Blog Posts - Anglican Church | Fort Worth, TX | Saint Barnabas Church

You can't give what you don't have

8/15/2019

Fall always seems to start in a flurry of activity. Schedules seem to fill up, deadlines pile up, and so many things vie for our attention. Somehow we try to balance work, leisure, in some cases parenting and being a loving spouse. It can be overwhelming! We give and give, and if we aren’t replenished we can be quickly depleted. Staying connected to God in relationship to Him allows us to draw from the unlimited resource of His Holy Spirit. Spending time with Him in prayer, worship and study allows us to have something from which to draw upon in all the other areas we are called to serve, work, and lead.

Sunday we resume discipleship for all ages. I hope you will make an investment in yourself by coming and bringing those in your household with you! While we can study and read on our own, doing so in community allows us to have accountability, hear from others, and share what we have learned with them. Block off Sunday mornings on your calendar just as you do in your work day for other appointments and obligations. Grab a copy of fall study here if you haven’t signed up for one yet and I will see you Sunday!

My hope and prayer is that we set a pattern to receive before we give, so that we can give what we have been given from the Lord and not from our own strength or wisdom. In so doing, we are able to more fully love others at home, work, school and our neighborhoods as we remain connected to God and rooted in the community of the household of Faith.

Sunday mornings
9:00 - 9:55 am - 3-5 Grade / Growth Group (small group)
10:00 - 10:45 am - Worship and Wonder for Kinder - 2nd
4:30 - 6:00 pm - Youth Group (6-12 grade) / Growth Group*

*Note: Youth Group begins August 25

I have two questions for you...

6/27/2019

Last week at the Anglican Church in North America assembly I had at the privilege to meet with a friend and colleague who is a church planter in Montana. As we met over coffee to catch up and talk about ministry, he shared two things with me from his church planting experience that I continue to reflect upon. While we are not planting yet at Saint Barnabas, we are always called to be in a ‘planting mode’ in terms of our focus being turned outward to reach those disconnected from God and His Church. I’d like to pose two questions to you that he asks of his congregation that have me thinking and praying.

The first is, do you know you neighbors? I recall the Archbishop of Rwanda in our closing plenary session echoing this question as well. He noted how often our days begin with the garage door opening and our pulling out in a flurry and then the garage door opening as we pull in at the end of a day exhausted with little to know interaction with those around us in between. And even when we are home it is far easier to keep to ourselves or pop in headphones to mow the lawn.

Yet, the call of discipleship requires that we don’t keep to ourselves. We cannot do so because of the life we have been given and the love we have found in Christ Jesus. Before such conversations arise, or even before invitations to church events begin, it all starts with relationship. Hence the question, do you know your neighbors? No agenda, no pressure, but do you know their names, the names of those in their family and their pets? Being known is the starting point, because all the rest flows from it.

If your answer is no or not really, then what could you do to change that? Could it begin with a wave and an introduction when coming or going? Perhaps move to a shared cup of lemonade after tackling the lawn or gardening. Maybe it extends to inviting kids to play in your front lawn, or grabbing their mail to walk over to them. It requires a little thought and intentionality doesn’t it?! Some neighbors may already be believers, some may not. Yet these relationships with those literally on either side or across from us serve as a training ground to speak to and love others. Ponder what that could look like in your life, because they lay the foundation for the next question that presses a bit further.

That question is, how do you extend the table? As Christians in an Anglican expression, our worship is one of Word and Sacrament. As we allow the Word of God to permeate our lives and lead us into conversations with others we also bring them into the fellowship of faith which is gathers around the Lord’s table weekly. However, before we ever get them into church we can extend the table to them through our common life. How might we do that? Sometimes it comes as we share meal or BBQ with them. Perhaps through hosting a block party or pot luck. Or even something far simpler. Last summer we set out a folding table, play doh, paper and crayons and had the roaming neighborhood children hang out in our driveway for aa bit with our girls to play. We discovered we could extend the table by baking cookies for new neighbors who moved in and offering to carry in an item or two.

