In our first reading today, Paul says something really bold. He’s talking about the good news of Jesus, and he says “according to my gospel.” My gospel. I couldn’t believe it, because usually we say it’s Jesus’ gospel, or God’s gospel, but Paul said “my gospel.” I found that surprising. “Gospel” is an old word that means “good…
My family has been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster the past couple of weeks. There was a pregnancy that became compromised, and it was a scary thing as the mother was put on bedrest in the hospital. There was eventually an emergency C-section, and all the things that could have gone wrong somehow didn’t. When…
If you have an Advent calendar, today you can open window number 13! What’s behind it? A toy? A piece of candy? Or maybe a character from the Christmas story? Christmas is just twelve days away! We are all on our way to Bethlehem! I want to share with you an ABC map of how…
Christmas is a comin’ and Mary sings: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.His mercy is for…
I want to start this morning by showing you this cup. What do you think makes this cup useful? Is it the sides or the way it is decorated? No it is the empty space right! This cup is useful because of what it can contain. It is useful because it is ready to accept…
I love words and I recently discovered a new one, a japanese expression called “yohaku.” It means the unpainted part of a painting. It is why a comb is useful, it is not the prongs but the holes between the prongs. It is why a cup is useful, it is what it can contain. It…
Updated November 28. One of my favorite Christmas carols is one that Ryan introduced to me a few years back at a Christmas Comfort service: Come Darkness, Come Light – written and performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter. It’s really more of an Advent, than a Christmas Carol. It deeply echoes this solstice season we are…
For email posts, click here to watch. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means “coming.” These are the four Sundays, the 24 days we wait expectantly for Christmas. Waiting for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. Waiting for Christ to come again. In Advent the days are shorter and the nights are longer.…
Read more Good Night Dark. Hello Light. (A Children’s Homily)
I am a retired Episcopal priest, a long time friend and former colleague of Joani Peacock’s, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Over the last two months I have been photographing the public artwork that graces our beautiful city and sharing one work each day on Facebook. My hope was that in these strange, anxious days…
Christmas is a comin’ and Mary sings: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.His mercy is for…
