"Cradle to Grave" in the British Museum

But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. - Malachi 4:2-3

The British Museum is one of the most comprehensive collections of culture in the world. That's an extremely broad statement, but one that is hard to contradict. It displays everything from ancient Roman and Greek statuary to South American jade jewelry to Egyptian mummies to precious pieces of British culture. Most of their exhibits are themed by region and era, keeping the Buddhas away from the Sphinxes. This makes each room a country to itself, helping you keep your head straight.

However, one room in particular is a themed gallery, meaning that it has exhibits from all over the globe and different times intended to represent a particular cultural phenomenon. In this room, the museum explores ideas about birth, life, healing, sickness, and death from a distinctly global view. All through the room are object-based descriptions of the ways different cultures deal with these human realities through faith, society, the arts, and medicine. The centerpiece of the room is an exhibit called "Cradle to Grave". It has two lengths of textiles, one representing the life of a theoretical average male and the other a corresponding female, containing the 14,000 pills prescribed to the average Briton. Alongside these pills, which are a life story in their own right, are a variety of photos and notes from real peoples' life stories, causing a compare/contrast of humanity and pharmacy.

The stated intent of this particular display is that "maintaining well-being is more complex than just treating illness". This, of course, is the drive of the entire room: culturally, we understand a healthy life to be more than the pills you ingest and the infections you defeat. Unfortunately, no matter how much we might know this to be true, we so rarely live it out in our lives. Instead of knowing that health has as much to do with family life, social connectivity, work-life balance, and especially faith, we tend to localize physical well-being to the realm of doctors and pharmacies. In fact, in America we don't even treat physical health that well, as easily evidenced by our poor attitude towards a right to health insurance.

Maybe it's therefore no wonder that references to healing in the Bible are passed off. We consider them a metaphor or something that doesn't happen any more. After all, if you're sick you take drugs - and those who pray instead of going to the doctor are crazy. In reality something in between seems to be a little more healthy. God's work in this world clearly has a lot to do with real, palpable healing on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Our care for these bodies God has given us goes deeper than antibiotics and asprin. Somehow, we have to realize that our responsibility to ourselves, to our neighbor, and to God also pertains to our bodies and how we care for them.

God our creator, you have given us bodies that are indeed very good. Good, but not perfect. When we suffer from disease and injury, we trust in the healing we know you can deliver. Be also present in those who give physical care - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and all others who use their skills to help heal. Teach us also to care for our lives fully, not just in pills, but in everything we say and do. We pray this in the name of your Son, whose ministry taught us to heal the sick and embrace the outcast. Amen.

Mary Magdalene

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources. - Luke 8:1-3

One of my favorite Biblical characters is definitely Mary Magdalene. At first, it was because I was deeply drawn to the persona of the repentant sinner drawn close by Christ. After all, what could be more challenging to the religious and political hierarchy than to have a former prostitute in your inner circle? However, I was perhaps even more amazed by her when I learned more about her person and history. As it turns out, there is absolutely no record anywhere of her being a prostitute, or even a sinner any more remarkable than anyone else. She was combined with Mary of Bethany (Luke 10 and John 11) and the woman sinner (Luke 7) into one single person. Pope Gregory I is credited with cementing this via a sermon delivered in 591 where he indeed declared them to be one woman.

There are many theories as to why Mary Magdalene was not only lumped together with two other distinct women, but made into a prostitute. One is that she appeared to powerful for the church at the time. As Luke 8 notes, she provided for Jesus out of her resources; in other words, she was wealthy and independent. Furthermore, she was very close to Jesus - he even chose to appear first to her. Instead of allowing this possible undermining of male authority, later scholars and teachers wanted to give her a dark side. Another possibility is that there were simply too many women, and especially Marys, for them to be all considered different. Finally, it could be an attempt to give women two images to aspire to: the Virgin Mary, who remains pure and chaste, or Mary Magdalene, a sinner who Jesus loves anyway.

The cult of the Magdalene, encompassing everything from numerous depictions of the penitent Magdalene (such as the one pictured here in the museum of Florence's Duomo) to the mythology of her time in France, to even her prominent role in the "DaVinci Code" keeps her present in stories, legends, and popular culture. She is indeed an attractive figure to many people, although it is more often for rumors and conspiracy theories than for what we actually know about her.

