-
·
Expectations: of Leaders in Church
I marvel at how low the expectations are for leaders in The Episcopal Church in their commitment to a life of faith. I also marvel at how many hoops we ask of those moved by their faith. To stand for vestry (our congregational boards), you have to show up for church a few times a…
-
·
Of what I was afraid
To tell you the absolute truth, I was not afraid I would die; I was afraid I would be damaged. Prepping for a colonoscopy, going into the hospital, being put under, being told of what was found: each of these caused concern for me. And if you’ve been reading along, you know my anxiety with…
-
·
“God” is not God’s name | The Theological Wanderings of a Street Pastor
Check out this short excerpt: “God” is not God’s name | The Theological Wanderings of a Street Pastor. God language can tie people into knots, of course. In part, that is because “God” is not God’s name. Referring to the highest power we can imagine, “God” is our name for that which is greater than…
-
·
Build Systems or Leaders?
Which is more important: the system or the leader? Since arriving at St. Paul’s, which is a pastoral-sized congregation*, I’ve figured out that much of the structure of the church is based on specific leaders doing specific tasks, rather than systems. I’m not sure how to feel about this. *[a pastoral-sized congregation is what many…
-
·
Glazed Eyes
Why do they hate to think? That’s the take away I get from looking out from the pulpit and seeing glazed eyes. I can say with complete honesty that I’m not that used to it. But launching into the Trinity, by talking about orthodoxy and heresy–something that I believed would pique interest–seemed to have the…
-
·
The missing Pentecost post
When my friend, David Henson wondered on Facebook where all the Pentecost posts were, it exposed me. Not that the world rotates around me. It’s just… I haven’t been here. My mind has been elsewhere. I wonder if they all are. All the minds, that is. All the minds are elsewhere when it comes time…
-
·
5 Years Ordained
Today is the fifth anniversary of my ordination as a presbyter. Of course, I’m celebrating appropriately–writing sermons for a funeral on Saturday and for Pentecost on Sunday. Rather than reflect on all that I have been a part of over the last five years, I am instead struck by this picture. It dawned on me…
-
·
The Messy History of the Sacraments in 6 Questions
[This is the second of three posts about the sacraments. Check out the first and the third.] As we explored yesterday, our Sacraments, primarily Holy Eucharist and Holy Baptism, are a physical and spiritual means of receiving grace. Today, we’ll have a small taste of the messiness around the living out of the Sacraments. There is…