Notes from Patmos- 08.21.24
Reflection for the week
Q. Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
A. I will, with God’s help.
This is from the Baptismal examination and covenant in the Book of Common Prayer (p.305). It asks the candidate to embody certain virtue while in the presence of others. This week’s theological reflection is inspired by a fashion photographer who was active in the late 20th century, Rodney Smith. Rodney was the child of a high powered CEO father who worked in the fashion industry in Manhattan, both for fashion houses and magazines such as, Vouge. Rodney never cared for the world of fashion and sought to get as far away from those things as possible. One of his notable university degrees was from Yale- receiving a Masters in Divine Theology. However, ordained ministry wasn’t in the cards for Rodney, who was fortunate enough to apply for and receive a photojournalist fellowship that took him far away to the Holy Land, where he documented the struggles of the clashes of faith. The first part of Rodney’s career, as a photographer, was filled with serious assignments, photo journaling major events, and issues. Rodney drew attention and acclaim for his work and was approached with a project of a different sort. He was asked to travel the world and photograph the worlds top 15 CEO’s for Barron’s magazine. Rodney did something unheard of- he spent days with each one, and capturing their humanity with a bit of whimsy. For example, he had one CEO climb on the roof of the high rise and hold an umbrella in the rain… for others he would place them in ironic, yet lovable scenes. The risk he took was very well received and people loved the more human perspective Rodney delivered. Afterwards, he was hounded by the fashion industry to work. Rodney had worked hard to get away from that world, thinking it immoral and dehumanizing, but he decided he would give it a go. His work with fashion brands and magazines was ground-breaking. He captured his subjects in tasteful, elegant ways. Many times, making sure there was a light-hearted or whimsical element. His work in the fashion world changed fashion photography forever,- being highly valued and sought after as art, in and of itself.
When I began to study portrait photography and ran across Rodney Smith, he quickly became my favorite photographer. I really admired the way he could work in industries that weren’t at all interested in the Christian moral system, yet was still well received, and given it's highest honors. If you have time, google Rodney Smith. You will find a wonderful body of work that is not only beautiful and thoughtful, but also, work that shows the dignity of human beings. A man who looked at fashion and business through the lens of faith, and brought dignity and grace to places that had been arguably devoid of those things.
As part of a class, I chose Rodney to try and emulate, and found a lot of joy and grace in copying his style. The image at the top is from my latest part of that project.
The reflection for the week- When we go through the world, many times we are rushed and busy, or we have our defenses up. In those things, we can lose Christian perspective in that we fail to see others as being truly human and having dignity. For example: how many times are we served at checkouts, retail centers, restaurants, or medical offices and don’t even say hi to or acknowledge the person on the other side of the counter? I can’t tell you how many times I have not even given that person a second thought- I purposely guarded myself and in doing so, treated them in a cold or inhuman way (not mean- but not interested). Rodney Smith tried really hard to find ways to show the more light hearted or human elements of these powerful people, showing them to be human, just like you and me. This week’s challenge is to try and bring out those things in others- ask about them, compliment them, acknowledge them. Take a moment to bring grace and joy and dignity to those encounters and exchanges. In doing these things, you will not only make others feel seen and appreciated, but it will also change your perspective on the world and make it a bit more human and a bit more dignified.
Notes from Patmos 08/14/24
There are a few changes afoot around the parish that we need to go back a few decades to explain. Right around the turn of the 21st century, there was a desire to build a columbarium at Saint John’s, so loved ones could be laid to rest near the altar or church. This is a practice that is as old as Christianity itself- it has always been common to bury our faithful dead in Church graveyards, or in the church itself, be it under the floor of the church or in the walls, Etc. However, there was some disagreement over where the columbarium should be and what it should look like. When I arrived, it was planned to be in the ground by the entrance to the basement. For many reasons, this was less than ideal. So, when I arrived, we came up with a different plan and move the columbarium to the outside wall of the church, affixed to the outside wall, directly opposite of the altar, on the inside of the wall. We also created a garden and attempted to make a lovely space for visiting, praying and reflecting. For the most part that plan has been carried out. One addition to the columbarium garden is the 15th station of the cross (the station of the resurrection) which was designed to be placed in the church graveyard. The idea being that a loved one, or the faithful, would walk the way of Jesus’ passion and death, and end up in the grave area with the station the depicts Jesus’ resurrection and giving hope and courage to the one walking through tbe devotion. The station also stands as an act of faith in the Christian hope- that death is not the end. Mr. John Jeffreys gave the stations of the cross to the parish in memory of his wife, Julie Hynson Jeffries, and at long last the final station has been placed and testifying to the love of Jesus for us all.
