Bishop's Blog
We are celebrating the Feast Day of St. James of Jerusalem, making the distinction between this James and James, the brother of Jesus, whom tradition says wrote the book we know as James. The life and death—as a martyr—of this James gives us reason to consider the true price of being a Christian. Leadership Has…
In part 1, we discussed the way of the cross as the path of suffering and learned that Jesus invites us into that. You see, he did not live a life of suffering so I can somehow live a life in direct opposition to what he teaches. A Place Ordained It is possible, you know.…
In part 1 of this series, we talked about how “false bread” can infiltrate our tradition and even our church experience. I was a victim of this, so much so that by the time I headed off to college, I had decided not to attend church anymore. Yes, I’m sure God was laughing too. But…
Every July 13, in part because our denomination is now connected with the Lutherans, we remember a Lutheran named Conrad Weiser. And Conrad Weiser was an 18th-century diplomat and active Christian who worked in connection with Benjamin Franklin in Pennsylvania. What particularly marked him was the fact that he was able to work with the…
On June 14, we gave thanks for the life of Basil the Great. Basil is called “the Great” because of the importance and the revolutionary nature of his teaching. Basil had initially planned to go into law. He came from a very well-to-do family in Cappadocia, present-day Turkey. But at 28, his younger brother unexpectedly,…
In part 1 of this series, we examined three characteristics of those who are called to service in the church. This week, we’ll look at more of what the call means. I am writing particularly to deacons, but much of this applies to any Christian. A Call to Slavery One of the things we see…
This series is for all those who are called to service in the church – in other words, every Christian. I’m addressing deacons, but these truths will benefit any follower of Christ. God is raising up men and women who are willing to serve him all over the world. When you’re ordained, part of the…
When we read the Scriptures, we find many contrasts. One of these is what we might call the toughness of Paul in the face of opposition and adversity, and the tenderness of Jesus as he prays for his disciples in that prayer in the garden called the high priestly prayer. But it seems to me…
We live in a realm where people are often mistreated by institutions. And that’s really the story of the man who was born blind (John 9:1-12). We prayed at the beginning of the service, “Gracious Father, whose blessed Son, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the…
I need a new flashlight. And when I was looking at flashlight ads, I found one that you can turn on, and the beam can either go broad or narrow, concentrated down to a pin dot. Sometimes the pin dot happens for me when I read Scripture. Today, it was this line from the Gospel…