Those Who Are Far Off and Those Who Are Near
One of my favorite prayers in the Anglican tradition begins like this: “O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near.” One of the reasons I love this prayer...
read moreSigns Amid the Rubble
When we used to live in Pittsburgh, we tried to visit our family in Florida every winter. Pittsburgh winters are marked by two colors: gray and brown. All of the vegetation is brown in winter. But when we got off the plane in Florida, there was green everywhere. Green...
read moreAll Things to All People
Hurricane Michael interrupted our community groups this week, so I want to offer a brief reflection on the passage we had planned to study: 1 Corinthians 9:1-23, notably verses 19-23. 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I...
read moreThe Word of the Lord
We are almost halfway through our study of 1 Corinthians. We have wrestled with challenging topics, like church discipline and sexual ethics. We have grappled with how to live as cruciform Christians, and not cultural Corinthians. All of us have immersed ourselves in...
read moreThe Anglican Church Responds to Hurricane Florence
As Hurricane Florence approaches the eastern seaboard of the United States, communities are preparing for the worst. With help from you, local churches on the ground are in position to reach out to their neighbors.After the storm, it often takes weeks to access the...
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Singing the Psalms of our Fathers & Mothers
The hymnal of the early Church was the book of Psalms. These were the songs that were sung by the David as he tended his father’s sheep. These were the songs sung by the Jews as they went into battle. These were the songs the Jews sang as they made pilgrimage to God’s...
read moreA Book for our Time, Place, & Culture
One of the most transformative experiences I have ever had was reading through the New Testament while I was deciding whether or not to become a believing Christian. The Word of God is powerful. It transforms us. It transformed me from being someone who did not...
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Imagining Miracles
This Sunday’s readings are filled with miraculous events: Elijah is assumed into heaven after parting the Jordan river, the psalmist writes of God’s presence turning the rock to a pool of water, and Jesus walks on top of a lake to his disciples’ boat. Since the...
read moreCamp Re-Creation from Generation to Generation
As I write this, we are halfway through our Camp Araminta experience. For those who don’t know, Camp Araminta is our diocesan camp for rising 4th– 10th graders. This week Megan and I have been leading one of the disciple groups for 7th & 8th graders and leading...
read moreRighteous Wrath
It is not as if God patiently loves us as long as he can bear it and then finally once we have gone one step too far he explodes in a wrathful mood swing. Divine wrath, love, and mercy all work together.
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