These Are Someone's Sons

Tuesday night at St Michael's Men's Club, Mr. John Brady, director of the Augusta Youth Development Campus, gave a riveting presentation. The YDC is the state prison for mentally troubled youth. Mr. Brady has 103 residents ranging in ages from 11-20 with offenses ranging from grand theft auto to child molestation to rape. Mr. Brady's presentation was blunt - and the men assembled responded.

What we need to remember, Mr. Brady said, is that these boys are someone's sons. Somebody loves them. But in those cases when they have no one to love them - they NEED someone to love them. Can we love them? Can we love those who have hurt others, especially the very innocent and defenseless? Mr. Brady said it's hard for him, but as someone who is a Christian - we have to work through it.

These boys are in the position they are in because of neglect, abuse, and so many other things that are repulsive and immoral. We must break this cycle. We can start by showing the unloved and unlovable - our love.

You Are Forgiven

On my way to the hospital at Fort Gordon (a large Army base in Augusta), I passed by the Church of the Atonement, an Episcopal mission near the base. The sign that is usually reserved for worship times had the following message that I snapped with my cell phone:

If you are having trouble reading the sign it says:
We forgive you. Please return the grill.

So many times I would prefer forgiveness and restitution that is not "messy." That is - I would rather be forgiven without having to do anything about it. But that's not how forgiveness works, at least not exactly. In the Old Testament, especially in the Book of Leviticus, whenever a person sins, they are required to make restitution. Eugene Peterson's The Message records this from the sixth chapter of Leviticus:
God spoke to Moses: "When anyone sins by betraying trust with God by deceiving his neighbor regarding something entrusted to him, or by robbing or cheating or threatening him; or if he has found something lost and lies about it and swears falsely regarding any of these sins that people commonly commit—when he sins and is found guilty, he must return what he stole or extorted, restore what was entrusted to him, return the lost thing he found, or anything else about which he swore falsely. He must make full compensation, add twenty percent to it, and hand it over to the owner on the same day he brings his Compensation-Offering. He must present to God as his Compensation-Offering a ram without any defect from the flock, assessed at the value of a Compensation-Offering.

In other words, if you sin against someone, make amends with them and God. Forgiveness is freely given to us, but it is not cheap. Jesus, in his prayer that we repeat each week, asks the Father to forgive us our trespasses and we forgive those who trespass against us. Is our forgiveness conditional on our forgiveness of others?

When we sin, God will forgive us. But God wants us to clean up the mess we've made. God has forgiven us - but we need to return the grill.

Benediction and Cake

Last night I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for a long time - assist at a Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Benediction is a service in which a large host is placed in a monstrance and the priest blesses the congregation with the host housed in the monstrance. Typically you only see this in Roman Catholic Churches or Anglo-Catholic Churches. There is a lot of incense and other things you don't see every day (humeral veil, monstrance, etc.). This Benediction was on the Silver Jubilee of The Very Reverend William Willougby's ordination to the priesthood.

If it is proper to say that solemn liturgies are fun - this was fun. The vestments felt old and kneeling over a thurible of incense induced an ethereal mood. I was quite nervous putting the host in the monstrance and was constantly worried I would fall down the steps of the altar while holding Fr. William's cope (he doesn't move slowly). But, alas, all was well - no one fell, the monstrance was in its place, we prayed, sang, celebrated, and afterward - we ate cake.

Bishop Shipps, the VIII Bishop of Georgia participated as did the Monsignor of the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Savannah. I met a Greek Orthodox Priest and the mayor of Savannah was present. Quite ecumenical. Cake will do that.

There's more

It completely takes us off guard when we hear of the death of young people. Our reaction is compounded when the young are talented, liked, and/or wealthy. What's even more bewildering is when these young, talented, liked, and wealthy people engage in behavior that results in their death. Heath Ledger, 28, was young, talented, liked and wealthy. He had all the things I wish I had, but will never have. Yet he, by many accounts, was looking to fill a void deep within. He looked for peace.

Britney Spears makes headlines every night. She is out late with this guy. She is in Mexico with that guy. On one hand, who cares? But on the other hand, it is sad when the whole world watches in slow motion the decline of a young, talented, liked, and wealthy person. The Associated Press has even written her obituary in preparation for her young death. Would you be surprised? She, too, is looking for something. There is a void.

How many names can we come up with - celebrity or not - that had everything...they had it all by so many standards and yet they lived life searching for anything that would fill the void so gaping in their soul. Money doesn't do it. Things are insufficient. People, while nice, ultimately fail. Fame, prestige, influence...they all fade. It's not enough.

Yet there are simple, poor, unknown, uneducated, and unattractive people that wake up each morning and close their eyes each night with peace. For they know, as the chorus of our faith sings, that there is only one thing that will truly fill us with what we desire. God.

As our world spends so much time and effort trying to acquire more - we discover time and time again that all the things are irrelevant. It's the giving of everything - ourselves, our time, our resources, our hearts - to God - that we find ourselves rejoicing in abundance.

There is so much more out there. But it's not what most people think.

It's true.

New Year's Resolution

The Baptismal Covenant

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father?
People I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
People I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
People I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
prayers?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
People I will, with God’s help.