While Patrick Canon Comerford’s message concerns All Souls Day, a significant portion of it has to do with Christ’s descent to the dead, also known as “The Harrowing of Hell” and that is the excerpt I have chosen to share with you on this Holy Saturday. Continue reading

The Hymns of Charles Wesley are among the finest treasures of Christian verse, sung by Anglicans, Methodists, and others around the world. Today, I selected one of his hymns for the Unapologetically Episcopalian Facebook page, "O Thou Who Camest From Above." I had an epiphany. Continue reading

I began my ministry with you as Interim Rector at St. Martin’s almost two years ago. Three days from now, July 25, will be my last Sunday with you. Your new Rector, The Reverend Alan Bentrup, will lead you in worship on August 1. Continue reading

Modern personnel practices in secular business settings emphasize the importance of performance appraisals. Some of that spills over into our perspective on our life as followers of Jesus Christ. That is not necessarily a good thing. Here's why. Continue reading

Here is a question I am often asked: What has been the most valuable learning experience in your work as an interim minister and why? Here's my response. Mission and transition are dynamically related. Continue reading

As we approach this Independence Day, my thoughts are on the internal threats to our nation and the need to restore unity. Whatever problems we face, "we the people" are much stronger than a mob of individuals pointing fingers, insisting on our own way, and fighting over ideologies. We also know better than that and we've always been more effective in solving our problems by pulling together than by pulling apart! Continue reading

Sometimes, when people ask us what The Episcopal Church believes, our answer is, “Come and worship with us.” That’s because both our liturgy from The Book of Common Prayer and the hymns in our hymnals beautifully express the heart of our theology and our faith. Continue reading

Jesus has just finished a long day of teaching. He has taught the parables of the sower, the growing seed, the mustard seed, and explained the need for parables to his disciples. He is exhausted from his work and he wishes to sail from the Jewish territory of Galilee to the Gentile region of Gerasenes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Continue reading

When I was a child, I loved attending Sunday School. I had some amazingly loving and deeply faithful teachers whose influence profoundly affected the formation of my faith in a loving God. They taught us to sing (with gusto) "Jesus Loves the Little Children." In that song, there is a line that says, "Red and yellow, black, and white, they are precious in his sight." But I later realized that something was wrong. The church I attended was 100% white. Continue reading

In a world where we are encouraged to believe that what we have comes only through some human endeavor, it is refreshing to be reminded that God provides! Continue reading

We will celebrate Trinity Sunday on May 30. The Holy Trinity is more than a theory. The Holy Trinity is a doctrine, a teaching, developed over time by the Church as an aspect of the unfolding revelation of God derived from, but not confined to the pages of sacred scripture. Continue reading

There are three great festivals of the Church: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Pentecost was neglected for a long time and, in some ways, is not given much attention even now, if you consider that retail merchandising and greeting cards have not figured out a way to make money from it. What happened on the Day of Pentecost and why should it continue to be important to us? Continue reading

I have been involved in Scouting since I was eight years old. Two of the first valuable lessons I learned from my Scouting experience have guided me ever since. Continue reading

I am overjoyed to announce that Bishop Mayer has both praised and approved our plan for returning to in-person worship. We will advance this plan in phases over the next several months as we move toward a time when few, if any, COVID protocols will be necessary. Continue reading

The 4th Sunday of Easter is always "Good Shepherd Sunday." We are keenly aware that the world in which we live desperately needs the Good Shepherd to guide us to green pastures. Continue reading

I am grateful to be a part of a Church where it is safe for people to express their doubts and ask their questions and challenge accepted norms. It is a Church where we don’t have to mindlessly accept what seems to be the accepted answer or point of view. It is a Church where it is okay to be doubtful, confused, and skeptical. It is a Church where we can remain in the company of others as we struggle with matters of doubt and faith. It is a Church where from childhood we are encouraged to ask questions and to wonder as we journey toward faith. Continue reading

Like so many Christian holy days, Easter seems to disappear the next day as life returns to "normal." But Easter should be more than that to us! It certainly was to those early disciples. Easter is more than a day! Continue reading

So much of our conversation regarding faith is centered on what each of us is doing about it. The Annunciation is a reminder to me that what I'm doing about my faith is always in response to what God is first doing in my life, even when I'm not thinking of it in that way. Continue reading

We see some amazing sunsets in this part of Texas. Earlier this week I saw one that took my breath away. It was the reddest and brightest sunset I’ve ever seen. I just had to stand there in awe and gratitude for a few moments and savor it. Continue reading

I recently came across an interesting article by small church pastor Karl Vaters, in which he addresses a question many are asking: “When the pandemic is over, will the congregation come back?” In his response, he suggests that there are several better questions we should be asking ourselves. Continue reading

Earlier this week, the Governor of Texas held a press conference in which he announced that Texas will open 100%, including lifting limitations on gatherings and the mask mandate. You may be wondering how this decision will impact us at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Continue reading

Earlier in the week, the Ten Commandments came up in a conversation with a couple of other people. One of them said, “For some, Christianity seems to be a list of rules to obey.” I think he’s right. There are those who view Christianity that way. I see it differently. Continue reading

A friend said to me the other day, “Maybe it’s just me, but 2021 is beginning to look a lot like 2020.” He’s right; it kind of is, isn’t it? It's enough to try one's soul. How is it with your soul? Continue reading