Probably one of the most painful things that can happen to almost anybody, particularly on our present culture, is to be different. To not look like everybody else. To not fit in. To know that somehow the crowd is there, and I’m here, and I don’t know that I belong in that crowd at all.…

A faith that enables its followers not only to speak on behalf of the oppressed but also to follow Christ in saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know now what they do,” to those responsible for oppression is countercultural—especially today. In my last post, we discussed the great truth that Christianity, more and more, is…

  In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the parable of the wedding feast (Luke 14:7-14) and how, when we come into the banquet hall, we choose to be there on the King’s terms or we don’t belong—even though we’ve received an invitation. If we’re not there in the hall according to the king’s…

I want to share one of my favorite stories about the life of the Episcopal Church, a church that has traditionally welcomed, as the Prayer Book says, “all sorts and conditions,” regardless of age, race, economic status or education. If you’re in the neighborhood and you live near an Episcopal church, you are welcome. To…

John shares a story from Matthew 28:1-10 in his Gospel about two women who come to pay their last respects to Jesus.  What a surprise they found at the tomb: an angel who gave them three profound gifts: an encouraging word (“Do not be afraid”), a critical truth (“he has been raised, as he said”)…

Holy Week is invasive. It’s meant to be. It’s meant to take away all our defenses against our God, who comes to us in ways that we, because we are his disciples, cannot resist. But that’s what we see in the Gospel of John. I feel it in me as I prepare for Holy Week.…

Every year, on Ash Wednesday, in a way that feels both fresh and familiar, I remember again that the receiving of the ashes is always described in the liturgy not as a sign of our fasting, but as a mark of our mortal nature. The ashes are given to us to remind us of the…

Who was David of Wales, and what can we learn from his life? Let’s examine the 3 C’s that characterize his person and works. Confidence in God We know him as “Saint David,” whom we honor each year on his Feast Day (Mar. 1). But he actually never wanted the public eye. Of royal birth,…

It feels an appropriate time to republish my blog “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” as we approach Ash Wednesday.  I encourage you to consider what living beneath the cross of Jesus means in your own walk with Christ especially during this reflective season of Lent.  God’s blessings, +GOB You may or may not be familiar with…

The Feast of the Presentation commemorates the time when Mary and Joseph came to present Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:25-35). Of course, it’s a special celebration in the church year, but it also has some remarkable parallels to our practice of baptism. Let’s examine them now. An Act of Dedication: Bringing a child into…