Collect for Labor Day

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and to arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Lessons appointed for Labor Day

Ecclesiasticus 38:27-32

Psalm 107:1-9  or 90:1-2,16-17

1 Corinthians 3:10-14

Matthew 6:19-24

As I think about Labor Day and the prayers appointed for the holiday, I think about the word ‘vocation’; a word that has ‘calling’ or ‘call’ as its root.  Too often in the Church, words like vocation and calling get assigned to ordained ministry exclusively.  A person who reports feeling ‘called’, or to having a ‘calling’, is more often than not wondering about ordination.   But everyone has a vocation; we all have a calling.  God, and our identity in Jesus, gives us that call and gives us the gifts, talents, interest, and motivation to pursue it.  No matter what we do for work, our calling is defined in the Collect for Labor Day:  to work not for self alone, but for the common good.  All we do is linked in one community, bound together in service to God’s love in the Body of Christ

We are called to work for this community–God’s beloved community inside and outside the wall of our church buildings.

And some are called to work for this beloved community by serving the Church in ordained ministry.

Please join me in celebrating the calling of the Rev. Steve Reed as the Rector of St. Matthew’s, Fairbanks.  Steve arrived in the Diocese of Alaska and Fairbanks about 14 years ago.  He served as the Chaplain at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.  He then served as an interim minister for Christ Lutheran Church in Fairbanks.  Following his interim work with Christ Church, and by special arrangement and approval, he served a non-denominational congregation.  Throughout his ministry in Fairbanks, he has served as chaplain to the local police and fire department.

Please join me also in on-going prayer for a wonderful group of people who, after discernment with the Church and their local community, have been called to pursue ordination and been admitted as Candidates for Ordination this year.   I am hopeful for ordinations in the coming year.

Judy Gau of St. James’, Tanana

Jeanette Dementi of St. Luke’s, Shageluk

Erin Tulip of St. Bartholomew’s, Palmer

Hannah Moderow of St. Mary’s, Anchorage

Ross McKay of St. Mary’s, Anchorage

I am also very grateful for (and proud of) the extraordinary ministry of our Licensed Worship Leaders who are working together in our congregations for the common good of the beloved community.

Happy Labor Day!

Still doesn’t work, does it?

The Ash Wednesday service sets the tone for the season of Lent—defines it, really.  In the invitation to the observance of Lent, the words describe Lent as a season of penitence and fasting.  But, where that is often as far as we go when thinking about Lent, the invitation goes on to state that Lent provides a time for individuals to prepare for Holy Baptism (or renewal of Baptism), and a time for reconciliation, forgiveness, and restoration.  Lent is a time for us to “put in mind [the] message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and [the] need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.”

Lent is a season of renewal, reconciliation, forgiveness, faith, and the promise of restoration in Christ.    Good News (dare I say ‘happy’ news)!

May this Lent be holy.  May all that you do in your fasting and disciplines be for the work and goal of renewal, reconciliation, forgiveness, and restoration.  I am convinced that wretchedness and suffering for their own sake is not what God requires.   Instead, may the hope of the Good News of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation in Christ Jesus inspire the season.  What work of reconciliation and renewal do you have to do this season?

Also available is Episcopal Curriculum for Youth. This curriculum is provided for “Younger Youth” (early teens/Middle School) and “Older Youth” (High School). All the materials are there for you including Leaders Guides with complete instructions for how to lead the classes.

As with any curriculum or packaged instructional plan, you may have to do some of your own adaptation of the materials to fit your context–one size does not fit all. But these materials provide enough guidance to enable you to be creative with your local adaptations.

View Curriculum Here

There is a survey available for individuals to provide input into the character and gifts best suited for the next Presiding Bishop.

You can find the survey here:  Survey

If you are unable to access the online survey but would like to share your thoughts on the next Presiding Bishop, please feel free to write me a note and send it to my office (1205 Denali Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701) or you may send an email to mlattime@gci.net.

In other news:

It was a blessing to join our Episcopal family in Juneau (both Holy Trinity and St. Brendan’s) to celebrate the life and witness of Mark Boesser. Mark understood that every funeral service, every burial, is an Easter Celebration. Our hope is in the Risen Lord, and our proclamation and joy is in the Risen and Eternal life that is ours in Christ through faith. Mark loved to tell the story of the shortest Easter Sermon ever preached. It was one word: Victory!

I am looking forward to visiting All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Anchorage This Sunday, November 6. All Saints’ Day is observed on November 1, however, it is the only Principal Feast of the Church year that may be celebrated twice and observed on the Sunday following November 1. This year, Sunday, November 6.

