the intersection of life and grace

A terrific story about Fr. Bill Love, our bishop-elect, from the Saratogian.

Some comments at titusonenine.

Update: Another story… an online exclusive in the Post Star.

Many of you know I’m in the process of leaving the inner city church where I’ve served for the past 7 years. I wasn’t looking, but God brought an opportunity and wouldn’t let me ignore it. This is my last week, so I’m cleaning and packing up my office in an attempt to re-enact the miracle of bringing order out of chaos… at an extremely local level, of course. I may win yet.

I’m the only one from the church staff here right now, so my music is loud. The pregnancy care center is open, so just a few minutes ago, a 20-year-old who came into my life with her younger sisters and brother when she was 13 just scared the snot out of me by walking in while my head was stuck in the cupboard chasing stray children’s outreach crayons out of the back corner.

You need to know that L and her siblings are some of the poorest kids I’ve ever known. To make matters worse for them in our neighborhood, they are destitute and caucasian. Very few people want to help folks in their situation. I guess it comes from some mistake belief that white people have more opportunities – which may sadly be the case someplace, but it isn’t when you’re talking about the urban poor. Our church sees lots of poor folks, of every description… we believe that Jesus was color blind, so we just love people no matter what.

But, back to L and her family. One summer, I took the younger kids to summer camp. They came to the bus with nothing, because that’s what they had – the clothes they were wearing. L came to Ocean City, NJ with my youth one year, with equally little. They went home with the basics – canvas tennis shoes, underwear, shorts and t-shirts and a swimsuit and beach towel. I had to hold back, not wanting them to feel ashamed; in fact, I let them “win” the clothes for helping set the tables for dinner and by “testing out” the showers to make sure they were working well. I met their mom and dad once, before dad disappeared and things got even worse for them. Mom didn’t seem to understand how to care for or help her kids… they were dirty, their teeth were the worst I’ve ever seen, they came and went at tender ages… and boy could they eat!

I see them around the neighborhood from time to time, pass hugs, have “check-in” conversation, and marvel inwardly that they’ve survived thus far. I’ve had the privilege of serving them the whole time I’ve been here, though they’ve heard the gospel, and responded to it, they’ve never felt comfortable being in church because of their situation. Until today.

L came by to ask permission to come to church here, they really feel like they should and ours is the only church that’s ever showed caring to them. Hearing that come from her mouth was elating and crushing at the same time… even now I’m near tears.

They’ll be here Sunday, nope they don’t need a ride, she said.

Thanks God that L came by today, at the perfect time to comfort me that you’re taking care of all the people you’ve given me to love in your name. Thanks that your Word planted and nurtured bears fruit in beautiful and unexpected ways. Thanks for my time here. Thanks that we all can belong to you. Thanks, Lord, for the places where life meets your grace.

Part of an article from Episcopal News Service:

Two of the three dioceses hoping to elect bishops on March 25 did so, but the third recessed its electing convention for the second time without choosing a bishop.The Very Rev. Canon William H. Love, 48, rector, St. Mary’s, Lake Luzerne, New York, was elected bishop coadjutor by the Diocese of Albany, while the Rev. David Mitchell Reed, 49, rector, St. Alban’s Church, Harlingen, was elected bishop suffragan by the Diocese of West Texas. The Diocese of Tennessee will reconvene on May 6 to try again to elect a successor to Bishop Bertram Herlong. The first meeting of the electing convention on March 18 recessed after 14 ballots. The lay and clergy electors returned to Christ Church Cathedral in downtown March 25. They cast 11 more ballots without success.

In Albany, Love was elected from out of a field of 11 nominees on the fourth ballot. With an election requiring 54 votes in the lay order and 80 in the clergy order, Love was elected with 62 lay votes and 84 clergy votes. The electing convention met at the Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, New York.

Love will eventually succeed Albany Bishop Daniel Herzog, who in October called for the election.

The results of the Albany balloting can be seen at www.albanycoadjutorelection.info/first.html. Information about all the nominees is available at www.albanycoadjutorelection.info/12.html.

WNYT has an advance story here. The news of the election here.

The Times Union stories from Friday and Sunday are here and here.

Here is a Capital News 9 piece with video.

I’m hoping to post my thoughts on the election and events soon… it’s all been a bit overwhelming, but there is copious evidence of God’s grace in the midst.

As I posted below, there was a recent series of articles on the Diocese of Albany that were less than complete. This latest, from the Schenectady Gazette, is a far more balanced piece, in spite of the sexy headline. It includes far more facts than the three Times Union pieces combined, but then Judy Patrick asked questions of more people.

Click here for a pdf of the article.

Stay in youth ministry long enough and you’ll find the people you knew as students “back when” grow up, get married and give birth to youth ministry “grandbabies”!

Meet Samuel Robert, who is just such a blessing.
He’s the second son of Scott and Sarah, and he was born at 6 lbs 13 oz and 20 1/2 inches on March 14, 2006 in Pittsburgh, PA. Scott is finishing up there at Trinity, Sarah has finished her master’s degree there as well, and their family and friends are looking forward to having them closer very soon.

