my bed. You will also find a couple of that are well used sitting on a shelf next to my bed. There are many things within the Bible that are exciting, and we need to take that excitement out into the streets and into our congregations.

But the one thing that we each need to do is to bring excitement into our churches also. We can’t just rely on the clergy to bring it, but we must also bring it. If some music is being played that just makes you want to clap, then clap. If it makes you want to dance, then dance. If whomever is giving the sermon says something that excites you, then give an Amen. If that sermon was great, applaud. did the choir sing something really exceptional, applaud. Let’s get some life into the church.

If the churches don’t start making changes and bringing excitement, the pews will continue to become more and more empty. So in the comments below, tell me, what do you think that we can do to help not only build the sizes of our congregations, but to bring excitement into the churches?

The diocese that I live had a webinar last night and something came up that peeked my mind. It was something that was so simple for congregations to do that I am surprised that many of them don’t do it. Now I don’t know how well it would work, but it is something that we need to do.

The webinar dealt with a number of different topics, but the topic that interest me the most had to do with something that I have been trying to figure out how to do and to do over the last decade, that being the growth of congregations, not just in the Episcopal Church, but in all churches that serve the Holy Triune.

About 6 weeks ago, my pastor (my congregation doesn’t have a rector/Vicar/Priest In Charge) said that he and I needed to sit and talk, as he feels that I hate him. I have no clue as to where that came from, as it is so far from the truth that it isn’t funny. Yes I do dislike ad disagree with man of his actions, but hate him I do not do. Why do I mention this, because in at times he will do something that I notice in so many congregations and people (including myself) do, and that is to make excuses as to why something can’t/isn’t happening. Many congregations do this when it comes to growth and looking for new members. Now some congregations are good at it and are active in trying to get people into the pews each Sunday, but I think that many find excuse after excuse not to really try. Let’s go through some of them.

“But if we get more people, it will mean that the leaders of the congregation will have a lot more work to do, and they don’t have the time now.” – It could be that some of those new people that you gain will be leaders and make things easier for everybody.

“But we have tried in the past, even bringing people to help us.” – So I am guessing that you don’t mind watching the congregation just vanish into history over time. Why not just shut the doors now?

“People come, but they don’t come back.” – Next time that someone comes and visits, watch who welcomes them during the Peace and after the service. Was it someone other than a clergy person who approached them after the service? Were they invited to “Coffee Hour” and then just stood there alone while the “cliques” gathered to gossip? Walk up to them and introduce yourself, then engage with them in conversation and listen to them as they speak, as they may be looking for something in a congregation which your congregation currently doesn’t have, but is something that you want to do. They could be the person to help in that area.

“But the area doesn’t have that many people of my denomination living in it?” – Are you really sure? Have you talked with each and every person who lives within 25 square blocks? It is not unusual for congregations to have people drive by other congregations to go to the one that they attend. Despite what fiction television wants to tell us, many people don’t know who the person is who lives right next door to me.

Oh I could go on and on with the excuses that I have heard, but let me mention the idea that came to mind while I was listening to the webinar, and some of the other ideas that have come into my mind.

“The congregation has shrunk because people have moved away.” – You know, there is a very simple thing that you can do when it comes to this. Why not create a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” letter that you send to the former address to the person that has moved? Now you should send it 10 minutes after “Bob” has moved, but give it a month. In this letter, you inform them about your congregation and the things that it has to offer. Now “Joe” may not come for service, but you may have some activities that “Joe” might be interested in getting involved in or might become the oh so well loved Sr. Warden in 5 years.

“We have a lot of renters in our area, and people are always moving in an out.” – Craigslist and other sites are great for finding out what is available in your area. Now it would be easier with houses, but why not send that letter to those addresses also. No don’t do it the day that you see the advertisement, but keep a listing of those addresses and on the last Saturday or Sunday of each month, you send that letter out to the addresses of the previous month. Now some of those places will still be empty, but a lot of them will have someone living in them now.

 But we must also do more than get people into the pews, as we must teach and work with them to become apart of the family of the Holy Trinity. We must help each other remember that we too are also amongst the family of the Holy Trinity. We each must remember that in the things that we represent and live in the family of the Holy Trinity. Remember that the Holy Trinity loves you.