You see, as we extend the table beyond the church through these interactions we help them discover they have a seat in church. All of these lay the foundations for later interactions. The relationships that come through intentionality, time, and prayerful works will then help them find a place to belong long before they hit our doors. So as summer progresses will you prayerfully consider those two questions and your engagement with your neighbors for the sake of the Kingdom?

Lessons from the life of Saint Alban

6/20/2019

Saturday we remember and celebrate the witness of Saint Alban. He lived in the late third century in Britain, before meeting his martyrdom at the turn of the fourth century. Until shortly before his death, he was a pagan. By all accounts it seems that he was a soldier who served faithfully under the Roman Empire.

While serving under the Emperor Diocletian a violent persecution of Christians arose. Out of compassion for them, Alban gave refuge to a priest seeking shelter in his home. During his short stay with Alban that priest, whose name is known to God alone, shared the faith to Alban who converted to Christianity and was baptized. When officers came looking for the priest, Alban dressed in his clothes and turned himself over to them instead. After being arrested, he refused to renounce the Faith that he recently embraced and became the first Christian martyr in Britain.

As we reflect upon his witness this week, I am reminded once again of the high calling to bear the name Christian. It requires a wholehearted commitment to the Kingdom of God. And yet, in the West we often do not often face such life and death decisions as Alban did. However, that same level of decisiveness and single-heartedness that Alban displayed is inherent within our walk with Jesus. It is one that recognizes where our true allegiances lie, and orders our lives around them.

Discipleship grows us in the character of Jesus, by God’s grace each day. As we reflect upon the example of Alban, whose life stands as a testimony to such conversion of heart of life, may we renew our own commitment to Jesus. Renewing our call to seek and serve Him above all else. Doing so may seem like folly to the world, as surely it did to those who knew Alban. But, we know it to be the very means of life both in the here and now as well as for all eternity! May God strengthen our resolve and give us grace to follow in his steps and the many who faithfully proclaimed Jesus Christ in their day through word and deed.

As we cross over into the season of Pentecost, what does it mean for you?

6/13/2019

Last Sunday was Pentecost. On that day we recall how the Holy Spirit both leads us and guides us into all Truth. More than merely reminding the disciples then and now of all that Jesus taught and commanded, the Holy Spirit also imparts gifts for the building up of the Kingdom of God. In fact, on the Day of Pentecost the apostles readily responded to the Spirit of God as they went forth sharing the good news of Jesus and using their gifts to further God’s Kingdom. Hence, we call Pentecost the birthday of the Church for several reasons!

As we now enter into this season of Pentecost, we too are called to reflect upon what that means for us and challenges us to do as well. By virtue of our baptism, the Holy Spirit resides in us. We are endued with every gift we need to both follow and respond to Jesus. In fact, it is part of our call as Christians. We are not merely saved and marked in baptism for some future date, but enrolled as citizens of Christ’s Kingdom. As such, our allegiance is to a different Kingdom and we are charged to use our gifts therein (see Matt 25:14-30 ; Matt 5:14-16 ; Luke 6:38). Beyond rigid allegiance, it is also our joy as well. For it is in serving God and working in His Kingdom that we discover our purpose and the fulness of our identity in Christ.

This is helpful to bear in mind as we are called to service in and through God’s Church. Because, at times jobs and tasks that fill our calendars may not always be life giving to us. However, when we use the gifts that God has imparted to us and move and live in His plans and purposes, our lives are filled with joy and meaning. So my charge last Sunday was for everyone to find a place to get involved, not only to fulfill their call as a follower of Jesus but also to find life in the midst of all the things you do! If you are an accountant and you have a creative side, use it to God’s glory in children’s ministry or singing in the choir. If you manage people all day, perhaps helping out with some physical task gives you a sense of completion you don’t often see!

Throughout the course of June, we will have an inventory about how you are wired and ways to identify where you may want to plug in. Pray about it, fill it out, and fulfill you call! I promise we will not bombard or overwhelm you. We will however continue to do what the Church has always done in equipping and mobilizing its members as they find purpose through advancing God’s Kingdom in their generation!

Did you get the scoop about next fall?