The second change involves what many call the ‘prayer corner’ in the nave. More properly called a side chapel or side altar, it is the corner of the nave that contains the votive candle stand and is an important stop for many in the life of prayer. That area began its life as ‘the prayer corner’ with the brass Prie-dieu (prayer desk) that now is used by the priest and is in the choir. The other original part of the prayer corner was a cast bronze evangelist cross fixed to the wall (evangelist cross means that at the fours terminals of the cross there are the symbols of the four writers of the gospel.) Both of these items were given to the parish in memory of Alexander Field Chisholm, who was senior warden of the parish for 25 years. This past week we moved the bronze cross to the columbarium garden as well, to compliment the station of the resurrection and to provide another reminder of the love of Jesus in the columbarium garden. In my time here, we have made several changes to the prayer corner. Mr. Walter Baily built a wooden altar to hold icons and at times celebrate the Eucharist or to hold and display sacred things. The Vial family gave the votive candle stand that is much loved and used (we spend almost $5,000/yr on candles!), and in that time the prayer corner has become one of the more popular stops for many in our church, and also in the community at large. You really wouldn’t believe how many people come and say prayers and light candles through the week- its mind boggling. So, to try and further complete this prayer corner, we have added a large icon of the Annunciation painted by a local artist and son of the parish. Here is the description: The icon is of the Annunciation to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1.26—38). The icon, a gift offered by Fr. Karl Schaffenburg, to the greater glory of God and with invocation of Our Lady’s prayers upon the parish is a copy of a 12th C. Novgorod icon, with the copy being executed by Laurel’s own Mark Landis, a very gifted painter who originally became well-known as an art forger, (Meet Mark Landis (marklandisoriginal.com), but who has also become well-known for his original works.
Elizabeth & Fr. Karl Schaffenburg gave this icon to the parish in thanksgiving for the parish and her family, and tonight at the blessing of the backpacks, we will bless it for sacred use.
We have spent a good deal of time and effort over the summer getting rid of clutter, planting flowers and sprucing up the landscape, and restoring some of the older items in the church (next time you walk from the parish house to the church, you will find pictures of the past priests and bishops, all cleaned and freshly matted and reframed). We have also been working hard to try and create more sacred spaces and live up to our purpose of being an outpost of Heaven. It is my most sincere prayer that these changes will remind you of the things of God and help you and the community in your life of faith.
See you all around the parish,
Jeff+
Notes From Patmos 08.07.24
Uniontown, Al in the 1800’s through the 1920’s was a very well to do town in the Blackbelt of Alabama. It boasted of a wooden plank road and department stores and other amenities reserved for prosperous communities. However, the Cotton Boll Weevil did the community in, destroying the crops of the farms and plantations, and within a few decades leaving only a shell of the town. In present day, the town center is crumbling and the remaining townsfolk do not enjoy the same prosperity as in days of old.
While in college studying plant biology, I was introduced to a concept that deepened my faith tremendously. The concept or thesis is this: human communities go from order to chaos (think Lord of the Flies), while nature goes from chaos to order (if you drop a bomb, or clear cut a tract of land, given time, an ordered and stable ecosystem will develop). This idea was important to me for two reasons- the first is the knowledge I learned in Vacation Bible School- that creation is not fallen, but subject to the Fall through interactions with humans. The second is the idea I want to share today- that human communities take a tremendous amount of work to create or maintain order, and can very easily fall into chaos and disorder. And the same is true for the human soul. I am very drawn to places and things that once were, but are no more for that very reason… it touches places deep within my soul to see the struggles, to enjoy the efforts that have left us wonderful advancements and beautiful things… but at the same time, these places have succumb to the fallen nature of humans and chaos.
