A Walk Around The Block: An Epiphany

Fr. Dale Matson

I have been walking in my own neighborhood more as I recuperate from two recent surgeries. It is about 7/10^th of a mile around my block of nice homes in an ungated California community.

This micro community near Woodward Park is a veritable gold mine for contractors. The subdivision is about 30 years old and the infrastructure is in constant need of updating and repair.

One fact is both a blessing and a curse. The mature landscaping is in a constant state of flux. In this block, the amount of landscape contractors at any given moment in time is impressive. Many lawns are now being replaced with artificial green carpets (synthetic lawns). There are tradeoffs to this approach.

We still do most of the landscape maintenance on our home but we did hire a landscape contractor to “mow and blow” the front yard which has a steep hill that is too difficult for our elderly legs.

Yesterday, as I did an afternoon walk around the block, I passed a husband and wife landscape “team”. The woman was mowing the lawn and the husband was on a ladder trimming the trees. I am not used to seeing women participating in the landscape maintenance business. Most of the landscapers here are Mexican American.

Additionally, the driver’s door was open on their pickup truck and when I glanced inside, I was a bit surprised. Sitting on the front passenger seat was a girl about 9 years old. She was doing her school homework. I don’t know if the adults were her parents or grandparents but it was obvious that they were her custodians. I can’t get the image out of my mind.

It seemed to me to be a logical progression. The grandparents probably worked initially in the fields dressing and picking fruit as day laborers. The parents started a landscaping business and the girl would be the next generation that would probably not be involved in agriculture/landscaping.        

Bishop’s Note – 2019 BCP – The Collects

Bishop Eric Menees

Dear Friends, as we continue our examination of the 2019 BCP Service of Morning Prayer we move from the Suffrages, which I wrote about last week, to the collects.

You will remember that a “Collect” is a short prayer meant to collect our thoughts together and to set the theme for the week. We have a series of collects we can use but it is, in my mind, right to begin with the Collect of the Day taken from the previous Sunday’s worship. In a very real way the daily offices after the Sunday service are an extension of that Sunday’s worship. As the rubrics detail below, we can use the Collect of the Day or the collect listed for that specific day of the week. Personally, I prefer to use both the Collect of the Day and the Collect assigned to that specific day of the week. I’ve listed them both below the way that I prayed them this morning.

The Officiant then prays one or more of the following Collects, always beginning with the Collect of the Day (the Collect of the Sunday or Principal Feast and of any of the weekdays following, or of the Holy Day being observed), found on pages 598-640. It is traditional to pray the Collects for Peace and Grace daily. Alternatively, one may pray the Collects on a weekly rotation, using the suggestions in italics.

Proper 22

Week of the Sunday from October 2 to October 8

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in continual godliness, that through your protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly serve you in good works, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

A Collect for Guidance Thursday

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I pray you all every blessing!

Bishop’s Note – 2019 BCP – The Suffrages

Bishop Eric Menees

Last week we examined the Lord’s Prayer in our service of Morning Prayer. With the Lord’s Prayer we moved on from our study of scripture, and our response to it, and we lifted up our voices in prayer. This begins with the Lord’s Prayer but is immediately followed by the Suffrages and the Collects.

Today, I’d like to examine the Suffrages. Mr. Webster tells us that “Suffrage” has both a political meaning and a religious meaning. Politically speaking, “Suffrage” is “the right to vote in political elections.” Of course, we in the United States think immediately of the Suffrage Movements, which resulted in the 15th & 19th Amendments to the Constitution granting the right to vote to African American men in 1870 and to women in 1920.

What these two amendments did was give voice to the voiceless. In a similar way, the suffrages we offer up to the Lord are giving voice to our humble cares and concerns for ourselves and for others.

In the liturgical sense a Suffrage is a series of petitions by a leader, either lay or ordained, followed by responses of the congregation. We offer these petitions with the sure and certain knowledge that God hears and responds to our prayers.

Following Anglican tradition, the suffrages are prayed in a three-fold form of petitions for ourselves, the State, and the Church. These prayers are vitally important as they remind us to bring before the throne of God those things that so affect us in our everyday lives as individuals as well as the everyday lives of all who live in our society, believer and non-believer alike.

Officiant        O Lord, show your mercy upon us:

People             And grant us your salvation.

Officiant        O Lord, guide those who govern us;

People             And lead us in the way of justice and truth.

Officiant        Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

People            And let your people sing with joy.

Officiant        O Lord, save your people;

People             And bless your inheritance.

Officiant        Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People            And defend us by your mighty power.

Officiant        Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

People             Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Officiant        Create in us clean hearts, O God;

People            And take not your Holy Spirit from us.

I pray that as you offer up these suffrages, your vote – your petition – your amen will not only touch the heart of God but be a blessing to you as well.