| It's
a cool rainy day in late September here at StLukesinthe Wood,
the home of Stan and Carolyn Tanner, both of us members. I am
the Prior General for the Order, a retired United Methodist pastor,
and a full-time resident on the grounds of the Empire Grove Camp
Meeting Association in East Poland, Maine. We have owned this
cottage for 35 years now, and have been living here for seven
years.
 My
work as Prior General involves two major responsibilities. I administer
the Hoyt Hickman Award, that is given each year to a graduating
senior at the United Methodist seminaries, and some other seminaries
that have a substantial United Methodist presence in the student
body. It is given to a graduating senior who, in the opinion of
a faculty committee, has shown a high degree of liturgical scholarship
and a high degree of skill in leading public worship. Along with
the certificate of award goes a chalice and paten set from the
Order. Preston Rice, a potter in Pennsylvania, who will also sell
them to members of the Order, makes these. Contact him at erice@altoonasd.com,
if you are interested.
The
other task is arranging the location of, and program for, the
Annual Retreat of the Order, held around October 18th. This is
a major task that I carry out in coordination with our Chancellor
General. I am particularly pleased with the plans for the 2006
Retreat in Greensburg, PA. The presenters will be first rate,
and the topic very relevant to our use of the psalms in personal
devotion, public worship, and preaching.
Our
part of Maine is near the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn,
but seems to be very secluded. We enjoy the wildlife of all sizes
and the changing seasons. Right now the hardwood leaves are varying
shades of green, red, orange, yellow, and combinations thereof.
On a sunny day, it is a stunning sight. Life here at the Grove,
as we call it, is quiet and restful. This has been the site for
a ten-day camp meeting since 1834. There are a number of cottages
and other buidlings here that were first constructed in the late
1800's. Some have been left pretty much alone, except for needed
repairs. Others, like ours, have been remodeled, added to, wired,
plumbed, re-roofed, or whatever was needed to make them year-round
residences. Many are privately owned, but others are available
for nominal rents for use as a vacation spot. I'd be glad to talk
with anyone about an inexpensive place to stay as a base from
which to explore Maine on vacation.
Well,
it's time to start the fire in our wood stove. Why don't you join
us, we'll throw another log on and talk about life.
Shalom,
Stanley
Tanner, OSL
September,
2006
 Dear
Siblings,
We’ve all heard the old hymn, but every time I sing it I
hear the booming bass voice of my professor, Van Bogart Dunn:
“Like a mighty turtle, moves the Church of God! Siblings,
we are treading where we’ve always trod.” “Bogie,”
as we called him, was a long-time professor of New Testament at
The Methodist Theological School in Ohio. His love of “honesty
in hymn singing” also included “Lord, we’re
not able, we never have been! Through all your love we just waller
in sin.” Crazy memories from those wonderful days of grad-school,
yes; but telling for us as an Order.
Many folks have asked if we can change the annual reaffirmation
process to an electronic one, rather than a paper one. The short
answer is “not this year, but we’re working on it”.
The Constitution does require that one communicate one’s
affirmation of The Rule of Life and Service to the Chancellor
General annually in writing. I’m not enough of a legalist
to presume that this means on paper, but we haven’t been
able to institute the kind of software protections that I think
we need to be transferring money through cyber-space. I think
that the technology is now available, it’s just that we
don’t yet have it. I will be working with those of our siblings
who are more techno-savvy than I in the coming months and hope
to bring a proposal to the Council of the General Chapter in the
spring. For this year, however, we’re a mighty turtle. Please
make every effort to return your annual affirmation form to my
office via postal mail by October 18th.
But,
as I write this note on September 6th, I know that we also tread
“where the saints have trod”. I have been devastated
by news of parishioners who have had catastrophic health care
needs at locations far distant from White Sulphur Springs, West
Virginia, in recent weeks. The cell phone technology that we all
enjoy (or sometimes tolerate) has been helpful, but I’ve
felt very removed from these parishioners, who are also friends.
