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C AT H E D R A L Q U A R T E R LY s FALL 2021
Giving
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S S 5 s
A Letter from the Dean by The Very Reverend Kate Moorehead S 7 s
Money: Where the Rubber Hits the Road by The Very Reverend Kate Moorehead S 9 s
The Place Where We Are Right by Yehuda Amichai S 11 s
Giving by The Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera S 13 s
A Prayer from Bishop Steven Charleston Former Bishop of the Diocese of Alaska and Dean of Episcopal Divinity School S 15 s
Generosity: The Deepest Characteristic of God by The Rev. Dr. John Rowan Claypool IV S 19 s
The Discipline of Simplicity – The Bible and Simplicity by Richard Foster
E M A I L . V I S I T. F O L L O W.
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O U R M I S S I O N Inspired by the love of Jesus, we are building the kingdom of heaven, where differing people live in community, serving God and each other.
C A R T O O N | Michael Leunig
A LETTER FROM THE DEAN
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When John the Baptist warned people that the Messiah was coming, they asked him what they should do to prepare. This is what he said: “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” (Luke 3:11) How strange! John did not tell them to pray. He told them to give. Jesus was similar. He spoke more about giving than he spoke about praying. Thus, when we consider the spiritual life, giving is more important than praying. Giving is essential. We live in a culture of taking, of buying and selling. We are accustomed to accumulation and production. Our entire society is built on the notion that we must keep consuming. That is how we roll. But the life of the spirit runs not on taking but on giving. SO HOW DO WE BEGIN? HOW DO WE GET STARTED?
This Cathedral Quarterly focuses on the art and practice of giving. It touches upon the reasons why we give, the spiritual fulfillment that is generated from giving and the miracle of the church itself. We begin with an article from my new book which will be published in January, followed by a brilliant piece from the Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera, some words of wisdom from the Rev. Dr. John Claypool, one of the most brilliant Episcopal authors I know, and we conclude with words from theologian Richard Foster on the art of simplicity. Do not be overwhelmed by the concept of giving. There should be no shame or guilt associated with giving. Giving is a joyful act, a miraculous act that can change the world. Open this Quarterly to explore its mysteries. In Christ’s love,
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“THE CHURCH LIVES COUNTER CULTURALLY. WE WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING FOR OUR FELLOW BELIEVERS TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE LIBERATING JOY THAT CAN ONLY BE FOUND WHEN WE GIVE, SO WE WAIT FOR GENEROSITY.”
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MONEY: WHERE THE R U B B E R H I T S T H E ROA D By The Very Reverend Kate Moorehead An excerpt from Find It: The Vital Signs of the Spiritual Life to be published by Forward Movement Publications (2022) IT IS ONE THING TO GIVE AWAY SOME STUFF THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT USE. IT IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING TO GIVE AWAY MONEY BECAUSE WE CAN ALWAYS U S E M O N E Y . Money has become the equivalent of worth. Our language is crystal clear: we talk about a person’s net worth. How much more direct can we get? The more money you have, the more valuable you are. We have gotten money confused with love itself.
