St. Luke’s Formation Team is happy to share a few offerings to help us understand more about our faith, the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Tradition (of which the Episcopal Church is part).
Below is a brief exploration of a different topic of our faith. The explorations are not meant to be exhaustive, but simply to help us reflect more deeply on why we as followers of Jesus do what we do. We hope these explorations raise more questions than answers because we believe the journey of faith is a journey of unending depth and growth!
Below is a brief exploration of a different topic of our faith. The explorations are not meant to be exhaustive, but simply to help us reflect more deeply on why we as followers of Jesus do what we do. We hope these explorations raise more questions than answers because we believe the journey of faith is a journey of unending depth and growth!
Have you ever wondered why?
We bless houses?
Recently, I was at a friend’s house and I noticed a piece of art in their living room that said, “Sorry about the mess, but we live here!” I chuckled at the sign, and began to reflect on the gift of feeling “at home.” Home, at its healthiest, is a place where we can let down our guard, be real, be vulnerable, not have to pretend, and not have to put on airs. And if we are going to be real and vulnerable and honest and let our guard down, that will necessarily entail some messiness! From the perspective of our faith, however, that mess is holy! After all, this Christmas season is a lengthy celebration of God choosing to get messy by becoming one of us! God chose to be born (a messy but beautiful experience), to live of live of total self-gift, and to die a very messy death as a result of that self-gift. And it was all driven by love and a desire to be near us!
Homes, as places of realness, honesty, and vulnerability, are messy and holy places, which is why Christians have made it a practice to bless homes. While homes can be blessed any time of year, there has been a historical emphasis on blessing homes on or around the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th).
Epiphany is the annual celebration commemorating the arrival of the three magi to worship the baby Jesus. Matthew 2:11 says, “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” In the spirit of the wise men’s blessing of Mary and Joseph’s home, we often celebrate Epiphany by asking God’s blessing on our home and on those who live in or visit our home. A house blessing is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows.
The blessing can be elaborate or simple, depending on your taste. A simple and traditional way of blessing a home is to use chalk above the home’s entrance and write +20 C M B 18 +. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2018 is the year. After putting chalk on the entrance of the house, the family can pray the following prayer:
Visit this home, O LORD, with the gladness of your presence. Bless those who live here and visit here with your grace, and grant that they may grow in love and forgiveness. Guard and guide them — and preserve them in peace. Amen.
St. Luke’s has blessing bags with chalk and prayers of blessing for you to say at your home. Feel free to develop your own prayers or liturgy as well! However you are comfortable, we invite you to take part in this ancient and beautiful tradition that reminds us of the connection between our faith and our everyday, real, messy, but holy lives!
Homes, as places of realness, honesty, and vulnerability, are messy and holy places, which is why Christians have made it a practice to bless homes. While homes can be blessed any time of year, there has been a historical emphasis on blessing homes on or around the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th).
Epiphany is the annual celebration commemorating the arrival of the three magi to worship the baby Jesus. Matthew 2:11 says, “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” In the spirit of the wise men’s blessing of Mary and Joseph’s home, we often celebrate Epiphany by asking God’s blessing on our home and on those who live in or visit our home. A house blessing is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows.
The blessing can be elaborate or simple, depending on your taste. A simple and traditional way of blessing a home is to use chalk above the home’s entrance and write +20 C M B 18 +. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2018 is the year. After putting chalk on the entrance of the house, the family can pray the following prayer:
Visit this home, O LORD, with the gladness of your presence. Bless those who live here and visit here with your grace, and grant that they may grow in love and forgiveness. Guard and guide them — and preserve them in peace. Amen.
St. Luke’s has blessing bags with chalk and prayers of blessing for you to say at your home. Feel free to develop your own prayers or liturgy as well! However you are comfortable, we invite you to take part in this ancient and beautiful tradition that reminds us of the connection between our faith and our everyday, real, messy, but holy lives!
The church celebrates the new year well before christmas?
It’s terribly odd to declare the beginning of the new year four Sundays before Christmas--that is, on Advent 1. Most folks ring in the new year at midnight on January 1 with toasts and resolutions. For a considerable number of folks, the end of August signals the start of a new school year and the end of summer vacations. But between these two new years, the church invites us to celebrate another new year, beginning four Sundays before Christmas. But why?
For one reason, it’s because we—as the church—keep time. Morning and evening of each day has been marked by prayer since the church’s beginning. Our weeks begin on Sunday--the “first day of the week”--with tolling bells and worship, proclaiming that Christ burst forth from the grave and defeated death on “the first day of the week.” And our years hinge upon two great seasons: the seven weeks of Easter and the twelve days of Christmas. Each day, each week, and each year, we step in time to the rhythms of the church’s prayers, worship, and rest. But why?
