October 22, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Welcoming Liturgy

As Episcopalians, we believe that the Holy Eucharist is celebrated together as a community, and worship is not whole without the active contribution of every member of the congregation. – Dustin Seo, Cellist

I ran across this quote while reading an article by Mr. Seo entitled, “Worship as an Invitation to Belong.”  In that article he talks about church shopping, being a contract cellist for church music programs where he was seen as simply another vendor, to finally finding a church home.  He found a home in the Episcopal church through the liturgy and through the welcome and hospitality of parishioners. 

Mr. Seo reminds the reader that “liturgy” is a word derived from two Greek words, laos and ergos, and is roughly translated as “the people’s work,” or, “the work of the people.”  We are reminded that everyone has a role to play in the liturgy; none of us are bystanders, spectators, or an audience.  The priest and altar party obviously have the most visible roles, but the congregation also have roles to play – everything from lectors to ushers to ensuring responses are read and said in appropriate places with appropriate vigor.

Part of being a welcoming congregation is to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness with a sense of joy because our joyful worship is contagious and tells visitors that this is a good place to be.

The other part of being a welcoming congregation is to notice when visitors take that bold step to come to worship for the first time.  Our first contact with visitors should not be about swarming them with activities and asking them to lead Sunday school or sign up for coffee hour, but should be about offering a sincere welcome and a willingness to move out of your pew to help guide them through the liturgy.  Because, let’s face it, our liturgy can be complicated with the red book/blue book/stand up/sit down/kneel down/sit down movements.

I love our liturgy and find it is a time when most of us connect with God on a regular and personal basis.  But let us also remember that our liturgy can be a place of welcoming and community for those who are searching.

Blessings,

October 15, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Connections

Our keynote speaker and preacher at Diocesan Convention was the Rt. Rev. Michael Hunn, Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, an area consisting of all New Mexico and southwest Texas.  During his convention talks he told stories about an old Episcopal priest who rode the trains and walked throughout the diocese meeting people, collecting funds for mission work, and establishing churches. 

Bishop Hunn told us about his own shift in understanding episcopal ministry from one of administration to one of connectivity.  He now travels the diocese, camper in tow, visiting with various people of the parishes for several days while parked in the church parking lot.  He’s making connections with his people beyond the standard official visitation.

The day before convention I had heard that Nancy had taken a fall so I paid her a visit.  She told me about the accident, how she’s doing, and what she needed at that point.  I came back later that day with several meals from the church freezer.

While at convention I saw many people greet and spend time with friends they may only see once a year.  I talked with several clergy who I’m slowly getting to know.  Joelene made some connections about a topic she’s interested in.  And on our way home, we stopped to visit Allison in Casper.  We had a nice visit and, even though she’s settling into her new home and making connections there, she misses her people in Buffalo.

We are a people of many things, but we should always remember we are a people of connections.  There is a connection in God through the Holy Trinity.  Jesus sent out the apostles connected in pairs.  He told them to stay in one place, making connections with those who lived there.  Our parish is connected to every other parish in the diocese.  The people of Saint Luke’s are connected to each other in a variety of ways, not the least of which is our baptismal promise to “continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship.”

May we always remember our connections and work to ensure that no one is left alone.

Blessings,

October 8, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . There Are No Coincidences

A friend of mine often uses that phrase when a coincidence, usually good, pops up.  Maybe it’s a phone call from an old friend at a particular time, or maybe it’s an unexpected flower delivery, or whatever.  There are times when we need something in our lives and what we need just happens to appear.  My friend will tell you there are no coincidences and that God is doing something remarkable.

This past week was Bar Week – that time of the month when I spend the first weekdays in a different bar in town.  And because the first was on a Wednesday this month, Bar Week started at The Cowboy.  I’ve come to know a few of the regulars there and we generally have a good conversation.  One of them keeps telling me he’s going to invite me to the shooting range, but that hasn’t yet happened and that’s another story.

So last Wednesday I showed up at The Cowboy, sat down at the bar, ordered my usual, and had a conversation with one of the regulars.  I finished up, paid my bill, headed out, and just as I got to the door a guy sitting a few chairs to my left suddenly says, “Are you a pastor?”

Making a U-turn I said, “Yep.  I’m the priest at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church here.  What’s up?”  Then I sat down next to him.