The worship of money, the belief that money can help us and solve our problems, this is called idolatry. If you ask most anyone if they worship money, they will probably say no. But it is not true. All of us worship money and we are afraid to go without it. Without money, our lives are at risk. Money is security, and it is control. With money, I can fly anywhere in the world and get people to do almost anything for me. Without money, I have no power and no influence. There is no denying that money is an instrument of power and prestige in our world. And yet, if we allow money to be worshipped, it will become our master. We will find ourselves constantly checking our bank accounts, storing up for retirement, working so hard that we do not enjoy life and forgetting that money is for our use. We can get so accustomed to the accumulation of money that we are afraid to be without it. We hoard it and hide it. We do not speak of our salaries in this culture. A person will describe their intricate abdominal surgery to me, but they will not tell me how much money they earn. It is sacrosanct. We must hide this information, or someone might try to take our money from us. We swim in this culture. It is the air that we breathe, the reality that we exist within. Every day, we are told in so many ways that people want to take our money. We are trained to believe that we need money to survive. And it is true. We couldn’t live without money, so how do we follow Jesus? Jesus’ life seems so far away from ours, an impossible dream. Where do we begin? S 7 s
We begin, as with all the areas of the spiritual life, by taking small steps. We begin by giving. We simply take a dollar and put it in an offering plate. And then move on from there. One step at a time. When you think of it, the church today is a miracle. The fact that the church exists at all is a sign of God’s great love. Why? Because the church is free. We do not charge admission. All we ask is that people give. What a concept! The church lives counter culturally. We want more than anything for our fellow believers to begin to understand the liberating joy that can only be found when we give, so we wait for generosity. We trust that our people will come through and we will be able to keep our doors open. Believe me, it is a scary way to live, but life-giving and miraculous. Every year, I must believe that we can raise millions of dollars so that we can care for our beautiful campus, hire our staff and do our ministry. Every year, we start with nothing and pray for the generosity of our people. Every year, we trust in God. It is the worst business plan ever and the most beautiful miracle ever. We are free.
FREE LIBRARY
T H E P L AC E WHERE WE ARE RIGHT Yehuda Amichai
From the place where we are right flowers will never grow in the spring. The place where we are right is hard and trampled like a yard. But doubt and loves dig up the world like a mole, a plow. And a whisper will be heard in the place where the ruined house once stood.
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“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE RELEASE WHAT MONEY WE HAVE? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELEASED FROM BURDENS BY THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS?”
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GIVING By The Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera WHEN MY SON-IN-LAW WAS UNDERGOING MEDICAL T R E A T M E N T S at Massachusetts General Hospital my daughter received a phone call from their insurance company. “Do you have any other insurance providers?” The implication, boldly stated, was that his expenses would not be covered by their insurance. The cost of surgery and chemotherapy and radiation and the loss of an ability to work and manage the company would become a major stressor, one faced by many families in the United States. The Episcopal News Service (ENS) continues to highlight congregations whose generosity relieves medical debt. A former colleague from Massachusetts, the Rev. Beth Maynard, now serves a congregation in Illinois. Her parish had a budget surplus of $15,000 from a capital campaign that they directed to RIP Medical Debt. By adding what she could to this fund, her parish was able to help RIP Medical Debt wipe away $4million of debt for 3,617 households in 2019 just before the start of the pandemic. A newer post on the ENS shows how far this practice has continued to spread. Which made me think about the reciprocity of release. What happens when we release what money we have? What happens when we are released from burdens by the generosity of others? What is our currency? What do we have to offer in the world? What does a sharing economy look like? For me it looks a lot like the kingdom of God, or Jesus might say it looks like “kin-dom.” Our faith is a reciprocal one, flowing from a generous God in and through generous people. This stewardship of our currency is about more than money as you know. And it is also most definitely a mirror of our faith, a witness that changes the lives of others. “We send a collective message of care from and for the communities we serve.” We are bound by God to each other; we are kin. Jesus spoke about giving in terms of reciprocity…forgive us our debts as we forgive those of others. He used many parables to show how generosity was our mandate as people of faith. One of my aunts used to critique the church she no longer attended. “They make such a big deal about the offering plates, singing and such, as if it was so important,” she said. It is important and seeing that we honor the giving sends a signal to me that this is part of faithful behavior. It makes me happy when I see generosity in action. The world cannot live without it. Sometimes it is not about the vision of a gift campaign, gathering pledges to support our desire to maintain and expand our common home. It is always about faith. A measure of what has been given, pressed down and overflowing.
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B I S H O P S T E V E N C H A R L E S O N | in Alaska
A P R AY E R F R O M B I S H O P STEVEN CHARLESON Former Bishop of the Diocese of Alaska and Dean of Episcopal Divinity School
Let me tithe my blessings, please Spirit, to any who may be in need. You have been generous with me, Spirit of abundant life, you have helped me in more ways than I can number. I am ever grateful to you and I never take your mercies for granted. I have held what I have received and tried to use it well.
