Saint Luke's Episcopal Church 

Random Thoughts

July 2007

·         I recently preached on the parable of the Good Samaritan and took it in the direction of treating our enemy with compassion (this would be because most Jews of late second Temple Judah and Israel would have considered Samaritans their enemy).  I ended by saying treating our enemy with compassion is a Christian ethic.  All one has to do is to read this parable, the Sermon on the Mount and chapter 12 of Paul’s letter to Rome to see I am right about this.  So as I read the paper daily, watch the news, etc., I continue to see the never ending violence in Iraq, war in Afghanistan and now in Pakistan, not to mention the middle east, and I wonder; what if we really tried to live that ethic?  Most would say it would not/could not work, but it did for Gandhi and King.  Are the days long gone when non-violence has a chance?  I do not think so but not too many people want to hear what I have to say about that.

·         About a month ago I wrote to Lou Dobbs at CNN suggesting that he was way off base with his criticism of the church involving itself in the affairs of government.  I told him not only was the church right to do so but that it is the responsibility of the church to be a prophetic voice on public policy.  He apparently did not want to hear what I had to say about that either because I never heard back from him.  I am right about that too.

·         The Episcopal Church is in something of a holding pattern right now, preparing for the House of Bishops meeting in September.  I look forward to reading the next response to the Primates.  I hope, and believe we will hold our ground and not allow them to meddle in our business.

·         St. Luke’s is not in a holding pattern.  We continue to fill the pews each Sunday, even during vacation season.  We continue to have 50 or so for adult Bible study each Sunday.  And now, as if we did not have enough to do, we are entering a capital campaign.  It is time for the people of the parish to step up to the plate and pay down the debt accumulated by overspending on a recent building program.  We shall see how ready they are.

·         I miss the almost daily inter-faith and ecumenical work I had before moving to Hot Springs.  I continue to be involved at the national and international levels but there just is not much going on locally.  For one thing, there is only one synagogue in HS and it is just trying to keep its doors open.  The Muslim community is even smaller.  But when I return from vacation in mid-August I am going to do some work in HS and try to get some things going.

·         Speaking of ecumenism, I will be in St. Louis in January to be part of an effort to save Churches United in Christ.  There are some serious problems in the organization, not least of which is the historic Episcopate.  I hope we can find a way to continue to move forward because a lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into that effort.