Our souls are the same. If we are not vigilant, if we do not work hard to maintain order, we too will fall into chaos and darkness. We fight this through an active life of prayer, making worship a priority, and being out in the world preforming work of mercy and charity. We also have to work hard to maintain friendships in our personal lives, and also in the life of the parish family.
All of these things are very fragile and demand our efforts and attention to maintain order and holiness. If we neglect these things of God, our soul and being will share the same fate as the photos above. So as you go through your week, ponder these things, and remember that order and beauty and holiness require daily work… remember that our fallen nature will land us in chaos if we choose to blind ourselves or neglect our spiritual lives- which is the only thing that can provide lasting order and peace.
See you around the parish,
Jeff+
Notes- 08.01.24
Late last winter I underwent spiritual direction from clergy/monastics in New Orleans. We began before the sun came up with prayers and then I had a bit of free time to walk around… and as I do, I took photos while I contemplated and put thoughts together to meet with the directors later in the morning. I was walking around Jackson square when I saw an elderly lady sitting by herself on a bench in the park. I took a photograph of her from a perspective that just had her head above the foreground. I thought the moment was whimsical and interesting. As I usually do with photos such as these, I went and asked her permission to keep the photo and showed it to her… and she readily agreed. She asked if I had a few minutes to sit with her, and I obliged. It turns out that she was a widow, and had just lost her last friend, so she was all alone. She told me that she came out to the park to be around people and not feel so lonely. We ended up talking for a good while, and at the end of our conversation, she thanked me for taking the time to sit and talk, and that she didn’t feel so lonely anymore, and that she had regained a bit of hope. She told me that me taking time for her meant more than I could ever know. Now to be clear- I hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, and wasn’t trying to start a conversation- I really had things to think about and when she asked me to sit down… I did a in my head eye roll- I had things to think about, and I had to prepare for my meeting with the brother, I didn’t have time for this. And, in the first parts of the conversation, I was hoping it would end soon. But Eloise (not her real name) reminded me of a very valuable thing… that human connection and compassion and kindness and a willingness to listen and minister to others is more valuable than money or time or whatever… that those things are essential to the human experience, and when people get isolated and alone, they lose hope, and can fall into despair,- and I felt guilt for trying to rush away… for not giving her my full attention… for wanting to be somewhere else. The real irony in this is that I was more concerned with being able to answer the questions posed by my spiritual director than I was with ministering to another human… and I am thankful for Eloise for reminding me of the things our Lord desires from us… and the priorities of the things of God. And that taking time to show another human love and kindness and compassion has this weird way of healing not only the person who is lonely… but also the person who thinks they don’t have time to talk. I kept the image of Eloise not only for the above reasons, but also as a reminder of the grace of Jesus that I received through that encounter.
As you go through days, try and remember Eloise… try and be aware that many people feel like Eloise- lonely, isolated, friendless, and that no one cares about them. Be intentional about being compassion and caring… and remember when you run across someone that is in her shoes… that you will receive as much or more than you give… and be reminded of what is important and what is not. In encounters such as these, you will find our Lord sitting along side you both… so be a blessing… and be blessed in the process.
See you around the parish,
Jeff+
Notes From Patmos July 24, 2024
This past Thursday, I made my way to Jackson and the events surrounding the consecration of our new diocesan bishop, which was a lovely and meaningful occasion that also stands as a new chapter in the life of the Diocese of Mississippi, and hopefully one that will see positive things. Several have asked when she will be with us, but the schedule of visitation hasn’t been made public, but when it is, I will let everyone know. Please keep our new bishop, Dorothy Wells, in your prayers as she begins her work in our diocese.
As I was making my way to Jackson, I had some pastoral business just north of Meridian, and when I had finished, I tried to chart a course to Jackson going down roads I had never traveled. There were thunderstorms popping up all over, and when I crossed over into Newton County, the sky turned this awful green color, and the wind kicked up and started pushing my car around… it looked pretty grim and green light reminded me of tornadoes and damaging winds and all the destruction our area has seen in the past few years- it was kind of scary being ‘lost’ and having such a powerful storm right over head… but as I was creeping along a small country road, a large patch of orange flowers were brightly glowing in the otherwise dark, green, sickly light. I pulled over and took some photos of them… they were so lovely and regal and bright- they were showing out with bravado and the whole of the landscape gave way to their luminance. The bottom dropped out while I was photographing them, and I watched the wind and the rain batter them from the car, as the car was being pushed and pulled in the wind.