I was thrilled when I learned that my first sermon at St. Anne's in London would be on Mary Magdalene's feast day and that the church did indeed want me to preach from those texts. I knew that if there was one thing we knew about her it was that we didn't know much at all. I wanted to teach the congregation the "real story" about this woman, but then remembered that Mary Magdalene isn't an agenda; besides, there's hardly enough information about her to make a "real story". Instead, I reminded myself to lift her up as we do with saints: as reminders of the human ability to love and serve God and neighbor fully.

There are three important things we can know from her story to be inspired by her. She was a woman healed by Christ, showing us his restorative power. She committed herself fully to his ministry, reminding us to do the same. And finally, she had the courage to pay her respect to him and declare his miraculous rising again against all odds, giving us the confidence to do likewise. Whether we make her a hero, a rebel, a victim, or a lover, the simple facts are enough to remind us that she was nonetheless a woman of deep faith and inspiration to us, even today.

(To read a rough transcription of the sermon, go here. Click on "sermons", then "Sunday 22 July at 11.00 [Mary Magdalene]")

God our constant guide, you have sent us inspirations in the faith to help us on our way. Thank you especially for Mary Magdalene, who for all the stories surrounding her was simply and earnestly your dedicated follower. Help us to be bold and committed like her, giving ourselves fully to you and trusting in your mercy. May we always be able to proclaim your Son's rising again, even in the darkest of times. We pray this in his name, Amen.

Mary I and Elizabeth I

When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. - Matthew 10:19-22a

This verse has never sat right with me. Too many people use it to justify their controversial political and spiritual decisions, pointing to this verse to try to make their naysayers into lesser believers. Some try to say that they must be loving Jesus right when everyone else is upset with them, when the exact opposite might be more true. Nonetheless, families have indeed been driven apart because of faith - even if that faith is simply another expression of Christianity. The conflict between Catholic and Protestant faith shows this tension very clearly.

The English church technically separated from Rome in 1534 under the notorious Henry VIII, but that was not the end of the debate. Under his son Edward VI's short reign the church became more radical, and there were some who hoped for greater Protestant reform in the country. This was the main hope of much political turmoil following Edward's death, until Mary I received power and technically rejoined the Roman church in 1555. Her battle to keep control of the country and enforce Catholicism led to her moniker Bloody Mary, as she had 300 religious dissenters executed in her just over four year's reign. Her half-sister (and successor, should she fail to produce a male heir) was the Protestant Elizabeth, who she had imprisoned but refused to execute.

Elizabeth did indeed ascend to the throne in 1558 and re-established Protestantism. In spite of their vast political and especially religious differences, it seems the sisters held no truly ill will towards each other. Mary kept Elizabeth from death during her reign, and it seems that Elizabeth did not fault Mary for her actions. In fact, today the sisters are buried together in the same tomb in Westminster Abbey. Next to the tomb, a plaque noting the religious conflict personified by the two sisters and Queens reminds us that people do truly rise against each other even when they believe to be fighting exclusively for Christ's sake.

Stories like these remind me that Jesus' words in the verse from Matthew aren't carte blanche to stir up trouble and call it faith. Instead, it is a sad statement on the sinfulness of humanity. Even something as unifying and inspiring as Christian faith can be warped in our drive for power and prestige, until we convince ourselves to even fight our brother and sister.

Merciful God, our own brokenness keeps us from worshiping you in spirit and truth. Instead, we fight amongst ourselves and try to prove ourselves more worth of you. Help us instead to seek peace, unity, and shared proclamation of your holy name no matter what church, denomination, or ideal we represent. We ask this in the one name of your Son Jesus. Amen.

Westminster Abbey

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me," you may indeed set over you a king whom the Lord your God will choose... It shall remain with him and he shall read in it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, diligently observing all the words of this law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel. - Deutoronomy 14: 14-15a, 19-20

One thing that cannot be avoided in England is the connection between church and state. The Queen is constitutionally referred to as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and the Canons of the Church of England also declare, "We acknowledge that the Queen’s excellent Majesty, acting according to the laws of the realm, is the highest power under God in this kingdom, and has supreme authority over all persons in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil." While her role in the church, in much the same way as her political role, is primarily a figurehead, she nonetheless is the highest authority within the church.

She is not only not a person of any religious training or authority, but not elected. She is, as some would declare, chosen by God alone. Anachronistic as it might seem, it's simply the way things work. And since they work that way, there are events and places that clearly demonstrate the connection between church and state in England.