It turns out that he was up here from Arizona overseeing a job for his company and would be going home on Friday.  He was silent for a minute, then told me that he had just found out a close friend of his died suddenly and very unexpectedly from a blood clot.

We talked.  I prayed.  He cried.  Then he said, “Thanks for stopping.”  Sometimes Bar Week is exactly what it needs to be.

There are no coincidences.

October 1, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Michaelmas

This past Monday was the feast day of Saint Michael and All Angels.  Angels play an important part of our Christian faith, even though we may not recognize that in today’s world.

Angels appear in several places in Scripture, but only four are ever named:  Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.  Michael is often depicted carrying a sword and is seen as the commanding general of God’s army.  Michael is considered the greatest of the angels as being the one who defeated Satan in the war in heaven.  This role of God’s warrior is attested to in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

We might be most familiar with Gabriel.  Often depicted with a trumpet, signifying the role of God’s herald, Gabriel announces the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus to Zechariah and Mary respectively.  Gabriel also appears to Daniel to explain his visions.  Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all reference Gabriel by name.

Raphael only appears by name in the Book of Tobit (found in the Apocrypha).  Raphael is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “to heal.”  This is shown in Tobit when Raphael heals Tobit’s eyes.  Because of this, Raphael is also seen as the angel who stirs the waters of the pool in Bethsaida allowing people who stepped in the pool to be healed. 

The fourth archangel is Uriel who appears in the Second Book of Esdras (also in the Apocrypha).  Uriel’s name means, “God is my flame.”  Religious traditions being what they are, Uriel is seen as the angel who guards the entrance to Eden, checked the doors for lamb’s blood during the last plague in Egypt, the one who holds the key to the pit during the end times, and symbolizes the divine presence.

We may not see angels all around us, but we do recognize their presence.  During Communion we say, “Holy, holy, holy Lord . . .” as we join our voices with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. 

May God’s holy angels help and defend us here on earth with the same dedication with which they serve and worship God in heaven.

Blessings,

September 17, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Confirmation

The most recent Confirmation class began this past Sunday.  We have six participants and I’m looking forward to exploring with them their questions about faith and life in general.

The program we are using is called Confirm Not Conform and is a new-to-me format.  In short it values questions over answers and encourages the participants to explore the faith rather than be receptors of what they must believe. 

One part of this program is that it pairs the prospective confirmand up with an adult “mentor.”  The adult is present at four of the sessions throughout the curriculum and gives the youth another resource to explore their faith without judgment and without feeling like they need to ask their priest “the right questions.” 

At our first session the kids and adults paired up with each other and had a series of questions to go over.  As I walked around the parish hall listening and checking in, it was nice to hear each pair move from a simple question and answer period to a time of conversation.  And it was nice to see this intergenerational group having a good time.  Several of the adults, who were at first uncertain about their participation, said they were glad they were asked to be part of this.

The course runs for fourteen sessions, and with Bp. Ousley making his visitation to Saint Luke’s on January 4, that means we will meet almost every Sunday between now and then.  The six kids in the class have made a commitment to attending all fourteen sessions.  Whether they choose to be Confirmed has yet to be determined, but they will have a good foundation from which to make that decision.

In the coming months, please keep this Confirmation class in your prayers as we explore and discuss our faith in the context of the Episcopal church.

Blessings,

September 10, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Theological Habits

What is a habit?  A habit is a way of doing something regularly and consistently.  It might be the route you take home or what you eat for lunch.  I remember the first time Joelene and I returned to Sheridan, MT, for a visit.  We were going to stay at a friends’ house, but when I got into town I automatically drove to our old house.  Habits.

“Habit” comes from the Latin habitus which means a condition or character.  What we do as a habit, then, is really from the development of our character.  Do we have a habit of cheating at card games?  Do we have a habit of helping people in need?  These are character issues formed by our habits.

A theological habit, then, helps shape your character.  It would mean that you habitually viewed the world through the lens of God.  It would mean that, like Mary, you would see yourself as overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and be the bearer of the Word of God to others.  It would mean that you were open to seeing the mysteries of God all around you.

That theological habit, however, must be practiced day in and day out.  Habits are difficult to form and easy to lose.  Habits don’t just appear out of the blue – they must be worked on, practiced, and developed.  Theological habits don’t form because you attended a church service one day.  They must be formed and developed through daily prayer, through meditating on God’s holy Word, through regular worship attendance, and through a willingness to see God at work in you and the world around you.

