The window dedicated to Jefferson Davis shows Paul in chains and includes the text “this man doeth nothing worth of death and bondage” — echoing Davis’ period of imprisonment following the war.
“Most of the prophets were rewarded with death. Nobody likes to be told things they don’t want to hear, especially kings. But prophets are called by God, and serve God as faithful servants, and do not count the cost. So their reward comes from a place where no perishable thing exists, but in eternity. Still, as suggested elsewhere, no servant is above his master. Jesus is spat on, pelted with rocks, insulted, killed. Expect the same. And since all actions by any disciple reflect the actions, in honor or shame, of the entire family, whomever does even a little thing, offering water to the vulnerable, is doing it in the name of the Jesus family. Water. The water of life. The water with which you will never again thirst. The water of baptism. And from there Jesus and his own fanned out to preach the Gospel. We are also charged to do the same.”
“Cloistered as we are within homes and small circles of family or COVID-approved-house-guests, we are spending much of our time with people who know us very well. And people who know us well are armed with knowing our soft-spots; where to place the verbal blade for maximum pain and maximum bleed. Not always, but sometimes. That is why betrayal by a close friend or loved-one is exponentially more painful than a wound inflicted by a stranger.”
Our friends at ENS report that Episcopal congregations in Charlottesville, Virginia are hopeful the Confederate statues in their city will soon be removed.
Three years ago, Charlottesville was the epicenter of a renewed national debate over the legacy of slavery and the Confederacy after a white supremacist rally in August 2017 ended in clashes and violence, including the killing of a counterprotester. The hate groups said they chose Charlottesville in opposition to the city’s plan to remove its statue […]
The Bible is clear that working for the collective good is God’s will for human society
Jesus’ challenge to the pharisees critique of his ministry from this week’s gospel
We’re looking for the good news in the story of Isaac’s near sacrifice
David and Charlette discuss Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples as they go out on their first mission and the rewards they might expect to receive, their implications for our spiritual lives, and what conversations at home will be like based on this gospel theme.
“Most of the prophets were rewarded with death. Nobody likes to be told things they don’t want to hear, especially kings. But prophets are called by God, and serve God as faithful servants, and do not count the cost. So their reward comes from a place where no perishable thing exists, but in eternity. Still, as suggested elsewhere, no servant is above his master. Jesus is spat on, pelted with rocks, insulted, killed. Expect the same. And since all actions by any disciple reflect the actions, in honor or shame, of the entire family, whomever does even a little thing, offering water to the vulnerable, is doing it in the name of the Jesus family. Water. The water of life. The water with which you will never again thirst. The water of baptism. And from there Jesus and his own fanned out to preach the Gospel. We are also charged to do the same.”
“There is time to learn God’s hopes and dreams and to be the hands and hearts that carry them out. There is time to nurture tender seeds, not knowing what they will become but loving them for their strange, brightly colored stems and their ability to carry your heart into wonder. There is time to make a greenhouse for God’s new life.”
“It always happens to me. I start slowly, but as the end of the training gets closer, I try to absorb more and more like a dry sponge while striving to be a cat herder for my own thoughts and questions. More and more, all of us realized that what we had was a ministry that didn’t require three years of seminary and an ordination to do. I, like the others in the training group, feel we have been called by God to do this ministry of helping others learn what they believe, where that belief came from, and how what they learn can strengthen their faith and commitment.”
“Perhaps it is God’s ultimate mercy that we do not know the days God has formed for us.”
The window dedicated to Jefferson Davis shows Paul in chains and includes the text “this man doeth nothing worth of death and bondage” — echoing Davis’ period of imprisonment following the war.
In comments made during the online election service for the new Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, Justin Welby said that Anglicans must confront their own history of racism.
The Church of England’s highest-ranking cleric was speaking in a virtual ceremony to mark the formal election of Stephen Cottrell as the 98th Archbishop of York.
The Church of England, established in 1534 after king Henry VIII’s split from Roman Catholicism, last month apologised for its links to slavery, calling […]
Today, the Lambeth Conference announced that it will be postponed an additional year:
In March it was announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global restrictions on travel and mass gatherings, the Lambeth Conference of 2020 would need to be rescheduled to the British summer of 2021.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has now taken the important decision to reschedule the Lambeth Conference by a further year to the British summer of 2022. The conference will meet in […]
The Small Business Administration and the U.S. Treasury have released data on employers receiving funds under the Paycheck Protection Program. Recipients include Episcopal churches, schools, conference centers and dioceses.
“I am soon to be on my annual week of retreat which totally sucks. Being on retreat from social media, technology and work is a part of my Rule of Life; and I usually hate it. I quite like the anesthesia I have collected over the years – tools I have and use to “not feel pain.” And a retreat is an un-anesthetized week of silent reflection. It will follow a week of vacation this year, so not only will I be bored, I’ll be rested and bored. Ugh.”
“Cloistered as we are within homes and small circles of family or COVID-approved-house-guests, we are spending much of our time with people who know us very well. And people who know us well are armed with knowing our soft-spots; where to place the verbal blade for maximum pain and maximum bleed. Not always, but sometimes. That is why betrayal by a close friend or loved-one is exponentially more painful than a wound inflicted by a stranger.”
“With a focus on Independence, I reflected on the contributions of America’s two greatest sons, George Washington, a master craftsperson in the forging of the United States and Martin Luther King, Jr., a master craftsperson in the ongoing effort to forge a united people.”
“Perhaps we do not need more things or more power. Perhaps we need more rest. Perhaps we work hard because it anesthetizes our pain. Perhaps there are better ways to deal with our pain.”
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