 So what ideas do you have for church growth?

 “A man shows his love for a cause by the amount of sacrifice he will make for it; and as consistency, honor and truth are the most precious elements in character, who could sacrifice more than he!” ~ Horace Mann

 A few weeks ago I was on a website that lead me to a site called “Makes Me Think“ where people post a paragraph about something that has either witnessed or has happened to them. It’s a really interesting site and really makes people think about different things.

 While on my flight back home today, I was reading the above quote in a letter Horace Mann wrote concerning slavery in California, and it got it me thinking about my life, and what I would like to see more and more people think about what was written.

 I began to think about a friend of mine that I met for the first time while I was on my trip. Lorielle is an actress and artist that I found to be a wonderful person to talk and spend time with. She also does an internet talk show where she spends time not only talking about her adventures as a struggling actress, but also talks about having a life full of positivity. One of the things that I have gotten to know about her over time is that it seems as though she has given up a lot of stuff and opportunities to try and have some success in a field where so many people have tried but didn’t succeed, but I believe that she will. One of the things that she does is gets involved with different charities that she believes in. 

 I also think about Jesus. OK, we all know that Jesus is the Son of God, but Jesus could of taken the easy way and only done things that was popular at the time, and he still would of gotten his word out, but I don’t think that his word would of spread out to others. But Jesus didn’t take that route, and sacrificed his life for us because he loves us.

 But sit back and think about your life, and what you have sacrificed because of something that you have loved so much. What have you sacrificed because you knew and know you are doing the right thing for not only yourself, but because you really want to make this a better place for all? Would you continue to do your job if it didn’t pay anything? How much time and energy are you really willing to put into something, or do you do something not thinking about the time and energy but because you truly love it?

 What does the above quote mean to you? 

 I got to thinking about this after seeing a tweet by Father Alberto Cutie and some things that have gone on over the last few months. The more that I think about it, the more that I realize that all of us in some way try and serve more than one God. Now I am sure that some people will say that we really aren’t serving more than one God in the things that we do, but in a way we do.

 Being that I am the person that provides the music for my congregation, at times it gets strange in that I am really not concentrating or spending any time really putting my full heart into honoring and giving Thanks to the Holy Trinity. But I do try and spend time giving thanks to the Holy Trinity, but it is not always at the congregation that I am a member of. Now I do try and get to the church when I can and remember, but I am often doing and thinking about other things, and with some of those things it means that I am serving another God and not the God of my faith and beliefs.

 But we all end up serving more than one God in many ways. We have become a society where we have cell phones, ipads, laptops and other things with us at all times. I will be in a congregation and see people with their bluetooth earpieces for there phone in their ear, or their cell phone will not be turned off and will suddenly go off, and sudden;y they will be getting up and answer it. It is like that cell phone is their real God. Of the several hundred times I have seen someone answer their phone once as it really been an emergency that I am aware of. There was a line on a movie a few years ago where a person’s cell went off and the preacher said, “Unless that is God calling you, you can simply send them to voice-mail, turn off your phone and be here celebrate with others who are here to hear the word of the Lord.”

 But we serve other Gods in other ways. We schedule ourselves in a way that is really unhealthy. We end up scheduling and getting involved in things that fall right behind each other, which means that we truly can’t give 100% to each other. Oh we try to convince ourselves that we can handle it, but the truth is that we are trying to serve two God. If you are having to rush from one place to another, then you can’t give 100% to one of them. Try all you might, you can’t.

 I could go on and on about serving two Gods, but I think that we each should spend some time thinking about how we each are trying to serve more than one God in our life?

 Most importantly try and serve the one true God in your life.

 Over the last week I have been in places and online when a conversation about church and service times were talked about. Things like what time a congregation has a service, what type of service that a congregation has, the things that go on during a service and many other things church and service related. But a little earlier I really began to rethink about the topic.

 Yesterday I attended a service that most people wouldn’t think of as being in a church, but now that I really think about it, I was in a church that has a service, but it didn’t have all of the things that we see in our services most Sundays. There wasn’t any stain-glassed windows. There were any pews with cushions on them.There were no candles. There wasn’t any… well you know all of the stuff that we see within our services ever week, so I don’t need to go further.