We live with the mysteries of faith on a regular basis.  These mysteries aren’t here to be solved but to be lived into.  May you develop a theological habit of encountering God on a regular basis.

Blessings,

September 3, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Liturgy

I was thinking about liturgy yesterday as I attended the graveside service for Dave Hackert.  He was an Army vet, so there was the liturgy of the honor guard, rifles, flag folding, and presentation of the flag to his daughter.  There was the liturgy of the service which incorporated scripture, remembrances, and the obligatory, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”  All this got me thinking about our liturgy.

I love the liturgy of our church.  As a lifelong Episcopalian, the liturgy is a part of who I am.  As a priest, I try to ensure that everything we do is done in a respectful manner, is done in a way that makes sense, and is done with a sense of drawing us in and closer to the mystery of the holy presence of God. 

There are some people who view our liturgy in a negative light because, “You do the same thing over and over again . . . AND . . . you have everything printed in a book.  That doesn’t leave any room for the Spirit of God to work.”

I disagree.

The words of our liturgy infuse our very being.  We don’t have to search for words because we have been saying and praying these words and prayers for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.  When we come to church ecstatic over something in our lives, the liturgy grounds us.  When we come to church overwhelmed by life events, the liturgy wraps around us, comforts us, and calms us.  The liturgy helps ensure that clergy don’t play to people’s emotions but remain focused on the task at hand – offering a worship service that is dignified, steady, and one which becomes a part of our spiritual DNA.  And when I visit people in the hospital or at the end of their life, the words of the Prayer Book and the service they know by heart brings comfort in a difficult time.  The Spirit of God works through all of this to offer guidance and strength.

Liturgies are all around us and in places you might not think of being liturgical at all.  But for me, the liturgy of this church helps define who I am.  I hope you see it in much the same way.

Blessings,

August 27, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Checking In

I guess it may have been about a year ago when we were working toward acquiring new hardware to enable us to stream our services.  We did some special fundraising and you may recall that a few of my former parishioners in Maryland helped us reach that goal.  When all was said and done we ended up with a system that provides a very good viewing experience for those who worship with us from different locations.

In addition to Saint Luke’s people, I know of at least one of my former parishioners from Saint John’s who joins us online on a regular basis.  Judy’s regular attendance has allowed her to get to know the people here at Saint Luke’s, although in a much different way than we would normally think of getting to know people.  That familiarity led to an interesting exchange last week.

She sent me a message saying, “I have a couple of questions for you.  First, I haven’t seen the couple with the two kids who sit up front on the right for a long time.  Are they okay?  Second, I haven’t seen the lady with the walking sticks who sits in the second row on the left.  How is she?”

I let her know that both were okay:  the family had summer rodeo and soccer, and the other person had car problems, but they would return.

This exchange got me thinking:  what if we all had a little Judy inside us?  What if we understood that our role in this community of Saint Luke’s was to keep tabs on each other, to check in when someone hasn’t been seen, and to ensure that all is well? 

Let us remember that Jesus sought out the lost.  Let us remember only that which we value goes missing or is lost.  And let us remember that if a person 1700 miles away can check on people whom they notice missing from Sunday service, we can too.

All of us are vital members of this part of the body of Christ and we are diminished when one of us goes missing.  May we reach out to others in love to check in and remind them that they are missed and we are here if there’s a need.

Blessings,

August 20, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Unity not Conformity

What is the mission of the Church?  The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. – Catechism, pg. 855

Unity and conformity are sometimes used interchangeably.  For instance, anyone watching our Sunday service would see that we are in unity when we worship.  They might also deduce that we are in conformity by noticing that everyone stands, kneels, and sits at the same time.  But if those same people were to look at the wider Episcopal church, they would see that all Episcopal churches are in unity through their use of the BCP and liturgical practices while also noticing that we do not conform with each other based on whether it’s Rite 1 or 2, Eucharistic Prayer I, II, A, B, C, or D, which Prayers of the People are used, or any other specific differences.