The flowers (photos above) are Yellow Fringed Orchids (Platanthera ciliaris), which are somewhat rare, and only live in sandy, acidic soils at the edges of bog seeps. Sitting in the car, watching the rare orchids get pushed and pulled by the wind, with the rain trying its best to beat and pound them into oblivion, my mind turned to our lives of faith. The world we live in is bent and broken… we live among dangers and threats and there are many forces that work to destroy us. Ernest Hemmingway wrote in A Farewell to Arms that “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.” I do not think he was wrong. But the most powerful thing in all of this is how these orchids shown so brightly again the world that was bent on destroying them and pounding them into the ground. Not only did they stand up to the torrent of abuse, but they stood tall, giving courage and even in the midst of a horrid storm, reminding the world that beauty and grace can thrive in these conditions (poor soil, the threats from the skies, the mowers that keep the ditches in check, etc).
We are like the orchids in a ditch… we inhabit a world that has many dangers and threats, we live amoung things that seek to destroy and break us. But if we give ourselves to prayer and virtue, if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and the things of heaven, once we are broken in the heavenly since of the word (dying to self and living to Christ), we too will shine like the orchids. We too will show forth and be a beacon of light and love in the midst of death and destruction. We too will be beautiful and radiant with the grace of God, giving to the world hope and beauty. But unlike the orchids, we must make the choice to do so… we also have within us the choice and power to be a part of the storm and destruction, doing harm and darkening the world and emanating the sickly green light that strikes fear into the hearts of others… even destroying beauty… or you may like Hemmongway wrote, ‘do nothing’ and the world will roll you and break you even then.
Enjoy the photographs of the orchids… choose the things of God… cling to the light and beauty and mercy of God, and shine brightly and stand tall, give others hope and encouragement… point others to the source of that light… use your life to point others to Jesus.
See you around the parish,
Jeff+
Notes From Patmos July 10th
Happy Wednesday to one and all:
Hoping you all had a safe and happy holiday weekend and had some down time to take a few deep breaths. We are hard at work getting the programming ready for this school year, and if you would like to get more involved, maybe help with Sunday School, or one of the guilds, reply to this email and we will worked to get you plugged in.
Recently, I completed a conceptual portraiture project that tried to imagine the Annunciation happening in our own time. When I’m with our youth group, I often ask them questions like- if John the Baptist preached and lived in our own time, what would he look like? How would he dress? So I put my money where my mouth is and gave it a go. The Annunciation has always played an important part in my faith, so I set to work. And while I didn’t do a terrible job, for me, it left a good bit to be desired. The folks I worked with were great, and the shots went as planned… but it was lacking that special something. If you delve into the world of religious art, you will find that most of it is otherworldly, or it is very identifiably religious. There are usually tons of signs and symbols pointing us to Jesus. Holiness is shown in things like the nimbus (halo) and clothing. When you see a religious piece of art work, you know it is religious. In the photos I took, I tried to use some of those signs and symbols, but it still left something to be desired. The project also got me to thinking about our actual lives of faith. There are still things that set holy people apart in our world- be it virtue or love or other manifestations of faith. If you haven’t, spend a few moment and think about the holy people you have met or known or seen in your life- what set them apart from the rest of the world? And then ask yourself, in what ways can people look at me and see Jesus? How does my faith set me apart from the ordinary world? Since the completion of that project, those thoughts have been on my mind a good bit- its also helped me to resolve to work on my life of faith so that I can better point other to Jesus. Give yourself a bit of time to think on these things, it could only work to increase your faith.
See you around the parish,
Jeff+
Notes From Patmos 07.17
Good morning all:
A few weeks ago I had to take a funeral in Meridian, and that offered me the opportunity to wander and walk around a bit taking photographs and visiting places from my past. Meridian has some really wonderful buildings, and many of them are described as Art Deco (the Three Foot building being the finest example). One such building is the Water Pumping Station- it was beautifully designed and carefully thought out to be beautiful and to ‘show off’ the fact the the town had running water during a time when running and clean water was not taken for granted. It was built to add to the beauty of the city. Laurel has many of the same type of buildings from her past. Designed to be admired and looked on in wonderful and appreciation. Our parish is a great example of that- it was designed in such a way that upon entering you know you are somewhere holy… from the outside it is stately and beautiful and draws people in. The same could be said of standards of dress back in the day- designed to put our best foot forward, have a modicum of decorum, and help enhance our states of being, by taking pride and great care with ourselves, and conversely with those whom we come into contact with.