God has certainly shown his grace to Scott and Sarah, and to all who’ve walked through the past 2 years with them. During that time they celebrated their first pregnancy’s discovery, followed all-too-quickly with the news that their first son – whom they named Josiah Donald – was sick. Untold numbers the world around supported them and prayed, as they committed to life for their son and loving him, as Scott said to me, “the best we can for whatever time we have with him.” Josiah’s witness – in his months of life growing inside Sarah, and his minutes of life in the arms of his family – is a legacy of grace for his little brother to learn.

Samuel, may our Lord bless you and keep you, make his face to shine upon you and give you his peace. May you grow up in the fear of the Lord; and like Jesus and your brother Josiah, grow according to God’s perfect will in wisdom and stature, with God and among men. Lord, may this child lead us also to a new and deeper understanding of your grace. Amen.

One of the values over at YMX is to give “the little guys” in youth ministry an opportunity to get their writings and ideas out in front of our ministry peers. It’s a cool concept, and some well-done articles have shown up.

Last night, I read Top Five Ways to Grow Your Student Ministry by Todd Briener. And below are the comments I left in the YMX Forum thread devoted to discussion of this article.

I wrote: As has been said, pretty basic list. I wondered, though, if any of them would actually either “grow” students spiritually or “grow” a student ministry in depth or numbers (which aren’t so important to me except that I want to see as many reached as possible… doesn’t matter if your ministry reaches them or mine does… depth is the key).

So, since my focus is on depth, I think my list might look more like:

1. You can’t give what you don’t have – church leaders, parents and adults need to be “caught in the act” of being disciples. Students of all ages need to see more mature followers of Jesus learning/following the Apostle’s teaching, engaging in the fellowship of believers, the breaking of bread and the prayers, as well as living a life that seeks to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

2. Abide – teaching students by Word and action what it means to abide in Christ. To teach that joy doesn’t always mean happy, successful and prosperous in worldly terms, and that every challenge is a blessing in the same way as every good thing is a blessing.

3. The future is now - young people are full members of the church now… they are not the church of the future. Students need to be equipped to serve, be served, lead, be led, receive, be received, bless, be blessed, teach, be taught, pray, be prayed for, trust, be trusted, respect, be respected, love, and be loved… any and every thing a sufficiently mature adult believer would be asked to do or be in the church should be open to sufficiently mature young believers. Maturity in Christ is ageless, it is gained not chronologically but by our commitment/submission to God’s work of transformation in us.

4. Faith is a verb – while salvation is the gift of God in Christ by grace through faith, faith ain’t a noun after that! Faith is the act of believing, it’s the way to live, to make decisions, to welcome people into community, to worship in everything we do, to make good use of the “natural” and “spiritual” God-given gifts… Faith IS the means by which Christians live life.

5. Being prepared ain’t just for Boy Scouts – it was for believers in Jesus Christ first! “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

All of these are based in principles from scripture, especially (but not exclusively) 1 Peter. They aren’t meant as a criticism to Todd’s article, more an expansion. I’m interested in seeing how others might add, subtract, expand the ideas. [end comments]

So, I thought I’d open this up for discussion here as well. Thoughts?

Interested in some reporting by a reporter whose strings are clearly being pulled?

Read this. Then read the latest installment.

Of course, reaction by people in a position to know the truth is largely absent – except for some spicy, incomplete quotes, of course. Read response here to the first story. Below is a letter from Bishop Herzog circulated yesterday.

Dear Sister and Brother Clergy

I am aware that last week, Father Kriss sent you all an email, expressing his concern that Christ the King Spiritual Life Center is not a viable Center. I must take exception to his communication to you. To my knowledge, he has never called to make an appointment with me about his concerns, and never even mentioned them when I recently made a visitation to St. Paul’s, Salem, the parish he serves. All I have seen from him are two open letters, both of which were sent to the Albany Times Union. Our End of Year Report for Christ the King answered his concerns. However, he felt that the report did not adequately meet his concerns.

While I will not comment on his motives in sending these communications, I will comment on his conclusions. Attached is a sheet prepared by Mathew Baker, Director of CTK, and approved by the Oversight Committee, addressing Father Kriss’s concerns that CTK is not viable. The Christ the King Oversight Committee, made up of representatives of the Standing Committee, the Trustees, Diocesan Council, Diocesan Development Fund, and Episcopal Charities, which meets monthly to oversee construction and operations of the Center, believes the Center is EXTREMELY viable! Also, please refer to the extensive End of year report for Christ the King Spiritual Life Center, which was recently sent to every parish. This report clearly shows our financial position. It can of course, if used out of context, make our position appear not as viable.

Lastly, let me assure you that UHY Auditors conducts thorough annual audits of (a) diocesan operations and budget; (b) ADIT Funds; (c) Episcopal Charities. The 2004 audits were clean and without material defects, and were distributed to all members of the Diocesan Council. The 2005 audits are being completed as we speak – Charities has been reported out as clean and without material defect; Diocesan and ADIT will be reported out on March 29. We see no reason for concern on them.