This Sunday we have our joint Service in the Park with First United Methodist, St. Luke’s Lutheran, and Union Congregational.  I met with Pastors Anne and Audrey a few weeks ago as we planned the liturgy for the day.  There was some give and take as the three of us modified our various worship, insisting on what needed to be included and eliminating what we thought wasn’t absolutely necessary.  We were bound in unity, but none of us are conforming to different liturgical aspects.

And, in a nutshell, this unity vs. conformity might just be the major problem of our society.  Whether it’s religion, politics, or any number of other things, it seems we’ve lost the ability to see our unity because we’ve been blinded by the need for conformity. 

Unity can be messy because it takes into account individual free will . . . we are united with each other because we choose to be.  Conformity is appealing because it makes things easy, we don’t have to think, all we need to do is follow orders.

With that distinction, may we be unified in purpose without being forced to conform.

Blessings,

August 13, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Modern Martyrs

Tomorrow, August 14, is the Feast Day of Jonathan Myrick Daniels.  He was a 26-year old seminarian who had gone to Alabama to help with voter registration during the Civil Rights movement.  While there, he and several others were arrested for participating in a voters’ rights demonstration.  They were released six days later, on August 20, 1965.

As they were about to enter a store, they were confronted by an armed part-time deputy sheriff and full-time white supremacist who aimed his shotgun at Ruby Sales, an African American teenager who was with Jonathan.  He managed to push her to the ground saving her life, while he was killed instantly by the shotgun blast.  The shooter took aim at Jonathan’s other companions, but they all survived.  The shooter was eventually acquitted by an all-white jury.

This is but one, sad example of the sin of racism in this country.  Some is overt, like the murder of Jonathan Myrick Daniels and others.  Some is covert, like redlining, people being pulled over because of their skin color, or HOA’s with fine-print racial clauses. 

And, unfortunately, it’s not just racism that infects our society.  Over and over and over again we see instances where the rights of others are seen as a threat and are constantly under attack.  Currently there is a group of lawmakers and political activists advocating for the revoking of a woman’s right to vote.  The Supreme Court will hear arguments attempting to overturn marriage equality.  And the list goes on.

As we remember Jonathan Myrick Daniels and his self-sacrifice for the equality and protection of black Americans, may we also remember two other aspects of our lives that we should strive to live into:  1) All people are created equal and should have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and 2) There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; for all of you are one in Christ.

May we have the courage of Jonathan to stand up for both the ideals of our country and God.

Blessings,

PS:  This is the last week to order your Saint Luke’s polo shirt in time for the Harvest Hoedown!  Click on this link (or copy and paste into your browser if you can’t click directly) to order: https://getgotprinting.printavo.com/merch/stlukesbuffalo

August 6, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Surprises

Generally speaking, I am not fond of surprises.  I won’t go into the psychology of why that may be, but it’s enough to know that they tend to make me nervous.  Every so often, though . . .

That was the case this past Sunday evening when I got a text from a former parishioner in Maryland who said, “Hey, we’re finally making that trip out west and will be in Buffalo on August 26.  Wondering if we can meet up.”

Unfortunately the 26^th is a busy day for us as we have to get Joelene’s mother up to Billings to fly back home.  But after several back and forth messages with suggestions and negotiations, we finally found a time for us to meet up for a bit before they continued their journey.

I suppose there are good surprises and bad surprises, and we all have our own definitions of each.  For instance, my car dying on the move out here was most definitely a bad surprise, but that bad surprise led to a number of good surprises – one of which was having dinner with Joelene at a great bbq restaurant in Pierre. 

There is good and bad in everything.  Some days are by the book and follow the plans, other days are full of surprises.  Sometimes, I suppose, we go through the day not seeing the surprises in front of us.

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, when the disciples saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain and appearing with Moses and Elijah.  I’m sure that was a huge surprise for them.  I also think that, as they looked back on that event, they saw things with new eyes.

Keep your eyes open for good surprises.  Allow yourself to be surprised by little things, as well as big things.  And maybe, just maybe, those little surprises will lead us to see things with new eyes.

Blessings,

PS:  Don’t forget to order your Saint Luke’s polo shirt in time for the Harvest Hoedown!  Click on this link (or copy and paste into your browser if you can’t click directly) to order: https://getgotprinting.printavo.com/merch/stlukesbuffalo

July 30, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Better With You

Last September I was in Gillette for a Soul Shop seminar.  Soul Shop is a faith-based suicide prevention/awareness program and I went to learn more about how to identify and speak to people about suicide.  I was then asked to be trained as a Soul Shop facilitator/trainer, which is what I was doing in Casper most of last week.