But now I offer up my tithe of blessings, returning them gladly so they may be shared with another. I can think of so many who are deserving, so many who could use an extra portion of grace right now. Please let it be so, Spirit of kindness, let my offering make someone else rejoice in an unexpected hope. Let me do unto others as you have done with me, that in sharing I might help others discover what I have found: a love unconditional and a compassion unending.
Amen.
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“IT IS WHEN OUR BLOOD STOPS CIRCULATING THAT OUR BODIES GET SICK; IT IS WHEN MONEY IS HOARDED AND DOES NOT MOVE THROUGH THE ECONOMY THAT A FINANCIAL DEPRESSION SETS IN; IT IS WHEN BODIES OF WATER ARE STAGNANT THAT THEY CANNOT SUSTAIN MUCH LIFE.”
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GENEROSITY: THE DEEPEST C H A R AC T E R I S T I C O F G O D From The First to Follow by Rev. Dr. John Rowan Claypool IV
ONE OF THE MOST CONSISTENT THEMES OF MY LIFE IS MY CONVICTION THAT GENEROSITY IS T H E D E E P E S T C H A R A C T E R I S T I C O F G O D . We see this noble quality of the mystery throughout holy scripture. At the bottom of reality is a spirit of generosity, and when you and I are spiritually healthy we want to share the good things that happen to us and turn them into gifts for somebody else. It is only when we are spiritually unhealthy that we want to keep the good that comes to us for ourselves instead of sharing it with others. If we clutch what is good in our lives closer to ourselves then we have let our wills become crossed with the divine principle within us. Sharing generously is the essence of loving intimacy.
One of the best parts of my marriage to Ann is the delight that we both receive in sharing nearly everything. Both of us work and have busy lives, and there is nothing more pleasing than to come home at the end of the day to hear her say, “I have so much good news to share with you. I have many things to tell you.” Then we share whatever the day has given us. And the gifts of the day become presents to each other. I believe this is a vital part of what it means to be made in the image of God. And when Philip was invited by this Generous One to follow him, he must have felt that this news was much too good to keep for himself. So he shared the gift of Jesus with Nathanael. I think
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that we are never closer to the primal joy of existence than when we let the flow of grace come into us gratefully and move out through us generously. It is when our blood stops circulating that our bodies get sick; it is when money is hoarded and does not move through the economy that a financial depression sets in; it is when bodies of water are stagnant that they cannot sustain much life. These examples suggest to me that the true richness of being made in the image of God can only thrive in a spirit of generosity. One of my favorite stories is told by Anthony de Mello about a holy man who reached the outskirts of a village one night and settled down under a tree. The sannyasi had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone, the stone, give me the precious stone.” “What stone?” asked the sannyasi. “Last night, the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream,” said the villager, and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk, I would find sannyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.” The sannyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. “He probably meant this one,” he said as he handed the stone over to the villager. “I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it.” The man looked at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond. Probably the largest diamond in the world, for it was as large as a man’s head. He took the diamond and walked away. All night long, he tossed about on his bed, unable to sleep. Next day at the crack of dawn, he woke the sannyasi and said, “Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily.” I have often heard it said “There are no pockets in a shroud”- for death is going to make generous givers of us all. We came into this world with absolutely nothing, receive everything we have in this life, and we are going to give back everything at the end of our lives in history. This should give us our best clue as to what is really important in life.
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1 0 0 0 M U S E U M S | Betty LaDuke S 17 s
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“ … G O D I N T E N D S T H AT W E S H O U L D H A V E A D E Q U AT E M AT E R I A L P R O V I S I O N . T H E R E I S M I S E R Y TO D AY F R O M A S I M P L E L A C K O F PROVISION, JUST AS THERE IS MISERY WHEN P E O P L E T RY TO M A K E A L I F E O U T O F P R O V I S I O N .”
