On the Mountain

This Sunday will be the last Sunday of Epiphany, when we hear the story of Jesus's transfiguration. Jesus ascends the mountain with Peter, John, and James, and then is suddenly transformed from the teacher they knew and loved to a heavenly figure in dazzling white standing between Moses and the prophet Elijah. The disciples feel both excitement and fear by this unexpected transfiguration that manifests Jesus's divinity.

In all of the media coverage this week, there is certainly excitement that St. Helena's is receiving recognition for the hard work we are doing to transform the parish and the world. Perhaps there's some apprehension, too, for all the work that lies ahead. We have committed to doing some difficult things, and despite our careful preparation, we don't know how those things will turn out. Like in the Transfiguration story, we must follow the command God gives to the terrified disciples, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" This is the same message God proclaimed to the world at Jesus's baptism.

It would be comfortable to us to do as Peter suggests, to put down roots and stay where we are: "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But we can't just congratulate ourselves and sit on our laurels. We must constantly listen to Jesus and move forward where he beckons. God will require us to challenge ourselves and be receptive to the transformation God offers us. Next week, we will enter Lent, when God invites us to strip away the trappings and pretensions of the world and seek an inner transformation through repentance and holiness. It is hard work, but Jesus's voice will always be with us to lead us forward. I wish you all a most Holy Lent.

Abundant blessings,
Fr. Ethan+

Telling Our Stories Differently

I am a big fan of theater and try to make it to New York at least once a year to see a few shows on Broadway. This week, I was fortunate to get cheap tickets to the Broadway sensation, "Hamilton," which is playing in Chicago at the CIBC Theatre, which many of us Chicagoans remember as the Shubert Theatre. It's a bit like the Sears Tower. It will always be the Sears Tower. Wrigley Field will always be Wrigley Field. Right? And I can never remember what we're calling Comiskey now. Let's go, Cubbies! Let's go, Sox! One of the great achievements of "Hamilton" is that it tells the story of a great American's life in a new and unexpected way, probably very differently than we had learned in high school. I don't recall my American history textbook mentioning Alexander Hamilton's infidelity, his son's death in a frivolous duel, or the shady back-room shenanigans and horse-trading that led to our current form of government. But mixed in with the brokeness, heartache, and scandal is the story of a passonate and commited idealist who was instrumental in founding our nation. "Hamilton" also challenges our established way of understanding this Founding Father by using hip-hop and R&B as the musical styles for his story and by casting African Americans and Latinos in many of the key roles, including George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and of course, Hamilton himself. And this was true for the women, as well, such as Hamilton's wife, Eliza Schuyler. We too are going to be telling our story in different and innovative ways at St. Helena's. I am pleased to announce that the Episcopal Church has awarded us a $2,000 grant for 2018 throught its national Episcopal Evangelism Grants Program (see below). This will provide us much needed funding to grow the parish and transform lives by telling our stories, and encouraging others to tell their stories. We, too, will undoubtedly be called to see things in new ways, to name things differently; and yet the substance of who we are will remain and grow. Abundant blessings, Fr. Ethan+