The Commute

I write this on my smartphone while riding the Amtrak train from Chicago to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I am more and more aware of the blessings in my life...the fact I have a state of the art phone that I can access email, finances, call or text a friend or loved one day or night. I am of the 5% of the worlds wealthiest population. If you are reading this, so are you...

Having just graduated from the seminary with more debt than a medium sized house would cost in Michigan my perspective on money has it's own twist. This past Sundays lectionary lessons had quite a bit to say about money. The rich man who dies and is according to the text separated from Father Abraham looks up and sees poor Lazarus who used to beg outside this rich mans house sitting in Glory next to Abraham. The rich man who goes unnamed begs that he even be given a drop of water from the tip of Lazarus's finger. What a change of role that has allowed. It was once poor Lazarus who begged outside of the rich mans home and now it is he the once rich man who begs of the once poor but now rich in blessings Lazarus...

I can at many moments in any given day feel like each of these men...either the rich man in his earthly glory or in his state of deprivation. I have felt like poor Lazarus who sits surrounded by wealth and wishes, hopes, longs, prays for the moment when his blessing will come.

I often wonder while riding public transportation what the thoughts are of those I pass and travel with. I wonder what their stories are, where are they headed, who are they and so forth. There are those who sit with downcast stares, those that stare out the window, those that never seem to glance away from their newspaper. Then there are those who sit with a smile on their face, those who too are looking around at all those around them. Maybe they are wondering the same things I am? Maybe they too would love to strike up a conversation. I know...I'm weird and like to break "proper commuter interaction policy". I love the times when I have struck up a conversation with a fellow train rider. Each of us has a unique life story so different from anyone elses, how much of a better place would the world be if we looked up from our newspapers and took off our iPod earbuds and actually aknowledged the person who just sat next to us for 30 min while riding the train or bus.

I know, I know. We don't want to be bothered. I know there are times I have thought that I did not want to be bothered. But, it seems that it was those exact times that I wanted to he alone in my own self pity that some other traveler on this journey we call life helped to shine a little brightness into the darkness that was that moment.

Whether we ride the train to a job we love/hate or take it home to Michigan for the funeral of a loved one. Whether we walk, drive or ride a bike we pass others who are journeying down the same path of life that we are.

I think that while there are so many lessons from last weeks Gospel text (ill insert later) one of them is to seize the moment and to notice the other who is standing or sitting 6 inches away from us. If we used the same social norms 2 thousand years ago as we do today how would the Gospel message ever been spread. No, I'm not advocating for prostilization on the trains and bus. I'm simply thinking that I'd we were to even acknowledge each other, how much better would he world be?

In that same Gospel lesson it appears that the rich man recognized the once poor Lazarus. My question is did he ever take he time to say hello or to help him in even a simple way? That we will never know, but we can certainly work to make sure that those we pass are acknowledged and who knows we might even gain some comfort or solace from it all.

What is the Golden Tunicle?

What is the Golden Tunicle? Well, as I just typed Tunicle the little red squiggle line appeared under the word meaning that even Firefox doesn't know what it is! The Golden Tunicle is for me a metaphor for the Sacred in the Secular....let me first explain what a tunicle is.

In the Anglo-Catholic tradition the tunicle is the vestment that the Sub-Deacon wears in a solemn service (A Eucharist..er...Communion service where there is a Deacon, Priest and Sub-Deacon present. There are also other items that make it a solemn service but that is a main component.) The role of the Sub-Deacon is a contested position in many circles, it is not a level of ordination nor does it have any ecclesiastical (Church) status and is purely a liturgical role. Within the service traditionally the Sub-Deacon assists the Deacon during the Mass in the manner of holding the Gospel book while the Gospel is being proclaimed. The Sub-Deacon may read the Epistle lesson and traditionally stands to the Priests left during the Eucharistic portion of the service. While standing at the Altar most often the Sub-Deacon assists with turning the pages on the Altar book, and may or may not point to the place on the book so that the Priest does not lose their place while preforming the manual acts of the Eucharistic Prayer (elevation of the chalice and host [wafer/bread], reverencing of the elements/altar.

There are many other thoughts as to why there are three people in the "Sacred Trio" in the Solemn service. I have heard that its represents the Three persons of the Trinity, it is a representation of the three levels of initiation in the church, the baptized laity (Sub-Deacon), the ordained Deacon and the Ordained Priest or Presbyter (Depending on how you look at the level of the Episcopacy [Bishop] this could prove problematic, however a Bishop is a Priest...and when the Bishop is there some call the service a 'Pontifical Solemn High...'). There are many more I am sure, it seems that with most things in liturgy and ritual there are many thoughts as to why we do things and have certain things in the service....many of them may be correct, as there are many different traditions specific to individual parishes.

All that being said....

I hope that this blog, The Golden Tunicle, is a place where I can share my thoughts on the Sacred that is found in the Secular. Gold is a color and something worn on special days, a thing of beauty and status throughout history. I pray that my reflections will be of worth to read and that they may bring hope and insight into the dark world we live in.