6/6/2019

Just in case you missed getting the scoop last Sunday, I didn’t want you to miss out on the news about discipleship offerings upcoming this fall. For the first time in my tenure we will need to utilize the entire building each Sunday! Now that we have over sixty children and youth on the church rolls, in addition to adults, it allows us to better engage every age and stage of life. So starting next August we will do just that!

On Sunday mornings at 9 am we will have Sunday School for ages 3-5th grade. They will continue to explore Scripture through the Church Year. Each week will involve a lesson to equip them in their own journey with Jesus and to learn the foundations of the Faith (Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments, and Creeds). It will also allow more time for activities, crafts, songs, and memory work to assist them toward this end with their peer group.

As they meet, we will have opportunity for the adults to meet in Growth Groups. During this time, we will have the nursery available for our youngest worshippers. The study this fall will focus upon community and how we both grow and function fully as the Body of Christ. It is a great way to get to know those in the church on a deeper level and to grow closer to the Lord.

Once our worship service begins, we will have a new offering for ages K-2 grade. We are transforming the room across from the nursery into an atrium where they can touch, feel, and explore the Faith. Through the Worship and Wonder curriculum the children hear a story and step into Bible narratives. For instance, a sandbox with characters and a pool of water will allow them to see the challenge of the Israelites as Pharaoh’s armies close in upon reaching the Red Sea. Additionally, they will explore worship through their own altar and vessels and sacred space. It will be a formative time and place for our youngest worshippers!

Sunday nights our youth, ages 6-12 grade, will have their run of the building as they gather at 4:30 pm for worship and study. The will gather in worship before breaking out into junior high and senior high small groups as study groups. After having time in God’s Word and sharing with one another, they will conclude as a big group over a shared meal each week. I also hear a youth band maybe in the works as well!

While the youth meet we will also have another Growth Group offering for adults. Since our teens will be utilizing the building, this group will have a chance for dinner together as they study offsite. Perhaps a trip to Slims Chicken or a nearby restaurant will become a regular meeting place for those whom this time works best.

I am so excited about the growth God is bringing us! I am even more excited about the ways we can further reach and equip all ages. But we need your help! Firstly, we need your commitment to pilot this model this fall.Block off time to come, bring your friends and families. Treat these offerings like your fall sports schedule, band practice, or professional meetings and see what God does in your life and the lives of your family and friends. Secondly, we will need volunteers to make this happen. Pray about being a teacher, brining a meal, or helping with our youngest ones as they stand in awe of God’s Word. Opportunities abound and in giving you will grow, I promise. I know so from personal experience! And you will also have the chance to engage and be fed as well through the offerings we now have available. Pray and commit to what God is doing at your church this year, and see what fruit it will bear in your life!

Mother Church and Mother's Day

5/9/2019

“No one can have God for his Father, who does not have the Church for his mother.” Cyprian

As we approach Mother’s Day this weekend, I believe we discover a lot about the Church and Her role in light of this quote by Cyprian. The quote is taken from a larger treatise called On the Unity of the Church that Bishop Cyprian wrote to a Church rent by schism and persecution in the 3rd century (read more about it here). As the Church became more stable, many who had fallen away from the Faith due to false teaching, or even denied it due to persecution, were met with varying degrees of receptivity by the Faithful upon their return to the Church. Cyprian championed a forgiving approach, which still had some stringent stipulations for return but ultimately sought to reinstate all who desired it. And from such a heart and teaching arose this quote.

His phrasing in noting that the Church is our mother is a striking image, and one that draws upon the imagery of the Church being the bride of Christ (see Ephesians 5:22-23). His analogy is a rich one which served in all ages, including our own. We do well to recall that the Church, like a mother, is forgiving, warm and welcoming, but also maintains order, decency and discipline. These all flow forth from love and a desire that we grow and are nurtured in a knowledge and love of the Lord.

Having such a frame of reference may also help us in how we approach the Church. At times we can bring our expectations to Her (as we do with our earthly mothers), hoping She will either be a source of entertainment, fellowship, an activity director, or short order cook. Yet, like a good mother, the Church desires that above all else Her children grow, are well equipped, fed, and spiritually healthy. Some of which may be exciting and fun at times while at other times it may feel akin to eating our vegetables! All of which, by God’s grace and leading, grow us up in Christ Jesus so that we may be found more in His image when He returns.

