Peculiar Kingship

Christ the King A

Today being Christ the King Sunday, and myself never having lived under the authority of an earthly king, I thought I’d better do some research into how my peers think about kings. So I did what contemporary people do, and turned to the Oracle of Mountain View—that being Google—for insight.

I figured that I’d learn a … Read the rest

Continue reading "Peculiar Kingship" »

Unexceptional

Proper 9B

I know a person… who was caught up into Paradise,” Paul wrote to the church in Corinth nearly two thousand years ago. “Even considering the exceptional character of the revelations, however, I refrain from boasting.”

This passage is one of my favorites in all of Paul’s voluminous correspondence to the early church, in large part because it … Read the rest

Continue reading "Unexceptional" »

Light for the Journey

The Epiphany
Listen to audio

If you’ve been around Trinity for a while, you may already know that my husband John and I served for seven years as missionaries in Central America and the Caribbean when we were newly married. Por eso somos hablahispanos. That’s why we’re both Spanish speakers. What you may not know is that our two sons … Read the rest

Continue reading "Light for the Journey" »

God’s Renewable Energy

Epiphany 1B

Listen to Audio

So it’s a week to be an Oregonian, no? I have to love it when our gas-pumping habits make the national news. On Thursday I woke up to the Washington Post headline that read “I don’t even know HOW: Some Oregonians panic about the new self-service gas law.”

Great. The rest of the country already … Read the rest

Continue reading "God's Renewable Energy" »

Easter Community Guidelines

hashtagsEaster Vigil

Am I losing my mind?

That’s what my friend Lisa asked recently. Now there’s no shortage of reasons why followers of Jesus might ask that question at this time of year. Mary Magdalene and Mary, were you losing your minds when you snuck off to see the tomb of one so shamefully executed? Or when an angel sent … Read the rest

Continue reading "Easter Community Guidelines" »

Eschatological Investment

shrewd_managerProper 20C

Its somewhat legendary in the Episcopal Church that the seminarian or brand new clergy get assigned to preach on the Sundays when the lessons are really difficult, or when the theology is complicated (like on Trinity Sunday). Steve, I’m not a seminarian! And just because I’m moving away is not an excuse to punish me.

But here we … Read the rest

Continue reading "Eschatological Investment" »

Proceed to Life

road-of-the-deadProper 5C
Luke 7:11-17

In my diocesan role, I have the privilege of coordinating the annual confirmation liturgy that happens at Grace Cathedral. Yesterday, more than 140 Christian people were confirmed, which meant that—including with their families and presenters—the Cathedral was quite full. A few days before that, I had mentioned to the Precenter—that is, the resident liturgist on the … Read the rest

Continue reading "Proceed to Life" »

Take Up Your Towel

TowelsMaundy Thursday

For several days last week, I was driving around with a kind of scary black garbage bag in the back of my car. And the bag got a bit scarier every day that it stayed there, because it was full of damp used towels. Towels that came from a service of footwashing. And the feet belonged to the … Read the rest

Continue reading "Take Up Your Towel" »

Wisdom in All the Wrong Places

Proper 20B

wisdomsignWho is wise and understanding among you?

The letter of James poses that question rhetorically, because the author already has an answer ready for us: “wisdom… is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” If that’s what you’re like, you are indeed wise. But … Read the rest

Continue reading "Wisdom in All the Wrong Places" »

Unexceptional Grace


stone of graceProper 9B

“I know a person… who was caught up into Paradise,” Paul wrote to the church in Corinth nearly two thousand years ago. “Even considering the exceptional character of the revelations, however, I refrain from boasting.”

This passage is one of my favorites in all of Paul’s voluminous and dense correspondence to the early church, in large part because … Read the rest

Continue reading "Unexceptional Grace" »