Nutrients in the Cafeteria

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Armodoxy for Today: Nutrients in the Cafeteria

I’d like to expand on yesterday’s theme of Cafeteria Christianity. Yes, Cafeteria Christianity is as old as the Gospels themselves, and yes, attempts to bring everyone to the same table have been tried by church leaders, who may be referred to as ecumenists, but differences are always more noticeable than are similarities. This is not unique to the Christianity, or to religion. Think of products and how they are sold on the attributes that set them apart from others.

In the case of the Christian Cafeteria it is not merely a matter of choice but a matter of nutrition, which translates as priority. In the cafeteria we may select one of the several main courses: Lamb chops, chicken cacciatore, falafel and humus, or spaghetti. In each case you’re giving up something and getting something else in return. In each case you are identifying a taste, a need, perhaps a medical restriction, or merely a craving for that day. The meal will satisfy you – we all agree that it is a meal – but the nutritional value differs from meal to meal. When we referred to St. Nersess Shnorhali’s formula of Unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials and charity in all things, we are admitting that our practices may differ but, in the end, the essential element is the centrality of Jesus Christ in our Faith.

Practices differ, from liturgical, to communal, to virtual, to preachy, to Eucharist. Armodoxy celebrates the differences of practices that share Faith in Jesus Christ. The liturgical life of the Armenian Church focuses on discipline, while communal life is about outreach and practice. Preaching is necessary for conveying of a message that relates to the day and Eucharist is the ultimate expression of God’s love for us and our love for God through the act of thanksgiving. Each of these provide us Christian nutrition. And let’s not forget that Epostle is a virtual component of that diversity.

Christianity in the 21st Century is no different than Christianity of the first century. People, the landscape, social circumstances, that is life, has changed, but not Christ, nor his message. For today, the Christian table is full of opportunities to grow spiritually. Don’t be scared to partake of the goodness of that table. What is it that you crave? Christ’s table is a table of immortality, but even more, it is table to fulfil your spiritual hunger.

Let us pray this prayer from the Armenian Church, Hear us, Lord. Accept the supplications of our hearts and our souls, and the echoes of our wishes and implorations. Embrace us as a sacrifice, sweet incense and a spiritual offering. Lead and guide our paths. Holding us steadfast in our faith, so that we may walk in the path of righteousness to follow, serve and be accountable solely to You. O all Blessed God. Amen.

Cafeteria Christianity – Options

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Some years ago the term, Cafeteria Catholics made the rounds when followers of Catholicism, those who attended Mass regularly and considered themselves as “Good Catholics,” but could not accept all of the teachings of Catholicism, such as being against abortion, restrictions on artificial birth control or the being against the death penalty. Of course, the term can be applied to all of Christianity as well. Much like in a cafeteria where you an option to select a main course, a side and a drink – Roast beef, mashed potatoes, an apple pie for dessert and a Coke® please – the metaphor is applied to the religion, in this case Christianity – Jesus was the Son of God but his virgin birth might be stretching it a bit. Yes, I’m guaranteed a spot in Heaven if I pronounce his name and am Born Again, and as far as my actions go, they are inconsequential, but I’ll try my best anyway.

Cafeteriaizing Christianity in this manner does seem a bit crude and may seem like a newly acquired method of religious definition, but the practice has been around for some time. Some suggest that it was the cultural shifts that took place in the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting personal autonomy and self-expression, but I don’t think we have to look for any major psychological or sociological changes in history that points to the opening of the cafeteria. In fact, the four Evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – the one’s who first recorded the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, practiced a pick and choose the method of presenting the three years of Jesus’ life in the context of a few chapters known as the Gospels. John admits to this in the final words of his Gospel, Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (21:25) The fact that the Christian Church has several different understandings of Jesus is further proof of Cafeterizing throughout the Centuries. There are Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, Protestantism can be split into four major confessions, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed and Free Church and several different understandings within these groups. Then there are groups such as the Mormons, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Jehovah’s Witness, who claim some connection to Jesus Christ, but have selected another group of norms outside the Gospels or the Church Canons to build a religion.

The early Christian Church tried to bring some order to the differing parties by calling together councils of Church leadership, where Creeds and Canons were agreed upon. For instance the Nicene Creed which is recited in churches is a profession of Faith in the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and the Church. Church leadership presented the Creed as a definition of a Christian: A Christian is one who believes in these doctrines of faith. Martin Luther, at the start of the Protestant Reformation, cafeteriaized the Bible by deciding certain books should not be in the Bible, calling them hidden, or Apocrypha.

