Thanks so much to those who submitted “puzzlers”! Keep ‘em coming! While I have a few left-overs from this issue, I’ll still need more!
“C” wrote in a comment after a Midweek Moment:
“I do pray for several people who are hurting physically and mentally. I struggle with what words to say for my prayers. I usually pray at night. And sometimes I am tired and not very creative. I would love to have some 'go to' prayers.”
I’m so glad you asked that question, as I imagine you are not alone! And, I’m so glad you keep those in need in your prayers. Certainly, there are many more prayers that can be found in the Prayer Book, on-line, or other sources than I can list here. One of my nighttime “go-to” intercessory prayers was written by a former professor of mine. I like it because it seems to include just about every category of need; some are perfect for the day, others remind me of folks/needs I’ve forgotten:
Remember this day, O Lord, in your love:
My family, friends and neighbors,
And all whom I know and love, near and far;
All your people in their several vocations:
My Bishop and my priest and the faithful laity;
My employers and fellow-workers;
And those who govern us in freedom and in peace.
Remember this day, O Lord, in your mercy
All who are in any need or trouble,
And those who minister to them;
All who are lonely, tempted, or afraid,
And the forgotten ones whom you alone know;
Those whom I should but cannot remember,
And those this day who are appointed to die.
Remember me also, a sinner, for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.
I hope this is helpful. Please feel to reach out if you’d like more conversation on this!
“K” wrote in with several related questions – all primarily having to do with the titles for clergy in the Episcopal Church. I’ll break up my answer into two installments (that’ll keep you reading the next issue!):
Despite being a lifelong Episcopalian some of these terms or titles are not understood by me. I am guessing they come out of the Anglican tradition. So, here we go. First, what is the difference between a vicar, a rector, a pastor, and a canon? Second, If a parish has a detached office, does that make it a vicarage?
We Episcopalians LOVE our titles and honorifics, and they all (usually) have some basis in function. And, some of those titles have different meanings among different groups of Christians (and different Anglican bodies). In the American Episcopal Church (in general), a “vicar” and a “rector” are both heads of congregations.
“Vicars” lead mission congregations—that is, congregations that are not financially self-supporting, and usually receive some help from the Office of the Bishop. In that regard, the “vicar” stands in the place of the bishop in that congregation (think “vicarious”).
“Rectors” lead parishes—that is, congregations that are financially independent. (A colleague told me that a Rector once told him: “My boy, ‘rector’ comes from the Latin “Rex”, for “King”. Don’t forget it!”)
“Pastor” is not precisely (in the Episcopal Church) a title in the same way it is in some other Christian bodies. It is more of a description of a function, “pastor” coming from the same root as “pasture” – think of someone who cares for the flock. So, at a cathedral, for example, there may be a Canon Pastor, who’s job it is to offer pastoral care, while another canon may be in charge of education, or liturgy. “Canons” are (most often) clergy who are connected with a cathedral, or with the Bishop’s staff, often (using corporate language) senior staff with specific areas of responsibility.
To the second part of your question, traditionally if a congregation provided a residence for the rector, he/she would live in a “rectory." Likewise, if a congregation provided a residence for the vicar, he/she would live in the “vicarage." In the same way, the Dean of a Cathedral might be given a “Deanery” in which to live.
“K” (another “K”) wrote:
“The one I hear in groups all the time is: ‘Why does God allow suffering (or children to suffer or bad things to happen)?’”
Thanks for the softball question, K! It is one that is as old as time, and finds a biblical answer (maybe not to everyone’s liking) in the book of Job. And, I will confess, I don’t have a good answer. Indeed, any answer will get at the heart of someone’s personal theology. I know you suggested reading Theology for a Troubled Believer by Diogenes Allen. I don’t know that book, but I’ll honor your recommendation. I really have appreciated Rabbi Harold Kushner’s Why Bad Things Happen To Good People. But I know that people sometimes want something more immediate than a book-suggestion in the midst of trauma.
As I said, “any answer will get at the heart of someone’s personal theology”, and I often find myself asking, “What kind of God do you believe in?” In talking about that we often find an answer that provides some comfort to the questioner. Personally, however, I find “Why?” questions unsatisfying (while VERY human). I generally find that there isn’t a good answer to “why” questions—any answer often just jumps back to an earlier “Why?” (Think of kids asking. . . “But, why, mommy?”) When confronted by a situation that might suggest a “Why?” question (and I’ve had many of them), I, personally, find it better to ask—over the course of time, “Well, that has happened. It was awful. What would God have me do next, or in response?” This approach, again, for me, offers the possibility of anger and grief, but puts me on the track to some kind of restorative future.
‘Twas fun answering these! If you’d like to have some conversation about any of them, let me know!