Perhaps most noteworthy of these places is Westminster Abbey. An abbey has stood on the site since the 10th century, and a proper stone building went up in the mid-11th century under the direction of Edward the Confessor. Partly because the church was a sort of shrine to King Edward, it became the site of coronations and burials for English monarchs throughout the centuries. Queen Elizabeth I was the first to have a Protestant coronation ceremony there, and the last coronation was, of course, HRH Elizabeth II. And yes, you read that right - it is indeed a formal church service with prominent roles for clergy, and even has an anointing considered so sacred that it was not televised during the broadcast of Elizabeth II's coronation.

As an American, it seems almost offensive to have these two roles so intertwined. However, the Israelites themselves had a king who was also a spiritual leader. The two roles can indeed be fairly balanced, and a beautiful place like Westminster seems to reflect that. Unfortunately, the human tendency is to declare divine mandate to matter what, turning to personal preference rather than God's will. After all, it was enforced Anglicanism that drove people to America and created the precedent for free practice.

The book of Deuteronomy reminds us that we are each constantly to turn to God as we direct our lives, whether leader or most lowly. This isn't just because God wants it - it is because it helps us live with some semblance of structure and function. When we turn too far to our own desires and forget our Creator, we get violent anarchy, oppressive dictatorship, and all sorts of unethical governance in between. In a place like Westminster, surrounded by tombs of rulers and monuments to war dead, it is easy to remember just how frail the balance can be.

God, our King, we give ourselves totally to your rule. Guide us as we live in your creation, that we might show respect when due and question authority when needed. Give your wisdom to all those who lead and rule, so that your guidance will be in their decisions. We pray these things in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Return to Rome

Greetings to the few of you who still check this blog out... I have been terribly delinquent about posting lately (I blame it on London's unseasonably cold weather, making my fingers too stiff to type) and therefore have a huge backlog of great posts to get to. I'll be putting those up this week.

In the meantime, my husband and I have made a safe return to Rome for the final three months of the fellowship. We've resettled in a new part of town in a significantly smaller apartment, but we're doing quite well - especially since the weather has been gorgeous! Tomorrow I'll register for another semester of classes at the Angelicum, and we'll hit the ground running from there.

I hope all is well for you, and that you'll continue to enjoy reading along with some of my experiences and thoughts throughout this incredible year.

Ascension Day At St. Paul's

[Jesus said] "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:8-9

When my younger sister was here in London with me, we stumbled across an amazing surprise. Typically, St. Paul's offers a noon service without communion, but as we wandered through the church we knew something special was about to happen. Set up to the side was a huge bowl, which seemed like a punch-bowl sized thurible, and smoke was just starting to rise from it. Communion chalices were coming out as well, so we realized that perhaps we would be interested in this particular service.

Since we hadn't been following the liturgical calendar closely that week, we were surprised to learn that we had found ourselves in church on Ascension Day. So, before we climbed up to the very top of the dome in St. Paul's, we paused with a handful of other tourists to celebrate the mystery of Christ's ascension.

The service itself was lovely, with a special choral ensemble for the occasion and an encouraging sermon which did nothing to help understand the strangeness of the ascension itself but nonetheless assured us it was all a good thing. But most remarkable to me was the cloud of smoke that rose up to the very top of the church's iconic dome. Part-way through the service more incense was added, creating fresh clouds wafting up through the church. After the service, we climbed into the upper galleries where we could not only still smell it, but we could actually still see the smoke hanging in the air. The whole atmosphere of the church had been literally changed.

I wonder what it must have been like for the disciples on the day that they saw Jesus ascend into heaven. I can't even picture their level of surprise; it certainly doesn't even register on the same scale as my pleasant surprise at the noon worship. But their world was changed, too. I wonder how they felt Christ's presence around them, palpable and thick. Was it comforting to some, oppressive to others, and unsettling to still more? Did they wonder if the memories of their teacher would fade with time? Did it get harder to feel close to him the further their travels took them?

Most importantly, the atmosphere of their lives had been changed as well. While the smoke hanging in the church was temporal, the affect Christ had on their lives - and continues to have today - is not. His grace envelopes us completely and never washes off. Even though we cannot see him in the flesh today, his Spirit still remains with us, guiding and encouraging us at all time.

Most Powerful and Amazing God, with your Son's birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension, the world was completely and permanently changed. Give us the grace to daily live that change, serving you and our neighbor with complete dedication and joy. Send us your Spirit, that we can always be encouraged by your presence in our lives. We pray these things in the name of the Risen and Ascended Lord, Amen.

