By Mother Rebecca
Blessed Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius to you, friends!
In 862, the King of Moravia requested missionaries be sent to his country to teach his people the good news of Jesus in their native language. The Patriarch of Thessalonica sent these two brothers, both of whom knew Slavonic. While there, Cyril invented an alphabet to transcribe Slavonic speech into writing, which his followers later adapted into the “Cyrillic” alphabet. The brothers taught, preached, and wrote in Slavonic, which drew criticism from local Germanic clergy. They found respite in Rome with Pope Adrian II, who planned to ordain both as bishops. Cyril died in Rome in 869 before his ordination, but Bishop Methodius returned to Moravia. There he completed a Slavonic translation of Scripture as well as Byzantine ecclesiastical law while continuing to minister to his growing flock. Throughout his ministry, he was harassed by German bishops and, at one point, was charged with heresy for continuing to minister in such “a barbarous language” as Slavonic. Methodius is believed to have died in 885 in what is now Slovakia. At his funeral, celebrated in Greek, Latin, and Slavonic, “the people came together in huge numbers . . . for Methodius had been all things to all people that he might lead them all to heaven.”[1]
It seems right and good to remember these two remarkable brothers today. This week, Fr. Casey and I travelled to Camp Allen, the Diocese of Texas’ Episcopal Camp and Conference Center which graciously hosts the Diocese of Dallas’ Annual Clergy Conference.[2] In our time together, we heard from Dr. Brian Brock who specializes in the emerging field of disability theology. Dr. Brock has a nonverbal autistic son, and he spoke quite personally of his family’s varied experiences in church. He reminded us that Christianity has deep roots in welcoming, valuing, and caring for individuals with perceived disabilities. He challenged the language of “disability” for the ways in which it leads us to distance ourselves – to “other” our neighbors (not unlike the Germanic bishops who othered the Slavs as barbarians). Instead, he invited us to notice and celebrate the inherent giftedness of folks whose abilities differ from our own. It was a powerful session.
On Tuesday afternoon, many of us gathered in small groups to discuss the impact of the current political climate on our ministries. We began by checking in with one another on how we’re feeling in this first month of President Trump’s second term. In my small group, composed of other senior associate rectors, all admitted to feeling insignificant, overwhelmed, anxious, hopeless, and impotent. What a gift it was to me to connect with my peers from around the Diocese of Dallas in this shared experience! Many acknowledged leading congregations in which members are divided politically and have disparate responses to the news. In the bulk of our time together we shared strategies for being present with all people in our pews in these rapidly-changing times. In the end, we concluded we might all do well to take a page of The Rev. Fred Rogers’ playbook. In “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”, a show designed specifically to speak to children, he routinely addressed news of tragedy, racial inequity, and civil unrest. His words “look for the helpers” may have become so familiar to us that they feel trite. But Fred Roger’s ability to be present with children in the midst of national anxiety is a model for all Christians. After leaving camp, I rewatched this clip from one of his shows. As a child, this episode was comforting to me. As I watched this week with adult eyes and ears, the call to look for the helpers rang just as clear. This week I could hear another message in his words: we are called not only to look for helpers but also to be helpers in our communities. My prayer is that, one day, someone will say of Transfiguration that “the people came together in huge numbers . . . for [Fig folks were] all things to all people that [they] might lead them all to heaven.”
I give thanks today for the witness and work of Saints Cyril and Methodius. I give thanks today for a speaker and for fellow clergy who shared so openly of themselves this week at Clergy Conference. And, for those of you who celebrate love today, Happy Valentine’s Day.
See you this weekend!
Rebecca+
[1] This summary of Cyril and Methodius comes from Lesser Feasts and Fasts, an offering of Church Publishing.
[2] For those curious, Fr. Ted did not join us as he is canonically resident in the Diocese of Texas and attends their clergy conference.