Praying for Rain

Many of us have been very concerned about the fires that are still raging near and in the Okefenokee Swamp. It's the worst such fire in Georgia history. Some people have lost their homes, and only God knows how many forest creatures have been affected.

The cause of the blaze is said to have been that a tree fell on a power line. The fires have consumed over 100,000 acres. Governor Sonny Perdue has declared a State of Emergency for the following counties: Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Effingham, Glynn, Lanier, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Pierce, Ware and Wayne.

The Biblical Book of James makes this timely remark: "How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!" (James 3:5b) That same book also tells us that every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17).

With this in mind, I ask you to join me in praying for the gift of rain -- rain to help the weary fire-fighters put out the fires, and rain to help the farmers whose crops are suffering from drought. Here's a memorable statistic: it takes 26,000 gallons of water to put one inch of irrigation on an acre of crops.

So please pray this prayer with me:

"O God, heavenly Father, who by your Son Jesus Christ has promised to all those who seek your kingdom and its righteousnes all things necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat you, in this time of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort and to your honor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." The Book of Common Prayer, p. 828.

In peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Evangelistic Hummingbirds

Evangelism has been defined as "one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." I think it could also be defined as "inviting your friends to the feast." That being the case, I believe I live amongst some evangelistic hummingbirds. That is, I believe they are inviting their friends to the feast.

When I first put out two hummingbird feeders in late March, the food lasted for more than a month. On Sunday of this week the feeders were almost empty, so I refilled them to the brim. By Wednesday one feeder was completely empty and the other was a little over half full, so I refilled the empty one. Maybe another maxim applies: If you fill the feeder, they will come.

I have noticed a lot of hummingbird activity out there lately. Not that they are swarming or anything but just about any time I care to take note, there are hummingbirds humming and chirping. I love it when they fill their straw-like beaks and then tilt their little heads back to drink the nectar, some of them showing ruby throats.

See how easy evangelism is? Simply invite your friends to the feast that is the Church gathered to worship. God will show up to feast with us.


In peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Noah's Ark Revisited

Have you been following the story of Johan Huibers, the gentleman from Holland who has just finished a two-year construction project? He built a replica of Noah's Ark, using the Biblical description in Genesis chapter six as a guide. Huibers' Ark, although two-thirds as long as a football field, is only one-fifth the size of Noah's ark as described in the Bible.

I think this is an amazing project and I am glad someone finally had the inspiration to get it done. It is another reminder of God's saving acts in the history of the world.

Is it my imagination, or are those storm clouds gathering above the ark in this picture?

Peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Happy May Day

May 1 is "May Day" -- the day when some countries display their ability to wage war. May Day parades will show up on your TV screen today. "May Day" is also the cry of deep distress. When a ship is in danger of sinking, or a plane is in danger of crashing, we usually hear whether they issued a "May Day" call. We would help if we could.

May 1 is also the feast day of two of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Philip and Saint James share this day. They also share a certain amount of anonymity. St. James' is known as "James the Less" or "James the son of Alpheus" to distinguish him from the better known James the brother of John, or James "the brother of the Lord." Other than that distinction, he is an obscure figure.

Outside of the Gospels, little is known of either James or Philip. We don't really know how or where they lived or died because even tradition is not clear. I think what is significant about them is that Jesus called them to follow and they did so without reservation. We remember them today strictly because they are listed in the Gospels as Apostles of Jesus Christ.

Even if we did not remember, God would remember that when the world was in deep distress, James and Philip answered the call of our Lord.


In peace,

Linda +
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

Flowers I did not plant

Flowers I Did Not Plant

The Rev. Linda McCloud

April 29, 2007

This morning as I came rushing out my door

I noticed some small blue flowers

blooming by the walkway --

delicate flowers which I cannot identify.

Before they bloomed I thought they were weeds

if I even noticed them at all.

I don't know much about flowers.