One of the top theologians and ecumenists of the Armenian Church, Nersess Shnorhali, who was the Chief Bishop, or Catholicos, of the Armenian Church, in the 12th century, came up with a simple manner in which Christians can understand one another. We must be untied on the essentials, that is the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. We must grant liberty on secondary items, for instance, the date of Jesus’ birth and charity, that is love, in everything, Unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials, charity in all things.

Today we listen to the Prayer offered by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:25-26)

Signs Around Us

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Armodoxy for Today: The Signs Around Us

Mr. Gaspar is a sculptor. He works in the courtyard of the St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank.  For years I have watched him as he turns slabs of stone into ornamental creations. Figures, historic characters, churches and religious symbols take form in his hands.

As I watch the evolution of the stone into art I wonder if it is in hand of the sculptor that they take form, or are the art pieces already there in the stone waiting for the sculptor to chisel it out? My question goes to the huge structures such as the monasteries of Armenia or the ultimate riddle of Geghard, which is a monastery bore out of a side of a mountain. Was that monastery always there waiting to be carved out? Or did the sculptors envision the monastery and chiseled accordingly? Realize also, that on a mountain of that size and a monastery with so many rooms, there is no room for mistakes.

The questioning may sound odd, but if you look at the story wedding feast described in the second chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, there is a parallel set of questions. The story where Jesus changes water into wine ends with, This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (2:11) This is recorded as the first of the signs that would bring people to Him. More importantly, the author points to the fact that because of these signs people believed in Him. This correlation between signs and followings is one that I struggle with as a priest trying to engage people in a higher understanding – a maturity – of faith.

The so called “supernatural events” such as changing the molecules of water to wine, or walking on water without sinking, or quieting a storm, or healing a leper, giving sight to a blind man, or resurrecting the dead, seem to the be the attractions that always are thrown out as proof that Jesus is person we say that He is. Instead, if we accept Him as who He is, then these are not supernatural events, rather very natural for God. In so understanding, the very natural events around us become testaments to the grandeur of God and the sacredness of life. A seed placed in ground draws life from nutrients, water and the Sun, becomes a tree and bears fruit to feed a population. Two cells meet and develop into a unique life form that is defined by its molecular make up and personality, with a set of fingerprints unlike anyone else’s in history. Philosophers have pondered numbers and cosmologies; mathematics have defined physical laws that lay the groundwork for the machinery to fly with the birds and now propel humanity to explore the stars and life systems. Each of these are worthy of our wonder and awe, that is, each of these are miracles. The maturity of faith is in our understanding that God is inside each of us, as the soul He breathes into us, attests. In that understanding of God within us, the road to peace can be assured.

Armodoxy is a testament to a group of people who discovered and celebrated the miracle, the wonder and the excitement of everyday life and so understood that God is never apart from us.

From the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours, Lord of hosts, commit our souls to the angel of peace, who will come and keep us tranquil by day and night, while awake and resting. Grant that we pass the rest of the night in peace, and arrive at the service of the morning, to offer worship and glory to the Holy Trinity. Now and forever and ever. Amen

Cover Photo: Sculptures at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, photo

Message Not to be Omitted

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Armodoxy for Today: The Message

When we proclaim our faith about Jesus Christ, we often do so about the person and inadvertently forget a fundament element of the faith, namely the message he preached. In the Nicene Creed, adopted in 325AD by the Church and recited in churches throughout the world every Sunday, we proclaim our belief in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and the exclusivity of the Holy Church. We have shorter forms of the profession of faith, one of which is confessed by the godfather during baptism in the Armenian Church. In the Western churches, such as the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, the Apostles Creed is pronounced. In St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer of the 4th hour, we read an even more abbreviated form about Jesus, the Son of God, “Who descended from the bosom of the Father, and took flesh of the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, who was crucified and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father.”

In all of the creeds and professions of faith, the person of Jesus, the Son of God, is defined. What is missing is his message, or even more simply, mention or reference of his message. I use the word “missing” rather than “omitted” or “forgotten” because I believe the development of these creeds were products of the times and societal needs. In the case of the Armenian Church, her constituency during the early centuries was homogeneous. The people attending church and shared common values and so it wasn’t necessary to reference the message in a creed.