Within
the past 24 hours, I have learned of two members of my parish
who have both been diagnosed with cancer and will both undergo
extended periods of chemo-therapy at a distant hospital. I want
to be there; but distance, schedule, and family responsibility
do not allow it. I turned to my siblings this afternoon in my
time of need. A quick search of the OSL directory led me to a
brother whom I’ve never met, but who lives in the same city
as the distant hospital that houses my friends. I called, and
found him in his office.
“Brother, do you accept the call to service?”
“I do. But who, may I ask, is this?”
We, two brothers who have never met, chatted a long while on the
phone. He will see my parishioners on a regular basis during their
treatment, and stay in touch with me. I will travel there in a
few days and we will do visits together, and share a meal. Ministry
is accomplished. Grace showers on us all. The Order is family
– in the truest sense of the word.
 I
walk today where saints have trod. An only child by birth, I have
the joy of some 700 siblings around the world. The family with
whom I share my home consists of my wife, three boys, two cats,
a cockatiel, and a hound dog. The family with whom I share ministry
in this Order consists of brothers and sisters whom I know and
love, and those whom I may never meet, but love anyway. And they
love me. And they pray for me. Lord, I am able! My spirit is Thine!
“Thy guiding radiance above us shall be a beacon to God,
to love, and loyalty.”
Br. Chancellor-General W. Brent Sturm, O.S.L.
September, 2006
The
Chancellor General and his family: (from left) Sr. Meredith A.
Sturm, OSL; Daniel, Eric and Stephen Sturm; and Br. W. Brent Sturm,
OSL
The
inquiries I most often get, as Provincial General, involve requests
for program ideas and ways to get a chapter started or motivated.
Here's what I suggest:
Announce an evening or morning prayer service and invite folks
who are interested in liturgy, the sacraments, and spiritual growth
to meet with you. Invite a time of discussion about these topics,
either before or after you lead the service, and share with others
your knowledge of The Order.
When you meet, use the appropriate service from The Daily Office
and see what happens. Try to make meeting a regular thing -- every
month, for example. Geographic distances are often the most common
challenge, so your meetings may need to be once a quarter.
With an appropriate presider present, be sure to include Eucharist
in your meeting plans. In addition to this spiritual feeding,
it is often good to share a meal together (a sack lunch, prepared
meal at a church, or visit a local restaurant). Fellowship at
the table is always valuable to social organizations.
When you meet, hand out copies of Origin, Mission, Vision (the
general information brochure about the Order). Use The Rule of
Life and Service (and its interpretive document), all down-loadable
from the newly reconstructed OSL website: www.saint-luke.org.
Later chapter meetings can include discussion topics on The Rule
of Life and Service, This Holy Mystery (Eucharist), By Water and
the Spirit (baptism), etc. You can also schedule a spiritual retreat
and invite a seminary professor or local pastor (and OSL-member)
to be a resource / retreat master.
When your chapter or association is ready to reactivate or be
more formal about belonging to the Order of Saint Luke, contact
me. I'll send you a copy of the Guidelines for Relationship with
the Order of Saint Luke for your review and use. I may also ask
for a new Covenanting Document so we may have updated knowledge
of your chapter's activities and goals.
Br.
Provincial General George Crisp
September, 2006
Grace
to you, and peace, in Jesus Christ. Welcome to the Order of Saint
Luke web site.
 Besides
belonging to the Order of Saint Luke, I also belong to the Society
for American Baseball Research, better known as SABR. I'm
not the Abbot of SABR, first because they have a President and
wouldn't really want an Abbot, and second because being Abbot
(not to mention Professor of Worship) is enough for me right now.
