From The Deacon's Bench

 As I sit down at my computer to start writing this edition of my blog, it is mid-October.  Here in the North Central part of the USA that means that Fall is upon us.  As I look out of my windows today, I see many patches of grass covered with fallen leaves.  I see trees that are a mixture of green and red/orange leaves.  Soon those leaves will turn fully red or orange or yellow or brown and fall to the ground. Since I have lived my entire life in this part of the world, this change is not anything new.  I began to wonder what it might be like for someone who has lived their entire life in a place like Ecuador where the temperature remains constant at about 75 degrees all year long.  Where there are no real seasonal changes, and perhaps the only change is one part of the year may have more rain than other parts. What would that person think if they were to be brought to this part of the world at this time of year?  I don't have an answer to that, ...

In 1993, Paul Simon and Art Garfinkle wrote and recorded the song "The Sound of Silence".  One of the lyrics is "People hearing without listening", those words struck me very deeply when I first heard them and have stuck with me ever since. I can only speak with authority about myself when it comes to hearing without listening, but I don't think I'm alone in doing just that.  There are times when we are so focused on our own agenda that we leave little or no room to "hear" what others are saying.  There are also times when we are so sure that we are "right" that we totally discount the opinions of others. Yes, there are indeed times when we are right and even listening carefully to others and "Hearing" them we will not change our minds.  The important part of this is to genuinely listen to and consider the other point of view...I believe that is what we are called to do. I also have come to believe that before we "make up o...

Throughout my life, I must admit that I have not spent a great deal of time visiting art museums.  While I have a great deal of admiration for the individuals who can create great "works of art", and I don't mind seeing them on display, doing so has never been high on my priority list.  I do have one vivid memory however, that I will share with you. In the early 1970's I was in Paris and visited the Louvre Museum.  I couldn't wait to see the Mona Lisa.  When I finally did, my first reaction was wow, it's soooooo small!  Well, it took me some time to realize that in fact, the painting was not all that small, but because it was displayed all by itself on an otherwise blank wall with no other paintings nearby, to me it looked small... Perspective Perspective is defined as "a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view."  Many factors can influence one's perspective.  It is important to remember that just because we perc...

We learn from our mistakes; I grew up hearing this saying.  I realize that I never gave it much thought, and pretty much accepted it as a sensible way to approach things. However, there are days, in fact many more lately, that I think... "If we really learn from our mistakes, why the heck are repeating them over and over?"  I'm not just referring to us as individuals, but also to humankind in general.  As one looks at the history of humankind, we see the same destructive behaviors play out in various places throughout the world over and over again. Just when we think, "It can't get much worse" it does...because the destructive behaviors get more heinous, and the response gets worse because there is less of an outrage and more acceptance. It's almost like, if we don't talk about it, it doesn't exist.  Kind of alike a child hiding their eyes at the scarry parts of a movie. It also brings to mind another "old saying"...Don't rock t...

This seemingly simple three lettered word is actually the root of the many complex issues that we all face.  For those of us who have raised children, we soon learn that why can be the question simply because a child wants to know how something works or... it can be the question because the child does not want to do something they are being told to do.  In my experience growing up, when I asked why for that second reason, the answer would generally be "because I said so!" As I matured, asking why became the motivation for me to explore and seek answers.  I wish I could say that I have always been successful in my quest but just because I did not "find" an answer doesn't mean that I would never revisit it. Throughout Holy Scripture, we find so many examples of individuals seeking answers, and turning to God to help them in their quest.  My own experience has often taken me to a place where I too have sought help from God.  Through that, I have learned that God pr...

 Having lived my entire life here in the northeastern part of the United States, so a result, I am very used to the changes in seasons.  We have four seasons here (not just the "senior" communities like many of us live in,) but four different types of weather each year.  Right now, as I write this, it is late Spring.  Looking out of my windows, I see new leaves returning to deciduous trees, evergreen trees brightening in color, iris plants blooming and shrubs that will soon need pruning to insure good growth. That is just one type of growing, I also see my grandsons growing from children to young adults and my granddaughters growing not only in size but also in maturity.  I have been attending Episcopal churches since the late 1970's.  I have served on the Vestry/Mission Committee at several parishes.  Since my Ordination fifteen years ago (as of June 9th) I have continued to attend Vestry/Mission Committee meetings with voice but no vote.   ...

 Let me start with an example of one little letter making a huge difference: Deacon...Decon A Deacon in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches is a member of the Ordained ministry.  They have specific duties during the celebration of various liturgies, and they also carry out ministries of "service" to the greater church community and the community outside of the church walls. Decon is the brand name of a poison used to kill rodents  So, in a way, that little "e" is the difference between life and death. With that in mind, I want to remind all of you that all of those little things that you do for others from a welcoming smile to a newcomer in Church, to holding a door open for someone who is having mobility issues to letting that person with only two items at the check-out in the grocery store to get in front of you in line, to offer a smile to a stranger who looks sad.  All of these little things DO make a difference. During the past several years, all of our l...