Anglican Evensong

I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you. Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. - Psalm 141:1-2

One of the great things to experience here in London, in the heart of the Anglican faith, is Evensong. Almost every church offers it, but it is especially amazing to experience at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. Both churches have incredible male choirs complete with young boy choristers who are taught and trained in on-site schools. The hard work certainly pays off. As soon as they open their mouths, you realize what choirs of angels might actually sound like.

Not only am I raised in the Lutheran tradition, but I swear I learned how to read by following hymns and liturgies in the big, green Lutheran Book of Worship. Therefore, I learned my place in a service: respond in the bold type, sing every verse of a hymn, and even if you're not actively vocalizing you should at least follow along. This is not the case in Evensong. In fact, the point of the service seems almost to be complete exclusion of the congregation. There are scripture readings and a sermon, and there's usually at least one hymn that the congregation joins in on, but otherwise the service is performed almost completely by the choir. Sometimes, it almost feels like a concert and not a service.

However, this does not necessarily bother me. Sometimes, I need to simply sit back and allow myself to be filled. Instead of worrying if I've found the right page or am pronouncing words correctly of even if I'm supposed to be speaking at all, I can revel in the gorgeous surroundings and resonant music. It gives worshipers space to pray, meditate, and be inspired to start another week fresh. The inspiration may come from the choir, but the prayers are nonetheless my own.

Even if you don't have access to a historic Anglican worshiping community, you can allow yourself time and space to open up and put everything before God. Too often, our days fly by so quickly that instead of lifting our hands in prayer and sacrifice, we let our heads hit the pillow heavy with worries and frustrations. Perhaps we would all do better if we took a step back, found music or a devotional that inspired us without demanding too much for us, and created a space to allow the Spirit to ease our burdens.

God of mercy, come to us in the evening and grant us rest. We offer you all we have, and ask that you take from us our fears and our frustrations in return. We can give you only our love and devotion, and in return you give us your everlasting grace. Grant that we might be still in your presence and turn to you faithfully in prayer. In Christ's name, Amen.

Penetecost Sunday At St. Paul's Cathedral

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. - Acts 2:1-4

What a fantastic and mysterious experience is Pentecost! Even as a child, I can remember being entranced by the event. Tongues of fire? Instantaneous linguists? Even the derisive on-lookers later in the story that determine all the disciples were drunk simply add to the allure of the story. Later in my life, preachers made me smile by focusing on the female aspects brought to the Trinity by the language used surrounding the Holy Spirit and her action through the Scriptures. Today, my Pentecost Sundays are filled with my prayers for the same to happen to me - especially if it means I could speak better Italian.

I knew I would want to experience this great event in a great place, and since I had a visitor in town, we went to St. Paul's Cathedral in London. This is an impressive space, rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666 and iconic to the London skyline especially as it stood firm among the rubble during World War II. With its renowned choir and illustrious staff, I was sure we'd be in for a treat. I especially held out hope that I would be treated to a sermon that gave me a new perspective on an event that holds great importance not only for me, but for Christianity world-wide.

As has been the case more and more for me here, this was not exactly the case. Certainly, the service was amazing. After all, the space inside the cathedral soars and glows with mosaics, arches, domes and stained glass. The choir, complete with its boy's choir, simply danced through a series of classical and contemporary works that showcased their ability. The service itself was rich in Anglican pageantry, something I have come to truly appreciate. There was, however, an emptiness to the service in the spot I treasure most: the sermon.

After all, it is in the sermon that the preacher has the opportunity to take the scriptural stories and concepts and flesh them out. Not only does this aid comprehension, but it creates a space where each listener is invited in to the mystery and connect it to his or her own life and faith. Here, the Holy Spirit itself breaks in and opens hearts and minds. Granted, this can be done regardless of the quality of the sermon. Even if (God forbid!) we only ever preached boring, dry, rambling, expository sermons for the rest of the life of the church, somehow the Spirit would still break past our glazed-over eyes and yawning faces. However, if we take seriously the call to preach, we know that we are called to not just go through the motions but give everything we have.

The trend I seem to notice here, especially in churches that see mostly tourists for a congregation and draw crowds based primarily on their history, is that the style and structure of a sermon's delivery is more important than its content. This leads to a great deals of sermons written in perfect three-point style, carefully written to include an educated vocabulary, spoken with impeccable diction and clarity. After about three minutes, the sermon is completely dead - but at least it sounds nice. Unfortunately, this sermon was no different. I had to simply bide my time until the choir started singing again, since at least they brought passion to the Word.

