the news headlines these days... To you, my loves, in Rafah... I cannot pray for your life, your survival, or even the lack of your suffering. For already your suffering knows no end. And, for reasons I cannot comprehend, prayers don’t work that way. Ask and ye shall receive, they say. But we must limit…
Reflections on Holy Week 2024
Last week marked the holiest week in the Christian calendar. Beginning with Palm/Passion Sunday on March 24, through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, the week ended yesterday, with Easter Sunday. Those of us in liturgical traditions celebrated each day of the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Vigil of Easter on Saturday night)…
Grief and Gratitude on an Anniversary
Today, January 10, has been a very important day on my calendar for over a decade now. On this day, in 2010, I began my tenure as Rector of Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church. Facebook's "Memories" gave me a reminder I didn't need The first few times I celebrated this anniversary, I did so with contentment…
Bethlehem: a Christmas sermon
For the first time in 13 years, I am not serving a church this Christmas. It is a new and not quite welcome experience. I miss Thankful. I miss my people. In truth, I miss my pulpit, too. But that’s not the only thing that’s different about this year’s Christmas. With bombs still dropping on…
Two Natures
The past month or so has led me to reflect a great deal on the two natures of Christ. It’s a theological concept and Church doctrine that I’ve always struggled to understand. How can Christ Jesus be both 100% human and 100% divine? How can the entirety of his self be two things simultaneously? The…
The Capital-C Church
A few weeks ago, I posted these words on my Facebook page: “I need to stop being so shocked and disappointed when the capital-C Church behaves appallingly and so completely counter to the ways of God's kingdom. I'm not sure if it's naivete that needs to be overcome or eternal optimism for the Church I…
If not there then here
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” - Rabbi Tarfon Yesterday morning, walking home from dropping my little kids off at their school, I crossed the…
A Litany for the Holy Land
God of Love, you created all people as one family and called us to live together in justice, harmony and peace. Surround us with your love as we pray for the Holy Land. Lord, in your mercy,Hear our prayerGod of Righteousness, who demands that our worldly governors take up their responsibility to protect those in…
White-ish, Part III: on recent events
A note to my readers:A long time ago, I published a blogpost in which I referred to myself as “sort of” white. I got an inordinate amount of feedback, both positive and negative, some just curious, some weirdly aggressive, about my use of “sort of” in that context. In an attempt to unpack that phrase,…
On Grief, and Leaving Thankful
I confess to having stolen the key. It was a largely unintentional theft. Indeed, I shocked myself by doing it. But, when the moment came to leave my two keys to Thankful Church – the office key and the sanctuary key – I found that while parting with my office key was sad and hard,…
The Thankful Priest 