Dear Friends in Christ, “Watching the generations pray together is pure joy.” Someone wrote this sentence in response to our vision process. The claim is true for me, and I suspect it is true for you, too. I love handing out communion to toddlers and parents and grandparents all standing next to one…
Dear Friends in Christ, The outdoor worship space at the Shrine Mont is known as the “Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration.” The name is a nod to the story of how Jesus was changed before his friends’ eyes on top of a mountain: Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James…
The deepest goal of the spiritual life is simple, yet profound: to experience a deeper connection with God in a way that brings inner peace, opens us to loving relationships with others, and roots us more tenderly in creation. This path requires us to learn how to see reality more clearly and more deeply. Our…
Dear Friends in Christ, School is starting – can you believe it? On Monday morning, many of our children and youth will return to the rhythm of early mornings and busy schedules. At church, we will mark this transition by offering blessings to students and teachers on Sunday morning and by collecting donations of…
If you’ve ever found yourself moved by a hymn, uplifted by an anthem, or simply comforted by the familiar rhythm of the liturgy, you already know that music is an essential part of who we are as Episcopalians. At Grace Episcopal Church music does more than fill the silence—it helps shape our worship, express…
Prayer is at the heart of our Christian tradition – especially the kind of prayer that asks nothing of us except to sit still and let God love us. These moments can feel magical. They are also surprisingly hard. Even when we’ve paused to be with God, our bodies often keep going. We get…
Dear Friends in Christ, Today we celebrate Independence Day, which is one of the major feasts on the calendar of the Episcopal Church. The founding of our church is intertwined with the founding of our state. The principles that ground our democracy—freedom, justice, and the hope of peace—are all deeply theological. We at…
Dear Friends in Christ, On Sunday morning, members of our Episcopal Youth in Community (EYC) will pull out of the parking lot on their way to southwestern Virginia. They will spend a week repairing housing, building relationships, and preaching the gospel with hammers and nails. Watching such groups leave brings me joy, and…
Dear Friends in Christ, I have often told people that not a lot of churches look like Grace. In low-church Virginia, full of plain colonial buildings and modernist suburban parishes, our stone and stained glass stand out. I am beginning to realize, however, that a more telling description is that not a lot…
Dear Friends in Christ, A friend of mine recently moved her mother into a rehab center after a fall. Her mother was anxious, and so my friend spent a great deal of time answering her questions. Who would bring her food? Who would come help her if she needed to get out of bed? …