So as we approach Mother’s Day we give thanks for our moms and the mother figures in our lives, and we give thanks to God for the gift of His bride, the Church. As we spend time with Her, may we submit ourselves to Her loving care so that we may continue to grow and mature as God’s children.

We all need community

5/2/2019

Hopefully you’ve heard the news that we are having a bike blessing this Saturday! It will be an exciting morning as we expect those on motorcycles, bicyclists and even those just learning to ride their tricycles to gather on the front lawn at the church. Bring your appetite as we will enjoy breakfast and fellowship before the blessing itself, and stick around for a family game of kickball afterwards!

The joy of this event is that it allows us yet another opportunity to engage our community. We, like many churches, have lots going on throughout the year, but events such as this one are so important for us as a church. While preaching series, teachings and so much that the church is about is vital, it is equally vital that we are present, active, and connected with those among whom we live and do work in the midst of daily life.

Historically, the church was the hub community. Often, the churches were in the center of town and the community would gather there for everything from eduction, to Bible teaching, the Eucharist, entertainment, fellowship and meals. In the current landscape of our nation and local communities, people are perhaps more in need of having such a safe place to gather. As a culture we are starved for community as we try to balance long hours at work and commutes among many other obligations. If we are fortunate enough to live in an active neighborhood, a home owners’ association may provide some sense of belonging, but ultimately we still come up short. The world needs the Church, not just as a compass to God, but a place to belong, have fellowship, and connect with others. In so doing, by God’s grace at work in us, people connect with Him as well through events like these that have no purpose but to connect with them.

So come on out this Saturday, dig out a leather jacket or your Minnie Mouse helmet and throw a frisbee with someone you don’t know. Strike up a conversation, meet your neighbors and share what you love about your church. Let the love of Christ Jesus be present among us as we are present with those who live in the community around us this Saturday!

Easter has just begun!

4/25/2019

As we move into this first week of Easter we continue to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection over sin and death that opened to us the way of eternal life. In fact, we celebrate for fifty days! It is fitting that this cornerstone of the Faith is the longest celebration in the Church Year! Furthermore, it is the focus of every Sunday as we gather together to both remember what Jesus did and respond from it in our own lives each and every day.

I’d encourage you to find ways to celebrate these great fifty days by adding moments of celebration into your daily routine. Perhaps you could keep a thanksgiving chart on your phone or make a family poster to log thanksgivings during these days. Maybe you could read through the post resurrection appearances daily that are found at the end of the gospels and reflect upon what Jesus did in each as He forgave, restored, and commissioned the disciples. Additionally, you may consider building weekday service on Wednesday nights, Growth Groups on Sunday, or some other offering to the Lord at the church into your routine to reflect thanksgiving by spending more time with Him.

Celebrate these great days with joy, because the joy we enter into in this season is a foretaste of the heavenly joy we will enter into for all eternity. For on that day, when Jesus returns He will remember and respond to those who have believed and followed Him by welcoming them into His presence forevermore. And that celebration will continue for eternity! We get glimpses here and now as we prepare for that Day. Find ways to celebrate and more fully embrace the joy of Jesus and the abundant life He offers us this Eastertide.

Journey with Jesus through Holy Week

4/11/2019

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Matthew 26:40

On Sunday we embark upon the weeklong journey to Easter morning. There are several opportunities for worship in the subsequent days that are intended to assist us in reflecting upon Jesus’ sacrifice and death for our sake. Each service is unique, designed to make us active participants in the moments leading up the Resurrection.

   It all begins on Palm Sunday, foreshadowing the week to follow. The service that morning is actually two services combined into one. The first begins, weather permitting, in the driveway of our building with the blessing of the palms and a procession into the sanctuary. In doing so, we seek to recreate the joyful reception of Jesus into Jerusalem, as he was hailed as King by all who gathered along the main road to welcome him with palm branches and coats laid before his feet. Yet, things take a turn as we enter the church and our readings point to the cross as shouts of “Hosanna” quickly change to “Crucify Him!” The service ends on a more solemn note as we leave reflecting upon the week ahead where Jesus would be betrayed, mocked, spit upon, beaten, killed, and buried.