I realize that preachers all have different gifts, and for everyone who is moved by a fervent, witty sermon there is someone who needs a deliberate, methodical sermon. I thank God that there is this variety in preachers, as we would otherwise be a very boring lot. But I do hope that the Holy Spirit would indeed fill each and every preacher with a palpable fire that not only gives them style but substance, not just form but function, not only clarity but conviction.

Triune God, as you came to the disciples in tongues of fire, light up our hearts today. Give our words and actions the fullness of your grace so that we can live with the fire of your love. May our words be full of not only wisdom but passion as we share your Word in this world. We pray these things in your holy name, Amen.

Wesley Day

When [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21

Living in London, at a different end of the Reformation from Rome, offers a different set of possibilities and options for a seminarian. One of these was Wesley Day, a day of celebration for the conversion of John Wesley. They do indeed use the word "conversion" in this strongly Anglican city, although Wesley always held that his beliefs were within the bounds of Anglican faith. Held by Wesley’s Chapel & Leysian Mission in John Wesley's chapel, the event was to celebrate the life and faith of an influential man and his family. The event was well-attended by representatives of many denominations across London, and all seemed to be

We began with a service of Eucharist at Wesley’s Chapel, which was wonderful in its own right. Especially delightful was the impromptu hymn-singing during distribution, where the organist simply picked up when the congregation started. The service was followed immediately by a procession to Susanna Wesley’s Grave in Bunhill Fields Cemetery for a wreath-laying. The cemetery is just across the street from the chapel and made a fitting tribute to a wonderful woman whose husband and sons played a very influential role in the development of the protestant belief system, not just in England but in the United States as well. I was honored to be a part of the ceremony.

However, seeing as I'm on a preaching fellowship, I was most particularly interested in hearing the sermon for this service. After all, Wesley was known for his preaching, a style and delivery that seemed to galvanize people. Part of me truly hoped that the preacher would even haul us outside Wesley-style to hear the Word in the open air. Indeed, the preacher did know quite a bit about John Wesley and his brother Charles, and spent a great deal of time outlining their lives. Unfortunately, that is the only thing he did. He took no time to bring us the Word, he simply paid tribute to an important family.

I have heard it said that you know you're headed the right direction in a sermon if Christ had to die for your words. To put it another way, when we preach, we do not deliver a eulogy. We don't talk in niceties or focus on earthly matters. We can use these things, but they are means to an end. When we preach, we preach Christ and him crucified. It may be a whole lot easier to talk about smart people or academic concepts, but these great things do not a sermon make. Wesley would likely be very frustrated if a service in his honor focused on him and not the Word of God.

In a way, Christ's sermon in Luke seems to defeat this logic. After all, he's just talking about himself - something novice preachers are warned to stay away from. However, this is the Son of God we're talking about. He is trying to reveal God's own presence and promise to those around him. No matter how revolutionary this message is, it is essential to the life of those listening. In these days, when Christ is no longer physically here to teach us directly, it is left to the preachers to bring the Word of God to worship. Even in an individual's daily life, we are called not just to be good people and to say nice things, but to actively proclaim Christ in our lives.

Our Gracious God, we are weak. Your Word is so great that sometimes we are unsure how to proclaim it. Forgive us for taking the easy way, for beating around the bush, for considering ourselves unworthy of Your Son's gift. Send your Holy Spirit to inspire us, so that our words might be your Words. Bless especially those who preach, that they might continue to have the courage to speak the truth in love. In Christ's name, Amen.

We Are Safe

If you have heard about the bombs found around London today, know that my husband and I are fine - most importantly, so is everyone else. If you haven't heard this news yet, there's a CNN article here, or a BBC article here. At any rate, at 2 am this morning London time, a nail and gas bomb was disarmed outside a nightclub in London. Later today, the area around Buckingham Palace and Oxford Street, both very popular spots for tourists and locals, was shut down due to a second suspicious vehicle. No one was hurt and no one has claimed responsibility.

In these frightening times, we ask for your prayers for the people of London as they try to stay safe and sane. Please also keep in your prayers those across the world who live in constant threat of terror, danger, attack and suffering. In spite of all the evil we confront daily, we have a good God on whom we can always trust.