What about Change?

Life changes. It is of the essence of life to change. It is of the spiritual character of life to make demands, to bring new challenges, to goad us into living it.

But that life changes is not the issue. Change is obvious. It will come whether we like it or not. Whether we admit it or not. Whether we want it or not. That’s simply obvious, too. The issue is far more subtle than that.

It is not change that will destroy us. It is the attitude we take to it what will make all the difference. 

From Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully, by Joan Chittister

A child’s cross to be given to Princes Charlotte of Cambridge by a Canadian Knight

Hello John,

Thank you for this information and for your inquiry. The KStG refers to a Knighthood given to me a few years back by the International Knightly Order of St. George. I don't often use it but every now and then I tack it on to my rather long name... 

www.orderstgeorge.ca  You can find lots on information at the website.

The Order uses the tern "Chevalier" rather than Knight, Sir, etc. It was a great honour for my Partner and I to receive this recognition following decades of volunteer work in several areas in our Community. We are also founders of the McMullen/Dark Collection of Royal Commemoratives. An Investiture is held every fall here in Toronto and it is a wonderful day of renewal of friendships, a beautiful Service of course and a Banquet in the evening.

You may be interested in knowing that the little ceramic Cross I purchased is destined for Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in honour of her Baptism. I was having problems finding something suitable and came across your site and this item.

Many thanks for your kind co-operation. Please feel free to ask more about the Order.

Best regards, Norman

(Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is the younger child and only daughter of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She is fourth in line to succeed her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after her paternal grandfather Charles, Prince of Wales, father, and elder brother Prince George of Cambridge.)

Your faith journey as different from your family members.

Here is an E-mail exchange (edited for anonymity) between me and a customer. Perhaps it has happened to you too.

Jake:

I was raised in the Brethren & Baptist churches (I even trained to be a Baptist minister).  When I married, my wife & I attended a series of Reformed churches (primarily Presbyterian & Reformed Church in America) before settling on a non-denominational "mega-church" when our 2 boys were young.

As I grew in my faith and as my life philosophy evolved, I found something missing.  Having morphed into someone with progressive ideals, I became weary of checking my ideology at the door on Sunday.  About three years ago, I was blessed to find Grace Episcopal Church in (city, (state).  The liturgy and the acceptance made me very glad.  At first, I wept at nearly every Eucharist.  Heretofore, it was my belief that not even our gracious God understood (much less embraced) me.

About a year ago, after I had made the decision to accept reception into the Anglican community, my sponsor blessed me with the gift of "Hour by Hour".  In addition to the Daily Office, I have found Hour by Hour to be both blessing and balm.

My mom continues to worship at a fundamentalist Baptist church.  For years she's been wringing her hands over my 101-year-old Episcopalian grandmother in (different city), certain that, without a dramatic "salvation experience", she'll burn eternally in the fires of hell.  I keep reminding mom that she just might be surprised to bump into Grandma in Heaven one day.

So far, my wife has not entertained the idea of joining me at Grace on a consistent basis.  We worship together at a nearby Reformed church on Sundays.  In spite of her rejection of Anglican practice, I am thankful that we share the same basic faith in Christ, and I take comfort that she remains at my side after nearly 30 years of marriage.

I'm afraid I've rambled, and you have a business to run.  Thanks again for your service, and pray with me that my mom finds blessing and encouragement in her Birthday gift.

Best Regards and Peace of Christ,

Jake

John’s reply:

Thank you Jay for your interesting message about your faith journey and those of your family members.

I have found that our individual faith and our understanding of God in our lives is very important to each faithful person. Then, when a beloved family member diverges from what we think is spiritual truth it hits us pretty hard. It looks like you have expanded your view of God's love to be more encompassing than other members of your family. You feel good about it and they worry about it.

I too think, in all humility, that we may be very surprised by those we find in God's loving embrace on the Other Side. I'm trying to leave those thoughts and decisions to God. I have enough to do just trying to worship God and to respect the dignity of each person in this life.

One of the joys of this ministry-which-is-the-store is hearing parts of the stories of our customer/friends. Yours is certainly one of them, Jake.

Warmly,

John

Special news in the store...

There is a passage, Psalm 33:10, that we have taken to heart: “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing: he frustrates the plans of the peoples.” (NRSV) Loosely interpreted, it could be said that “people make plans while God just laughs!”