Because time in the church is story time. Or, we might say, time is storied. In Advent, we tell the stories of God’s people—Israel--longing for the coming of the Messiah, who will heal all that sin has broken, and we long ourselves for this same Messiah to return. In Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our King—no wonder we need 12 days of Christmas! In Epiphany, we recall the life and teaching of Jesus that ushered in God’s kingdom on earth. In Lent we walk with Jesus to the cross, mindfully and repenting, because we know he goes to the cross for us. In Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, story time and our time sync up as we walk with Christ from betrayal through resurrection. In Easter, we celebrate for seven weeks because Christ has defeated death. And in Pentecost we hear of how the power of the resurrection trickled out into the world through the church, turning everything upside down.
In the church, time is storied. And as we step in time to the rhythms of the church’s prayers, worship, and rest, we become people of the that story—we become God’s people, the church. And today and in the weeks to come, we begin to tell that story again. Happy New Year!
For one reason, it’s because we—as the church—keep time. Morning and evening of each day has been marked by prayer since the church’s beginning. Our weeks begin on Sunday--the “first day of the week”--with tolling bells and worship, proclaiming that Christ burst forth from the grave and defeated death on “the first day of the week.” And our years hinge upon two great seasons: the seven weeks of Easter and the twelve days of Christmas. Each day, each week, and each year, we step in time to the rhythms of the church’s prayers, worship, and rest. But why?
Because time in the church is story time. Or, we might say, time is storied. In Advent, we tell the stories of God’s people—Israel--longing for the coming of the Messiah, who will heal all that sin has broken, and we long ourselves for this same Messiah to return. In Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our King—no wonder we need 12 days of Christmas! In Epiphany, we recall the life and teaching of Jesus that ushered in God’s kingdom on earth. In Lent we walk with Jesus to the cross, mindfully and repenting, because we know he goes to the cross for us. In Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, story time and our time sync up as we walk with Christ from betrayal through resurrection. In Easter, we celebrate for seven weeks because Christ has defeated death. And in Pentecost we hear of how the power of the resurrection trickled out into the world through the church, turning everything upside down.
In the church, time is storied. And as we step in time to the rhythms of the church’s prayers, worship, and rest, we become people of the that story—we become God’s people, the church. And today and in the weeks to come, we begin to tell that story again. Happy New Year!
we have icons, statues, and stain-glass in our church?
Last month, we reflected on a specific piece of religious art in our church: the ox that is tiled into the floor of our gathering space. This month we will take a step back and reflect on why we have religious art in general.
It is not uncommon to find statues, icons, or stained-glass windows in an Episcopal Church. Some Episcopal churches may have less art than others, but religious art is commonplace in our tradition. In the history of the church, there have been debates and disagreement about the role of religious art. Some thought it laid the foundation for idolatry, while others have held that good religious art can lift our minds and hearts to God. In the Orthodox Tradition, for example, religious icons are seen as “windows to heaven.”
As Christians in the Anglican Tradition, Episcopalians are sacramental people who relate to God through our senses. We are nourished by God’s redemptive love through bread and wine in the Eucharist. We feel Christ’s claiming embrace through the waters of baptism. We are filled with God’s peace and healing as we are anointed with oil when we are sick.
We use religious art in a sacramental sense as well. We use religious art not as an end in itself (an idol), but rather to engage our senses and emotions in ways that direct our minds and hearts to God. Religious art at St. Luke’s helps draw our senses into God’s unfolding story of love and redemption.
The statue of Mary in the front of church invites us to reflect on the beautiful notion that God’s desire to walk with us was so deep that it led God to wrap Godself in skin and be born as one of us! The windows at St. Luke’s depict the central pieces of the life of Jesus. One could come to St. Luke’s and read the Gospel by pondering our windows! The icons of angels in our chapel of St. Michael and all Angels are windows to a deeper Mystery that lies at the heart of our lives and all life.
Next time you are at St. Luke’s, take some time to explore and ponder the religious art that fills our space. And, when you are not at St. Luke’s, take some time to reflect on the following questions:
It is not uncommon to find statues, icons, or stained-glass windows in an Episcopal Church. Some Episcopal churches may have less art than others, but religious art is commonplace in our tradition. In the history of the church, there have been debates and disagreement about the role of religious art. Some thought it laid the foundation for idolatry, while others have held that good religious art can lift our minds and hearts to God. In the Orthodox Tradition, for example, religious icons are seen as “windows to heaven.”
As Christians in the Anglican Tradition, Episcopalians are sacramental people who relate to God through our senses. We are nourished by God’s redemptive love through bread and wine in the Eucharist. We feel Christ’s claiming embrace through the waters of baptism. We are filled with God’s peace and healing as we are anointed with oil when we are sick.