Armodoxy is about taking that ancient faith and placing it in today’s world and society. In a globalized society, where many different messages are vying for your attention, Jesus’ message can easily be dismissed, omitted or even forgotten because of the zealous efforts to proclaim Jesus as superior to other choices. Mature faith understands that it is Jesus’ message, that is unique and superior to all else. In his message we understand the fulness of the statement that God is love. Jesus’ message is what connects us to the beginning of time, and therein we find the Divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. “I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.” (John 7:28)

Let us pray St. Nersess Shnorhli’s prayer of the 4th hour, with addendum, Son of God, true God, who descended from the bosom of the Father, and took flesh of the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, [who taught the message of true love and compassion, with his words and his life,] who was crucified and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before You, remember me like the robber when You come into your kingdom. Amen.

20i23/19i24

Three to One Love

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Armodoxy for Today: Love Defined

The statement made by Christ is John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son” has been referred to as the “Gospel in brief.” It is recited and re-recited by the young and old so frequently that many would be pressed to explain its meaning.

God sending His Son is the reason given as a demonstration of His love for the world. The statement presupposes that we know how the story is going to pan out, namely that Jesus will be Crucified. It is the Crucifixion that gives meaning to the statement, “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son.” The fact that God gives up and sacrifices His Son is the qualifier for His love. In other words, we understand that God must love us so much that He sacrifices His very best. Without this sacrificial act, the statement is empty.

In Armenian Orthodoxy the symbol of love is the cross. Quite different from the Western symbol of the red heart made popular by Hallmark and candy companies vying for your dollars on Valentine’s Day, the Cross is true romance because in the symbol there is pain and suffering that is voluntarily given out of love.

Reflect on your own circumstance, on your own life… Who are the people that sacrificed for you? If you can think of a person, then you are also thinking of the person who loves you. Love is painful because sacrifice hurts. Love is beautiful because sacrificing is the ultimate expression of beauty. The Cross is set apart as a symbol of magnificence because in it we understand, albeit only partially but still enough, that God’s love for us is the ultimate expression of caring, compassion and affection for us, because He gave His very best.

The Greeks use many words to describe Love, but three of them have been popularized in the Christianity, namely eros, philia and agape. Eros is the physical or sexual love. Think of the word erotic. Philia is the love between siblings, between friends. Think of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. Agape is the God-love. It is unconditional. It is sacrificial and therefore, sacrificial love, as in “God so love the world…” is unconditional. Think Jesus Christ.

Armodoxy goes one step further. In the Armenian language, there is only one word for love, “սէր” (pronounced sehr) In this one word, the erotic, brotherly, and unconditional elements of love all come together, remarkably, but not surprisingly.

Let us pray, the prayer of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, All the greatest pains become sweet for whoever looks at Jesus Christ on the Cross. Amen.

25i23 /24i24

Repetitive Cleansing

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Armodoxy for Today: Cleansing

During this week, the Scriptural reading given to us by the Church follows the first miracle – the water into wine – which we encountered yesterday. John 2:12-22, shares the story of Jesus cleaning the temple.

Jesus found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 

In the synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – a story similar to this appears as Jesus makes his final entry into Jerusalem, the day traditionally referred to as Palm Sunday. In the Gospel of John, we read the story at the beginning of his ministry. Building on the topic of “Maturity of Faith” from yesterday’s Armodoxy lesson, we may assume that the cleansing of the temple was not a singular event.

The Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus, is distributed and received every week. The repetitive nature of the Divine Liturgy and Holy Communion is an expression of Jesus coming into our lives, not only once, but always there to remove and cleanse all that does not belong in the sanctity of our lives.

The Gospel continues, So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. “Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

The Cleansing of the Temple is a scene right out of the movies. It speaks to people on many levels. It is the man-of-principle going up against the corporate machine. It is the individual versus the institution. Most importantly, it is Jesus Christ entering our temple, our lives. Once there, he is ready to clean house, to remove the hatred, the laziness, the envy and jealousy that are doing business there. It is up to us, as is the case in the story, whether we argue with him, stop him from doing so, or open ourselves to the cleansing he provides.

Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, you enter the Temple in Jerusalem to clean out all who do not belong there. Come into the holiness of my temple and wash me thoroughly from my sin. Rid my life of pride, envy, anger, laziness, gluttony, lust and covetousness, and should they return may your Holy Body and Blood be forever cleansing me, into your Kingdom. Amen.

18i23/17i24

Spiritual Maturity, Childish Ideas Left Behind

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Armodoxy for Today: Spiritual Maturity

The first miracle of Jesus is recorded in the Gospel of St. John, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’  His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (2:1-11)

This is one of those stories that makes for great illustration by Sunday School students for their coloring assignment. The visual is a powerful one, and crayons help accent the clear water transformed to red wine. As a priest, I’ve had many people who have offered me a glass of wine, and thinking they are revealing a great riddle to me, they say, with a snicker, “Go ahead, after all Jesus changed water into wine.” They say it in such a way as if I would not have indulged had Jesus not done this little bit of magic. And sometimes with a wink, they try to imply that Jesus was interested in the inebriating characteristics of the drink.