My rose bush is blooming too,

and I'm grateful

because just like me it's a transplant,

having lived in that patch of ground

for only three months.

Five Sisters, I think they call it.

But I don't know much about Roses.

Look all around at the flowers

we did not plant.

We cannot make our world.

It has already been made

by our loving Creator God.

We can improve our world, though,

by planting more flowers and

by nurturing the ones that grace our path

-- seemingly by accident.

In Peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

I Love A Parade

Yesterday's twenty-second annual Crawfish Festival Parade in Woodbine, Georgia drew participants from a wide spectrum of Camden County inhabitants. They were variously driving antique cars and antique tractors, marching in a band, riding on floats, and driving the Teacher of the Year down Bedell Avenue. And then there were the rest of us standing by and enjoying their efforts.

But the parade was only part of the festival. After the parade we all headed toward the River Walk on the Satilla River where there was food and a stage with a band and singers.

Some of the people at the festival were trying to draw the rest of us into their organizations. A certain political party was passing out cards and trying to register people to vote. The owners of Creative Catering set up a table full of their scrumptious desserts right in front of their restaurant. Who could resist?

On the whole it was a good community event. We saw some people we knew in an unusual setting, and we met new people. It was as if we were in some sort of time warp or bubble where life was easier. Someone remarked that no matter how many people you meet, there are always so many more to meet.

I picture heaven as something of a festival, but on a scale infinitely more grand than we could ask or imagine, where we will have all eternity to meet everyone. Oh -- and I'm hoping that the Creative Catering desserts will grow on trees there.

In peace,

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

ww.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com

The Ethics of Kingdom Living

James (back to camera) admitted to me

that he gave the gentleman five dollars.

Photo by Linda McCloud +

Christians are often a curiosity to non-Christian onlookers. Why do we attempt to behave according to certain standards, and who sets those standards? And what happens when we fail to live up to those standards?

I believe our ethical norms of behavior are somehow an attempt to respond to the love of God outpoured on us in Jesus Christ. Still the question remains, “Why do I as a Christian have it as my goal to observe certain behavioral standards?” St. Augustine said that because we know we are going to die, we want peace in our rational soul. In describing Christian standards, St. Augustine says that we view all peace – of body or soul, or of both – in relation to that peace which exists between mortals and Almighty God.

Augustine says that we do so in order that we may exhibit an ordered obedience in faith in subjection to the everlasting law. In other words, we strive to do the right things. We are to love God and love our neighbor, with the implicit self-validation of loving ourselves. In order to do this, there are two norms:

1) Do no harm to any one (this is reflective of the Hippocratic Oath); and
2) Help everyone whenever possible.

These two norms can be compared to a peaceful river which flows along and nourishes everything in its path. But how can we let these two norms govern us? One answer could be virtue-based ethics, or standards of behavior. By way of clarification, the cardinal virtues are temperance, courage, prudence and justice. Christians have baptized these ethics and adopted them, but we hold even higher the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.

Charity, or love, has them all covered. So let us hold love as our highest goal. I would suggest that the door of the cardinal virtues swings both ways – that if we do no harm to anyone and help whenever possible, we will live lives of temperance, courage, prudence and justice, guided by faith, hope, and love. In the midst of all this, we must be clothed with humility, or else our virtues could turn to vices if we try to impose them on others. Humility means knowing that all virtues come from God. The ideal of the Christian character is the earthly life of Jesus Christ. Even those who were opposed to Jesus conceded that “He has done everything well.”

Do we have peace in our rational souls because we try to conform to the norms of behavior set by Jesus, or do we try to conform to those norms because through faith we have peace with God? And last but not least, is it possible to make these ideals our norms of everyday behavior? Does it all come down to asking ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” And further, how can we be sure what Jesus would do?

Sometimes, we are a curiosity even to ourselves.

Linda +

The Rev. Linda McCloud

Founding Pastor

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek

www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org

http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com