We use religious art in a sacramental sense as well. We use religious art not as an end in itself (an idol), but rather to engage our senses and emotions in ways that direct our minds and hearts to God. Religious art at St. Luke’s helps draw our senses into God’s unfolding story of love and redemption.
The statue of Mary in the front of church invites us to reflect on the beautiful notion that God’s desire to walk with us was so deep that it led God to wrap Godself in skin and be born as one of us! The windows at St. Luke’s depict the central pieces of the life of Jesus. One could come to St. Luke’s and read the Gospel by pondering our windows! The icons of angels in our chapel of St. Michael and all Angels are windows to a deeper Mystery that lies at the heart of our lives and all life.
Next time you are at St. Luke’s, take some time to explore and ponder the religious art that fills our space. And, when you are not at St. Luke’s, take some time to reflect on the following questions:
- What piece of religious art at St. Luke’s or elsewhere do you identify most with? Why?
- If icons can be “windows to heaven,” what else in your life serves as a window to heaven?
- How might you be called to be an icon, or window to heaven, for others?
our parish is named after st. luke?
In some Christian Traditions, churches are named after people we call saints. Saints are those whose lives glorified and honored God in particular ways. Saints serve as examples for all of us, and remind us that we are called to reflect God’s love and presence in the world. Saints also remind us that our lives of faith are intricately connected with one another. In other words, the journey of faith cannot be made alone. We need to surround ourselves with others who help inspire, challenge and stretch us into growth.
Our parish is named after St. Luke, the evangelist. The following is a reflection on St. Luke from Saint of the Day by Leonard Foley, O.F.M. and Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.:
Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and the life of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). His Gospel was probably written between A.D. 70 and 85.
Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem and remains near him when he is imprisoned in Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion. “Luke is the only one with me,” Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:11.
Luke’s Gospel emphasizes some important themes for us to reflect on as followers of Jesus.
The Feast of St. Luke is celebrated on October 18th.
Happy Feast of St. Luke!
Our parish is named after St. Luke, the evangelist. The following is a reflection on St. Luke from Saint of the Day by Leonard Foley, O.F.M. and Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.:
Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and the life of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). His Gospel was probably written between A.D. 70 and 85.
Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem and remains near him when he is imprisoned in Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion. “Luke is the only one with me,” Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:11.
Luke’s Gospel emphasizes some important themes for us to reflect on as followers of Jesus.
- Gospel of Mercy: Luke emphasizes Jesus’ compassion and patience with sinners and suffering. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has a broadminded openness to all, showing concerns for Samaritans, lepers, publicans, soldiers, public sinners, unlettered shepherds, and the poor. Luke alone tells the stories of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus, the lost sheep and coin, and the prodigal son.
- Gospel of Universal Salvation: Luke emphasizes that Jesus died for ALL. Jesus is the Son of Adam, not just of David, and Gentiles are his friends too.
- Gospel of the Poor: “Little people” are prominent in Luke – Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, Simeon and the elderly widow, Anna.
- Gospel of Absolute Renunciation: Luke stresses the need for total dedication to Christ.
- Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit: Luke shows Jesus at prayer before every important step of his ministry. The Spirit is bringing the church to its final perfection.
- The Gospel of Joy: Luke succeeds in portraying the joy of salvation that permeated the primitive church.
The Feast of St. Luke is celebrated on October 18th.
Happy Feast of St. Luke!
there's an ox with wings tiled into our floor near our main entrance?
You may have heard that Christians have long associated the ox with St. Luke the evangelist, who wrote the third gospel in the New Testament. Similarly, St. Matthew is associated with the human, St. Mark with the lion, and St. John with the eagle, all of which we see (with wings!) in the stained glass in our choir loft. So, maybe we tiled the winged ox into the floor near our main entrance as a fitting decoration for our church, St. Luke’s. But maybe there’s more to it than that.
Before the ox was tiled into the floor, the ox was a witness, pointing to Jesus. In the 6th century BC, the prophet Ezekiel saw visions of God, but God was hidden by a large cloud, which flashed fire and glowed from something like polished metal gleaming from within. All that Ezekiel could see clearly were creatures, each with four faces: one like a human, one like a lion, one like an ox, and the last like an eagle (Ezekiel 1). Centuries later, after God took on flesh in Jesus, it become clear that the one in the midst of the cloud and creatures was Jesus (Revelation 5). Still, who Jesus was remained hidden—not by a cloud, but in swaddling clothes and crucified flesh. Clarity again came in a set of four: four books, which we call gospels. St. Matthew witnessed to God taking on flesh, St. Mark to Jesus as King, St. Luke to Jesus as priest, and St. John to the Spirit of Christ. Early Christians concluded that no one picture of Jesus was sufficient, but just as God had given a four-faceted measure of clarity to Ezekiel, four accounts of Jesus were needed. St. Luke became associated with Ezekiel’s ox, both of who at their core functioned as one witness among four witnesses to Christ.