   The scene is then set for Maundy Thursday, where we remember Jesus’s institution of the Eucharist and giving of a new commandment to love one another. Everyone is invited to have his or her feet washed to remember the call to put our love of others into action through serving others. After Communion, we recall Jesus’ betrayal and affliction in the Garden of Gethsemane in the hours before he is drug before the religious leaders and put on trial. We too, remove the Body of Jesus in the Sacrament from the church to our ‘garden’ where it will remain until Good Friday. The service abruptly ends in silence after all is stripped away in the sanctuary, leaving only a bare altar for the days to follow. All are then invited to ‘watch with Jesus’ for an hour in prayer in our ‘garden’ as we recall His agony and obedience in the hours leading up to the events of the day to follow.

   Good Friday places the centrality of the crucifixion in front of us. The reading of the account of Jesus’ death, entrance of the cross for our veneration and contemplation, and reception of Communion, keep the gravity of the day before us. Jesus words, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ are left ringing in our ears when we leave reflecting upon the greatest moment in human history: the moment wherein Jesus bears the weight of sin for all humanity so that we may be reconciled with God.

   On Saturday we gather to embrace the emptiness and silence as the Author of our salvation harrows hell (see Eph. 4:9 ; 1 Peter 3:19). It is a day of preparation as we recall the stillness and anticipation of what will happen next. In perhaps the shortest service of the year, we gather to enter into this moment together as we prepare our hearts for the joy of the morrow.

   When we arrive on Sunday to an ornate church filled with flowers and beautiful hymns we more fully appreciate the day having gone through the rollercoaster of emotions in the days prior. The baptisms of the morning take rich meaning as we reflect upon their meaning in light of what Jesus did for each of us.

   Make this week a priority. Block off the service times as appointments with the Lord on your calendar. We are invited in these days to take the time, typically only an hour or so each day, to give thanks, recall, and worship the Author of our salvation. Jesus’ words then to the disciples are no less convicting to us now, And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Matthew 26:40. May we not be found slumbering amidst the business and busyness of our lives this week to miss the greatest week in salvation history, which opens unto us the gates of heaven.

Lessons from the lives of the saints: James Lloyd Breck

4/4/2019

Tuesday we celebrated the life of James Lloyd Breck. He, along with two others, founded Nashotah House, the seminary that I and most priests in our diocese attended. What is truly remarkable about his life is the missionary zeal that arose from a clear understanding of his call to follow Jesus.

As a young man, at the age of sixteen, he was inspired in high school to follow the founder thereof into the mission field. This call eventually led him to the wilds of Wisconsin upon coming of age and completing his schooling (which included being trained and ordained as a priest). Far from the comforts of his home in Philadelphia, he joined two colleagues at the direction of the bishop to establish a community, a seminary, and a center for theological work.

He penned a letter to a friend about his experience:

The students boarding with us are all theological. They are chiefly young men, sons of the farmers, and all communicants of the Church. Our students, like ourselves, are poor, but not the less worthy for all that. They seek the Ministry, but are unable to attain it without aid. We have a house; for this we pay no rent; it belongs to the Church, and so do we. We have land. They work four hours a day for their board and washing, and we give them their education without cost.

Breck recognized that he was the Lord’s servant and all that he had been given was entrusted to his care as steward. He saw no higher calling than to follow God’s lead and to tend to what God called him to do. Thus, he led a humble life of work, study and prayer that he modeled for those who came under his care at the seminary. A tradition that continues to this day as I can attest to from my time there.

As we reflect upon his life, his service and his example, may we do the same. May we evaluate our lives in light of the call of Christ Jesus to follow Him and thus orient each aspect of our lives around work, study and prayer for His sake. May we order our lives intentionally through the lens of being a disciple and steward and embrace the contentment that follows. In doing so, we discover the most rewarding view of life and one that builds up the Church and advances God’s work as we play a part in it. And while we are not all called to be pioneering missionaries, we are all called to a life of holiness, simplicity and self denial for the sake of the Gospel!

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