Dear Friends in Christ, We all want to “make haste to Bethlehem,” to hurry to the manger. Hurry, it seems bring the operative word. I see that my schedule for the coming weekend includes three parties in two days, as well as baking several dozen cookies, grocery shopping for the holiday, and bringing…
Dear Friends in Christ, It is often said that Christmas is a season for children. I believe this statement is true—but not necessarily in the way we think. December is, indeed, a time of great excitement for children. Parents take them on special outings. Their homes and classrooms look different than usual. They may get brought to…
Dear Friends in Christ– This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, which marks the end of the liturgical year. We celebrate it in white and gold and alleluias. Christ the King is a relatively recent addition to the church year. It was instituted in 1925 in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius…
Dear Friends in Christ— It is often said that we give in response to gratitude. I believe this maxim is true. But I also want to suggest that the reverse is equally true: we become grateful by giving. Generosity does not just spring from gratitude. It also cultivates gratitude. It is our actions…
Dear Friends in Christ, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD.” (Micah 7:7) This week, I am thinking a good deal about how we invest in our future. I am thinking about it in the context of our Diocesan Convention, which is gathering as you read this message. I…
This weekend, we’ll celebrate Halloween at Grace with Trunk or Treat on Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, and I’m already in the Halloween spirit. I’ve been thinking about twilight – not the book, but that magical time between sunset and dusk, where light and dark meet. In the Middle Ages, twilight held deep significance…
This coming Sunday we will celebrate the ongoing connection between Grace Church and Grace School through our annual Grace School Sunday! While the two entities function independently in many ways, we also share our Episcopal identity, our physical buildings, and many of our values. The short version of Grace School’s mission is to honor the gift…
In last week’s reflection, I wrote about the gift of our spiritual practices as a means to presence the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I invited you to consider what spiritual practices are most meaningful to you. What did you notice about your emotions, senses, and how you feel in your body while you engaged…
Do not be conformed to this world, rather be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may determine what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and mature. (Romans: 12:2) In last week’s reflection, I shared some thoughts on the Benedictine practice of stability and invited us to…
“Where does God reliably show up in the here and now of your congregation?” I love this question posed in the book, Vital Christian Community: Twelve Characteristics of Healthy Congregations. As the reflective prompt, the authors, Philip Brochard and Alissabeth Newton, write about the Benedictine practice or value of stability. They share that stability, in this sense,…