CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas
NOVEMBER 2022 CHRISTCHURCHCATHEDRAL.ORG
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Your true life
November begins with one of my favorite days in the church year, All Saints Day. For the earliest Christians, saints were not superheroes but people like you and me who struggle and fail every day. The beloved hymn, “I sing a song of the saints of God,” conveys this ancient understanding of sainthood:
THE VERY REV. GARY JONES
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea, in church or in trains, or in shops, or at tea; for the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.
Interestingly, in the ancient definition of a saint, you already are one. Paul would sometimes address his letters “to all the saints” who were in a particular city, and then he would give them a hard time about how poorly they were behaving. Saints were not perfect, they were people who had been baptized because they sensed God’s presence and activity in their lives, and they wanted to respond as well as they could. It’s the same for us — in the midst of our sometimes mundane lives and frequent failures, we sense that something beautiful and miraculous persists, and we want to give ourselves more completely to this, our true life. So, on All Saints, when we turn our attention to those who have gone on to the next life, we remember extraordinary people whom everyone knows, but we also remember lesser known people who are especially dear to us, people who have gone on to the next life, but who are still very much present to us. I think especially of certain family members, friends, and mentors whom I have loved and
TRUE, page 5
The key to a spiritual practice is simply to begin When asked why it is important to develop and sustain a spiritual practice, Dean Gary Jones finds the alternative quite dispiriting. “If a person is quite happy being anxious, stressed, and depressed then no need to turn your attention to this,” he jokes. Although Dean Jones grew up at home in The Episcopal Church, it was a relationship with The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, the oldest Episcopal monastic community, that cemented his own spiritual practices.
“It was then that I truly learned to pray in these ancient, Christian contemplative ways,” Dean Jones said, “and it began to open up for me the great gift of Jesus’ own teaching on prayer: ‘When you pray,’ Jesus said, ‘go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret there will reward you.’ ” Dean Jones continued to explore on his own and eventually began sharing what he
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, page 6
2023 EMC Loyalty Sunday Support the ministries of the Cathedral by making a pledge this fall. We hope you will faithfully consider offering your financial support by pledging to the Cathedral’s 2023 Every Member Canvass (EMC), a true investment in future mission and ministry. November 13 is Loyalty Sunday, the day by which we hope to have all pledges returned. On that day, during each service we’ll say a special blessing for the pledges we have received.
Ways to make your pledge: • Return the pledge card you received by mail to: 1117 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002. • Make a pledge over the phone at 713-590-3338 or by email by contacting Minister for Stewardship Karen Kraycirik at kkraycirik@christchurchcathedral.org. • Pledging online is easy. Learn more at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/emc