Many buildings now are sheet metal and have a lifespan (in accounting and insurance) of around 25 years and are built for function and cost savings. Our dress now has also changed to more of a function over form, and generally, we aren’t as concerned with grace and beauty and putting our best foot forward as we are with comfort and function (writes he who is wearing a Saint John’s golf shirt as he writes).
But it’s hard not to contemplate these things in the shadow of an attempted assignation of a former president and all of the hateful, inhuman, destructive commentary. I preached on this Sunday a bit, but I have tried, and can’t go a day without pundits, and the general populus of America calling Biden and Trump idiots and worse. We, collectively, have lost respect for all lot of things, and everything is on the table to be ripped apart, shredded, and set on fire.
While this is not about trying to change architecture, or a plea to dress after the manner of decades gone by, it is a plea to everyone to contemplate what is going on, and the loss of humanity and respect and dignity. Calling everyone idiots (my safe word for worse things), and tearing each other apart is not of God… it doesn’t help anything, and it tears at the fabric of society. We are called to be in the world and not of the world. Prayerfully consider what that means in your own life. We are called as lovers of Jesus to point people heavenward, to help create a godly society, and spread compassion, mercy and reason. A spiritual exercise- pay attention to your words and actions… do they build up and point people to God and help spread the things of God, or do they demean others and cause disrepair and divides that can’t be filled. It is not a hard case to make that modern America is coming unglued and hate, bitterness, lack of reason and discourse has a solid foothold. Don’t give in to these things… be beacons of hope, light, mercy and civility. In a world that is hell bent on devoring itself- be beauty, be hope, be mercy, shine with the love of Jesus.
See you all around the parish,
Jeff+
Notes From Patmos
Good morning all:
Dr. Jerry Welch died this past Saturday night/Sunday morning. We sent out a funeral notice, but please be aware that the time of the actual service has changed to 11:00am. The visitation is shortened to end around 10:45am. All else is correct. Please keep Jerry and those who love him in your thoughts and prayers.
We are starting to gear up for the Fall, and there is one ministry we used toi have that I think is well worth bringing back- that of prayer partners. In days gone by, we would match up adults and children randomly, and the adults would send letters of encouragement and also to let them know they are being prayed for… it was a very meaningful ministry and my own children remember it fondly. Below are two links to sign up, and a bit more information on this ministry. So if you want your children prayed for and have notes of encouragement, sign them up! If you want to pray for and encourage one of the children of the parish, sign up!
I hope and pray everyone is having a good summer.
See you all around the parish!
Jeff+
Keep up with Saint John's Digital ministries: There are three ways to watch them:
On our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/saintjohnslaurel
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On our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@Saintjohnslaurel
But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19.14)
Sign up as a Prayer Partner here! (Adults who want to pray and encourage youth)
With the coming of the new school year we want to continue to deepen and enrich our children’s lives One way we would like to continue in that outreach is with our Children’s Prayer Partners program. This program proved to be a huge success last last time we offered it and was very meaningful to our children. This is a ministry in which anyone and everyone can become involved. The idea is a simple but important and meaningful one- we want our adult parishioners to pray for the children of the parish. More specifically, we would like our adult members the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a child and let the child know they are being prayed for by writing letters of encouragement for ideally at least once a month. While a simple act, it is one that reaps substantial rewards- and it is awesome and the kids and adults alike will love doing it! So, we invite you to sign up your child to be assigned a prayer partner, either by using the sign up sheet on the bulletin board, or electronically here. Once there are adults for every child, the office will place an adult with a child and give them the name and mailing address of the child. Once the children and adults are matched, let the prayers, encouragement and letters begin! Other churches who have done this have seen that it is rewarding and consequential and I know we will as well!
Links for the Sunday Liturgy