“Be prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. Some years ago I recall being surprised to come across the suggestion that this represents a paranoid world view. The crisp slogan had always brought to my mind the image of a young man alert and sober, ready to face life with courage and enthusiasm. It had never occurred to me that an emphasis on preparedness could cast a shadow over life or that it might produce boys suspicious and fearful of the future. I suppose one can read into being prepared the implication of dire circumstances ahead, but it does not have to be taken in that way. I am sure the Boy Scouts see preparedness as a virtue apart of any future disaster that might occur. It is a way to order one’s life, a matter of being healthy, strong, knowledgeable, and alert.

“Watch and pray” could be a Biblical version of the Boy Scout’s motto. It is an exhortation encountered variously in the Liturgy for the final Sundays of the Church Year and in the season of Advent. For some this may evoke the picture of a bearded, sad-faced prophet forecasting the end. It may confirm their opinion of Christianity as a religion of gloom and doom. But for believers this is an invitation to be fully awake, “to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” This is the form that a healthy Christian life must take in this present age.

This spiritually healthy practice of watchfulness shapes our lives in many ways. To begin with, it is a taking heed to oneself, an awareness of one’s own thoughts and actions. “Watch against thyself, my soul,” one of our hymns puts it. So much of our lives are lived thoughtlessly and unevaluated. A small, personal judgment can take place each day. Some of my thoughts, words, and actions are among the sheep and some among the goats, some are worthy to be taken up and others to be left behind. We often say critically of other people, “what were they thinking.” We, of course, cannot truly know the answer to that. But how often do we ask, “what was I thinking, or intending, or saying, or doing”? It is possible for us to answer that question, if we have the courage to do so. Watchfulness over our own soul is our first duty. “First take the log out of your own eye.”

Watchfulness will help us be more present to the world and attentive to other people. In one of the parables of watching our Lord says, “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work.” Watching is not idle daydreaming, but attending faithfully to the work to which God has called us. The little maxim of Mother Teresa can apply here: “Do small things with great love.” Too often we think of love only as a psychological or emotional potential within ourselves. But real love is concrete, a matter of one deed, one word, one person and often all the same things repeated with the same person day after day. “Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.”

The Lord speaks of tribulations and signs that mark his coming. “Nation will rise against nation,…and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” These are general apocalyptic predictions. It is not very useful to try to narrow them down to specific events in history. Nevertheless we all do relate in a first hand way to them. At least through the news we have a familiarity with wars, famines and starvation, natural disasters, and other tragedies involving great loss of life. The sun and moon of our personal heaven has been darkened at the death of a loved one or in a personal illness. The weather of history rolls in upon us and we feel small and powerless in the storm. The crises of life can shake us to the cord, and there are no easy or pat answers at hand. Yet it is precisely at such times that we are most inclined to raise our heads and look more intently for a glimpse of the broader horizon of earthly life. Our lives are part of a much greater drama and often only in that larger context can we perceive by faith the triumph of God’s Kingdom. If our world were really as safe and predictable as we imagine it should be, how easy it would be to have only trivial and selfish interests in life and never to ponder the great sweep of God’s plan and the scope of Christ’s Lordship.

The language used by the Scriptures to speak of our Lord’s second coming is highly symbolic. Since this event lies outside of time and creation as we know it, this is perhaps the only language available. We must trust that what we need to know we are told and can understand. Certainly this much is clear: it is an article of the Christian faith that Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” We cannot be Christians if we do not have the obedience, and more importantly the love, to wait and watch for the Lord’s coming and the fulfillment of His promises.

The season of Advent is a time of watching and expectation of the Lord’s coming. In the short term there is His coming to us in the sacramental mystery of the Christmas celebration; in the long term there is His definitive coming at the end of time. Understood thus, this season is a picture or icon of our life here on earth which must have this forward orientation. We are living now in the light of an anticipated day. The face of the sun is just below the horizon. In this early dawn light there are still many shadows and much that is not yet clear. Nevertheless the light of faith is one with the clearer light to come, and we already stand irrevocably in the day that is dawning. “The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

In September Fr. Richard and Fr. Thomas traveled to Chicago to attend the three day general retreat of the Society of the Holy Trinity. As always it was encouraging to gather with pastors committed to the renewal of the Church in its traditional faith and practice.

The beginning of October we were happy to welcome back as a long term guest Christopher Crandall from Oregon. He was here for a month and a half last spring.

In the early fall the Gazebo erected in August was completed by being shingled and stained. On Sunday, October 17th it was blessed and dedicated. We were happy that Bishop Robert Rimbo was able to be with us that day to preside at the blessing. The Gazebo stands within the foundation of the old chapel over the place were the altar once stood.

After Church and dinner on a Sunday in November a group from St. Augustine’s traveled to Holy Cross Church in Marine City to hear an organ recital of our associate member Daniel Susan, the director of music for the Church and school there. The occasion was the 100th anniversary of the installation of the organ there. The organ was originally built in 1861.

We have reprinted the books we use for the daily prayer offices. Since many guests have expressed an interest in purchasing copies we had extras printed. While the supply lasts they are available on request. A donation of $30-35 would cover the cost.

We also have had note cards printed. There is a line drawing of the Church interior by Maureen White on the cover. A package of eight cards and envelopes are also available on request. A donation of $5-10 would cover their cost.

The next project for the interior of the Church is to replace the folding chairs along the side walls with pews customized to fit the various spaces. An initial estimate for the full complement of seating came to over $10,000. Other estimates are being sought at present. It is hoped the necessary funds can be raised through donations this winter and by a fund raising event in the summer. In the meantime if you want to “reserve a seat” it seems that individual pew space will be about $200. Next October 1st will be the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Arthur. We hope to commemorate his centenary by having a number of events that month. We welcome suggestions and offers of help as we plan for this.

• January by Chaplain and Mrs. Francis E. Jeffery.
• February by Donald Roy Fritz in memory of his parents Blanche Kohls and Roy Fritz
• March by Helen M. Herbel in memory of her husband Albert R. Herbel and son Charles A. Herbel.