So why did we tile the winged ox into the floor near our main entrance? Who knows the motives, but perhaps the tiled ox can function for us as a regular reminder that we at St. Luke’s are called to be like St. Luke and like the winged ox: one witness among other witnesses to Christ. May this call to witness challenge us to listen for Christ’s unique call to us in Bay View today and may our position as one witness among other witnesses keep us humble and open to see other witnesses to Christ around us.
Before the ox was tiled into the floor, the ox was a witness, pointing to Jesus. In the 6th century BC, the prophet Ezekiel saw visions of God, but God was hidden by a large cloud, which flashed fire and glowed from something like polished metal gleaming from within. All that Ezekiel could see clearly were creatures, each with four faces: one like a human, one like a lion, one like an ox, and the last like an eagle (Ezekiel 1). Centuries later, after God took on flesh in Jesus, it become clear that the one in the midst of the cloud and creatures was Jesus (Revelation 5). Still, who Jesus was remained hidden—not by a cloud, but in swaddling clothes and crucified flesh. Clarity again came in a set of four: four books, which we call gospels. St. Matthew witnessed to God taking on flesh, St. Mark to Jesus as King, St. Luke to Jesus as priest, and St. John to the Spirit of Christ. Early Christians concluded that no one picture of Jesus was sufficient, but just as God had given a four-faceted measure of clarity to Ezekiel, four accounts of Jesus were needed. St. Luke became associated with Ezekiel’s ox, both of who at their core functioned as one witness among four witnesses to Christ.
So why did we tile the winged ox into the floor near our main entrance? Who knows the motives, but perhaps the tiled ox can function for us as a regular reminder that we at St. Luke’s are called to be like St. Luke and like the winged ox: one witness among other witnesses to Christ. May this call to witness challenge us to listen for Christ’s unique call to us in Bay View today and may our position as one witness among other witnesses keep us humble and open to see other witnesses to Christ around us.
episcopalian's make the sign of the cross?
While the historical origins of the sign of the cross are unclear, what has remained largely unchanged is the meaning of the gesture. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are united to his passion, death, and resurrection. We take the sign of his cross on to our own bodies. Our actual words, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” reflect this delineation of sacred time and space, and our recognition that all we are and all we do is connected to the gift and mystery of the Trinity.
And what is the great gift and mystery of the Trinity: that our God is profoundly relational. As the theologian Catherine LaCugna writes, “The very nature of God is to seek out the deepest possible communion and friendship with every last creature on this earth.” Making the sign of the cross is a tangible way we are reminded that God is always leaping towards us in love, mercy, peace, and grace!
The sign of the cross is often used at the beginning and end of prayer. Again, this is a reminder that all we do is done in relationship with God. The the Sign of the Cross is used at other times as well, for example, when receiving a formal blessing, receiving absolution, and entering a church and blessing oneself with holy water. Blessing oneself with holy water while making the sign of the cross calls to mind our baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the sacrament in which we become a new creation and member of Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. The sign of the cross is a reminder to us that God never tires of working in and through our lives, continually making us new creations!
Generally speaking, it’s appropriate to make the Sign of the Cross any time you hear the words, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
It is important to note a very common expression in the Episcopal Church and our Anglican Tradition. That expression is: “All can, some should, none must.” Not every Episcopalian makes the sign of the cross as part of their expression of faith. Our tradition celebrates many ways to experience and express our relationship with God!
And what is the great gift and mystery of the Trinity: that our God is profoundly relational. As the theologian Catherine LaCugna writes, “The very nature of God is to seek out the deepest possible communion and friendship with every last creature on this earth.” Making the sign of the cross is a tangible way we are reminded that God is always leaping towards us in love, mercy, peace, and grace!
The sign of the cross is often used at the beginning and end of prayer. Again, this is a reminder that all we do is done in relationship with God. The the Sign of the Cross is used at other times as well, for example, when receiving a formal blessing, receiving absolution, and entering a church and blessing oneself with holy water. Blessing oneself with holy water while making the sign of the cross calls to mind our baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the sacrament in which we become a new creation and member of Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. The sign of the cross is a reminder to us that God never tires of working in and through our lives, continually making us new creations!
Generally speaking, it’s appropriate to make the Sign of the Cross any time you hear the words, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
It is important to note a very common expression in the Episcopal Church and our Anglican Tradition. That expression is: “All can, some should, none must.” Not every Episcopalian makes the sign of the cross as part of their expression of faith. Our tradition celebrates many ways to experience and express our relationship with God!