St. Paul writes, When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. (I Corinthians 13:11) Unfortunately, when it comes to religion and issues of faith, often our understanding of God comes from childhood memories of these fascinating and sensationalized miracles of Jesus. The story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana is read in the Armenian Church following the Theophany to bring our attention to the offering made by Christ. It is the steward at the wedding feast who notices first that the wine that Jesus offers is better than any other wine that was served.

Today our call is to take a deeper and more mature understanding of our faith. There are many dimensions to this story that speak to us once we “Put away childish ways.” In fact, many stories have so much more to offer when we can accept the sensational as normal. For instance, when Jesus walks on the water, rather than searching for the stones that might be supporting him, accept that this is the One who created the water, who is lord of the water. Once we do this, then we understand the words that he speaks are from the Author of Life. The words, “Love your neighbor,” “Pray for your enemies,” “Judge not, lest you be judged,” are understood as coming from the Ultimate Source of Life, not only worthy of our attention, but demanding our attention. Armodoxy is the view that the Creator is speaking, and so when He says, “Courage, the victory is mine, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), it is final and definite.

Let us pray, Lord our God, You changed the water into wine in Cana of Galilee, I pray You, change the doubt to faith in my life. Let me partake of the goodness of the new wine, and accept Your love, to guide and direct me, always. Amen.

17i23/16i24

Conviction

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Armodoxy for Today: Conviction

Jesus Christ was the first non-violent revolutionary. He brought about a revolution – a change, a shift in understanding – without using physical force. Just the opposite, he took on physical force. His teachings have been adopted by many to bring about change – fundamental change – in nations, political systems and of course, in the person. During the last century, the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela implemented principals of non-violent resistance in liberating people from oppression.

Armenia, and its leadership, early on, adopted these principles. Jesus’ teachings, as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) are not for the weak or the meek. I am convinced that 4th century Armenian King Tirdat, who had armies (plural!) under his command, who understood strength and diplomacy, who understood military strategy… I am convinced that Tirdat accepted Christianity because he saw it as power for victory and not for surrender. He proclaimed Armenia as the first Christian nation in 301AD because he saw the strength of this Faith, based on the message of Jesus Christ, was about overcoming evil with the power of love. He understood the power of resurrection over death!

That focus on resurrection is the tie that binds together the religious leaders we have discussed this past week, from Martin Luther King to Khrimian Hayrik to Gregory the Chainbearer to Catholicos Vazken I of blessed memory. We can cite many more. They all were convinced that resurrection was possible after crucifixion because they believed in the Resurrection of Christ. They shared a common conviction in the power of Christianity through the Resurrection. That conviction is what made their leadership real, unquestionable and worthy of following.

It is the same conviction possessed by the Holy Apostles, a conviction that witnessed to the power of Christ and brought people to the Faith. Each of the Apostles went to their death proclaiming the Resurrection as truth. You do not put your life on the line for a lie. If the Resurrection to which they witnessed was a lie they would not have died a torturous death. There was no peer pressure to tell the truth either. The Apostles were each separated by distance, one in Rome, another in Ethiopia, India, Armenia and elsewhere throughout the world. They went to death for the truth, each in his own way. That’s conviction. It’s the one element historians do not mention, but the proof of the Armenian experience, that is, Armodoxy, is a living testament to that Faith.

We pray today a prayer from St. Mesrob Mashdots, Mighty King, refuge of the thirsty, Savior of the troubled, who succumbed to suffering for us at the hands of rulers. Prohibit Satan from enslaving those whom You have saved. Forbid the Evil One from seeking refuge in the House of God. With Your divine love, have mercy upon your creation. Amen

Dreams & Diplomacy

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Armodoxy for Today: Dreams and Diplomacy – Vazken I’s Leadership

When His Holiness Vazken the First was elected in 1955 to head the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenia was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union. The Cold War was in full swing and the Iron Curtain was more than a convenient metaphor, i.e., it definitely separated East from West physically and psychologically. The notion of a Church – a sacred and established religious institution—surviving in a system which preached atheism sounded absurd to many. But there, in the shadow of Biblical Mt. Ararat and in the place where Jesus Christ descended to mark the spot where the first Christian Nation would build the first cathedral, the Armenian Church was being driven by the power of the Holy Spirit. And… it was being done so in full view of the Soviet authorities.

