“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the
observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denia
l; and by reading and
meditating on God’s holy Word.” Did y’all happen to hear that exhortation on Ash Wednesday last week? How’s all the prayer, fasting and self-denial going for you?
On the … Read the rest
Continue reading "Become What You Are" »“What do you think?” Jesus asked the chief priests and elders. Well, what do YOU think about the behavior of these two sons? Is it better to be a hypocrite or a nay-sayer?
Spoiler alert: this parable was kind of a trap for the temple authorities, because Jesus was using it to reveal their own hypocrisy. They gave … Read the rest
Continue reading "Saying Yes and Saying No" »“Why do you raise such questions in your heart?” Jesus asks the scribes and Pharisees. Pharisees being rather strict observers of aspects of Jewish law and tradition, and scribes being the professional scholars who interpreted Holy Scripture. You might think of me, as a priest, as something of a latter-day scribe. And so I can hear that question … Read the rest
Continue reading "Wrecking the Roof" »“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is … Read the rest
Continue reading "Francis and Feeding the Wolves" »
I chanced to be listening to a favorite radio news station show a few days ago, when—because its election season—the programming had been commandeered by a broadcast debate between the mayoral candidates of our nearby metropolis of San Jose. The candidates are both liberal democrats, so in order to liven things up, a comedian in the … Read the rest
According to the folklore of Celtic Christianity, blackberries should not be picked after the Feast of Michaelmas. This because, as the stories go, Satan was banished from heaven on this day, fell into a blackberry bramble and either cursed it, spat on it, or—in my favorite version—urinated on it.
I find these apocryphal tales to … Read the rest
Continue reading "Angelology Amidst the Brambles" »
Today was the last day of training for the new Stephen Ministers at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church. I was privileged to be part of the training team for these lay caregivers, and so I’m already grieving the goodbyes soon to come (after tomorrow’s festive commissioning) as I move on to new ministries.
Wanting to send my trainees … Read the rest
Continue reading "Proof Texting" »
This past week, almost 130 priests and deacons from the Diocese of California gathered at the Bishop’s Ranch to listen to, learn from and pray with our central sacred texts—the four canonical gospels—in ancient and fresh ways. Alexander John Shaia, a psychologist and scripture scholar who led this year’s clergy retreat, offered us a way … Read the rest
One of the most persistent puzzles of cognitive science is what’s called the “cocktail party effect,” which for us could just as well be called the coffee hour effect. It’s the ability we human beings have to single out and listen to a particular voice in a room buzzing with many voices, and its … Read the rest
Just how much mustard do we need, really?
I know its an odd question, but since we just heard the famous parable of the mustard seed I want to reflect a bit on my relationship to its condiment cousin. I don’t know about you, but I have lots of mustard in my refrigerator. There are all these odd … Read the rest