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THE DISCIPLINE OF SIMPLICITY– THE BIBLE AND SIMPLICITY From Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FORGE A CHRISTIAN VIEW O F S I M P L I C I T Y , it is necessary to destroy the prevailing notion that the Bible is ambiguous about economic issues. So often it is felt that our response to wealth is an individual matter. The Bible’s teaching in this area is said to be strictly a matter of private interpretation. We tried to believe that Jesus did not address himself to practical economic questions. No serious reading of Scripture can substantiate such a view. The biblical injunctions against the exploitation of the poor and the accumulation of wealth are clear and straightforward. The Bible challenges nearly every economic value of contemporary society. For example, the Old Testament takes exception to the popular notion of an absolute right to private property. The earth belonged to God and therefore could not be held perpetually, and on the year of Jubilee, all land reverted to its original owner. In fact, the purpose of the year of Jubilee was to provide a regular redistribution of wealth, since wealth itself was viewed as belonging to God and not man. Such a radical view of economics flies in the face of nearly all modern belief and practice. Had Israel faithfully observed the Jubilee, it would have dealt a death blow to the perennial problem of the rich becoming richer, and the poor becoming poorer. Constantly the Bible deals decisively with the inner spirit of slavery that an idolatrous attachment to wealth brings. “If riches increase, set not your heart on them,” counsels the psalmist (Psalms 62:10). The tenth commandment S 19 s
is against covetousness, the inner lust to “have,” which leads to stealing and depression. The wise sage understood that “he who trusts in his riches will wither,” (Proverbs 11:28). Jesus declared war on the materialism of his day. The Aramaic term for wealth was “mammon,” and Jesus condemned it as a rival God: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). He spoke frequently and unambiguously to economic issues. He said, “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of
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God” and “Woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:20,24). He graphically depicted the difficulty of the wealthy entering the Kingdom of God to be like a camel walking through the eye of a needle. With God, of course, all things are possible, but Jesus clearly understood the difficulty. He saw the grip that wealth can have on the person. He knew that “where your treasure is there will your heart be also,” which is precisely why he commanded his followers: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:21, 19). He was not saying that the heart should or should not be where the treasure is. He was stating the plain fact that wherever you find the treasure you will find the heart.
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He exhorted the rich young ruler not just to have an inner attitude of detachment from his detachments, but literally to get rid of his possessions, if he wanted the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:16 -22). He said, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). He counseled people who came seeking God, “Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old with a treasure in heaven that does not fail … (Luke 12:33). He told the parable of the rich farmer, whose life centered in hoarding - and called him a fool. (Luke 12: 16 – 21). He said that if we really want the Kingdom of God, we must, like a merchant in search of fine pearls, be willing to sell everything we have to get it (Matthew 13: 45,46). He called all who would follow him to a joyful life of carefree unconcern for possessions: “Give to everyone who begs from you and of him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again: (Luke 6:30). Jesus spoke to the question of economics more than any other single social issue. If in a comparatively simple society our Lord would play such a strong emphasis on the spiritual dangers of wealth, how much more should we, who live in a highly affluent culture take seriously the economic question. The epistles reflect the same concern. Paul said, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction ( 1Timothy 6:9). A bishop should not be a “lover of money” (1Timothy 3:3). A deacon should not be “greedy for gain” (1Timothy 3:8). The writer to the Hebrews counseled, “Keep their life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never fail you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13-5). James blamed killings and wars on the lust for possessions: “You desire and do not have so you kill and you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war” (James 4:1-2). Paul called covetousness idolatry and commanded the Corinthian church to exercise stern discipline against anyone guilty of greed (Ephesians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 5-11). He listed greed alongside adultery and thievery and declared that those who live in those things would not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul counseled the wealthy not to trust in their wealth but in God, and to share generously with others (1Timothy 6:17-19). Having said this, I must hasten to add that God intends that we should have adequate material provision. There is misery today from a simple lack of provision, just as there is misery when people try to make a life out of provision. Forced poverty is evil and should be renounced. Nor does the S 22 s