 In my diocese, like in some other diocese, a service exist that even though some within the diocese have heard about it, not many people actually attend it. I know that part of the reason is because many within this diocese don’t subscribe to DioBytes to find out what events and other things are going on within the diocese, I know that in the congregation that the “Digital Divide” still exist, and I am sure that there are tons of other reasons people never see it. But I am getting off topic again.

Once a month, one of the people who is going through the ordination process has been doing what is called “Worship In The Wilderness” which I attended the first time yesterday. The main idea is to take the service out into a nature area and do it there. As strange as it may sounds, it is taking it back to how services had to be done in some areas. 

 As I was thinking earlier, I realized how much I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t spending time worrying if things were going smoothly in the sanctuary or in the naive. It gave me time as we walked around to really give my attention to the beauty that God has bestrode and permitted up to get to see and know. As we walked through paths in Tilden Park I looked at the plants, trees and animals that we around, and was just amazed at the things that I would of never seen or thought about if I just kept my church service experiences to the walls of a building. It allowed me to really be with the Holy Trinity in a way that being within a building could never really give me.

 I as sat in service this morning at the congregation, I began to think about what a church building really means, and how in many ways we really need to get outside of the building from time to time and think about the what we are really doing? I also thought about the history of the congregation that I am in. According to the history of the church that my pastor wrote, it began in 1858 and was received into the diocese in 1860. In 1858 the clergy person that they got to come and do services at the house of one of the women that got the church started had to travel through marshland and other areas to get to it. As I was walking I thought about him and pictured myself traveling in the time that he did to go to somebodies home to celebrate the Lord with them. Imagining myself as I was on my way to celebrate the life of the Lord with them, and in my mind wondering if there are any animals that may try and attack me or if they were trying to blend into the background watching me and wondering where I was headed. I tried to imagine the smells that he encountered along way, and the things that he saw what we can not longer see anymore. I began to wonder what were some of the things that ran through his mind? 

 As we walked I also began to think about the about Jesus and people of that time traveling from one place to another. They had no cars, buses, bikes, truck and so on. I think that for many if they even had a burro to get from one place to the other they were lucky. As we would stop to do different things in the service, I imagined Jesus and his followers stopping as they traveled, and Jesus telling them parables and about Heaven. I imagined myself among the followers paying attention to each and every word Jesus spoke, and I wondered how Judas was feeling as he had a choice to make. 

 But as we walked, I also wondered what was so important about having a building to worship in, and could Christianity survive without them? How many have left the church and Christianity when they claimed that they didn’t believe, but in reality if they had been doing it in the wilderness they would have a far deeper relationship with the Holy Trinity?

 I also thought about another service which occurs in San Francisco right now, and that being Open Cathedral. Open Cathedral takes place every Sunday in the UN Plaza area and at the Harvey Milk Library in the Castro area. Done outside, and everyone is welcomed. We often say that we welcome people through the doors, but in both cases there are no doors so truly all are welcomed. At times I wonder if the doors to the building that we have are truly open to all.

 If you live in this diocese, or one of the surrounding ones, check the Worship In The Wilderness website and see when and where the next one will be that is near you, and give it a try. Looking for something that you can do either alone or with your family, grab your Book of Common Prayer and a Bible and go out to a large park, a lake, or the beach and do a service where you break the service into parts where you stop and do a part when you feel that the Holy Spirit wants you to do something. So say that it is to hard to get to a place to do it? why not walk around the area that you live and do it? Sure if you live in a large city some people may look at you strange, but you may find others along the way who will ask what is going on and will then join you along your travel.

 But still the church building is important for some people, as they grow closer to the Holy Trinity by coming through the doors. Their are the people who need the structure of what happens within the walls of a building, as it helps them to bring structure and order into their life. 

