This message is addressed to families with children and youth and those who care about them. We have reached a point of frustration with this pandemic that is about to be compounded by the myriad of issues surrounding the opening of school. I do understand the difficult decisions public and other independent schools are facing. The decisions their leaders must make and the decisions parents and families must make are daunting. Like you, I wish I knew the right answer. But I don’t. What I do know is this... Continue reading

I was outside in the garden this morning and noticed a familiar sound, that of cicadas. Like many of you, I grew up hearing the sound of cicadas in the trees of my yard. Perhaps it is because I became accustomed to that sound at an early age, but I find it both familiar and comforting. However, this is not the case with some people. Sometimes, it's the little things... Continue reading

On Sundays, we have been reading our way through the stories about the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) in Genesis, through the Letter to the Romans, and through the Gospel According to Matthew. The Preacher sometimes is able to tie more than one reading together in a coherent homily. Sometimes, that is just impossible. Then, there are Sundays like the one coming up where the decision about which passage should form the basis of the homily is incredibly difficult because each of the readings and the Psalm are so powerful that the Preacher has a hard time deciding what to do. Each text almost preaches itself. It’s a Preacher’s Candy Shop! Continue reading

In the 13th chapter of Matthew, from which we will be reading for the next four Sundays, we find Jesus in the midst of his Galilean ministry. Jesus had previously employed comparative and figurative analogies, but at this point Jesus chooses to teach in parables. What's that all about? Continue reading

This morning, I was reading reports about the impact of the Coronavirus and struggling to find a ray of hope to share with you. Then, I saw a Facebook post by our friend Jim Mayfield in Henderson, Nevada. It provides a window through which that ray has begun to shine. Continue reading

Last Sunday’s gospel contained some disturbing words: “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” The Prince of Peace, Jesus, said that, according to St. Matthew. As if that weren't enough, he went on to say, “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household.” What kind of family values are these? Continue reading

When Jesus sent the twelve apostles out on their mission, he let them know that not everyone would welcome them. “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town." Jesus told them that to encourage them to continue in their mission even when they were not welcomed. Continue reading

Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone…For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. (James 2:23-24, 26) For almost all of my 48 years of ordained ministry, I have advocated openly for the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our society. In light of that, no one who knows me is more surprised than I am at my... Continue reading

Public health experts have asked us to protect one another from the Coronavirus by wearing a face mask when we are out in public. Some of our fellow citizens see this as an example of some enemy trying to take away our civil liberties. They are up in arms about it. Literally. Although the data says that 84% of the population are willing to wear masks, all the sound and fury makes it appear that is the other way around. Let us take notice of and commend the 84% for their willingness to discipline themselves. Continue reading

We are in the days leading up to the Day of Pentecost and in a period sometimes known as Ascensiontide. The Ascension is probably not the best known of the feast days on the calendar, but it is one that takes on increasing depth and importance the more you think about it and experience it. Continue reading

Rogation Days are traditionally the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day. This is a time to offer special prayers for the world that sustains our lives. God has called us to be stewards of Creation. Continue reading

The Church is a public gathering of Christ’s followers. For me, that is the hardest thing to reconcile during this time when we are counseled to stay at home, apart from one another. While I can’t quite solve the theological problem, I have discerned four practices that we as Christians can do for each other and the world at our doorsteps. I offer them for your consideration. Continue reading

This is a strange time, isn’t it? Our routines, our diets, our outings, our socializing, our church-going, our screen time, our school, our work, our ways of caring, and so many other aspects of our ordinary, day-to-day lives are anything but normal. It is as if we’ve been uprooted and transported to a strange land. Continue reading

Most clergy I know have been asked when will we return to gathering physically for worship in our churches? We’ve also been asked when will we return to normal. A wise person reminded us that the important question is not “when” but “how.” Continue reading

There is something about a crisis that undermines our ability trust and raises doubts about many things. Some faith traditions frown on doubt when it comes to faith in God. I am grateful to be a part of a Church where it is safe for people to express their doubts, ask their questions, and challenge accepted norms. If we are honest about it, we have to admit that faith in Jesus Christ requires at least some struggle with doubt. One of the reasons God brings us together is so that we can walk together and help each other during seasons like this. Continue reading

That night in the Upper Room, after washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus commanded them to love one another. What kind of love has to be commanded? Obviously, the kind of love Jesus expects us to show for one another, which is a reflection of the kind of love Jesus shows for us. Continue reading

On that first Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, they wished to crown him their king. In their enthusiasm, they missed the paradox. They saw the glory but overlooked the shadow. But Jesus was conscious of both because he knew who he was. Holy Week and Easter are about learning from him who and whose we are. Continue reading

There have always been and perhaps always will be those who believe God uses events such as pandemics and natural disasters to punish humanity and those who try to pinpoint the end of history when God’s judgment will be rendered. What then are we to say about these things? Continue reading

The Gospel for The Fourth Sunday in Lent this year is John 9:1-41. Jesus seems to give a non-answer to a very serious question about a blind man’s suffering. What are we to think about his response in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic? Continue reading

Yesterday, after taking counsel with the Office of the Bishop, other clergy, our staff, our Wardens, and our Vestry, I made the decision to suspend in-person worship and meetings at St. Martin’s for the next two weeks in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. This was a complicated and difficult decision on so many levels. The question that led me at last to the decision is, “What does love require of us?” Continue reading

Sunday's readings are filled with images of renewal. These images imply that God’s promise for new life entails God’s gift of a fresh start, freed from the restrictions of our past lives in order to enter a new relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. New life requires risk and trust. Continue reading

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. With these words and with the sign of a cross of ashes imposed on our foreheads, we begin our annual Lenten journey. What do those ashes mean? Continue reading

The Church invites you to observe a Holy Lent. If you are trying to decide how to do that, consider this practice recommended by William Arthur Ward. Continue reading

Think of the most important relationships in your life. Who are the people who matter to you and to whom you matter? How do you nurture those relationships? Does your relationship with God matter as much? How do you nurture your relationship with God? Continue reading