One of the things Soul Shop says is that we are better with you than without you.  As I was going through the training I recalled the sermon I preached on the lost sheep and lost coin – that we lose things we value, we need, and/or we love.  When we think of finding the lost sheep or lost coin in relation to other people, we should change our perspective and think about how we need those people in our lives – that we are better with them than without them.

We are all going through our own stuff.  Whether that stuff is financial, work or family related, health related, an addiction of one kind or another, or any number of other things, everyone has stuff they’re going through.  Sometimes that stuff is insignificant, other times that stuff can be overwhelming.  And the thing is, very few of us know exactly what others are going through; which is why, in a world where you can be anything, it’s so very important to be kind.

Our faith tells us that the two greatest commandments are:  Love God and Love Neighbor.  As the parable of the Good Samaritan shows us, our neighbor includes those in need.  People considering suicide are in need – they are in need of being seen, they are in need of coping skills, they are in need of love.  In our regular interactions with our neighbors we might see hints, discrepancies, or things that are just off from what we normally see.  If we see that, we need to have the courage to ask them how they’re doing and invite them into a conversation.

Wyoming is one of the top three states for suicide rates in the country.  I’m working on scheduling a Soul Shop event in September because it’s important we all know how to recognize and help prevent our friends and neighbors from ending their own lives.  If you need to talk but don’t know who to call, start with the 988 hotline that is always staffed to take calls.

With that in mind, I want to remind you that, as your priest and as your neighbor, I am available to talk if your stuff starts to get too overwhelming.  And I also want you to know that my life is better with you in it.

Blessings,

July 23, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Home

Last month Joelene traveled back to Maryland for the wedding of a former co-worker, to visit old friends, and to see our daughter.  While she had a good time and enjoyed catching up with people, she was also glad to be back home.

Earlier this month our friend Pol came out from Maryland for a visit.  During his weeklong stay, he saw several new birds he’d never seen before and saw a whole lot of Wyoming.  But after a week of staying in our guestroom, I’m sure he was also glad to be back home.

For the past three weeks we have been worshiping according to the 1789, 1892, and 1928 Books of Common Prayer.  It’s been interesting to see where we, the Episcopal church, came from, how things have changed, and how things have remained the same or similar.  And we’ve had some good discussions about those books, their similarities, and their differences.

But I gotta tell you . . . I’m looking forward to coming home to the 1979 BCP.  Are there some things about that book I would change?  Certainly.  But that book is home.  The services, rubrics, and cadences are familiar and well-worn roads that allow me to be fully present with you as we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  It’s also a bit like Linus’ blanket in that the 1979 BCP provides a sense that I can sit with that book and feel secure in the presence of God.

So while the past three weeks have been an interesting little side trip in our worship, it will be good to be home again.

I hope to see you this coming Sunday for our homecoming.

Blessings,

July 16, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Thank you

We have had a busy first few weeks of July.

First, we began our historical journey through the various BCP’s of the Episcopal church.  This meant putting together bulletins reflecting Holy Communion from 1798, 1892, and 1928.  It also meant moving the altar back against the reredos and modifying how the Altar Guild prepped for service.

Second, we had two memorial services only a few days apart.  On Saturday, July 12, we hosted the memorial and luncheon for Dawn Crain Moreland.  And on Tuesday, July 15, I officiated the graveside service for Debra Rubottom with a reception held back in the parish hall.

And on Sunday, July 13, we served breakfast following the 1892 worship service.

All of these events required the time and talents of a lot of people.  And while all of these people do these things as part of the life of Saint Luke’s, it’s important to thank them.

Thank you to JoAnn Pearson and her team for organizing and putting together the two funeral receptions almost back-to-back.  Pam McFadden, JoAnn Palmer, Marilyn Novotny, Mildred Johnson, Bettina Nimick, Marsha Parker, and Margo Mader (I hope I’m not missing anyone) all deserve thanks for their hard work and hospitality for these two events.

Thank you to Jim Wood and his Crew of Capable Cooks – Tom Berry, Joey Killian, and Perry Smith (and Monica Smith for the GF waffles and blueberry topping) – for cooking a great breakfast on the 13^th, and for cleaning up afterward.