Please contact our office with any questions. Meanwhile, please pray for Christ the King and for the election next week.

I remain,
Faithfully Yours,

Bishop Daniel W. Herzog

And, the letter referred to in the note above:

Thank you for asking for an opinion on the financial conclusions widely distributed by email recently. Although they appear somewhat logical, they are flawed. There are incorrect or missing assumptions and misinterpretation of information. Probably good practice to understand the information before jumping to conclusions, especially if you are going to share it. Let us try to help.

The cost to develop Christ the King stands at $9.1 million. We have paid $5.25 million of this in cash. This leaves a debt of $3.85 million. We’re 60% paid. The sale of the old Beaver Cross will reduce the debt to under $3 million in the next couple of weeks. We have over a million dollars in pledges outstanding. This reduces the debt to less than $2 million. Whew, becoming more manageable. Also, let’s not forget the 100+ folks working hard to raise money. Each member of
the diocese shares responsibility to eliminate the debt. It is our privilege. Keep us all in prayer.

Let’s not forget that just a couple years ago the diocese was spending approximately $150,000 at Beaver Cross and $75,000 at Barry House annually to keep them open. That does not include capital repairs and improvements. That’s one million dollars every four years. These ministries are now consolidated at Christ the King. Be good to keep these ministries in prayer also.

As for operations, the goal was to break even in five years. Fact is, God willing this may happen much sooner than expected. Certainly many folks, paid and volunteer, are working very hard to make this happen. Keep them in prayer.

The Community of Saint Mary reimburses Christ the King for actual expenses incurred…maintenance, upkeep and staff working exclusively at the Convent. Their reimbursement is neither an asset nor liability, simply a pass through. If the Sisters were not present there would be no expense or revenue. Thankfully, they are part of the CtK community. Let’s keep them in prayer.

Speaking of budget, the Business Summary initiated by the Futures Committee and revised over the past few years is the ideal plan based on a completed spiritual life center. But, Christ the King is not yet complete. We lack forty beds for adults, an important part for future revenue. Thus, the actual budget approved for 2006 and distributed in the CtK Annual
Report reflects this. There are many folks working many extra hours, working deliberately to minimize expenses and working intentionally to grow the guest base of Christ the King. They are doing an outstanding job. Keep them in prayer.

The Healing Ministry expenses at Christ the King for this year will be approximately $300,000 with revenue of about $30,000 from conferences and day programs. We do not charge to pray with people. More than 3,500 guests were blessed by this ministry last year. This number will grow significantly this year. The Board Members of Episcopal Charities support this ministry of healing and approved reimbursing Christ the King for expenses less revenue. They have
made the ministry of healing possible at Christ the King. Let’s thank them and keep them in prayer.

The 2006 diocesan grant for Christ the King is $252,000. At the same time, Diocesan Youth Ministry and Beaver Cross Summer Camp are no longer line items in the diocesan budget. Christ the King is now responsible for providing these ministries. Thus, the current diocesan budget does not include the $120,000 for Youth Ministry or $50,000 for Summer
Camp it has budgeted in the past. This is a savings for the diocese. The remainder of the grant is used to offset
expenses incurred to provide meeting space, heat, cleaning, maintenance, supplies and the like for the several thousand disciples of the diocese who come to Christ the King for meetings. We’ll keep these folks in prayer too.

So, let’s sum this up. The diocese has taken proactive steps for the future based on the prayers and work of literally thousands of individuals the past few years. We have reallocated and consolidated our financial and human resources to one spiritual life center. We have ministerial and educational opportunities that far exceed anything available in the past.
We can support parishes in ways perhaps never dreamed of. Our “Episcopal Center” is attracting thousands from other denominations and the unchurched. The Center will continue to grow. The opportunities for ministry are unlimited.

The debt incurred is not insurmountable. The operations are strong. We will pay off our debt, grow our endowments, and become financially viable in His time. In our time, we can only continue to pray hard to do His will, Matthew 6:33, and work hard to use Christ the King to spread His love, Matthew 28:18. Let’s keep it all in prayer.

So, why are none of these readily available facts in the news articles? None of this has been hidden, every part is overseen by numerous committees throughout the year (and lots of questions asked), not to mention the budgets which are presented to and voted upon by the entire Diocesan Convention.

It all leaves one speechless.

In case you need another example of how reasserters and reappraisers are talking past one another, read this comparison of the election processes in the Diocese of Albany and the Diocese of California by religion journalist Doug Leblanc. Follow the links, read the questions. Eye opening. Also, in the time after the article, Albany Via Media has posted it’s own questions for it’s members to ask at the upcoming Candidate Forums, which are good questions to ask as well.

Thanks to Bishop Dan Herzog for pointing this out, and to Mr. Leblanc for helping me find it when googling was fruitless.

If you’re wondering where I’ve been, I’m up to my eyeballs in the election plans as a member of Albany’s Standing Committee. I plan to get back to posting more regularly (don’t faint Derek) after the election of our new Bishop Coadjutor at the Special Convention, March 24 & 25. Pray with us for wisdom and discernment. In fact, check in at Albany Intercessor.