First Sunday in Lent
“He spent his whole life working up to this moment”. These were the words of a relative of Canon Glenn Rankin to me as we stood by Glenn’s coffin saying our final goodbyes and prayers. Family and friends gathered, in as COVID friendly a way as one can, on Friday morning to commend Glenn to God and seek his soul’s rest in peace. During a difficult final few years, he still never failed to pray daily for many of us
and find the occasion to assure us personally of those prayers. For as long as he could, he shared his love or music with those who could visit even in the COVID restricted experience of this past year. Glenn will be missed and adds his voice and encouragement to the great cloud of witnesses who celebrate our ongoing pilgrimage of faith.
I asked his relative what she meant by her statement. I had to admit that she offered a new perspective for such a time as we were sharing. “His whole life working up to this moment“? I suppose the apostle Paul echoed similar sentiments when he wrote “for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Yet, it was the desire for God, and to see God face to face that was the witness being testified to here. This was an
observer of Glenn’s life that was expressing what she saw; and the implication was that he simply carried the rest of us along with him, including his family. I think of Jesus being asked by Andrew where he lived, and replying “Come and see”.
Canon Rankin spent forty one years of his nearly fifty year priesthood, up to retirement, serving small town Episcopal congregations; first, in Harlan and Denison, and then adding Carroll to the Trinity Cluster. He sought to sustain work in Ida Grove before it closed; and to work with a group in Atlantic as well, though that finally failed to take hold. He loved them; he raised them in the knowledge and love of the Lord; he encouraged some to seek their own priestly vocation; and, as was stated many times in a
memorial zoom sharing on Friday afternoon, he was above all a master of liturgical practice who knew how to tailor the finest of our worship tradition for when even two or three were literally gathered together. And Jesus always was present among them.
Jesus showed up in the midst wherever Glenn gathered the faithful – and that included larger crowds at Clergy Conferences, and the Summer Ministry School and Retreat where he constructed the liturgy and often led the music. And Glenn certainly followed his Master in demonstrating that the most important aspects of any priest’s duty is to show up. At so many an ordination anniversary, or birthday celebration a card or email could be expected from Glenn. If you faced tragedy or sorrow, his comforting note would soon be with you; or as when the Haviland family lost their son, who worked in the World Trade Center on 9/11, Glenn, as representing the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Authority at the time – as President of the Standing Committee during an episcopal transition – showed up on their door step and stayed with them until the painful certainty of their loss was affirmed.
I am convinced that there is a clear connection between the authenticity of his assurance – I pray for you every day – with his humble ability to show up in so many different ways during our life’s journey. It wasn’t Facebook reminding him of this or that day in our lives, it was the chats with God. And isn’t that a sermon and a half for him to offer to us as he goes to his rest.
So, I replied to his relative that her perspective was a new one to me at such a time. Often we think of the grief of the bereaved, we recall what the person meant to us, and we present them to God’s loving arms often after a period of suffering before death. The focus tends to be on assurance all around. A life achievement – in death? That brings a new aspect to the day. “Of, course,” came the reply, “he has wanted to meet God all his life; and now I see him brushing past Peter and throwing open his arms to see the face of the One he has loved all his life”. That is another sermon and a half.
Glenn was no whizz kid for the church growth movement; and that is a sobering thought in this commercial culture church that we live in that is tempted to assess church life by size of congregation. I remember talking about the lack of growth in my own congregation in Los Angeles, and being told by a parishioner that we had nevertheless certainly grown up. The faith Glenn professed continues to seek to bring the presence of God before humanity, and to invite us to engage in that same adventure that found its crowning glory only at the end, into which we all can grow (up), namely “into the full stature of Christ”. Our life in Christ, of course, is changed not ended. We aspire to new life; and a humble surrender to whatever God’s imagination presents to us next. Glenn has always been in the cheering section for the faithful; and fits perfectly in with that cloud of witnesses. May his soul and the souls of all the departed rest in peace.
In the peace and love of Christ,
+Alan
The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, Bishop of Iowa
Diocesan Online Worship
Join us this Sunday, February 21 as we highlight the Holy Eucharist offered by Trinity Church, Iowa City at 10:00 am.
Lenten Offerings
Journey with us during Lent as we explore and practice kindness as a spiritual discipline.
The season of Lent is a time for penitence and reconciliation, an invitation to take steps toward a right relationship with ourselves, each other, creation, and God. What might it look like to turn toward relationship this Lent using kindness intentionally, during this time of pandemic and seemingly increasing division and conflict? What small steps might we take, both alone and together?
Living Kindness
Wednesdays from 7-8:00pm, February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24
Join us Wednesday evenings for an intergenerational conversation where we'll practice and learn more about nurturing kindness as a spiritual discipline. You're welcome to join for as many conversations as you're able, but you must register to receive the Zoom information. We also invite you to follow along with a daily Lenten Kindness Calendar.
Lenten Kindness
Lenten Kindness Calendar
A daily Lenten Kindness Calendar is available now on the Youth Ministry page of the diocesan website. Each day offers a simple prompt towards an act of kindness for someone in your life, each tied to the Gospel reading from the Sunday before. You will be able to follow along from the webpage, Facebook, and Instagram.
Joint Chapter Meeting & Leadership Gathering
Join us on Saturday, February 27 from 10am-12pm for a Joint Chapter Meeting (with breakouts by individual chapters)
COVID update
Bishops Search News and Electing Convention
2021 Budget update
Calendar Announcements
GILEAD Grant information
In the afternoon, congregational leaders are invited to breakout sessions in the following areas from 1:00-2:30pm:
• Vestry member orientation
• Treasurers and bookkeepers
• GILEAD grant information session
• Technology forum (live-streaming and communication)
• Safeguarding administrators
• Licensed Ministries: Pastoral Leader, Worship Leader, Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, Catechist
Planting Seeds of Hope
Lenten devotions from ‘Green Anglicans’ to honour the memory of Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya.
Parochial Report
The due date for the 2020 Parochial Report is fast approaching, March 1, 2021. The report has been revised to also capture the statistics during the pandemic. Tina Austin is more than happy to assist you with questions in filling out the report. Please feel free to reach out to Tina by email at taustin@iowaepiscopal.org or phone 515-277-6165 ext. 201.
Dismantling Racism Training
Register for online training
Grounded in The Episcopal Church's commitment to dismantling racism as essential to our formation as Christians, this ONLINE training is open to all persons who would like to deepen their understanding of racism, prejudice, and privilege.
The training will consist of 2 sessions from 10:00am-12:00pm and 12:30pm-2:30pm, with a break for lunch.
Mini Retreats: H.O.P.E.
The Small Church Core Team in the Diocese of Iowa invites you
to a series of four mini-retreats focused on HOPE during these changing times.
Join us on Saturday, March 6.
From 9:00 am to 10:00 am. We will gather using Zoom technology.
Topics for each session include:
Healing and Hope in December
Opportunity for Community and Hope in January
Patience and Hope in February
Expectation and Hope on March 6
Joint Intercession List
The heart of diocesan companionship is joining together in mission. To this end Iowans and their companions in Nzara, Swaziland, and Scotland pray for one another daily through the Joint Intercession List.
You can find the list on our diocesan website or download the list.
Podcast Corner
The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry
This podcast offers ways to engage with the Way of Love, The Episcopal Church’s intentional commitment to practicing faith by following Jesus. Hear stories and get practical advice from Bishop Michael Curry and others who are putting the Way of Love practices (Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, Rest) into action.
