Part II: "Ask Bishop Todd"

Interview Series with Bishop Todd Hunter
(Led by Fr. Kevin Miller)

PART 2 OF 5:

Q: You’re a lifelong Southern Californian, but you moved your home to Nashville last year, and you moved the diocesan office to Nashville this year. What do you hope these moves will do? And how do you like living in Nashville?  

Bishop Todd Hunter:

We moved to an area of Nashville called Franklin. We love it here. We do not miss the “place” of Southern California at all! But we do miss family and friends. The last couple months we have been having “Zoom-Easter” and “Zoom-birthday parties” with our family and friends in California. 

We moved to Tennessee for a few reasons: First, I am 64, and I hope to work another ten years, but we needed to put the finishing touches on a plan for retirement over the next decade—and there is no way we can afford to retire in coastal Orange County, CA. Second, Debbie’s brother and sister-in-law, with whom we are close, live in Franklin. Third, and I’d guess surprising to many of you, most C4SO churches are closer to Nashville than to Southern California.  

So we hope the move will settle Debbie and me for the future and will settle C4SO too. C4SO is now 54 churches spread all over America, from coast to coast, in fifteen states. We have excellent, anointed, godly leaders around the country. But we need a hub that can serve the activity associated with the rapid growth of C4SO. The idea is that the Franklin hub, with me, operations, communications and finance, etc., will enable the trusted leaders and local churches to pursue fruitful ministry. I will soon announce the specifics of this new plan and the associated personnel.

Photo Credit: c4so.org

Part I: "Ask Bishop Todd"

Interview Series with Bishop Todd Hunter
(Led by Fr. Kevin Miller)

Part 1 of 5:

Q: You frequently talk about being a “non-anxious presence” in the world. What are your recommendations for people in this time of heightened anxiety?

Bishop Todd Hunter:
The unknown is a heavy weight that is a constant part of human life. One study from last week showed that:

·      100% of surveyed Americans agree they’ll snap if stay-at-home orders last longer than six months. 

·      1 in 4 adults have already reached their wits’ end.

·      Top breaking point issues are loneliness, frequent arguments with loved ones, constant anxiety.

Regarding anxiety, the first consideration for many Christians is this: Try not to compound anxiety with guilt or shame or hiding/isolating. Most experiences of anxiety are not sinful. They are simply human reactions to life that we bring to our wise, gracious, loving Father as we seek to cultivate an inner self in which anxiety doesn’t rule us. What we do want to shoot for is not being controlled by anxiety. This is possible because as human beings we are not merely our emotions. Our thoughts, wills and soul can be brought to bear in helping us deal maturely with feelings such as anxiety. I am aware that there are cases in which anxiety has underlying causes that require medication and therapy, but that cannot be tackled in this space.

The better path to peace is simple to ask, with a faith-filled, child-like attitude: “God, why am I feeling this way?” Then gently begin to pull things back until you get to the underlying cause. When you do, you will find God waiting there with a smile, and with deliverance little-by-little, day-by-day.

It is astounding to me that some of the best biblical advice on dealing with anxiety comes from Peter. Peter who:

·      Was filled with so much anxiety he denied knowing the Lord;

·      Whose anxiety overflowed in odd ways on the Mount of Transfiguration

·      Who in the midst of a storm, joined the other disciples in anxiously accusing Jesus: “Lord, don’t you care that we are about to drown?” 

 “Don’t you care…” Think about those words again. Consider that they came from very same person who wrote: Cast all your anxiety on Jesus because he cares for you… (1 Peter 5.7) Apparently, the three occasions listed above, along with being forgiven and redeployed in the famous beach scene in John 21, taught Peter something about what one does in the grip of serious anxiety: cast it upon Jesus. 

Peter’s thought seems to be: take any affliction, difficulty, hardship, misfortune, trouble, or complicated circumstance and toss it out of your hands and on to Jesus. Let it go!

Why? Because Jesus has the characteristic strength and wisdom to be completely competent love for us. “He cares” means that he takes an interest in us. Jesus is attentive. He has regard for us. Peter seems to think that anxiety is banished in favor of a revelation into the reality of being cared for--and an invitation to a new kind of life in which worry is unnecessary…the knowing that it does not add anything good to life (Matthew 6).

