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Redeemer Review
The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
November, 2007
From the Vicar
A friend of mine summarizes his understanding of the various Christian denominations this way; he
says, “Catholics may be saved by good works, and Lutherans may be saved by faith, but Episcopalians
are saved by the calendar.”
I share this with you now because as I was beginning to write this note, I realized that what I had in
mind to tell you was all the dates you should mark on your calendar in the next couple of months. By
the time you read this, Halloween will likely have passed, but still: All Saints Day is coming up, as
well as Thanksgiving; our Stewardship campaign continues, daylight savings time is ending (or is it
beginning?), we’re welcoming Bishop Marc and celebrating Redeemer’s 50th Anniversary, and
suddenly we’re staring down Christmas. But most importantly, liturgical calendar Year C is ending,
and liturgical calendar Year A is beginning again, and with it the attendant change in liturgical colors,
also ordained by God for our salvation.
So I’m poking a little fun at our tradition, but there’s also something about this that’s worth paying
attention to. I’ll start by confessing that, as I was about to begin writing this letter, I called a
parishioner who had left me a message inviting me to her home for a small mid-week get together.
Feeling pressed for time, I said that, regrettably, I could not make it. She said, “Well can’t you just stop
by for a bit?” And of course, with a moment’s reflection, I realized that I could. In that tiny moment of
time, and in that act of reflecting honestly on her simple question, the voice of God had a chance to be
heard. And God said, as God often does, “Relax, Steve. There’s enough. There’s enough time, there’s
enough money, there’s enough love, there’s enough pizza. Whatever you think there’s not going to be
enough of, there’s enough. Trust me on this one, okay?”
Okay.
I like it when God reminds me that there is enough (especially when we’re talking about pizza). But I
find I usually have to do something to allow God’s voice to be heard. So, every day I try to make time
for prayer. For me, this often takes the form of Morning or Evening Prayer. But it could be anything: it
could be going for a walk, smiling at a stranger, helping a neighbor, lighting a candle, singing a song,
playing a game with my kids — anything counts as prayer if it helps you hear God’s voice more often.
Another friend of mine is a monk at an Episcopal monastery in Boston. I once visited him there, and
was surprised to find that, in addition to managing the various chores of their house and the
guesthouse, all the brothers had full-time jobs outside the monastery. As well, they were required to
attend chapel three times a day, at Morning, Noon, and Evening Prayer. I used to think that a monk’s
only job was to sit around and pray, and that’s what made them so holy. But I learned that their lives
are just as busy — if not more so —than everyone else’s. The difference is that, three times a day, they
make themselves available to God, and spend time in prayer listening for the voice of God, reminding
them that, as stretched as they might feel, there really is enough—and more than enough.
Try it for yourself and see what happens!
Peace, Fr. Steve
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