During the 39 years that followed, Catholicos Vazken led the Armenian Church with wisdom and divine grace against the internal and external threats that were beating on an already fragile Church. In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the proclamation of Armenian Independence, the first papers of citizenship, most deserving, were given to this Venerable Patriarch. He had overcome obstacles, met challenges, delivered the Church to the doorsteps of the new millennium and in so doing, managed to inspire generations of us.

During his years as Catholicos, to many of us living in the United States – as well as in most parts of the Diaspora – His Holiness Vazken I was the embodiment of the Armenian Church. His Holiness expressed himself about the Diaspora while Independence was only a dream and a hope, while Glasnost and Perestroika were yet to enter the Western lexicon by Soviet Leader Gorbachev.

… Destiny has thrust upon us the diaspora – a challenge which we must confront with courage and honor, structuring our life on a firm and enduring foundation of today, tomorrow… the strongest, the safest and the most reliable foundation upon which the structure of the entire Diaspora can be built today is and always will be the Armenian Apostolic Church – our Mother Church. (Paris, 1979)

If ever there is an overt display of the Holy Spirit guiding the Holy Church, it was during the pontificate of His Holiness Vazken I. He led the Church during the Cold War. He was attacked by atheist ideologies from the outside. From the inside, party factions and the ugliness of divisiveness ate away at him. The church was being played as a pawn in a game but he met each challenge with love in his heart – love toward God and toward every one of his children in the Armenian nation. Without discrimination he cared about all of his children. As he ascended to the Apostolic Seat of St. Thaddeus and the Holy Throne of St. Gregory the Illuminator he kept firm to his Faith and his calling. He led with courage and valor.

For all of his diplomatic means and harsh climate in which he led, he articulated the primary goal of the Armenian Church simply as, “is to be the true messenger of the Gospel and to herald the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Armenian people.” He did not compromise himself nor his principles.

We began this week with the celebration of Rev. King’s life and looked at the leadership models of different clergymen. Today we add Vazken I to these extraordinary people who were charged with guiding the Church, and did so by staying focused and faithful to the principles of their Faith.

We leave today with the first prayer of the day from Psalm 50: O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. Amen.

Gregory’s Chain of Oppression

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Armodoxy for Today: Chains that oppress

At my first parish in the town of Cupertino, we embarked on a large-scale building project which included the construction of an Armenian Church in traditional Armenian architecture along with a social hall and classrooms. We started the project on faith. It was the mid-1980s and interest rates were high – that we expected. But in 1988, the unexpected happened. A large earthquake in Armenia, killing 50,000 people caused us to stop our building process to lead the massive diasporan fund raising effort to bring humanitarian aid to the devastated region. The following year, when the Loma-Prieta earthquake hit our area in Northern California, we had to put a halt on the building process as structural regulations were being redefined. It was tough maintaining a congregation in rented halls, while the building process was at a stand-still, and all the while we continued making mortgage payments.

I went to the hardware store and bought several feet of a narrow chain and cut it into small six-inch lengths. On Sunday I passed these out to the congregation and asked them carry them around with them – in their purses or pockets – as a reminder of the bondage we were in because of our debt. As we pay for items, when we reach into our pocket or pocketbook, let us be mindful that as a community we are struggling. The chains were effective, and we were able to finish the project and gained occupancy of our church.

The idea of the chains was not my own. I explained to the congregation that a Bishop named Gregory, in the 18th century, as the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, took a large chain and wrapped it around his neck as a symbol of the bonds that held him back. He was faced with a huge dept and oppressors who were trying to force the hand of the Patriarchate for a hostile takeover. He wore that chain for eight years, to keep the plight of the Patriarchate ever-before the eyes and mind of the community. He was known as Gregor Sh’ghtayakir = Gregory the Chain-bearer and was responsible for saving the Patriarchate.

This week, with Martin Luther King, Khrimian Hayrik and now the example of Bishop Gregory, we have looked at religious leaders – clergy – who have led their people to freedom from the bonds that oppress them. In each case, these leaders tapped into the creative energy with which they were endowed. They used that creativity, whether by words, deeds or example, to inspire people to action, to move from oppression and submission to freedom. Like all good parents, they set the tone, share the message and give freedom to become free. It’s the same way Jesus taught, and therefore, how he led.

We pray from Rev. King’s prayers, The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face to shine upon thee. The Lord lift up the light of His countenance unto thee and be with thee in thy going out and coming in, in thy labor and in thy leisure, in thy moments of joy and in thy moments of sorrow, until the day when there shall be no sunset and no dawning.