In Henri Nouwen’s book, Sabbatical Journeys, he writes about some friends who were trapeze artists and called themselves “The Flying Roudellas.” One thing they told Nouwen was that there’s a very special relationship between the flyer and the catcher on the trapeze. As you might imagine, this relationship is important – especially to the flyer. When the flyer is swinging high above the crowd on the trapeze, the moment comes when he must let go. He arcs out into the air and his job is to remain as still as possible waiting for the strong hands of the catcher to pluck him from the air. The trapeze artist told Nouwen, “the flyer must never try to catch the catcher. He must wait in patient and absolute trust. The catcher will catch him, but he must wait.”

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7

I love you, St Markians, Fr Ash+

STEP FIVE IN A.A.: “We . . . admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”
Keith Miller writes about his own experience with how hard this step can be. Keith, a Protestant, called a Catholic priest who lived 500 miles away and asked, “Would you hear my confession?” He made a long list of his character flaws and defects and the many people he had wronged. Then he traveled to the priest’s home city, sat before him, and read aloud the entire list without even looking up. At the end, Miller held his head in his hands, waiting for a response. There was none. There was nothing but silence. Miller kept expecting the blow to fall. Nothing. When he finally forced himself to raise his head, he saw that the priest was crying, “My God, Keith,” he said, “that’s my list too.”
To this day, Keith attributes his healing to the honesty of that encounter. He later developed a ritual each night of creating a mini-inventory of his short comings, confessing those and jotting a note to make amends, if appropriate. Then, breathing a prayer of gratitude, he goes to sleep.
….and when, in my earlier life I hit bottom, Jesus offered his hand, assuring me that the bottom was firm.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16
I love you, St Markians, Dcn Ash

Curate’s Corner
The Rev Dr. Ashley M. Classen, Curate
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Irving, Texas

In May 1996, journalist Jon Krakauer was part of an expedition that made it to the top of Mount Everest. Twelve of his compatriots were killed in the highly publicized descent, a story that Krakauer records in his fascinating book, Into Thin Air. He begins his account by describing his feelings on May 10, 1996, as he reached 29,035 feet , the highest spot on earth:

“Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet. I understood on some dim, detached level that the sweep of earth beneath my feet was a spectacular sight. I had been fantasizing about this moment, and the release of emotion that would accompany it, for years. But now that I was finally here, actually standing on the summit of Everest, I just couldn’t summon the energy to care…I snapped four quick photos…then turned and headed down. My watch read 1:17 p.m. All told, I’d spent less than five minutes on the roof of the world.”

Having spent time in Colorado where the 14,000 foot summits gained my greatest respect, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would want to spend $50,000 just for an initial permit and wait years for the opportunity to climb a mountain twice that high. I’ve been wondering, why do men take on insurmountable mountains often at the risk of being greatly disappointed? Could it be that Pascal was right when he wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator; made known through Jesus Christ.”

Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave as well” Simon Peter replied, “Master where else would we go, to whom would we turn? You alone have the words that give eternal life.” John 6:68-69

Love and Peace to you all, St Markians, Deacon Ash

Curate’s Corner
The Rev. Dr. Ashley M. Classen, Curate
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Irving

I once knew a man who fell into a pit…a really deep pit. Respectable people came along and said: “We don’t associate with pit-dwellers.” An empathist came along and said: “I really feel for you in that pit.” A psychiatrist came along and said: “It can be very destructive to remove people from pits they were born in.” A psychologist came along and said: “Accept your pit, that way you’ll be happy.” A religious fundamentalist came along and said: “You deserve your pit.” A religious liberal came along and said: “Your pit is God’s beautiful gift to you.” A charismatic came along and said: “Just confess you’re not in that pit.” His mother came along and said: “It’s your father’s fault you’re in that pit.” His father came along and said: “It’s your mother’s fault you’re in that pit.” His wife came along and said: “It’s all my fault you’re in that pit.” But Jesus came and seeing the man, loved him, and reaching into the pit put his arms around him and pulled him out.
We all have our stories that are profoundly important because they tell where we’ve been, where we are, why we believe what we believe, and give hope to other pit dwellers. You have just read mine.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He rescues me from the pit and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Ps. 103:3-5

I love you, St. Markians, Deacon Ash