I have a pastor friend who tells a story about leading a Bible study focused on what he called “the hard teachings of Jesus”. His group was discussing the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18, who came asking Jesus about how to inherit eternal life. As we pastors tend to do, he was trying to … Read the rest
Continue reading "Power & Practice" »
Do you ever feel like the Bible is reading you? Feel like it is shining a light into the far recesses of your soul and asking you to look more closely at yourself? The beautiful parts as well as the ones we’d prefer not to see? “How often should I forgive?” asked Peter. I’ve asked that question of … Read the rest
Continue reading "Crisis of Forgiveness" »
I never imagined myself saying this in church—or anywhere else, for that matter—but this morning I feel a bit like a mulberry tree. Some very faithful people said “be uprooted from your 13 years of service on the staff of the Bishop of California and be planted at Trinity Cathedral,” and here I am. Feeling a bit out … Read the rest
Lately I’ve been listening to lots of stories about parents and children. You probably all know the variations on the theme: children doing things their parents don’t want them to, adults failing to parent their children adequately, siblings taking very different paths and dividing loyalties. Makes for messy holidays and family reunions, no? But it has always been … Read the rest
Continue reading "Hunger for Home" »
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