Bible condone asceticism. Scripture declares consistently and forcefully that the creation is good and to be enjoyed. Asceticism makes an unbiblical division between a good spiritual world and an evil material world, and so finds salvation in paying as little attention as possible to the physical realm of existence. Asceticism and simplicity are mutually incompatible. Occasional superficial similarities in practice must never obscure the radical difference between the two. Ascetism renounces possessions. Simplicity sets possessions in proper perspective. Asceticism can find no place for a “land flowing with milk and honey.” Simplicity can rejoice in this gracious provision from the hand of God. Asceticism can find contentment only when it is abased. Simplicity knows contentment in both abasement and abounding (Philippians 4:12). Simplicity is the only thing that can sufficiently reorient our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without destroying us. Without simplicity, we will either capitulate to the “mammon” spirit of this present evil age, or we will fall into an un-Christian legalistic asceticism. Both lead to idolatry. Both are spiritually lethal. Scripture abounds in descriptions of the abundant material provision God gives his people. “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land… a land… in which you will lack nothing” (Deuteronomy 8: 7-9). It also abounds in warnings about the danger of provisions that are not kept in proper perspective. “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power in the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth’” (Deuteronomy 8:17). The Spiritual Discipline of simplicity provides the needed perspective. Simplicity sets us free to receive the provision of God as a gift that is not ours to keep and that can be freely shared with others. Once we recognize that the Bible denounces the materialist and the aesthetic with equal vigor, we are prepared to turn our attention to the framing of a Christian understanding of simplicity.
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WAY S T O G I V E W E G AT H E R T O G I V E : O U R 2 0 2 2 P L E D G E C A M P A I G N Plan to attend a “We Gather to Give” event this fall and learn how your pledge has helped others. These gatherings will take place on Zoom and in person. At each gathering, we will remember who we are and why we give to God. We will be reminded of the great purpose of this life for all who believe -- to learn to love God and neighbor. For more information, please contact Pam Searcy, psearcy@jaxcathedral.org ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL PRESERVATION FUND The Preservation Fund was created in 1986 to provide funds exclusively for the ongoing preservation, maintenance, restoration and repair of the Cathedral property and grounds. It is a 501(c)(3) with its own governing board. To assure a sacred space of God’s grace for future generations, gifts can be made to the Preservation Fund. CATHEDRAL BUILDERS FUND In 1834, St. John’s Parish consisted of a handful of parishioners and a small church in downtown Jacksonville. That tiny church was destroyed by fire and rebuilt, not once but twice. In 2019, after the disastrous fire at Notre Dame, St. John’s Cathedral established a “Cathedral Builders” Fund to address immediate building needs to ensure the safety and fire prevention of our beautiful campus. LEGACY SOCIETY The Legacy Society is our planned giving option. Gifts can be made in life, by bequest or on a deferred basis. Many of these offer significant benefits to the donor. For more information on the above funds or legacy giving, please contact Debbie Johnson, djohnson@ jaxcathedral.org. THE STANLY AND CLAUDIA GORDON MUSIC ENDOWMENT Over the coming years the St. John’s music department hopes to increase our musical offerings with the goal of becoming one of the premier Cathedral music departments in the country. To this end, the Stanly and Claudia Gordon Music Endowment was established in 2013 by one of St. John’s most generous music donors and advocates, the late Claudia Gordon. For more information on how to include the Gordon Endowment in your estate planning or donate, please contact Timothy Tuller, Canon for Music, ttuller@jaxcathedral.org
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CATHEDRAL QUARTERLY EDITORIAL BOARD Nancy Purcell, Managing Editor Owene Courtney The Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera Joe O’Shields ADVISOR The Very Reverend Kate Moorehead
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“WHOEVER BRINGS BLESSING WILL BE ENRICHED, AND ONE WHO WATERS WILL HIMSELF BE WATERED.” ~ PROVERBS 11:25
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