Jesus, all through what we call the 13th chapter of Matthew, gives his followers a whole series of parables, such as “the sower who goes out to sow” and “the woman who puts the yeast into the flour.” All of these parables lay out in essence an important expression of what God is doing.  In…

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this brief blog series, we’ve been examining one of our collects (a prayer that gathers our thoughts and intentions) and breaking down its very relevant components. We’ve discussed how this prayer focuses on the mission of the church and asks God to keep (protect) us in his steadfast…

In the last post, we looked at the first part of one of our collects (a prayer that gathers our thoughts and intentions). I’m going to print it again here for your easy reference: Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your…

In the next series of blogs, I want to examine one of our collects (a prayer that gathers our thoughts and intentions) in The Book of Common Prayer. This one is known as Proper 6. And what it says is incredibly relevant: Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love,…

A friend of mine went to a local men’s store to buy some dress shirts. And the salesperson came up to him. Now, you need to know this about my friend. If there’s anybody who would embody the fizz of a champagne glass, he’s it. He is effervescent, he is bubbly, he is fun to…

How can we be in the season of Advent already? I imagine this thought has crossed your mind, just as it has mine. In this season, people love to talk about how busy they are. Our schedules overflow with shopping, decorating and baking along with all the traditional church activities. As believers, we have the…

Last week, we learned that Advent is about celebrating the difference that Christ makes in our lives. We have a natural tendency to want to fit in. But once we make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, we don’t fit in anymore. Following Jesus goes against so much of what our culture says.   That’s why,…

 “Facing a task unfinished, we bear the torch that flaming/Fell from the hands of those/ Who gave their lives proclaiming/That Jesus died and rose/ Ours is the same commission/The same glad message ours/ Fired by the same ambition/To Thee we yield our powers.” —“Facing a Task Unfinished,” words by Frank Houghton   You know, if…

“Our cities share a common heartache.” That was my response to a bishop in London, England, who offered prayers for us and for the service in remembrance of Pulse from the Anglican Diocese of London. We do share this burden–along with Manchester, New York City, Paris and other places around the world too numerous to…

As the one year anniversary of the Pulse tragedy approaches, I feel compelled to share a blog post which I published last year in reaction to our collective shock and sadness.  Prayers and tears continue for the victims, their families and the community.  +GOB When I heard the news, I was sitting in the airport…