Rebuilding the Temple

In 2005 my friend David Knight’s parish, St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach, Mississippi, was completely leveled by Hurricane Katrina. As the church’s rector, this was obviously a defining moment in David’s priesthood. Beyond the immediate crisis ministry (which in many ways continues), the pertinent questions about the church’s future arose: Should we close the church? Should we rebuild? How would we fund a new building? 

After much prayer the congregation, under David’s inspired leadership, chose to rebuild its “temple.” They have put together a compelling video of this process and I urge you to check it out. I’m not usually one to get all emotional over youtube videos (or movies or Hallmark ads for that matter). But this one (nearly) brought me to tears. It’s that powerful.

David reports that 93% of their parishioners (many of whom are still not back in their homes) have contributed to their capital building campaign. But they still need help. I bid you to join me in supporting their “$5,000 for 100″”program, asking 5,000 people to contribute $100 each to the cause. You can donate by going to their homepage and clicking on the “donate” button.

David and his wife Jennifer lived two floors above us in seminary housing at Seabury-Western outside of Chicago. You will never meet two more prayerful, devoted, hilarious Christians. Their witness over the past several years has been an inspiration to me personally and to countless others. Please keep them and the people of St. Pat’s in your prayers. 

As David recently wrote to me, “Working on this video has brought back to me, strong and sweet, bitter and exhausting, a lot of memories. It has been a tough 3 1/2 years for all of us. We are limping to the finish line, financially, and we still need help making it. I am weary yet God is faithful and the Spirit is strong with us. Soon and very soon we will celebrate; we have wept by the banks of the river in Babylon, indeed we have, yet we too shall soon return from exile.”” 

David and his wife Jennifer lived two floors above us in seminary housing at Seabury-Western outside of Chicago. You will never meet two more prayerful, devoted, hilarious Christians. Their witness over the past several years has been an inspiration to me personally and to countless others. Please keep them and the people of St. Pat’s in your prayers. 

End of an Era

Tough news released by my alma mater today, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, located in Evanston, Illinois. http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_95159_ENG_HTM.htmEffective immediately, they will no longer be offering the three-year residential Master of Divinity program (the basic curriculum for training priests). While Seabury will continue in some form — they’re entering a period of discernment as to their future mission — no one will again have the same experiences that have formed, nurtured, and fed generations of future priests. 

The bells which rang thrice daily to mark the communal prayers (Morning Prayer, Eucharist, Evensong) will be silenced. Long-standing traditions like the Lavabo Bowl (the annual flag football game between Seabury and Nashota House), the Boars Head Feast, and Awards Night will end. Lively informal refectory conversations, which nurtured me at least as much as the academic life, will cease.

For many of us, Seabury-Western http://www.seabury.edu/index.phphas become an integral part of our priesthoods. At its best, no seminary better prepared priests for parish ministry. I have a picture of the chapel — literally the heart and soul of the place — in my office alongside a picture of my graduating class. My first son, Benedict, was born the summer before my last year. He spent his first year of life as a community baby — going with me to chapel, classes, and the refectory. He was baptized by the then-dean Jim Lemler in Seabury Lounge. I served as Student Body President and have long been a passionate advocate of this very special place.

So I’m grieving this decision even as it may have been the only feasible one. I trust it wasn’t easy for the Board and current dean. The role and mission of seminary education is changing. I understand that. But it still hurts.