Thank you to everyone on the Altar Guild who adapted to a different way of prepping the altar for these special services.  They all work behind the scenes to help make our Sunday worship what it is.

And thank you to Monica who worked so very hard to put together the bulletins for the month.  It was more complicated than anticipated, but she pulled it off.

In conclusion, don’t forget to thank all those people in your life who help in both obvious and not-so-obvious ways.  Because, really, none of us are as independent as we might think we are.

Blessings,

July 9, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Holy Food for Holy People

This past Sunday was our first in the BCP series that fills our July calendar.  As you know by now, we are looking at Communion services from the 1789, 1892, 1928, and 1979 prayer books.  As we go through those services, take note of what’s familiar, what has changed, and the overall feel of each service.

As I said earlier, the services are just similar enough that they might throw you for a loop if you rely on your liturgical memory.  I did this right off the bat when I was so preoccupied with the differences that I forgot to light the altar candles and play the opening hymn.  Oops.  That aside, this first service on Sunday went fairly well.

If you either attended in person or watched online, one of the things you no doubt noticed was how very clergy-centric the service was.  I lead all the prayers.  I read all the lessons.  I even read a few things that we normally think of as being said together. 

Even with all of that – with the priest doing most of the work, with the constant reminder that we are miserable sinners, with an east-facing altar, and with any number of other differences – the thing that still bound us together was Holy Communion.  The words of institution have not changed all that much and the words of administration, though a little different, are probably still familiar to people.  In the end, it was holy food given to holy people.

So as we go through the different forms of Communion this month, take time to notice the differences; but also take time to notice the similarities.  As an Episcopalian, I find it reassuring to know that our style of worship has been in place for some 450 years, and is probably even recognizable to the liturgies of the early Church from the 2^nd century. 

You are part of a long chain of holy people partaking of the holy food of God.  No matter what comes your way, hold onto that fact.

Blessings,

July 2, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Spiritual Disciplines

I was supposed to be at the diocesan clergy retreat in Evanston this week, but I received an e-mail last Tuesday saying it had been canceled due to low turnout.  The topic of the retreat was Spiritual Disciplines as a Foundation for Life and Ministry, and I was looking forward to it, even if it was in Evanston.

The topic, though, got me thinking about spiritual disciplines in general.  Whether we realize it or not, we all have a variety of disciplines we follow in our lives – some more meaningful than others, some more rigorous than others.  One discipline we have might be getting up early in the morning to exercise or spend time in quiet prayer/meditation before the busy-ness of the day.  Maybe we have a discipline of intentional family conversations.  Or maybe that Lenten discipline you followed has stuck with you and you continue to make it part of your daily life.

There are as many spiritual practices as there are people, I would imagine.  Sometimes people get hung up about these, though.  They want to do something meaningful.  They want to do something regularly.  And they want to do it correctly.  About this last point, I remember a monk who came to lead a clergy retreat when I was in Maryland talking about this very thing.  He said, “The spiritual or prayer discipline/practice that you DO is the right one.”  The implication, of course, being that as long as you are doing something, you’re doing it correctly.

Read a chapter from the gospels each morning.  Read a chapter from the gospels each evening.  Pray through the Psalms each month (the BCP breaks the Psalms into groups that can be read/prayed morning and night).  Take some time and pray from the Daily Devotions we have available at the church.  The BCP has a list of prayers for all sorts of occasions beginning on page 810 – find a prayer there to pray daily.  Find a short, meditative prayer you can easily repeat in times of silence (I find the trisagion on the bottom of pg. 356 to be helpful).

As the Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

When it comes to spiritual disciplines, start small, stay consistent, and go from there.

Blessings,

June 25, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . John the Baptist

Yesterday was the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist.  In the Christian tradition, he is the last of the prophets before the arrival of Christ.  Christianity sees Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and John is seen as the embodiment of the prophets pointing the way to Jesus.

He appears in all four gospels, with his birth narrative and relationship to Jesus given in Luke.  He had a large following with some of his disciples becoming followers of Jesus (see John 1:35-42).  It was his public denunciation of Herod’s immorality that eventually led to his execution.

Everything John did and said pointed toward Jesus.  This often didn’t sit well with the religious and political leaders of his day (see the aforementioned execution), and John reminds us that living and speaking for the gospel in the face social and political pressures can have dire consequences. 