Such is the case with plans of our own. Intending to retire after 23 years of service to Episcopalians and other spiritually-minded people as owners of The Episcopal Bookstore, we began to negotiate with a young couple (who seemed a lot like us when we first purchased the business). As much as we thought them to be a good fit as our successors, and as much as they were passionate about the opportunity, they were unable to acquire the necessary funding. So our search for new owners begins anew!

Might you know someone who would love to combine their faith with a business that enriches the spiritual lives of others?

The key ingredients that will contribute to the success of a new owners are all in place: a loyal customer base, a dedicated, hard-working staff, the technology tools to remain current and relevant, and a stellar reputation that attracts customers from near and far. Besides, we’re willing to stay on as needed, serving in an advisory role to ensure a smooth transition.

What it takes is someone who shares our passion for the bookstore as a personal ministry, someone who genuinely loves people and wants to be of service, and who can lead a team of employees with good judgment and business sense. Offering a reasonable amount for the business (based on a professional valuation of its worth) and having the means to fund the acquisition would be essential as well.

The reason we’re contacting you directly is not only to express our gratitude and appreciation for your support, but also recognizing that the best candidate may come from within our circle. If you know a family member or a friend who is ready for a change of pace – who would enjoy being the owner of a vibrant and fulfilling business that could easily be relocated to just about any community with a strong Episcopal base, please forward this message to them.

To learn more about the opportunity to become The Episcopal Bookstore’s new owner, please contact our friends and colleagues at the Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates at (904) 277-2664 or by email at MKaufman@PazBookBiz.com. They can not only let you know more about our business and its potential, but also can provide you with the necessary training and education to succeed as a bookstore owner.

Thank you so much for your continued patronage and for your interest in having The Episcopal Bookstore able to serve more generations for years to come.

Refusing to sell pizza to a gay couple's wedding

Here is this week's reflection from The Rev. David Marshall, St. John's Episcopal Church, Chula Vista CA.

Reflection Indiana “We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone” is posted at my dry cleaners. I’m not sure what the sign means. I imagine if I am disorderly, obnoxious, rude, or under the influence, they can refuse to do business with me. Perhaps they don’t want to serve a clergyman? That’s fine. I can leave and pray for them. There are other dry cleaners. This past week in the news, there is a pizzeria in Walkerton, Indiana, which is apparently the first business to deny service to people in same-gender relationships. The owner said, “If a gay couple wants us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we will have to say no.… We are a Christian establishment.” Of all the ceremonies I have been a part of, as priest, guest, or participant, I’ve never been to a pizza catered wedding. But, I digress. A number of things bother me about this situation. My parents are small business owners. I believe they should have the right to refuse service, just like my dry cleaner. But, the biggest thing that bothers me is refusing service in the name of Christianity. Can you think of a time where Christ refused service to someone? I remember stories of Jesus eating with sinners, how Jesus’ disciples were troubled, and how the religious leaders of the day used Jesus’ inclusiveness to bully the disciples. In the Gospel of Mark, religious leaders asked the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call on the righteous, but sinners.” (Mk 2:16-17) The ancient rite of ordination calls on ministers to have a heart for those to whom Jesus ministered – the outcast, lonely, widows and orphans. I believe the “priesthood of all believers” means all who follow Christ are called into his ministry for all people. But I could be wrong. There are two distinct groups in the Old Testament. A group of Torah followers believed in purity and leaned heavily on laws dealing with food, marriage, association, and even clothing. They believed God is pure and therefore they needed to be pure. Another Torah group believed they were a light to the nations. As God’s chosen their responsibility was to share. They also believed God is pure but their calling was to share the light of God. In early Christian times, therefore, groups of Christ followers secluded themselves from the rest of the world. They felt their baptism prohibited participation in the world. To remain in their pure baptismal state, they had to reject the world. Other Christian groups believe that to be baptized with Christ is to share the Gospel with the world – to participate in the world so that the world can be saved. I think we are seeing those divisions playing out in Indiana today. You probably can guess which group I identify with. Perhaps my own feelings about the LGBT community influence me so that I think all Christians should welcome all people into the loving embrace of God through Christ. But, I could be wrong. Perhaps Christians in Indiana are letting their views influence the way they participate in their own faith tradition and in the world. But still, I think I’m right because I am betting on Christ’s inclusiveness. If I think that Jesus doesn’t forgive the sins of even one person, I am on a slippery slope that eventually might end with me sliding down out of the eternal promise made to Abraham and dying in my own sins. So, I bet it all on Christ and his love and forgiveness promised to every person.… even if that person refuses to cater a gay-wedding-pizza-reception. I am certain that Christ loves that person, too. -Fr. Marshall