 I would like to see both exist side by side. One thing that I would make a change in though is the things that the Deacon could do. In the Episcopal Church a Deacon is not empowered to do the blessing of the Eucharist, but this is something that I change. When it came to services that are outside, Deacons would have the power to bless the bread and wine for eucharist for these services. I think that more than any or the orders within the church, Deacons represent the church more than any other order. I am sure that some will say that it is really the priest, but in a way I think that the priest are acting in the role of a Deacon outside of the walls of the church. When a priest is involved in some non-profit charity in a spiritual way, I think that they are involved as a Deacon.Why not permit the Deacons to truly bless and bring the eucharist to the people outside of the walls of the church? But then again I don’t recall Jesus saying that one had to be a priest, bishop or deacon in order to bless and celebrate the eucharist, only that we break the bread and drink of the cup. 

 So where is it important to you to have a church service at? Within the walls of a building or out in the open? I can’t tell you what is good for you, as it could be both that brings you closer to the Holy Trinity.

 Over the last few months there has been we have been bombarded with news about Casey Anthony and the trail. As we all know, she was found Not Guilty of most of the charges against her but a jury. What I find interesting is how much this is much like the O.J. Simpson trail in that what the press is showing us is how people are upset about the verdict. The jury has been blamed over and over again because it didn’t come back with the verdict that they wanted. People seem to forget that the jury had to go with what was presented to them, and could not have all of the stuff that the press was giving out.

 The press seems to be “Hell Bent” on finding out where she is now that she is no longer in jail, and in my view if they should find her, they will tell the public, which will mean that someone will try to kill her because they didn’t agree with the verdict. If that should happen, the press will not taking any responsibility of it, but the truth is that they will be equal to the whomever should kill her. They will give all kinds of excuses, but they will be at fault.

 But as I think about it, the story of the woman at the well comes to mind. All of these people who were not on the jury are in a way throwing stones at her, and want to stone her to death. I really wonder how many of these people have lead a sinless life? Oh I can hear it now about the crime that occurred, and that it was a horrible crime, which it was, but the truth that we all need to remember is that their is no real different levels of sin. Well, as far as i recall the Bible doesn’t have rankings on sins. A Sin is a Sin. Jesus died for ALL of our sins, and that includes such things as murder. Can you truly say that you have lead a sinless life?

 But as I think about it, I also wonder how many children do they see being beaten but yet don’t bother to stop and help? Are these people stopping to help when someone is being bullied? How many of these people don’t obey the law when driving by speeding? How many of these people have gotten into a car and driven after drinking alcohol? How many of these people claim to be a Christian but yet don’t follow ALL of the rules written in the Bible? Can you claim to be sinless in everything? I sure can’t.

 One of the local TV stations had a show on that asked something like, “If you bumped into Casey Anthony, would you say anything to her?” Within really thinking about it, I thought to myself that I would. I would ask her how she was doing, and if she needed someone to be able to talk to, and that I would be really interested in finding out about the Real Casey, not the one that the press and courts presented. I think that she really needs a Friend who wants to be with her as a Friend.

 I am sure that people would have a problem with becoming a Friend to her, but think about it. If you were in her shoes, wouldn’t you want a friend that will not prejudge you based on your past, but will accept you for you? How many people do you have that you call friends, would you no longer would have as a friend is you found out that may have done something bad in their past? 

 Now it’s bad enough in many cases when people blame their upbringing when they do something wrong now. I know someone who will blame their upbringing when they do something wrong, but after a certain point in ones life to do that really means that they still aren’t an adult, but are a child. If one really looks around, they will find someone who was brought up in worse conditions, but yet managed to do great things. When they do something wrong, they don’t blame their upbringing, but will take responsibility for their actions and apologize, as that is something that an adult does.

 But we already know that another case will come along and people will get upset about the verdict in that the person will be found Not Guilty, and people will take to the streets. But before you hit the streets to protest, ask yourself how sinless you are in your life? Ask yourself what had verdict you would of come up with if all that you had was the evidence that was put into front of the jury, heard only the testimony that the jury heard, and their was no outside influence to take into your judgement? 

 Ask yourself how many kids will die in this world because instead of sending money to a relief agency to feed them, you went out to an expensive dinner because the place was a cool place to be and you didn’t want to cook a simple meal at home?Heck, many of them would of loved to of just had some rice to eat. Aren’t you just as guilty as that person that you are accusing of being a murderer that the jury found Not Guilty?

 Can you honestly say that if you had been at the well you would of been able to pick up a stone and thrown it at the woman after hearing what Jesus said?