We need to remember that the Gospel was written to give hope to a persecuted people.  One of its purposes is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”  If the message of the Gospel doesn’t challenge us or cause us to reevaluate our priorities, we are missing (or ignoring) a large part of what it has to say.

As we remember the forerunner to Jesus, may we have the courage to follow the example of John the Baptist and, in the words of John Lewis, renowned Civil Rights activist, make “good trouble.”

Blessings,

June 18, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Juneteenth

Tomorrow is June 19 and the celebration of Juneteenth, which originated at the end of the Civil War.  On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln announced that the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect on January 1, 1863.  On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation – 900 days after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, 71 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered, and 24 days after the Confederate army in Texas was disbanded.

This event, unfortunately, did not lead to immediate or widespread freedom and equality for former slaves and people of color.  Jim Crow laws, the rise of the KKK, redlining, HOAs, the disparity in the GI Bill, segregation, and other policies upholding systemic racism worked to ensure that non-whites were “kept in their place” for generations – including up to today.

As we continue to struggle to live into our baptismal covenant promise “to respect the dignity of every human being,” it’s important to see where we fall short.  On the arrival of Juneteenth, I encourage to read, listen, and contemplate some of these words of freedom and equality.

Frederick Douglass and “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech

“Wehold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights . . .”

“With liberty and justice for all.”

Blessings,

June 11, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Trinity Sunday

This coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday.  This is the only day of the year when we specifically honor the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  And while our Collects, Creed, Prefaces, Blessings, and some other parts of the service all often reference the Holy Trinity, this is the only day specifically dedicated to our understanding of God.

The concept of the Trinity is not specifically stated anywhere in the bible.  Instead, it is the result of years of study and revelation that led to people developing the concept of a God who is three-in-one and one-in-three.

As Christians we see evidence of the Trinity in the story of creation when God began to create, the Spirit swept over the waters, and the Word of God spoke.  We see it when Abraham was met by the Lord (singular) appearing as three men.  We see it in John when Jesus says he is in the Father and the Father is in him, and that the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus from the Father.  There are other places, but you get the idea.  It was Tertullian (160-225) who first developed an early Trinitarian theology and was the first to use the term “Trinity.”  Over many years and several conflicts, Trinitarian theology won out and left us with the understanding that the eternal godhead consists of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one-in-three and three-in-one, co-equal and co-eternal.

That’s a lot to wrap your head around.  It’s been said that if you don’t want to commit heresy, stop there and don’t try to explain any further.  It’s also been said that if you don’t want to commit heresy on Trinity Sunday, have someone else preach.  But since that’s not an option, I’ll see what I can do.

In the meantime, when thinking about the Trinity think about God in a perfect triune relationship of love, communication, and existence.  Proceeding from that, then, should cause us to contemplate how we, as humans made in the image of God, can work to include all of our diverse fellow humans equally in bonds of love, communication, and existence.

Blessings,

June 4, 2025

Wednesday Word . . . Pentecost

Pentecost is this coming Sunday.  This is the day the Holy Spirit descended on the twelve apostles and they began speaking in other languages to all the people gathered in Jerusalem.  People had come from far and near for the Feast of Pentecost, a Jewish festival that took place fifty days after Passover to celebrate the harvest.  And on that day the people in Jerusalem heard the apostles speaking in their own languages:  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, and others.

And it’s in this story where we hear one of the greatest lines in Scripture.  After someone accuses the apostles of being filled with new wine, Peter says, “These men are not drunk as you suppose, it’s only 9 o’clock in the morning.”

In this story of Pentecost we see the thrill and wonder of the apostles in that room as they are bathed with the fire of the Holy Spirit.  In this story of Pentecost we see people gather together to celebrate a traditional feast and celebrate the presence of God.  In this story of Pentecost we see twelve men so compelled to share the good news of God in Christ that they did so in a very public way without worrying about what people thought (“filled with new wine”).

This Pentecost we will gather to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We will be reminded of the promises we made and the expectations placed on us as we renew our baptismal vows.  And then we will gather after the service to spruce up the building and grounds and enjoy each other’s company at a potluck lunch.

We may not have 3000 in attendance, but I have no doubt the Holy Spirit will be present.

Blessings,