Always learning

In the church I grew up in, the Second Sunday of Easter was always one of the two Sundays of the year (the other being the First Sunday after Christmas) when they turned the young people loose in the parish. They led the service, read the lessons, and gave the sermon. I suppose the rationale was that since these two Sundays had fairly sparse attendance, the fewest possible numbers of parishioners could take offence, just in case.

Once on this day in the very early 1970s, one of our high school guys got up and preached a sermon on the evils of using soap. Nearly fifty years later, my parents are still talking about this.

In our monastic practice, the guarantor of the prophetic witness of the Order’s life in the midst of the Church is our genuine self-emptying love for one another, and each of us is called to mutual care, mutual cooperation, and mutual obedience, to take equal responsibility for the spiritual state of the community.

There were probably others besides my parents who were mystified—or mortified—by Doug’s anti-soap sermon, but they never stopped coming and crucially, the parish never stopped allowing the young people the privilege of that form of service.

In our life in community we may mystify, even mortify each other, but we can be sure that God who called us together is also teaching us together, refining and enlightening our understanding of what we are to be about, and working in us the growing form of Jesus who is our life and our peace.

Recent Issues

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

July 2023

May 2023

January 2023

December 2022

October 2022

September 2022

July 2022

May 2022

April 2022

March 2022

January 2022

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

June 2021

May 2021

April 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

September 2018

August 2018

July 2018

June 2018

May 2018

April 2018

March 2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

October 2017

September 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

April 2016

March 2016

February 2016

January 2016

December 2015

November 2015

October 2015

September 2015

August 2015

July 2015

June 2015

May 2015