Other Visitations coming up:

• Wednesday, November 9 @ Holy Spirit Eagle River for Veteran’s Day.
• Sunday, November 13 @ St. David’s, Wasilla.
• Sunday, November 20 @ Holy Trinity, Juneau
• Sunday, December 11 @ St. John’s, Ketchikan
• Sunday, December 18 @ Good Shepherd, Venetie
• Christmas Eve @ St. Matthew’s, Fairbanks

Arrangements are in process for the celebration of his extraordinary life and witness.

I give thanks to God for everyone who attended and for all of you who were with us in spirit and prayer.

Thank you to our Diocesan Office Staff:  Suzanne Krull; Lynnette Winfrey; and Melissa Ward, for making the event run so smoothly.  Thank you to all our Committee Chairs and Committee Members for your work on the business of the Convention.  Finally, thank you to everyone who stood for nomination to the various elected positions serving the Diocese on our committees, commissions, and as delegates to General Convention.

My hope and vision for the coming year is that the people of this Diocese will grow from strength to strength as disciples of Jesus Christ. As disciples resolved to living a Jesus shaped life, may we become living witnesses to his love:  telling our own story of faith and hope in His love; teaching others the way of His love; tending to human need in our communities with His love; transforming unjust systems and structures for the sake of His love; and treasuring all creation and every gift of God to honor His love.

 Please join me in this resolve.

Tell: I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to pray and reflect on their individual relationship with Jesus and to prepare a simple, from the heart, answer to the question: “Why is my hope/faith/love with Jesus Christ?” As you are comfortable, share your statement with someone else.

Teach/Learn: I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to commit at least 15 minutes each day to reading and praying on the Gospel lesson assigned for Morning or Evening Prayer. How does the passage relate to your life, your situation? How is the Gospel part of your story? As you are comfortable, share your story with others.

Tend: I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to engage in serving any one need in your community (neighborhood or deanery). Serving can be direct support or by contributing resources; however, service must include getting to know more about the need. Service can be a partnership with others: ecumenical partners, your deanery (funds to support that work). There are plenty of human needs in our communities. We don’t have the energy or resources to tend to them all. Pick one that the Holy Spirit is calling you to do. You don’t need to form a committee or establish an eternal ministry, just serve the need.

Transform: I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to participate in the work of peace, justice, and reconciliation. Where do you see Jesus and his love being wounded? Where can you, working with others, be a bridge to reconciliation? Disciples make peace.

Treasure: I call on all Episcopalians in Alaska to commit to a discipline of stewardship and creation care, consciously reducing to some degree our energy consumption, and giving to support your local congregation and the common good of your community. How does your stewardship reflect what you treasure? How does it witness to what Jesus treasures?

This “Call” is not intended to be rigid. Jesus said his burden is easy and his yoke is light. Instead, I make this call as an invitation to begin where you are, with the energy, effort, and resources you have available. Start with one of the Marks of Mission and see where it takes you as you grow in discipleship. Join with others as you are able. Invite someone to join or share with you.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”  1 Peter 3:15b

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:  The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”  Lamentations 3:19-24

“Yet I still dare to hope!“

I dare to hope because Jesus is faithful to me, even when I am not faithful to him.  I dare to hope because Jesus loves me and stands with me in the face of every fear, every loss, every failure.  But also, in the best times of my life; for my life has been blessed.  It would be impossible for me to ever list the gifts, the love, the joys, the celebrations, that have been poured into my life.  Unearned grace on every side.

God has been good to me.

Yet I have also known suffering, deep sorrow, and pain.  I have cried out how long.  I have worried for the future.   I have grieved for my inadequacies.  I have questioned my faith.  I have judged myself cruelly and held myself in contempt.

I’ve watched a world torn asunder by political unrest, disregard for human suffering, selfishness, violence, war, and environmental catastrophes.  And I’ve walked with congregations who are worried for their future; exhausted from their efforts to hold their community together; and struggling to grow.

“Yet I still dare to hope!”

As that old Gospel hymn standard proclaims:  “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.  On Christ, the solid rock, I stand:  all other ground is sinking sand.”

As we continue to our resurrection experience from the pandemic, from the crises of this world, from the changes in our communities, from the exhaustion that too often holds us like a grave, let us hope in Christ.  I dare to hope in his love and his promise of new life.  His love has never once abandoned me—even me.  His mercy begins afresh every morning.  New life is born out of every sorrow, every worry, every fear, every loss, every death.

Jesus is my hope.  I pray he might be your hope.  He will always be the Church’s hope.

As we prepare for Diocesan Convention, I invite you to pray and reflect on how Jesus is your reason to hope.