In SABR, I’m a lurker. I do confess to thinking about baseball
research projects that I would like to do someday, somewhere in
the distant future. One piece of baseball history that fascinates
me is the practice of "barnstorming" that existed primarily
in the days before television broadcasts and easily available
highlight shows. Now, when Barry Bonds hits a milestone home run,
one can see film clips of it shortly thereafter. Not so in the
old days. In an earlier era, folks in small towns across the country
might see the stars play in exhibition games as teams "worked
their way north" in the last weeks of spring training. Also,
various all star teams would tour smaller cities and towns throughout
the late fall. Thus one hears various stories about the time Babe
Ruth came to town and hit a home run on the local field. At least
some of the stories are true. I thought, “Someone should
research this practice and write a book.” Then this week,
my McFarland and Company, Inc. (look it up) catalog arrived with
this new title listed: Barnstorming and Exhibition Games,
1901-1962, A History of Off-Season Major League Play written
by Thomas Barthel. It’s due for release in November. I’ll
be ordering it. I was delighted to see that someone else had written
it. When and if I decide that it’s time for me to do a serious
piece of research on baseball, there will be plenty of other topics
to address.
 Several
thoughts: (1) The McFarland catalog is really cool. If you’re
a baseball nerd, just reading the titles is fun. (2) The recent
explosion of serious baseball research, much of it by amateurs
and scholars from other fields, makes me wonder what would happen
if more members of the Order—and not just the professors
and doctoral students—would think of themselves as serious
researchers on liturgical life and chroniclers of the same? After
all, we are an order dedicated to liturgical scholarship, education,
and practice.
Many
of you are in a position to do significant reflection on the worship
of the church as it is now being practiced. I would be particularly
interested in hearing more stories about congregations that have
made significant progress toward weekly Eucharist at the principle
Lord’s Day service. I would also be interested in hearing
stories of those who failed in this process, for we can learn
from them as well. Those of you who are pastors and other leaders
in local congregations are in a position to do significant reflection,
and I’m hoping that some of you will, so to speak, step
up to the plate and hear that call.
August,
2006
Br.
Mark Stamm, Abbot, Order of Saint Luke
Associate Professor of Christian Worship, Perkins School of Theology,
SMU
Member, Hall-Ruggles Chapter (Dallas-Ft. Worth area), SABR.
I
recently took my dog, Deacon, to obedience school. Deacon is a
mixed-breed Boxer-Labrador Retriever-Chow ("Boxrador Chowtriever?"):
sixty-odd pounds of muscle and heart, but not much evidence of
brains. I was amazed at the seemingly-miraculous way the dog trainer
(well, owner trainer really) was able to get my hopelessly goofy
dog to behave. When asked about her secret, she solemnly replied,
"It's easy. You just have to be more interesting than dirt."
Huh?
She
went on to explain that dogs are driven to investigate what they
smell more than what they see--which explained her pockets full
of liver and cheese! Dirt is an extremely interesting, even compelling,
sensory experience for dogs--akin to our version of a really exciting
news feed. Our task as dog owners was to overcome their innate
interest in investigating the dirt around them so that they would
pay attention to us!
It
seems to me that the way one goes about this is instructive to
us in the Order. You have to throw yourself into the relationship
and interaction with complete enthusiasm and abandon. You must
be willing to risk looking foolish. You have to let your joy be
infectious in order to make any progress!
 Ministry
note to self: "Be more interesting than dirt."
Maybe
we ought to think in these terms in the Order of Saint Luke. I'm
not suggesting that we try all kinds of gimmicks to attract people
to our message. I'm saying that if we are going to be effective
in our apostolate of liturgical education and sacramental living
we must be "more interesting than dirt." Just like beating
a dog does not do much for training it, we must attract the attention
of the Church in a positive manner. We must magnify the sacraments
with such enthusiasm and integrity--that is, it must truly and
joyfully flow from who we really are--that we become a compelling
witness to the sacramental life.
Or,
we could always try liver and cheese in our pockets.
Br.
Stephen B. Ball, OSL
Webscribe
July,
2006
Yes,
this really is my dog.
Yes,
his name really is Deacon.
If he ever passes obedience school
I'm gonna rename him "Elder."
If he does REALLY well maybe I'll
call him "Bishop." |