Lastly, the notion that “he cares for you” is crucial. Jesus’ care is not an abstract notion. It is a deeply personal experience of knowing a specific, personal kind of care.  This is why Peter, apparently an expert on anxiety, does not tell us to stuff anxious feelings, and just get on with life. He knows such an approach to anxiety will pop out in behaviors that make life even harder. Instead, Peter is inviting us to notice what we are going through, and to peacefully and faithfully name the anxiety associated with it in the midst of Jesus, who cares for us.

One last thing—and I can’t say much about it, but: commonly, we cannot get at anxiety directly. We also must train other aspects of our being through the wise, grace-based use of appropriately chosen spiritual disciplines and with the help of a spiritual director or a mature spiritual friend. 

If you find yourself struggling in these days of uncertainty, perhaps we could begin with contemplating a simple thought: God is here with us. He is not surprised by what is happening in the world. He created and sustains the whole cosmos. This means he has shoulders and a heart big enough that you can cast your cares/anxieties upon him. He is utterly capable love. He is able and ready to help…thus the invitation to let our worries and fears go. 

Now, before you set this article down, simply rest a moment in God’s presence. Let his grace settle and strengthen you - let Him give you what you need today to non-anxiously be and do in the manner of Jesus.

Photo Credit: c4so.org

Join Savior in our Mission to Support Others

I am continually struck by the powerful experience that I receive when I help others. Yes - it takes discipline. Yes - it takes energy to prioritize others above yourself. Yes - it takes financial sacrifice to give outwardly. But the reward is greater than you can imagine.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Dear friends of the Savior, we have the opportunity to support those around us that are experiencing need. I encourage you to visit the Giving page of our website, and prayerfully consider giving in this challenging season of the Coronavirus.

Welcome Whitney Burns, Director of Communications

In mid-March, Savior welcomed Whitney Burns as the new Director of Communications. Get to know her a little better in the interview below!

Whitney, RW, Flora and Birdie

What is your role at Church of the Savior?

I am the Communications Director! My main focus each week is to produce the weekly Order of Service, newsletter, and update our website. It is my goal for friends of the Savior to feel well equipped through these various channels of communication, so we all can engage and live in the church’s beautiful community.

Where are you from, and where do you live now?

I’m a Wheaton native, living here since birth; I live with my husband (RW) and our three delightful daughters (Flora, Birdie, and Dorothy (“Dot”)).

What do you do when you’re not working for Savior?

I am a mom, birth doula and lover of nature. I absolutely love working in my garden, growing flowers from seed and fighting against weeds that never stop sprouting.

What is a piece of interesting trivia about you?

I have a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do!

The Artistic Journey of Creating Holy Week Banners & Altar Cloth - by JoAnn McNeely

Several months ago, I was asked to make some new banners that could be used during Holy Week. I normally start the process of making banners with some brainstorming. I look at the colors used during that liturgical season and then research any symbols that might be associated with it. Then I begin to sketch ideas. 

This time the process was a bit different. I started by considering the color. Though at Savior we begin Holy Week in purple, we soon switch to red, as red is the appropriate color to use

This next step is where everything changed! Before I even began to think about images or to brainstorm, a fully formed design came to mind. I was given a design complete with color that symbolically depicted Jesus’ crucifixion on Calvary. The image was of three crosses. The middle panel of the banners had a larger cross representing Jesus on the cross and the two side panels had crosses representing where the two thieves hung. The side panel crosses were smaller in scale, only showing the outside crossbars. I was amazed and grateful to receive this image that was simple but so suited to Passion week.

This image is a simplified depiction of the Holy Week banners, showing the three panels with crosses.

The Baptismal Font cloth follows the focus on the crucifixion. The image on the cloth is called a “staurogram”. It is an ancient symbol used by early Christians when writing about the crucifixion or cross of Christ. The staurogram, a combination of the Greek letters tau and rho, looks like a human figure hanging on a cross.  The symbol was used in many of the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament where the noun “cross” or the verb “crucify” ought to appear.

The image on the cloth is created out of beads to symbolize the light of Christ – “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” Luke 2:32

Much more can be said about the “staurogram” symbol. For those that would like to dive deeper, here are two reference articles to explore - The First Image of Christ on the Cross and The Staurogram.

This photograph is a real image of the Baptismal Cloth. Look at the beautiful handcrafted beading that displays the Staurogram cross image!